Kolkata airport gets DigiYatra, check-in with facial recognition tech

• Kolkata airport has launched DigiYatra, allowing passengers to check-in and board aircraft using facial recognition technology
• The technology has already been launched at Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi airports
• The aim is to improve the passenger experience by removing the need for ticket and ID verification at multiple touchpoints and to achieve better passenger movement through the existing infrastructure using a digital framework

Passengers traveling through the Kolkata airport will now be able to check-in for their flights and board the aircraft using facial recognition technology as DigiYatra was launched here on Friday, an official statement said.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is the fourth in the country after Delhi, Bengaluru and Varanasi airports to have facilities that ensure a seamless check-in and boarding process for air passengers. The 'DigiYatra' was launched at these three airports in the first phase in December last year.

"Its main objective is to improve the passenger experience by removing the need for ticket and ID verification at multiple touchpoints and to achieve better passenger movement through the existing infrastructure using a digital framework," Kolkata Airport said in a statement.

Trials of the technology began at the Kolkata airport on February 21 and by Thursday, 9,206 passengers had used the device. Passengers traveling via Air India, IndiGo, GoFirst, Vistara and SpiceJet will be able to use DigiYatra at the Kolkata airport, the statement said.

They will be able to use the facilities at departure gates 2B and 3A, security check-in area 1, 2 and 3 and boarding gates 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23.” This will lead to fast passenger movement, paperless travel, greater security and improved airport infrastructure,” Kolkata Airport Director C Pattabhi said while inaugurating the facility.

Passengers will now be able to spend more time shopping at the airport, enjoying food and beverages, among other services, he added. To avail the service, passengers have to register their details in the DigiYatra app using Aadhaar-based authentication and self-image capture.

In the next step, the boarding pass must be scanned and the credentials shared with the airport. At the airport's electronic gate, the registered passenger must first scan the barcoded boarding pass, and the facial recognition system installed at the electronic gate will verify the passenger's identity and travel document.

After completing this process, the passenger can enter the airport through the e-gate. The data shared by passengers for DigiYatra will be stored in an encrypted format in a decentralized manner.