{
  "id": 9558102,
  "title": "Digi Yatra set to include international travel, domestic air travel for foreigners",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/digi-yatra-set-to-include-international-travel-domestic-air-travel",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-24T13:22:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/digi-yatra-set-to-include-international-travel-domestic-air-travel-for-foreigners/article71503904.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India's facial recognition-based airport access system, Digi Yatra, is set to broaden its biometric travel system to include international flights, alongside efforts to align with the European Union's equivalent framework. This expansion will enable Indian and foreign nationals to have smoother airport access overseas. A pilot program for international departures will commence between October and December at major airports like Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Mumbai, testing electronic passport-based enrollment. This process involves scanning an e-passport and verifying identity through a selfie, storing the resulting digital credential on the passenger's phone and linking it to a boarding pass issued by airlines before their arrival at the terminal. Currently, the system is limited to airport entry points and security checkpoints, with immigration remaining outside the initial phase due to its regulatory and operational complexity. The three-month trial will gather passenger feedback before any wider rollout, potentially extending domestic access for expatriates and other foreign travelers. Digi Yatra is also working on interoperability with the European Union's digital identity framework, aiming for cross-border sharing of travel credentials within three to six months. The ultimate goal is for passengers to seamlessly share verified credentials between departure and destination airports. Domestically, Digi Yatra has already implemented the system at 39 airports, with plans to reach 64 by March 2027. However, face recognition for boarding remains inconsistent across airports and airlines, with officials suggesting that investment decisions, infrastructure gaps, and differing operational priorities contribute to the disparities. Standardizing face-based boarding is under discussion, though no specific timeline has been set. Digi Yatra's ambition extends beyond aviation, seeking to become a comprehensive \"travel stack\" encompassing hotels and train stations, though this would necessitate regulatory clearances. Privacy concerns surrounding Digi Yatra's data handling policy, including third-party access to data and exceptions to the mandatory 24-hour data purge, are being addressed through an ongoing review of the policy. The CEO, Suresh Khadakbhavi, pledged to revise the policy in June 2024 to clarify language that raised concerns about potential misuse.",
  "summary": "Face-based boarding at airports yet to start due to infrastructure gaps at airports; the pilot programme for international departures will run between October and December at Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi and Mumbai airports",
  "key_points": [
    "Digi Yatra to expand to international flights by October-December pilot",
    "Electronic passport-based enrollment via selfie verification",
    "Three-month trial to gather feedback before wider rollout"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}