Mumbai: Neither Delhi nor Bengaluru has the largest percentage of commuters using biometrics-enabled. DigiYatra The app for seamless access through checkpoints at airport terminals is in Varanasi, followed by Vijayawada. Data collected by the Ministry of Civil Aviation shows that in the last week, 76% passengers from Varanasi airport used DigiYatra. For Vijayawada airport, the figure was 62%. Compare this to Delhi and Bengaluru, where users were only 19% and 14%, respectively.
DigiYatra uses facial biometric verification technology to allow passengers to access airport terminals, clear security and board aircraft. It does away with the traditional methods that involved manual verification of air tickets and identity cards to pass through the airport.
Although the percentage of digital users was comparatively low in Delhi and Bengaluru, it is to be noted that these metro airports have a much higher base. In Delhi, 6.48 lakh commuters have used the app in the last six months, while for Bengaluru the number was 5 lakh. In comparison, only 2.25 lakh commuters used the app in Varanasi, while it was around 47,000 in Vijayawada. DigiYatra was launched by the government on December 1 last year in Phase-I with Bengaluru and Varanasi airports.
Apart from these four airports, DigiYatra is available at Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad airports. Mumbai airport is expected to get the facility soon. Till June 20, more than 17 lakh passengers have used the app.
“In the DigiYatra process, there is no central storage of passengers” personally identifiable information (pii) data. All passenger data is encrypted and stored in the wallet of the passenger’s smartphone and shared only with the origin airport of travel for a limited time period where the passenger’s DigiYatra ID is required to be validated, said the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
“Data is removed from the system within 24 hours of flight. Data is shared directly by passengers, only when they travel and only with the origin airport. The data cannot be used by any other entity as it is encrypted and cannot be shared with any stakeholder,” it added.
DigiYatra uses facial biometric verification technology to allow passengers to access airport terminals, clear security and board aircraft. It does away with the traditional methods that involved manual verification of air tickets and identity cards to pass through the airport.
Although the percentage of digital users was comparatively low in Delhi and Bengaluru, it is to be noted that these metro airports have a much higher base. In Delhi, 6.48 lakh commuters have used the app in the last six months, while for Bengaluru the number was 5 lakh. In comparison, only 2.25 lakh commuters used the app in Varanasi, while it was around 47,000 in Vijayawada. DigiYatra was launched by the government on December 1 last year in Phase-I with Bengaluru and Varanasi airports.
Apart from these four airports, DigiYatra is available at Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad airports. Mumbai airport is expected to get the facility soon. Till June 20, more than 17 lakh passengers have used the app.
“In the DigiYatra process, there is no central storage of passengers” personally identifiable information (pii) data. All passenger data is encrypted and stored in the wallet of the passenger’s smartphone and shared only with the origin airport of travel for a limited time period where the passenger’s DigiYatra ID is required to be validated, said the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
“Data is removed from the system within 24 hours of flight. Data is shared directly by passengers, only when they travel and only with the origin airport. The data cannot be used by any other entity as it is encrypted and cannot be shared with any stakeholder,” it added.