BIG NEWS: E-check In For Indian International Flyers

Thanks to post COVID rush, airports in Delhi and Bengaluru have seen peak periods where passengers were stranded for hours. Addressing the issue, union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has announced that immediate steps will be taken to roll out the e-immigration process where biometrics and digitization of immigration processes in conjunction with the union home ministry.

Scindia was speaking at an event organized by the industry body Assocham and said he had already given instructions and timelines for Delhi and Bengaluru airports to speed up the process.

Now, the central government is in the process of digitizing immigration procedures using biometric technology at airports to make sure that international flyers can travel smoothly. The entire process will soon be seamless, said Scindia.

Several international airports have already digitized immigration and are using biometrics for immigration clearance at airports. Our neighbor Singapore is one such example, where Changi Airport is setting an example.

For the unversed, GMR group-owned Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) operates Delhi airport while Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) operates Bengaluru airport.

The civil aviation minister said both airports would soon implement the instructions given to them as per DigiYatra along with Varanasi airport. On December 1, Scindia launched the DigiYatra app, and 300,000 people have already downloaded it so far, though it was limited to just three cities.

For now, travelers can choose between manual check-in and the DigiYatra app. Others airports will be on-boarded soon.