The Digi Yatra application has achieved a significant milestone, with the user base crossing the one million mark this week.
Since its inauguration by the Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, on December 1, 2022, a total of 1.746 million people have utilised the facility, the Civil Aviation Ministry shared.
Digi Yatra, an initiative by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, utilises facial biometric verification technology for a biometric boarding system. Its primary objective is to provide passengers with a seamless and hassle-free experience at airports. By eliminating the need for manual verification of tickets and identification at multiple touchpoints, Digi Yatra aims to enhance the overall passenger experience and optimise the existing airport infrastructure through a digital framework.
Initially launched at three airports, namely New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi in December 2022, the Digi Yatra initiative gradually expanded to Vijayawada, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Pune. The adoption of Digi Yatra by passengers in all seven airports commenced since April 1, 2023
As of June 20, 2023, Delhi Airport has recorded a total of 648,359 Digi Yatra passengers (DY PAX), with an average adoption rate of 19 per cent over the last seven days. In Bengaluru, the total DY PAX stands at 503,802, with a 14.30 per cent average adoption rate.
Varanasi has witnessed impressive adoption too, with 225,847 DY PAX and a remarkable adoption rate of 76.40 per cent. Vijayawada has recorded 46,668 DY PAX with a 62.20 per cent adoption rate. Kolkata Airport has seen a total of 180,361 DY PAX, with an adoption rate of 18.70 per cent. Pune has registered 104,133 DY PAX with a 23.20 per cent adoption rate.
The new routes are part of the airline operators’ expansion plans. Air traffic, both domestic and international, has seen a rise after the pandemic, partly due to pent-up demand. Passengers carried by Indian domestic airlines during January-May 2023 were 636.07 lakhs, as against 467.37 lakhs during the corresponding period of 2022,
Hyderabad Airport has the lowest number of DY PAX at 37,133, with a 4.70 per cent adoption rate. The combined total of DY PAX across all airports is 1,746,303.The Digi Yatra application has also gained a significant user base, with a total of 1,020,000 (1,020 K) app users, as of June 20, 2023. Among these users, the majority, accounting for 866,000 (866 K), have installed the app on Android devices. On iOS, the app has been installed by 154,000 (154 K) users. The Digi Yatra app has received an average rating of 4.1 on both Android and iOS platforms, revealed the MoCA statement.
Overall, the Digi Yatra application has experienced substantial adoption and positive feedback from users on both Android and iOS platforms, as per the ministry.
It is also important to note that in the Digi Yatra process, there is no central storage of passengers’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data. All passenger data is encrypted and stored within the passengers’ smartphone wallets. It is only shared for a limited time duration with the airport of origin where the passenger’s Digi Yatra ID needs to be validated.
The data is purged from the system within 24 hours of the flight.
Furthermore, passengers share their data directly and exclusively when they travel and only with the origin airport. Due to encryption and restricted sharing capabilities, the data cannot be accessed or utilised by any other entity or stakeholders.
