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IndiGo, Digi Yatra Foundation, and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) successfully conducted technical trials of a contactless international travel project in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The demonstration took place at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, covering the complete travel flow from ticketing and booking management to a biometric-enabled airport journey.
The initiative represented a first-of-its-kind effort in India and formed part of a global campaign by IATA to test contactless travel journeys in major international markets. The technical exercise utilised a Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) based ecosystem which allowed for the seamless sharing of digital credentials between applications. This system built upon a previous framework established for domestic travel, where biometric technology facilitated passenger processing. By extending this model to international routes, the participating organisations demonstrated the feasibility of digital identity systems for cross-border movement. Kempegowda International Airport remained the only Indian facility involved in this specific IATA-led global initiative alongside other major international hubs and airlines. "These successful technical trials clearly demonstrate the feasibility and scalability of leveraging digital identity and biometric technologies to deliver seamless, contactless airport experience. We are pleased to have collaborated with IATA, Digi Yatra and BIAL to take this initiative a step ahead from the concept stage, and look forward to it playing a meaningful role in the evolution of global air travel," said Neetan Chopra, Chief Digital and Information Officer, IndiGo. The trial focused on a privacy-first framework where passenger data remained under the traveler's control. The integration ensured that boarding passes and identity verification occurred through an app-to-app connection, reducing physical touchpoints throughout the airport. The success of these trials indicated a significant shift toward standardised digital travel protocols that could be implemented at scale across different aviation hubs. "These new trials align with the airport's broader vision of enabling contactless travel at scale, where passenger-controlled data, interoperability, and seamless experiences converge. As the ecosystem evolves, the focus will be on driving standardisation and enabling contactless journeys that can scale across other airports," said George Fanthome, Chief Technical Officer, Bangalore International Airport Limited. "What we have demonstrated with IndiGo, BLR Airport, and IATA goes beyond a successful PoC, it is a glimpse into the future of international travel. We enabled a seamless, end-to-end digital journey where a passenger's identity is securely established in advance and verified across airport touchpoints using only their face. Built on Digi Yatra's privacy-first, consent-led framework, this approach ensures minimal, purpose-bound data usage," said Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO, Digi Yatra Foundation. "India is emerging as a global leader in digital and contactless travel, and the work being done by IndiGo, Digi Yatra and Bangalore International Airport Limited clearly demonstrates what is possible when innovation, scale and collaboration come together. This proof-of-concept shows how India's digital identity ecosystem can be extended beyond domestic travel to enable seamless international journeys, built on globally aligned standards," said Kim Macaulay, IATA's Chief Information and Data Officer. (ANI)
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