Check‑In With Your Face, Not Your Pass: DigiYatra Expands to 27 More Airports by 2027

India’s civil aviation ministry has confirmed that DigiYatra will be rolled out at 27 more airports by next year, taking the total number of DigiYatra enabled airports to around 65. The app based platform, which uses facial recognition technology to create a contactless travel corridor, has already supported over 10 crore passenger journeys and logged more than 2.4 crore downloads.

Why DigiYatra Matters For Flyers

DigiYatra replaces repeated document checks with a biometric token, allowing passengers who register on the app to walk through entry gates, security and boarding using their face as ID. According to the ministry, the system has cut average airport entry time to just a few seconds at participating terminals, easing congestion at busy metro hubs. The expansion to 27 more airports will push the technology deeper into tier II and tier III cities, not just large metros.

Rollout Timeline And Data Safeguards

At present, DigiYatra is live at 38 airports, with greenfield projects such as Navi Mumbai and Jewar among those planned to be fully enabled. The Centre expects the next wave of integrations to be completed by next year, subject to local infrastructure readiness and coordination with airport operators. Officials have reiterated that passenger data remains encrypted on the user’s device and is shared with the origin airport only for a limited duration before being automatically deleted.

Seamless Travel Takeaways

• DigiYatra currently active at 38 airports, to reach about 65 with 27 new additions by next year
• Over 10 crore DigiYatra journeys and 2.4 crore app downloads so far, signalling strong adoption
• Average airport entry time cut to a few seconds at DigiYatra gates, easing crowding at key checkpoints
• New rollouts to include greenfield airports like Navi Mumbai and Jewar, plus several regional hubs

Sources: PIB, New Indian Express, PTI, Times Of India, The Hindu Business Line, Business Today