UID will be must for paperless air travel experience: Govt in Rajya Sabha

For a paperless and seamless travel experience, air travellers will have to provide a digital identification number at the time of booking a ticket, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday. 

But no specific timeline has been fixed for implementing the technology-enabled seamless passenger facilities across airports in the country, Minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply. The civil aviation ministry had last month announced that it would be mandatory for passengers to provide a unique identification (UID), like an Aadhaar card, passport or PAN so as to avail the paperless and seamless travel experience.

"Various stakeholder consultations have been conducted and suggestions have been received for air passengers to furnish a digital identification number at the time of purchasing an air ticket to enable seamless air travel," Sinha said, adding that no specific timeline has been fixed. The Minister said that the government has constituted three committees to implement the technology-enabled seamless passenger facilities across airports in the country.

He had, last month, said that once the proposal is finalised it will prepare a new set of rules or Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) which will state that a UID will be a mandatory requirement at the time of booking a flight ticket. According to the proposal, paperless travel will enable passengers to zip through the airport in 10-15 minutes.