Digi Yatra May Extend to International Flights; Bengaluru Trials Show System Readiness

Digi Yatra is set to explore expansion to international flights after technical trials at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru showed the system can support cross-border passenger flow on select routes such as Bengaluru-Doha.

The trials were conducted by IndiGo, the Digi Yatra Foundation, Bangalore International Airport and IATA. Officials said the exercise focused on interoperability across ticketing, booking systems and biometric identity verification using electronic passports. Immigration checks were not part of the pilot.

Digi Yatra is currently operational at 38 airports, mainly in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities. Officials said the next phase will focus on expanding the service to Tier-3 airports.

The platform enables passengers to move through entry gates, security and boarding using facial recognition instead of physical documents. An official said the system uses the face as a boarding pass across checkpoints.

So far, onboarding has largely been Aadhaar-based. Officials are now testing enrolment using electronic passports to support international travel and reduce reliance on Aadhaar.

The rollout continues alongside domestic expansion. Digi Yatra was recently launched at Navi Mumbai International Airport and introduced at Jammu and Srinagar airports as part of passenger convenience initiatives.

Officials said the current trials are limited to system integration. Any use in immigration processes will require regulatory approvals and coordination with multiple agencies.