SITA To Install Contactless Boarding Pass System Across Nine Indian Airports

SITA, the IT provider for air transport industry, is installing its Smart Path technology across nine Indian airports in a partnership with Airports Authority of India. The introduction of SITA’s contactless boarding pass system will help to reduce waiting times, with the aim of creating a seamless travel experience for passengers and improving airport efficiency.

Airports in Visakhapatnam, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Raipur, Bagdogra, Patna, Goa (Dabolim) and Coimbatore are part of the deployment.

AAI will use SITA's products and solutions, including SITA Smart Path, Passenger Flow Management solution and Face Pods. These technologies will offer biometric solutions at various touchpoints across the airport, creating a contact-free travel experience across nine Indian airports.

The move is part of AAI’s strategy to digitalise Indian airports as part of DigiYatra, an initiative created by the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation to improve air travel in India, by providing passengers with a paperless airport experience using advanced facial recognition technology.

"With a focus on delivering digital travel, improving airport efficiency and future-proofing operations with smart, agile solutions, India has a unique opportunity to revolutionise its airports with truly world-class infrastructure," said Sumesh Patel, president, APAC, SITA. “It is vital in this connected era that travel across the globe is as seamless as possible, and we are ready to help India continue to innovate in their digitalisation efforts with SITA technology as the DigiYatra initiative spreads across India."

According to reports, over 20 million people used DigiYatra in 2023. With its upcoming availability at 28 Indian airports, DigiYatra aims to cover approximately 90% of India's domestic flying population. The DigiYatra Foundation plans to align with International Air Transport Association's One ID initiative for global interoperability, improving the travel experience. 

In July 2023, SITA announced a collaboration with AAI to provide technology to 43 Indian airports, which includes improvements to various touchpoints for processing of passenger information.