Aadhaar Card based seamless airport entry from next year

New Delhi : Government is planning to make passenger entry on airports hassle-free for those who have their tickets linked with Aadhaar Card. From 2018, domestic flyers out of Kolkata, Ahmebadad and Vijayawada would be able to take entries in airport with just a biometric impression on the entry gates.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) will be first implementing the government's ambitious "digi yatra" programme as a pilot project early next year from these three airports and then the process will be rolled out at other airports across the nation.

Under the process, traveller would be able to enter the airport with a biometric signature pulled out from his Aadhaar Card. For those who won’t be having linked Aadhaar Card with the tickets will have to pass the manual security check by the security staff of the airport.

AAI chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra said: "This solution provides the passenger an option to enter Aadhaar number while booking. At the airport entry, an E-gate will read the ticket's bar code containing ticket information and Aadhaar information. The system will authenticate travel details and the passenger will present biometric for Aadhaar authentication. On successful authentication, the E-gate will open."

"Thereafter the passenger can access services like check-in, security check and boarding using QR Code or biometric. Passengers opting for an identity other than Aadhaar, will have to go through the manual process of verification by CISF at the entry gate. Digi yatra will enable more services to be delivered as self-service," Mohapatra added.