Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport will introduce check-ins through facial recognition technology as part of the Civil Aviation Ministry’s Digi Yatra initiative, reports Indian Express. To be implemented between in third quarter this year, passengers will need only a smartphone for e-Aadhaar and biometric-based authentication to board a domestic flight. Bangalore’s KIA and Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport successfully conducted pilot projects for Aadhaar-based paperless boarding. In 2018, KIA signed an agreement with Vision-Box, a digital and biometric solutions services provider based in Lisbon, to implement the technology. Note that Aadhaar-based paperless boarding is supposed to be an additional and non-mandatory feature and the existing paper-based processes will continue for those not opting to link their airline tickets with their Aadhaar. The government unveiled the initiative, for a “paperless and hassle-free” experience at airports last October. How it will work Passengers will use the centralised Digi Yatra registration system, which will take their name, e-mail id, mobile number and details of any identity proof, including Aadhaar. Once the tickets are booked, the system will assign each passenger a unique Digital Yatra ID. The airline will share the ID and passenger data with the relevant airport. At the entry point or e-gate, the passenger will have his the barcode or QR code on his boarding pass or e-ticket scanned. The system will validate the passenger details and flight details. The passenger’s identity will then be verified using facial recognition and the Digital Yatra ID. MediaNama’s take The problem of passengers entering airports…
