India launched international Digi Yatra biometric passenger trials from November through December 2026 at seven airports: Delhi (DEL), Bengaluru (BLR), Hyderabad (HYD), Cochin (COK), Mumbai (BOM), Chennai (MAA), and Amritsar (ATQ). The trials involve selected international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo, marking the extension of the biometric identity system beyond domestic air travel.
Passenger Eligibility and Biometric Verification Process
Eligibility for the trials is limited to Indian nationals possessing valid e-passports traveling on designated international flights by Air India and IndiGo. Passengers must register through the Digi Yatra mobile app, which requires scanning the machine-readable zone (MRZ) on the e-passport and using Near Field
Communication (NFC) on compatible smartphones to access electronic passport chips. The biometric verification is completed by capturing a selfie via the app, which generates an e-passport based Verifiable Credential (VC) stored in the Digi Yatra wallet on the passenger’s device. Use of Digi Yatra is restricted to airport touchpoints equipped with infrastructure to support the trial.
Operational Details and Passenger Requirements
IndiGo facilitates Digi Yatra usage by enabling eligible passengers to upload boarding passes to the app post airline check-in. Passengers can then use biometric face authentication at designated security and boarding gate points. Despite biometric verification, travelers must continue to carry physical passports and
boarding passes while completing all mandatory document and immigration checks. The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarifies the Digi Yatra biometric system supplements but does not replace traditional travel formalities.
Background and Scale of Digi Yatra Program
These international trials build on Digi Yatra’s already established domestic biometric authentication platform, which serves over 26.5 million users and has supported more than 110 million passenger journeys across 39 Indian airports as of November 1, 2026. The Ministry of Civil Aviation plans to expand Digi Yatra to 25 more domestic airports by 2027 as part of India’s Digital India initiative aimed at streamlining airport procedures.
Official Perspectives and Future Plans
Digi Yatra Foundation’s CEO Suresh
Khadakbhavi emphasized the international trials as a vital step to extend secure biometric identity verification to Indian nationals abroad, with an emphasis on interoperability with international aviation frameworks such as IATA One ID and ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD). IndiGo’s Chief Digital and Information Officer Neetan Chopra described the adoption of digital and biometric identity technology as key to improving travel efficiency, noting IndiGo’s continued commitment through participation in both proof of concept and international trials. The Ministry of Civil Aviation plans a wider rollout of international Digi Yatra verification in 2027 based on the trial findings.
