IndiGo has partnered with Digi Yatra to launch international passenger trials at seven Indian airports, extending biometric-based digital identity services beyond domestic air travel.
The beta trials, which began in late October 2026 and will continue until December, cover select international flights departing from Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai, Chennai and Amritsar.
Eligible passengers can use facial authentication at key airport touchpoints, including terminal entry, security hold areas and boarding gates, making the departure process more seamless and contactless.
Who is eligible for Digi Yatra international trials?
The facility is currently available to Indian nationals holding valid electronic passports (e-passports) and travelling on select international IndiGo flights.
Passengers can create an international digital ID through the Digi Yatra app by scanning their passport’s Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) and using Near Field Communication (NFC) to read its embedded chip.
After biometric verification, a secure Verifiable Credential (VC) is stored locally in the passenger’s smartphone wallet. This allows passengers to retain control of their personal data.
How will Digi Yatra work for international travel?
Passengers need to upload their boarding passes to the Digi Yatra app to use biometric authentication for airport terminal entry.
They must still complete mandatory document verification at the airline check-in counter. After this, they can use facial authentication to pass through the security hold area and boarding gates at participating airports.
What IndiGo and Digi Yatra said about the trials
Neetan Chopra, Chief Digital and Information Officer at IndiGo, said the airline was committed to using technology to improve the passenger experience.
“At IndiGo, we are committed to redefining air travel by making it more seamless, efficient, and customer-centric, and we believe that technology can be a key catalyst in this evolution,” he said.
Chopra added that extending biometric technology to international departures was an important development for Indian aviation.
“Expanding secure digital identity and biometric technologies to international departures is a significant step forward for Indian aviation,” he said.
He also said IndiGo had been part of the technical Proof of Concept earlier this year and was pleased to partner with Digi Yatra for the international trials.
Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, said the trials would help extend the digital identity facility to eligible Indian nationals travelling abroad.
“With the start of international passenger trials, we are taking an important step towards extending this experience to eligible Indian nationals travelling internationally,” he said.
Khadakbhavi also highlighted the importance of interoperability with global frameworks such as the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) One ID and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Public Key Directory (PKD). These frameworks could help enable secure international passenger journeys using e-passport-based digital credentials, while keeping passenger consent and privacy central to the process.
