Air India, IndiGo begin Digi Yatra international trials at seven airports

Bengaluru: Indian passengers flying abroad on Air India and IndiGo will be able to use Digi Yatra at seven airports from Nov 1, as the facial-recognition platform moves from technical tests to passenger trials for international travel.The beta programme is limited to Indian nationals holding e-passports, which contain an embedded electronic chip. It will cover Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar airports and run through December. Passenger feedback will help shape a wider rollout planned for 2027, Digi Yatra Foundation said.Travellers can use the service at terminal entry points, security hold areas and boarding gates where the necessary infrastructure is available. The trial covers all international destinations served by Air India and select destinations served by IndiGo.**TOI** had first reported in April that Digi Yatra was testing international travel and passport-based enrolment. Those technical trials, conducted with IndiGo on routes including Bengaluru-Doha, tested whether digital identity credentials could work across airports. The latest phase allows eligible passengers to use the service during their journeys.The trial does not replace immigration or airline document checks. Passengers must still carry their travel documents and complete all mandatory formalities.To enrol, passengers need to scan their e-passport using the Digi Yatra app, read its chip with a compatible smartphone’s near-field communication (NFC) feature and take a selfie. Once verified, the digital credential is stored in the Digi Yatra wallet on their phone.“With the start of international passenger trials, we are taking an important step towards extending this experience to eligible Indian nationals travelling internationally,” said Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation.The foundation said it would also explore compatibility with global aviation identity frameworks to support the use of credentials across borders.It has also redesigned the app, including its consent screen, to make it clearer what information passengers share, with whom and for what purpose.Digi Yatra said it has more than 2.65 crore users and has enabled over 11 crore journeys. It operates at 39 domestic airports and serves 11 domestic airlines. Another 25 domestic airports are planned to be covered by 2027.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.