To reduce the waiting time of passengers from check-in to boarding flights, the central government has introduced an octal-based facial recognition technology called ‘DigiAtra’ at three airports – New Delhi, Bengaluru and Varanasi.

Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia unveiled the technology at the Delhi airport on Thursday and said: In this facial recognition technology, the information provided by passengers is stored as data in the form of a secret code. Such a facility has been introduced considering issues like information leakage and right to privacy. By March next year, this technology will be introduced in all 4 airports namely Hyderabad, Pune, Vijayawada and Kolkata. Later, its use will be extended to all airports in the country. This technology is for air travelers using domestic airlines.

International airports including Dubai, Singapore and Atlanta are using facial recognition technology to reduce passenger waiting times. Passengers will not need to carry identification cards and boarding passes from entering airports to boarding flights, he said.

Method of use:

To avail this service, air travelers have to register through Aadhaar based verification by entering their details through the Digiatra app. The identification code (bar code) on the boarding pass is scanned using a smartphone and the data is shared with the airport. First scan the boarding pass printed with the bar code at the e-gate of the airport. After that, facial recognition technology will verify the passenger’s identity and travel documents. Once these procedures are completed, passengers can enter the airport. Along with this, safety and routine procedures have to be followed.