[ad_1]
On Monday, a beta version of the facial recognition system was rolled out at the Delhi and Bengaluru international airports, giving travelers a glimpse of what to expect at Indian airports. Authorities concerned have been pushing to implement digital technology to reduce congestion at Indian airports, and Monday’s rollout is a step in that direction.
DigiYatra
In the year On August 15, India’s 75th Independence Day, officials rolled out a beta version of Digiatra (meaning digital travel), a contactless passenger processing system at Delhi and Bengaluru airports.
The system allows domestic passengers passing through these two areas to pass through various airport checkpoints without any paperwork. The feature is currently available for Vistara and AirAsia India passengers (both Tata Group airlines), boarding systems and e-gates at both airports.
The new system will be gradually rolled out to all domestic carriers.
The facility is currently being used by Vistara and AirAsia India. Photo: Airbus
How does it work?
To use this service, passengers are required to download the Digitra app, which is currently only available on Android phones and an iOS version is expected to be released soon. Passengers must register using their Aadhaar card credentials – a unique identification number that stores a person’s fingerprint and iris scan.
Other details like vaccination certificates should also be uploaded. When entering the airport, passengers are required to scan their boarding pass at the e-gate. A camera installed there scans the person’s face and this method is repeated at various checkpoints in the airport. According to the Digiatra Foundation (which runs the project), passenger data is deleted 24 hours after departure.
This is the beta version of Digitra, and the technique will be available at full scale at various airports in the coming months. By March next year, the technology is expected to reach several other locations, including Pune, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
A joint effort
Discussions around the use of biometrics in India are not new. In the year In 2016, the Ministry of Civil Aviation conducted a pilot project at the Hyderabad airport using biometric identification for terminal entry.
More and more airports around the world are using technology to track operations. Photo: SITA
Digitara Foundation is a joint venture company with 26% stake with Airports Authority of India and the remaining 74% stake is held equally by Bengaluru Airport, Delhi Airport, Hyderabad Airport, Mumbai Airport and Cochin International Airport.
According to The Indian Express, the Civil Aviation Ministry’s advisory committee met last month to discuss the Digiatra project. Digitara Foundation is responsible for conducting regular audits of the system and issuing guidelines for all airports to follow for proper implementation of the project.
What do you think about the digitization movement of Indian airports? Please leave a comment below.
Source: The Indian Express
[ad_2]
Source link
