Digi Yatra: Stakeholders working to address tailgating at airports

Digi Yatra provides contactless, seamless entry into airports via e-gates through Facial Recognition Technology

NEW DELHI: Stakeholders, including the Digi Yatra Foundation, are working on ways to address tailgating at airports through the Digi Yatra gates, an issue that has been flagged by aviation security watchdog BCAS, according to officials.

Digi Yatra, which uses Facial Recognition Technology (FRT), provides contactless and seamless entry into airports through e-gates.

Broadly, tailgating refers to an additional person getting through a gate whereas the credentials for access have been used for only one person.

As part of the routine review of various security aspects, an official in the know said the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has flagged tailgating at Digi Yatra gates and that discussions are going on to address the issue.

In a recent interview, Digi Yatra Foundation CEO Suresh Khadakbhavi told PTI that stakeholders are discussing the best way forward to address the issue of tailgating.

Currently, Digi Yatra is available at 14 airports and is expected to be rolled out at 14 more airports by the end of April.

When asked about tailgating, Khadakbhavi said it has to be ensured that there is a balance between passenger safety and security.

If someone is tailgating, then technology can be used to stop it by closing the gate fast. However, it will be a problem if there is a genuine reason for the delay. The Digi Yatra gates are closed at an optimal speed and if it is closed fast, there could also be a chance of someone getting an injury, he noted.

According to him, people have to go in a systematic manner to enter the airport and tailgating is something being discussed with various stakeholders.

“We should have a systematic process... This (tailgating) is something being discussed on the best way forward,” he said.

Digi Yatra has nearly 5 million users and the foundation is also working to make the facility more user friendly. It provides for contactless and seamless movement of passengers at various check points at the airports.

In the interview, Khadakbhavi also said the foundation does not have any passengers’ data.

“It is only in the phone (of the user) that the data is residing and it is in the control of the passenger himself or herself,” he said.

The data shared by a passenger for Digi Yatra is stored in an encrypted format.

For availing the service, a passenger has to register his or her details on the Digi Yatra app using Aadhaar-based validation and a self image capture. In the next step, the boarding pass has to be scanned and the credentials are shared with the airport.

At the airport e-gate, the passenger has to first scan the bar-coded boarding pass and the facial recognition system installed at the e-gate will validate the passenger’s identity and travel document. Once this process is done, the passenger can enter the airport through the e-gate. The passenger will have to follow the normal procedure to clear the security and board the aircraft.

Broadly, tailgating refers to an additional person getting through a gate whereas the credentials for access have been used for only one person