Digi Yatra starts international passenger trials at seven airports on select Air India, IndiGo flights

Digi Yatra has started trials of its face-recognition system for international passengers at seven airports. This extends the digital identity platform beyond domestic flights.

The trials will run till December 2026 at Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar airports. Eligible Indian nationals holding e-passports can use Digi Yatra on select international flights of Air India and IndiGo, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

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Passengers can use the facility at terminal entry points, Security Hold Areas (SHA) and boarding gates, wherever the required infrastructure is available. IndiGo said in a press release that its beta phase started at the end of October.

Feedback from the trial period will shape a wider rollout in 2027, the ministry said.

IndiGo Chief Digital and Information Officer Neetan Chopra said the airline was part of the technical proof of concept earlier this year. “Expanding secure digital identity and biometric technologies to international departures is a significant step forward for Indian aviation,” he said.

How to sign up

To use the facility, passengers must create an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential (VC) on the Digi Yatra mobile app. They have to scan the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) of the e-passport and read the embedded chip using the Near Field Communication (NFC) feature of a compatible smartphone. They then take a selfie and verify their details.

The credential is stored in the Digi Yatra wallet on the passenger’s phone. Passengers can upload their boarding pass to the app to enter the airport terminal. After the document check at the airline check-in counter, they can go through the security hold area and boarding gates using face authentication.

Not a replacement for existing checks

The facility is meant to complement existing travel processes, not replace them. Passengers must still carry their travel documents and complete airline document checks, immigration procedures and other applicable formalities, the ministry said.

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Digi Yatra Foundation CEO Suresh Khadakbhavi said the platform has shown how digital identity can simplify domestic air travel. “Interoperability with global frameworks such as IATA’s One ID and ICAO’s Public Key Directory will be an important part of this journey,” he said. He added that passenger consent, privacy and security will remain central to the experience.

Digi Yatra has over 26.5 million users. It has enabled more than 110 million journeys across 39 domestic airports, according to the ministry. A further 25 domestic airports are planned to be covered by 2027.