The official launch of the Digi Yatra facility at Coimbatore international airport was made on Friday by Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu virtually. 

Digi Yatra is a facial-recognition technology-based system that facilitates faster entry, check-in, and boarding at airports in India. One of the significant advantages of this system is that it helps passengers avoid identity checks at multiple checkpoints, saving time for all.

It was developed by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and Digi Yatra Foundation, a non-profit private organization owned by AAI and five PPP Airports.

To use the services of Digi Yatra, a passenger needs to download the official Digi Yatra mobile application and register. The user should provide various details such as name, phone number, a clear photo of their face, Aadhaar number, etc., to complete the registration.

Before arriving at the airport, the registered passenger should scan the barcode of their boarding pass and upload it to the Digi Yatra app. This will generate a unique QR code in the app.

When the passenger arrives at the airport, they simply need to go through the aisle designated for Digi Yatra passengers and scan the QR code. The system will verify the QR code and the face of the person who has arrived at the airport.

Upon verification, the Digi Yatra system will allow the passenger to enter easily, complete check-in, and board the flight at a much faster pace.

The infrastructure required to implement Digi Yatra at Coimbatore was completed in April 2024, including the installation of the facial recognition system and a separate entry aisle. Testing of the system was carried in April too. Trial run of the same was made in June 2024. Entry via this system is now allowed.

Digi Yatra Facility was first introduced in 3 airports in India located at New Delhi, Varanasi, and Bengaluru, on December 1, 2022. As of now, 24 airports in India are Digi Yatra-enabled. 

"Digi Yatra is built on a foundation of robust data security. There is no central storage of passengers' Personally Identifiable Information (PII). All passenger data is encrypted and stored securely in their smartphones, shared only temporarily with the origin airport, and destroyed within 24 hours of departure. Privacy of every traveller is paramount for us, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation would not compromise on it," said Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.