Chennai airport to extend Digi Yatra to international passengers from 2027
A trial run for IndiGo passengers flying to Dubai and Colombo began on November 1 to test the digital clearance system.
Chennai International Airport will extend the Digi Yatra digital passenger checking scheme to its international terminal starting in 2027, according to reports from Deccan Chronicle and Urban Acres. The airport authorities have commenced a trial run of the system on November 1, which is scheduled to continue until December.
The current pilot phase involves IndiGo Airlines passengers travelling to Dubai and Colombo. This trial will be gradually extended to other international destinations before the system is fully introduced for all international passengers on January 1.
Passengers using the service must use a dedicated mobile application to scan their e-passport. The system will electronically verify passport details using the embedded chip, and the digital identity will be saved in a Digi Yatra wallet on an Android phone. At the airport, passengers will use facial recognition to trigger automatic gates.
The New Indian Express reported that the trial is voluntary and limited to Indian citizens with chip-enabled e-passports. To use the facility, passengers must create a Verifiable Credential on the app by scanning the passport's machine-readable zone and taking a selfie.
The digital process will not replace existing immigration procedures or mandatory document verification. The airport previously introduced the Fast Track Immigration-Traveller Trusted Programme (FTI-TTP) in August 2024 to assist with quicker immigration clearance.
Separate staff, referred to as Digi Buddies, will be appointed to guide passengers through the system. While Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel will be present to observe, they will not conduct the identity checks at the gates.