From Airport Gate To Security Clearance In Less Than 10 Minutes: How I Used DigiYatra To Cut Travel Time By Hours

If you wish to know how DigiYatra works, here is the entire lowdown, from how to sign up for the app to how to tackle the gates at airports.

Once DigiYatra becomes available in more airports, it should help frequent flyers cut down valuable travel time.

DigiYatra, the facial recognition-based Biometric Enabled Seamless Travel (BEST) platform, is slowly finding its footing, as more and more airports across the country are setting up dedicated gates and terminals for registered users. Launched in December 2022 by civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, DigiYatra promises to eliminate the need for boarding passes, using your face as the only so-called ‘ID’ that you need. So, I decided to put the claims to the test. 

Recently, I used DigiYatra for two trips — one with check-in luggage and one without any. In the latter, it took me a little over eight minutes to enter the Indira Gandhi International Airport and clear my security checks, saving me ample hours and perhaps more importantly, providing a hassle-free and crowd-free air travel experience. 

If you wish to know how DigiYatra works, here is the entire lowdown, from how to sign up for the app to how to tackle the gates at airports. 

Airports Where DigiYatra Is Available

For starters, it should be clarified that DigiYatra is not available at all airports in the country. However, ever since its unveiling, the service has been launched in a total of nine airports in these cities: New Delhi, Varanasi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Guwahati. 

From what I saw, in the case of cities with multiple airports, DigiYatra gates are available in a select few terminals at the time of writing. For example, in the case of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the service wasn’t available at Terminal 1, but was available at Terminal 2. In the case of Indira Gandhi International Airport, I spotted the gates at Terminal 3, but not at Terminal 2 (as of my travel date — October 15).

Of course, for single-airport locations, like Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, you don’t need to worry about the availability of DigiYatra gates, as they are single-terminal airports. 

How To Use DigiYatra

To be able to use DigiYatra, you will need to link your ID credentials and also take a selfie to register your face. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

• Download DigiYatra app on your phone. The app is available both on Android (Google Play) and iOS (App Store). 
• After installing, you can register using your mobile number (and an OTP).
• Now, once the app is ready, you need to link your IDs. You can use DigiLocker or Offline Aadhaar. Of course, for the latter, you’d need to upload an XML file of the same. I’d suggest going for DigiLocker, as it’s the quickest. (Aadhaar for users below the age of five will not be accepted.)
• Once IDs are sorted, the app will ask for your phone’s camera access to allow to you take a photo of your face. You’ll need to remove spectacles and masks (if any) and take the photo under a clear, bright light for the best visibility. To put it simply, treat this like taking a selfie for your passport photo, hence make sure there are no obstructions and your facial expression should be as general as possible. 
• Now, you are ready to use the app. On the main home screen of the app, you will see a button that will allow you to upload your boarding pass. Simply click on it and follow the on-screen instructions.
• To upload a boarding pass, you can scan the pass, or upload an image of the pass, or simply upload a PDF of your boarding pass. It takes mere seconds, depending on your Internet connection. 
• Once a boarding pass has been added, you will be able to see it on your app’s home screen. 
• Once a boarding pass is saved, the app will automatically share the info with the airport you’re travelling from, as part of the guidelines. So, you’re all set. (Note: You might get a pop-up message saying that due to network-traffic congestion, it will take two to five minutes for data to be shared with the airport. So, in some cases, DigiYatra info-sharing may not be instantaneous, but that should be sorted out in coming months.)

How To Use DigiYatra At Airport Entry Gate

When you are entering the airport, look out for specially marked DigiYatra gates. They are marked very clearly by overhead banners and are easy to spot even when there’s a crowd around you. Of course, you can always ask one of the airport assistance personnel or even your fellow passengers in case you find them hard to spot. 

Once you reach a DigiYatra gate, all you need to do is stand in front of the gate, open the app, and scan the QR code on your boarding pass on the home screen. Now, you will spot a camera and a screen, and once you look at the camera, your face ID gets verified instantly, and the gates open up.

Now, since DigiYatra is not too popular yet, I found that the DigiYatra gates were relatively much emptier, which could come to your benefit. Having said that, it takes only a few seconds to scan your QR code and verify your face, so the accumulation of heavy crowds at DigiYatra gates may not be a possibility even in the future (unless there is a malfunctioning gate). 

How To Use DigiYatra At Airport Security Gate

After entering the airport, if you don’t have any check-in luggage, you can walk straight up to the security gates, where you will find dedicated gates just for DigiYatra passengers. This process also works in the same way. All you need to do is scan your QR code, scan your face on the camera, and you will enter the security check area in a matter of seconds. 

Just like the entry gates, I found that security gates for DigiYatra were comparatively emptier, which meant quicker access.

Hassle free Experience ! it took just 5 mins at #Delhi Airport Boarding Gate to Security Check in , today. It’s paperless and contactless , what else one needs . Kudos 👏🏻 Thanks for this #DigiYatra initiative @JM_Scindia @mygovindia @PMOIndia @AAI_Official pic.twitter.com/Pc6HgfzEOd

— Nisha Rai Advocate (@nisharai_ggc) April 1, 2023

At the Hyderabad airport, I saw that there were some dedicated DigiYatra gates for passengers without check-in luggage at the entry itself. So, when you enter the airport using those DigiYatra gates, you automatically enter the security check zone, which saves even more time!

What If You’re Carrying Check-In Luggage?

As mentioned earlier, I tried DigiYatra on two trips, one with check-in luggage, and once without. While the latter case took me a mere eight minutes to clear security, I had to queue up to check in my luggage in the former case. 

Sadly, DigiYatra is only designed for security entry gates. Since luggage check-ins are handled by air carriers, you will still have to go through the entire queueing process at the respective counters. In my case, since I didn’t pay extra for any premium services for priority check-ins, it took me around 15 minutes to sort out my luggage. 

Nevertheless, once DigiYatra becomes available in more airports, it should help frequent flyers cut down valuable travel time.