India commenced international passenger trials of Digi Yatra biometric-enabled airport processing from November through December 2026 at seven airports: Delhi (DEL), Bengaluru (BLR), Hyderabad (HYD), Cochin (COK), Mumbai (BOM), Chennai (MAA), and Amritsar (ATQ). Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru is included specifically for international departures. Eligible Indian nationals holding valid e-passports traveling on selected international flights operated by Air India and IndiGo can participate.
Biometric facial recognition is used for paperless boarding. Passengers create e-passport-based digital identity credentials called Verifiable Credentials via the Digi Yatra mobile application. Registration involves scanning the passport’s Machine Readable Zone and reading the electronic chip
through Near Field Communication (NFC) on compatible smartphones, followed by a selfie to complete biometric verification.
The digital credentials are stored in the Digi Yatra wallet on smartphones and used at three designated airport touchpoints depending on infrastructure readiness. Passengers must continue to carry physical travel documents and complete mandatory airline verification, immigration, and other travel procedures.
IndiGo enables passengers to upload boarding passes to the Digi Yatra app after check-in. Biometric face authentication then grants access through security and boarding gates. Both IndiGo and Air India operate the international flights participating in the trials. IndiGo’s Chief Digital and Information
Officer Neetan Chopra described the technology as key to improving security, passenger convenience, and operational efficiency.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation will collect feedback during the trial period to plan a wider international rollout in 2027. The initiative aims to test interoperability with international frameworks, including IATA One ID and ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD), ensuring secure and seamless passenger journeys across borders. Digi Yatra Foundation CEO Suresh Khadakbhavi stated the trials are an important step toward extending digital identity convenience beyond domestic air travel.
Digi Yatra’s domestic platform already serves over 26.5 million users and 110 million passenger journeys
across 39 airports, with plans to expand to 25 additional domestic airports by 2027. Passenger consent, privacy, and data security remain priorities. The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that Digi Yatra complements existing travel procedures and does not replace passports, visas, or immigration controls.
