DigiYatra Explained: Face-Based Paperless Air Travel
Why in the news
DigiYatra is the face-recognition boarding system for Indian airports; by May 2025 it was live at 13, with over 50 targeted by 2026.
Key facts
- Called the world’s first federated, voluntary, privacy-preserving digital passenger identity system.
- Facial biometrics tied to the boarding pass verify identity at entry, security and boarding gates.
- No central storage; data purged within 24 hours.
| Stage | Airports | When |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Varanasi, Bengaluru | August 2022 |
| Expansion | Pune, Vijayawada, Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad | By March 2023 |
Institutional framework
- Run by the DigiYatra Foundation, a Section 8 not-for-profit owned by airport operators (AAI, GMR, Adani, BIAL).
- Overseen by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Objectives
- Smoother travel, lower costs, higher security, digitised manual steps.
- Digital ID via Aadhaar or other government ID.
Exam angle
- Technology: Facial Recognition Technology (FRT); first airports: Varanasi and Bengaluru.