Aviation ministry likely to introduce biometric screening at airports

NEW DELHI: Your thumb could soon be all the documentation required to enter an airport. And once the government is able to achieve this the second phase could see you flashing your thumb to board the aircraft, at least for domestic flights.

While it may sound as science fiction, the aviation ministry has already started work on the first part and Hyderabad airport has successfully completed a pilot project on using biometric identification for allowing entry into the terminal there.

"Over a billion (100 crore) Aadhar cards have been issued so far. At the time of issuing these cards, biometrics, fingerprints and iris scans, are taken and fed into a national digital registry. Presently, air travellers have to show their air ticket and a valid identity card to enter airports.

We are examining the technical feasibility of asking people to give their Aadhar card numbers at the time of booking tickets. At airports, they can press their thumb for biometric identification; enter terminals and board domestic flights (for international passports will be needed)," said a senior aviation ministry official.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra said the Hyderabad Airport has done a pilot project under the aegis of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security ( BCAS) and aviation secretary R N Choubey had asked all airport operators, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and AAI, to see that.