KIA creates three entry gates with one security checkpoint for DigiYatra users

Bengaluru: The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru has specifically built three entry gates at the terminal for users of DigiYatra, the biometric-enabled facial recognition technology that uses a flyer's face as a boarding pass. Additionally, one pre-departure security checkpoint for registered users will be operated by the Central Industrial Security force (CISF).

The DigiYatra application, which was officially launched on December 1 at the airports in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Varanasi, provides contactless entry for passengers into the three airports by utilising their face as ID rather than the customary government identification cards and airline boarding passes.

Three entry points have been set aside for passengers using the DigiYatra application on their mobile devices, according to sources at KIA. An employee of KIA stated, "Entry gates 3, 4, and 9 at Bengaluru airport are reserved for DigiYatra users, who can enter by using their face as an ID."

The app, an initiative of the ministry of civil aviation and the Digi Yatra Foundation, may be downloaded on Apple or Android devices and registered using a mobile number associated with an Aadhaar with the use of an OTP. The user must take a clear selfie using their phone and upload it to the app after updating their ID credentials using DigiLocker or uploading their Aadhaar card.

The next step is for the passenger to share their boarding pass via the airport website online. This will make it possible for the passenger to scan his or her mobile boarding pass upon arrival at the KIA DigiYatra designated gates. According to the reports, a Face Recognition System (FRS) installed on the gates will read the passenger's face and permit them to enter the terminal without the usual human intervention.

For pre-departure security checks, DigiYatra users can also access one CISF counter, which will permit entry for a second frisking following reading by the FRS camera.

"When compared to those who choose the traditional system of producing physical IDs and boarding passes for examination, the facial recognition system of entry into the terminal and security check bay frequently minimises the waiting period for passengers.

DigiYatra does not, however, guarantee a reduction in pre-departure waiting time at KIA as this is dependent on the volume of travellers and the resulting congestion at the airport," the employee stated.

Because the DigiYatra interface is still relatively new to most passengers, Bengaluru Airport has also introduced ground staff known as Digibuddies to help passengers.