Indian airport implements biometric technology for paperless e-boarding

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, India has implemented biometric border control technology to become the nation’s first airport to provide a completely paper-less e-boarding solution, according to a report by Trak.in.

The biometric installation follows GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd’s e-boarding project pilot program which occurred between April and June.

With the help of Jet Airways, the pilot project involved 7,000 international fliers testing out the new check-in method at the terminal.

The Commissioner of Security Civil Aviation (CoSCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has approved the process after conducting several security audits and checks.

“Our E-boarding solution is in line with the ongoing ‘Digital India’ initiative envisioned by the Prime Minister,” said SGK Kishore, CEO of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. “The seamless collaboration with cross functional teams and our stakeholders – Jet Airways and CISF – enabled us to move from concept stage to the implementation in the shortest possible time.”

E-boarding will soon be introduced at Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore airports for international passengers. However, there is no timeline as to when the e-boarding system will be available to domestic passengers.

The system sends the passenger an SMS informing them about the option of e-boarding pass, 24 hours before their flight.

If the passenger selects the option, the system will send a Unique Mobile Pass and a QR Code to the passenger’s registered mobile number.

On the day of their flight, the passenger will be required to visit the special e-boarding machine installed near the gates and scan the QR code.

Once the code is validated, the passenger will be prompted to enter his Aadhaar Card number, followed by a finger scan to validate his biometric information, which are linked with the Aadhaar Card.

Once the passenger’s identity is verified, he will be able to gain access to the terminal area without having to stand in queue or getting his physical boarding pass stamped.

The mandatory use of the Aadhaar Card makes the whole process more secured and safe, as the passenger’s biometric data is verified before the check-in. However, if the passenger does not have Aadhaar Card, and has opted for e-boarding facility, they will have to use the traditional paper-bound boarding procedure.

In January, the Indian government began allowing passengers with an Aadhaar identification number to enter the Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, India, using their fingerprint as part of a pilot project.

Article Topics

Aadhaar  |  access management  |  airports  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint readers  |  India  |  security