IGI Airport installs systems for facial recognition on trial basis

NEW DELHI: Vistara Airlines from today, September 6, began digitizing their procedure in an effort to make passengers travel paperless. A mere facial scan will allow Vistara passengers to enter through Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The initiative is currently implemented on a three-month trial period. To make the facial image serve as the passenger’s ticket, firstly, they need to report at the registration desk outside Terminal 3, from where Vistara operates its flights, with their air ticket and valid identification documents, which are verified by CISF personnel. Post verification the facial details of the passenger will be captured on a camera and a specific data envelope will be generated. From thereon, the facial image will serve as the passenger’s ticket.

Subsequently, after the face scan the e-gates open automatically at the terminal for the passenger to enter. After this the passenger proceeds towards check-in counter to drop his luggage or heads towards security check in case carrying no luggage. Before entering the security hold area, the passenger again goes through a face scan before the e-gates open and post that, for a last time, before approaching the departure gate to board the flight passenger goes through another face scan.

As per the Delhi International Airport Limited, on the successful implementation of this trial, the airport will launch the biometric-based access system in partnership with more airlines.

Vision box is the company which partnered with the IGI airport for implementation of the technology One-ID platform which it has developed. The One-ID Platform is fully compliant with European Union General Protection Data Regulation Law, which will also apply to any airport catering to European passengers and recording their biometric details.

Although, the biometric-based digital processing of passengers is a part of the government’s “DigiYatra” policy launched last year in October, a centralised platform envisaged under it allow the passengers to get a unique ID before booking flight so that they don’t even have to carry a ticket up to the terminal.