Get ready for paperless and hassle-free air travel, DGCA puts in place norms for Digi Yatra

New Delhi: Aviation regulator  Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has put in place norms for the roll-out of the much-awaited e-boarding process termed as “Digi-Yatra”, which will make air travel paperless and hassle-free.

Under the initiative taken by civil aviation ministry and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the Digi Yatra facility seeks to minimise paperwork for airport entry and boarding flights using documents such as a passenger's Aadhaar number and mobile phone, among others.

Here are the norms as listed out by the DGCA

• At the time of making flight ticket booking on the Airline Reservation System, Online Travel agents (OTA)/ Global Distribution (GDS), Website, Mobile app booking etc., the airline shall make a provision to collect the Digi Yatra ID of passenger for domestic travel as per Digi Yatra policy.
• Passenger shall have the option to offer any one of the approved ID like Passport, Voter ID, driving license, Aadhaar etc.
• The Digi Yatra ID created will be authenticated during the first travel by the passenger at a Digi Yatra enabled departing airport. In the authentication process, the ID of the Passenger will be verified and validated by an authorised security officer and activate the Digi Yatra ID.
• e-tickets are issued with a 2D/QR Barcode following “One person, One Ticket & One Code” so that each passenger, even in a group booking, is issued with individual ticket having unique code.
• Airlines shall share the passenger data including Digi Yatra ID, with Biometric Boarding System of airport operators at least 6 hours before the flight on a secure link for the purpose of ticket validation and ID validation, following appropriate agreement for data sharing.
• The Digi Yatra ID created by a passenger will be authenticated during the first travel through a Digi Yatra implemented airport at a registration kiosk.
• The ID proof will be verified by CISF officer at the entry gate of the airport and authenticate the Digi Yatra.
• In case the passenger prefers to use Aadhar as ID proof, the system shall comply with all regulatory requirement of UIDAI for Aadhar capturing and authentication. The system shall not collect or store Aadhar number or Virtual Aadhar number.
• The airline operator and the airport operator shall comply with data protection and data privacy requirements as per the applicable regulations.
• The entire obligation of maintaining security of passenger data and details shared during the process is that of airline and airport operators.
• The airline and airport operators shall not share the data of their passengers to any third party and shall be only utilized for the seamless passenger “digi yatra” experience.