Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore launched biometric Digi Yatra trials for international departures in late 2026. The pilot programme covers eligible passengers on select international flights operated by IndiGo and Air India, aiming to implement contactless facial recognition for identity verification.
Passengers participating in the trials validate their identities by scanning the chip in their e-passports and completing a photo verification through the Digi Yatra App. This process issues a digital travel credential designed to protect passenger privacy while facilitating movement through airport checkpoints.
The trial currently enables biometric verification at terminal entry and security gates, with plans to potentially
extend to the boarding phase on select international flights. Despite the biometric system, standard immigration and emigration procedures remain mandatory, and passengers must present physical travel documents at airline counters.
The introduction of the Digi Yatra trials for international passengers is expected to accelerate terminal processing times by reducing repeated document checks and enabling paperless boarding through facial recognition technology. However, compliance with statutory verification and physical document requirements continues to be enforced.
The rollout follows a successful technical Proof of Concept conducted earlier in 2026 at the Bangalore airport, in partnership with IATA, SITA and industry stakeholders. Digi Yatra
currently serves more than 26.5 million domestic users, and this expansion to international departures reflects a broader collaboration involving government authorities, the Digi Yatra platform, airlines, and technology providers.
George Fanthome, Chief Technical Officer at Bangalore International Airport Limited, described the international extension as a move toward a more seamless and digitally enabled passenger experience. Kempegowda International Airport’s biometric trials embody the airport’s commitment to adopting advanced aviation technologies confirmed at Identity Week Europe.
