Varanasi to be in first four airports to start egates

NEWDELHI: Fliers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, Varanasi, will be among the first who can board flights via a facial recognition system set to be introduced at four governmentrun airports under Digi Yatra — a civil aviation ministry initiative launched in October to promote paperless, hassle-free and speedy air travel, officials familiar with the matter said.

Under the initiative, a flier will have to get a unique Digi Yatra ID by registering on the Digi Yatra portal using an approved identity proof document such as PAN, Aadhaar or driving licence.

Once this is done, a flier will have to go through a one-time facial verification at an e-gate at a departure terminal.

The details will then be stored on a centralised registration system, and the flyer’s face will act as the boarding pass.

To set the ball rolling, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued requests for proposal for four government-run airports — Varanasi, Kolkata, Pune and Vijayawada — inviting companies to work out the logistics and implement the system. The deadline for the roll-out is April 30, 2019, one of the officials said, adding, private airports in Bengaluru and Hyderabad may roll out the system by January.

A flier will have to share his or her Digi Yatra ID at the time of booking tickets. In case of multiple bookings, all IDs are needed. “While the selected companies will put in place the equipment and the system to implement the system, the facility will be free for passengers,” said a senior civil aviation ministry official. An AAI official said such systems were used in some other countries. “To provide a seamless experience right from entry into the airport till boarding the aircraft, Digi Yatra will have a centralised registration system for passengers,” he said.

THE DEADLINE FOR THE ROLLOUT IS APRIL 30, 2019, ONE OF THE OFFICIALS SAID, ADDING, PRIVATE AIRPORTS IN BENGALURU AND HYDERABAD MAY ROLL OUT THE SYSTEM BY JANUARY