Digi Yatra App 2026 – How to Use at Airports, Registration Guide & Airport List
If you have flown out of an Indian airport in the last year and noticed travellers walking through a "Digi Yatra" gate without showing any boarding pass or ID, you've seen the future of Indian aviation. Digi Yatra uses face recognition technology to allow paperless and contactless airport entry. The app has crossed 1 crore registrations and is now live at 28+ airports. Here's how to register, what to expect at the airport and why it's secure.
What Is Digi Yatra?
Digi Yatra is a voluntary, biometric facial recognition–based passenger entry system jointly developed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India and the Digi Yatra Foundation (DYF). Launched in December 2022, it makes airport entry, security check and boarding pass scan automatic — your face becomes your ticket.
Why It Matters in 2026
- No queues at the airport entry gate.
- No boarding pass / ID shown at security and pre-boarding.
- Faster pre-flight processing — entry to boarding gate often takes under 25 minutes.
- Contactless — useful in flu/pandemic times.
- Improves airport throughput; helps in handling India's 41 crore annual air passenger demand.
Step-by-Step Digi Yatra Registration
- Download the official "Digi Yatra" app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Look for the verified developer "Digi Yatra Foundation". Be wary of clone apps.
- Open app → Accept terms → Tap "Set Up Digi Yatra".
- Enter your mobile number → Verify via OTP.
- Choose Aadhaar verification (recommended) via DigiLocker or scan a manual ID. Aadhaar is fetched live from UIDAI.
- App captures a live face selfie for biometric template creation.
- Once verified, the app shows your profile with masked Aadhaar.
- Total time: 2-5 minutes.
Adding Your Boarding Pass
- Open Digi Yatra app on your mobile.
- Tap "Add Boarding Pass".
- Scan the QR code from your airline's boarding pass (web check-in email or airline app).
- The flight details are auto-populated.
- The data is shared with that day's departure airport only, on a single-use basis, and auto-purges within 24 hours of flight departure.
How to Use Digi Yatra at the Airport
- Reach the airport at least 60-90 minutes before flight, like usual.
- Walk to the Digi Yatra-enabled e-gate at the entry.
- Face the camera; the gate opens within 2-3 seconds.
- Proceed to security check. At the pre-security area, again face-scan at a Digi Yatra kiosk — no boarding pass / ID needed.
- Place bag on X-ray belt; walk through metal detector / DFMD as usual.
- At boarding gate, face the camera once more — your seat/flight is verified.
- Board the aircraft. Done.
You don't need to bring your phone out for any of these steps — the camera authenticates you directly.
Airports Where Digi Yatra Is Live (2026)
- Delhi (IGI Airport, Terminals 2 & 3)
- Mumbai (CSMIA)
- Bengaluru (Kempegowda Intl)
- Hyderabad (Rajiv Gandhi Intl)
- Chennai (MAA)
- Kolkata (NSCBI)
- Pune
- Varanasi
- Vijayawada
- Kochi (Cochin Intl)
- Jaipur
- Lucknow
- Ahmedabad
- Goa (Dabolim & Mopa)
- Guwahati
- Bhubaneswar
- Indore
- Patna
- Coimbatore
- Trichy
- Chandigarh
- Bagdogra
- Raipur
- Mangaluru
- Visakhapatnam
- Dehradun
- Ranchi
- Srinagar
Expansion is ongoing — by FY 2026-27, Digi Yatra is targeted for 40+ airports across India. International departure support has also been piloted at Delhi, with broader rollout expected.
Privacy & Data Security
- Digi Yatra is built on a decentralised, self-sovereign identity framework — your biometric data lives on your phone, not on a central server.
- For each flight, only your face template + boarding pass is shared with the departure airport — no Aadhaar number is shared.
- Data is auto-deleted from airport systems within 24 hours of departure.
- You can delete your Digi Yatra profile anytime from the app — biometric is wiped within 24 hours of deletion request.
- Audited by independent agencies; compliant with Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023.
Common Errors & Quick Fixes
- Face not recognised at airport: Adjust lighting, remove sunglasses/cap, look straight at camera. Backup — show physical boarding pass at the manual queue.
- App crashes during registration: Update to latest version, free up phone storage, ensure good internet, retry.
- DigiLocker linkage fails: Ensure your DigiLocker is set up with mobile-linked Aadhaar; OTP must be received correctly.
- Boarding pass QR not scanning: Use airline's web check-in QR, not photograph of paper boarding pass. Some low-cost carriers' QR may not yet be Digi Yatra compatible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Digi Yatra mandatory for flying in India?▼
No — Digi Yatra is completely voluntary. You can continue to fly by showing your physical/digital boarding pass and government ID (Aadhaar, PAN, driving licence, passport) at the traditional check points. Digi Yatra is offered as a faster, contactless alternative. There are always two queues at the airport — Digi Yatra and Regular — and you can choose either. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has clarified that Digi Yatra will remain optional and never become a precondition for travel.
Is Digi Yatra safe? Where does my face data go?▼
Yes, Digi Yatra is designed on a "data minimisation" and "self-sovereign identity" principle. Your biometric face template is stored in encrypted form on your own phone, not on a government or central server. For each flight, only your face template + boarding pass details are shared with the specific departure airport's local system — and that data is automatically deleted within 24 hours of flight departure. No Aadhaar or PAN number is shared with airports. You can also fully delete your account from within the app anytime. The system has been audited and is compliant with DPDP Act 2023.
Can children use Digi Yatra?▼
Currently, Digi Yatra is available only for adults (age 18+) with their own Aadhaar-linked smartphone. Children below 18 cannot register their own Digi Yatra profile. Children travelling with parents still need to be processed through the regular boarding pass queue. The Digi Yatra Foundation has announced plans to introduce a "Family Digi Yatra" feature where adult passengers can link minor dependents with parental consent, but that feature is still under testing as of early 2026.
Does Digi Yatra work for international flights?▼
As of 2026, Digi Yatra primarily supports domestic departures. A pilot for international departures has been launched at Delhi T3, where passengers can use Digi Yatra for the initial entry and pre-immigration security stages. However, immigration and emigration checks still require physical passport stamping and visa verification — Digi Yatra cannot replace those. For all your international trips, carry a printed boarding pass and your passport even if you use Digi Yatra for the initial entry.
Can two passengers use the same Digi Yatra app?▼
No — each Digi Yatra account is tied to one individual's Aadhaar and face biometric. You cannot create profiles for two adults on a single phone within the same Digi Yatra app. If you're travelling as a couple/group, each adult needs to install Digi Yatra on their own smartphone and complete registration separately. However, multiple boarding passes (yours + your partner's) can be added on each phone — meaning at the airport gate, you can show two boarding passes from your phone if both faces are also enrolled and walked through.