Indian e-passport holders can use facial recognition for terminal entry and boarding during trials running until December 31.
Chennai airport has commenced trials for the Digi Yatra facility for international passengers, according to reports from The New Indian Express, The Hindu and Telangana Today. The trials, which began on November 1, allow Indian citizens holding chip-enabled e-passports to use facial recognition technology for terminal entry, security checks and boarding.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) stated the move aims to reduce congestion and ease passenger movement. The trials are currently being conducted for select international flights, including IndiGo services to Dubai and Colombo, as well as some routes operated by Air India.
Chennai is one of seven airports participating in the testing, alongside Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin and Amritsar. Feedback from these trials, which will run until December 31, will be used to inform a wider rollout planned for 2027.
To use the facility, eligible passengers must create an e-passport-based Verifiable Credential on the Digi Yatra mobile application. This involves scanning the machine-readable zone of the passport, reading the embedded chip via a smartphone's Near Field Communication (NFC) feature, and taking a selfie for verification.
The Civil Aviation Ministry noted that the facility is intended to complement rather than replace existing travel processes. Passengers must continue to carry travel documents and complete all mandatory airline document checks and immigration procedures.
Airport staff, referred to as Digi Buddies, have been deployed to assist passengers with registration and guide them through the designated touchpoints.
