A contactless boarding pass system is set to reduce waiting times and create a better travel experience for passengers at India’s airports, according to air transport technology giant SITA.
SITA is installing its Smart Path technology across nine Indian airports in a partnership with Airports Authority of India (AAI). Part of the wider DigiYatra initiative, the collaboration introduces SITA’s contactless boarding pass system to reduce waiting times, creating a seamless travel experience for passengers, and improves airport efficiency for every traveller.
DigiYatra is an industry-led initiative that uses facial recognition technology to make terminal entry and security clearance at an airport a seamless, hassle-free, and paperless process. DigiYatra is a decentralised mobile-based ID storage platform where air travellers can save their IDs and travel documents.
AAI will use SITA's products and solutions, including SITA Smart Path, Passenger Flow Management (PFM) solution and Face Pods. These technologies offer biometric solutions at most touchpoints across the airport, meaning a contact-free travel experience across nine Indian airports.
SITA says its biometric technology will transform the way travellers navigate through Indian airports. Sumesh Patel, President, APAC, SITA says: "It is vital in this connected era that travel across the globe is as seamless as possible, and we are ready to help India continue to innovate in their digitalisation efforts with SITA technology as the DigiYatra initiative spreads across India."
In 2023, over 20 million users experienced DigiYatra, and with its upcoming availability at 28 Indian airports, DigiYatra aims to cover approximately 90% of India's domestic flying population. The Ministry of Civil Aviation-led DigiYatra Foundation plans to align with the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s One ID initiative for global interoperability, further improving the seamless travel experience.
In July 2023, SITA announced a deal with AAI to provide technology to 43 of India's biggest airports. The deal will see improvements to over 2,700 passenger touchpoints, signifying one of the largest deployments for passenger processing.
SITA has been working with the Indian government since 1952 and is a supporter of the Make In India initiative.
SITA, or Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques, was founded in 1949 by eleven airlines in order to bring about shared infrastructure cost efficiency by combining their communications networks.
