A milestone for Indian aviation with a contactless boarding pass system set to reduce waiting times and create a better travel experience for passengers at AAI airports

GENEVA – 23 September 2024 – SITA, the global leader in air transport technology, is installing its Smart Path technology across nine Indian airports in a partnership with Airports Authority of India (AAI). Part of the wider DigiYatra initiative, the collaboration marks a milestone in Indian aviation. It introduces SITA’s transformative, industry-leading contactless boarding pass system to reduce waiting times, creating a seamless travel experience for passengers, and improves airport efficiency for every traveler.

AAI will use SITA’s state-of-the-art products and solutions, including SITA Smart Path, Passenger Flow Management (PFM) solution, and Face Pods. These technologies offer biometric solutions at most touchpoints across the airport, meaning a contact-free travel experience across nine Indian airports, putting passengers in control of their journey, cutting down on wait times throughout the airports.

The partnership is a key element of AAI’s strategy to digitalize Indian airports as part of DigiYatra, an initiative created by the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation to revolutionize air travel in India by providing passengers with a paperless airport experience using advanced facial recognition technology.

The Digi Yatra was made live at an inauguration event in the context of the wider DigiYatra initiative at Visakhapatnam Airport, with the attendance of the Hon’ble Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Rammohan Naidu, and other distinguished guests, including Hon’ble Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Shri Murlidhar Mohol and Chairman, Airports Authority of India, Shri. M. Suresh. Airports in Visakhapatnam, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Raipur, Bagdogra, Patna, Goa (Dabolim), and Coimbatore are part of this deployment of SITA technology for the initiative.

SITA’s biometric technology will transform the way travelers navigate through Indian airports. Sumesh Patel, President, APAC, SITA said: “With a focus on delivering Digital Travel, improving airport efficiency, and future-proofing operations with smart, agile solutions, India has a unique opportunity to revolutionize its airports with truly world-class infrastructure. It is vital in this connected era that travel across the globe is as seamless as possible, and we are ready to help India continue to innovate in their digitalization efforts with SITA technology as the DigiYatra initiative spreads across India.”

India sees DigiYatra as a transformative force for the aviation industry and society, and that with collaboration with SITA, the initiative will establish new benchmarks in passenger experience and operational efficiency at airports across the country.

In 2023, over 20 million users experienced DigiYatra, and with its upcoming availability at 28 Indian airports, DigiYatra aims to cover approximately 90% of India’s domestic flying population. The DigiYatra Foundation plans to align with IATA’s One ID initiative for global interoperability, further improving the seamless travel experience. 

In July 2023, SITA announced a landmark deal with AAI to provide technology to 43 of India’s biggest airports. The deal will see improvements to over 2,700 passenger touchpoints, signifying one of the largest deployments for passenger processing.

SITA has been working with the Indian government since 1952 and is a supporter of the “Make In India” initiative, increasing its India-based support in alignment with government aspirations.