Vijayawada International Airport goes contactless: Facial recognition technology streamlines boarding, check-in process

Vijayawada: Soon, domestic travelers at the Vijayawada International Airport in India will be able to experience a contactless and paperless boarding process, using just their face and a mobile app. The Airports Authority of India is rolling out the Biometric Boarding System (BBS), also known as DigiYatra, across the country's airports and has installed the facial recognition technology-based system in the Vijayawada International Airport.

To use the system, passengers must download the DigiYatra app on their mobile, register and enter all their journey details. Upon arrival at the airport, passengers simply need to show their face at the DigiYatra gate, and their identity will be verified through facial recognition. No ticket, ID card or boarding pass is required. Two DigiYatra gates have been established in the domestic terminal and are expected to be inaugurated by the end of February.

The airport director, M. Lakshmikanth Reddy, stated that passengers who do not have the app installed can still register on the spot and use the DigiYatra service, and manual check-in and boarding provisions will also be available.

The BBS allows passengers to pass through the entry gate and boarding gate without having to present any physical documents, except for physical frisking and X-Ray checks of their baggage. The airport currently has two gates and more will be added in the future. The DigiYatra app is currently undergoing development and is expected to be launched at the airport before March.

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