India’s biometric-based airport travel platform Digi Yatra has crossed a significant milestone, enabling more than 10 crore seamless passenger journeys across the country’s aviation network.
The achievement marks a major step in India’s digital aviation transformation, with the platform now operational across 38 airports and recording over 2.4 crore app downloads on iOS and Android devices.
Driving faster and paperless airport travel
Digi Yatra has emerged as a key component of the country’s efforts to modernise airport operations through digital public infrastructure.
By replacing manual document verification with facial recognition-based processing, the platform has reduced average airport entry processing time from 15 seconds to just 5 seconds per passenger, helping airports improve passenger throughput and reduce congestion.
The initiative has also contributed to sustainability efforts by eliminating the need for physical boarding passes, resulting in significant reductions in paper consumption across participating airports.
Adoption rises alongside air traffic growth
Highlighting the milestone, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the achievement reflects growing passenger confidence in contactless and paperless travel.
The minister noted that the rapid adoption of Digi Yatra comes at a time when India’s aviation sector is witnessing unprecedented growth.
According to the ministry, average daily domestic passenger traffic, which remained below two lakh passengers in 2014, has crossed the five-lakh mark on numerous occasions over the past three years. Annual passenger traffic across Indian airports is projected to reach 50 crore by 2030 and nearly 100 crore by 2040.
Digital tools to support aviation growth
The government is increasingly relying on technology-driven solutions to manage the anticipated surge in passenger traffic.
The minister said India has moved ahead of many countries in deploying biometric passenger processing at scale and has successfully operationalised the platform within a short period.
Expansion planned across more airports
Digi Yatra is expected to witness a significant expansion over the next year. The platform is currently active at 38 airports, with plans to extend coverage to 27 additional airports during the next phase of rollout.
The upcoming greenfield airports at Navi Mumbai International Airport, Noida International Airport and Bhogapuram International Airport will also be fully Digi Yatra-enabled from the start of operations.
Focus on inclusivity and accessibility
The government is also working to make the platform more accessible to a broader section of travellers. Digi Yatra currently supports 11 languages, and the ministry plans to add 11 more regional languages by the end of the year to improve accessibility and support wider adoption.