SITA joins DigiYatra initiative with AAI to transform 9 airports in India

Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA), an Aviation tech specialist, has partnered with the Airports Authority of India to further revolutionise Indian airports. SITA will introduce its Smart Path technology at nine major airports across the country, namely - Visakhapatnam, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Raipur, Bagdogra, Patna, Goa (Dabolim), and Coimbatore.

According to SITA this is a part of the wider DigiYatra initiative marking a milestone in Indian aviation. The system was launched at an event at Visakhapatnam Airport, attended by the Hon'ble Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Rammohan Naidu, and other key officials.

As a part of the partnership AAI will implement SITA’s state-of-the-art solutions, including the Smart Path biometric technology, Passenger Flow Management (PFM), and Face Pods. SITA claims that these technologies are designed to provide contactless and paperless travel experiences, reducing waiting times at airports and improving operational efficiency. 

What is SITA’s Smart Path technology and how will it help passengers?

• The technology will enable passengers to move through various checkpoints using biometric verification
• This will ensure seamless and contact-free journey from check-in to boarding
• This will put passengers in control of their journey, cutting down on wait times throughout the airports.

Experts claim that this initiative will significantly enhance passenger convenience, offering a modern travel experience that minimises physical interactions and streamlines processes across these airports.

“India has offered SITA a unique opportunity to revolutionise its airports with truly world-class infrastructure,” claims Sumesh Patel, president, Asia Pacific, SITA. “It is vital in this connected era that travel across the globe is as seamless as possible, and we are ready to help India continue to innovate in their digitalisation efforts with SITA technology as the DigiYatra initiative spreads across India,” adds Patel. 

The partnership is a key element of AAI’s strategy to digitalise Indian airports as part of DigiYatra, an initiative created by the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation to revolutionise air travel in India by providing passengers with a paperless airport experience using advanced facial recognition technology.

In July 2023, SITA announced a landmark deal with AAI to provide technology to 43 of India's biggest airports. The deal will see improvements to over 2,700 passenger touchpoints, signifying one of the largest deployments for passenger processing.

SITA has been working with the Indian government since 1952 and is a supporter of the ‘Make In India’ initiative, increasing its India-based support in alignment with government aspirations.

DigiYatra has already seen an overwhelming response in India with over 20 million passengers using DigiYatra by 2023. Besides the technology is now available at 28 airports across the country and aims to serve 90% of India's domestic travellers