From 1 November, the shortest distance between the kerb and the gate may be your own face. Digi Yatra, India's facial-recognition boarding system, is stepping beyond domestic terminals, with trials for international flights going live at seven airports: Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar with Kochi already starting the roll out from October 27.
The pilot is open to Indian nationals carrying e-passports who are flying overseas with Air India or IndiGo. From next month that is scheduled to run through December, the testing of facial-recognition boarding system on international flights will no longer be limited to domestic travel.
The expansion reflects the government's push to move more of the airport experience onto digital identity systems, a shift that has drawn both praise for convenience and scrutiny over data privacy.
According to CIAL Managing Director S. Suhas, the airports are implementing several initiatives to provide passengers with better facilities and extending Digi Yatra to international flights is part of the broader efforts to make the travel convenient and easy.
As per the reports, the international pilot for DigiYatra that is running October to December 2026 at select airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kochi covers terminal entry, security checks, and boarding gate access only.
However, DigiYatra is not integrated into passport control or visa/immigration clearance. So travellers must still queue for and clear manual or standard immigration counters with a physical passport.
With Digi Yatra opening up to international flights and fast immigration clearance already available, Indian airports is becoming a different place for the Indian travellers. The long, shuffling queue that once made up the first chapter of every trip abroad is giving way to something closer to a glide. For passengers, the promise is shorter waits and smoother travel through airport check points.