The Indian government is trying to make airline boarding passes obsolete

• Unique ID to help identify passengers and make boarding process for domestic flights simpler.
  
• The unique ID will be biometric-based.
  
• Vijayawada and Varanasi among the three airports where paperless boarding will be tested.
  

With the Indian Railways increasing the fare for air-conditioned coaches, many people who preferred trains to flights have now started travelling by air. Thanks to the competition between different airlines, flight ticket prices have become affordable and in many cases, even cheaper than what train journeys would cost. Why waste hours on a train when you can pay lesser and get to your destination sooner?

The process of boarding and deboarding a plane, however, remains tiresome. With many ditching trains for flights now, airports have become as crowded as railway stations. Naturally, the queues for boarding passes and for security checks have become longer.

But there’s some good news!

The government might soon implement a new feature -- a biometric-based unique ID -- that will make the boarding process for domestic flyers smooth. A unique identification number, similar to the Aadhaar, will soon let commuters dodge the boarding processes for domestic flights.

A technical team from the Airport Authority of India (AAI) along with four private metro airports where the new scheme is set to be tested, finalized a completely paperless boarding process for domestic flyers. The team has also finalized and proposed the format for biometric-based identification called “Digi-Yatra” (DY).

Under the new process, each commuter will be allocated a unique ID from the aviation ministry portal. This unique ID issued will also be linked to the person’s biometrics.

Passengers wishing to use the new service will then have to provide the booking site with this ID.

Getting the new ID will be optional for passengers. The existing process will continue to remain in place.

How do you register for digi-yatra ID?

A Digi-Yatra link will be made available on the Air Sewa-II portal soon. Passengers can register there. The verification of the individuals will be done using government-issued ID proof like Aadhaar, driving licence etc..

After registration, whenever the registered person visits the airport the next time, he/she needs to carry the given ID proof and a photograph with them. Iris scans and the details will be captured at the airport.

Once that’s done, you can say bye to the long queues for boarding passes. After biometric authentication of the traveller, the E-gate will open. The passenger will be able to avail all the services like check-in, security check and boarding using QR codes and biometrics.

Airport websites will also be updated to accommodate the new feature after the proposal is approved by the ministry.

The government has selected three airports to test the new scheme. “We have selected three airports, including Varanasi and Vijayawada, for rolling out DY,” the AAI chief said.