Starting November 2026 through December 2026, seven Indian airports—Delhi (DEL), Bengaluru (BLR), Hyderabad (HYD), Cochin (COK), Mumbai (BOM), Chennai (MAA), and Amritsar (ATQ)—will conduct international biometric travel trials of the Digi Yatra platform. These trials cover selected international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo for eligible Indian nationals holding valid e-passports.
Eligible Passengers and Airlines Participating
To participate, passengers must register via the Digi Yatra mobile app by creating an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential (VC). Registration involves scanning the passport’s NFC chip and Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) and submitting a biometric selfie. Passengers must use NFC-enabled smartphones to complete registration.
Passenger Requirements and Airport Touchpoints
Biometric verification during the trials
will occur at designated airport touchpoints including Security Hold Areas and boarding gates. IndiGo enables eligible passengers to upload their boarding passes into the Digi Yatra app after check-in for biometric authentication at the airport. Despite the biometric system, passengers must carry physical passports and boarding passes and complete all mandatory airline and immigration checks. The trials complement but do not replace conventional travel documents or procedures.
Government Objectives and Feedback Collection
The Ministry of Civil Aviation is managing these trials and collecting passenger feedback to evaluate the platform’s performance in international contexts ahead of a planned 2027 rollout. Digi Yatra currently serves over 26.5
million users and supports more than 110 million domestic passenger journeys across 39 airports, with plans to expand by 25 more airports in 2027. The initiative supports India’s Digital India goals by aiming to enhance security, passenger convenience, and operational efficiency. The system seeks interoperability with international frameworks such as IATA One ID and ICAO Public Key Directory, while prioritizing passenger consent, privacy, and data security.
