India’s Digi Yatra initiative aims to cover 90% of domestic flights in the country. Credit: Airports Authority of India

Aviation technology company SITA has installed its Smart Path end-to-end biometric passenger processing system at nine airports in India as part of the country’s DigiYatra initiative. 

SITA launched the technology at Visakhapatnam Airport in Andhra Pradesh and will work with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to continue expanding use of the contact-free system. 

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Airports fitted with the Smart Path solution in the latest round of investment also include sites in Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Raipur, Bagdogra, Patna, Coimbatore, and Goa (Dabolim). 

Sumesh Patel, president of APAC for SITA, said: “With a focus on delivering digital travel, improving airport efficiency, and future-proofing operations with smart, agile solutions, India has a unique opportunity to revolutionize its airports with truly world-class infrastructure. 

“It is vital in this connected era that travel across the globe is as seamless as possible, and we are ready to help India continue to innovate in their digitalization efforts.” 

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The initiative will also see SITA install its Passenger Flow Management (PFM) solutions and Face Pods, devices with facial recognition technology, in the nine airports, building on a 2023 deal between SITA and AAI covering similar tech at 43 of India’s biggest airports. 

Use of contactless passenger processing has become increasingly popular in the aviation industry as airports looks to improve the efficiency and digitalisation of their operations, with investment in the technology also expedited during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

India’s DigiYatra scheme hopes to cover around 90% of the country’s domestic flying population and will be aligned with the International Air Transport Association’s One ID initiative to “streamline the passenger journey”. 

Shri Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, India’s civil aviation minister, described DigiYatra as a “game-changing technological advancement” for the air travel industry in India and highlighted the more than 20 million passengers who have already used the new system.