Nagpur: The city’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport now boasts single-step face recognition at all DigiYatra-enabled gates, allowing registered passengers to enter without scanning their boarding passes, in an upgrade aimed at making airport entry faster and more seamless.Under the new system, passengers who have completed their DigiYatra registration and linked their boarding pass can simply approach the designated gate. Facial recognition authenticates their identity and automatically opens the gate, eliminating the earlier requirement of scanning the boarding pass before facial verification.As per GMR Nagpur International Airport Ltd (GNIAL) sources, the system has been upgraded from two-step to single-step validation through programming changes to the existing hardware. The enhancement therefore builds on the airport’s existing DigiYatra infrastructure rather than requiring a separate hardware setup.Earlier, passengers had to first scan their boarding pass at the DigiYatra gate, following which the system verified the travel details and authenticated the passenger through facial recognition. Now, travellers must register on the DigiYatra app, complete the required identity and facial authentication process and link their boarding pass. Once they reach the airport, the facial recognition system at the DigiYatra gate authenticates their identity directly.GNIAL CEO Srikanth Bhandarkar said the upgrade builds on the existing DigiYatra ecosystem to simplify passenger movement and make the airport journey faster and more convenient. “Enhancing passenger experience remains a key focus at Nagpur Airport. The upgrade of the DigiYatra facility makes the passenger journey more seamless, faster and convenient. By simplifying the verification process and reducing manual interventions, we are building on the existing DigiYatra ecosystem to deliver a more efficient and contactless travel experience for our passengers,” Bhandarkar said.DigiYatra remains a voluntary facility, and passengers are not required to use it to access airport services. Those who do not wish to use DigiYatra can continue with the regular airport entry and verification process.In case facial authentication fails for a registered DigiYatra passenger, the traveller can also proceed through the manual process. Airport personnel will verify the passenger’s travel documents and identification before allowing entry.
