Hyderabad airport introduces facial recognition for passengers

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Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad becomes the first in the country to introduce a facial recognition system under the ‘Digi Yatra' initiative. This initiative comes with a Digi Yatra ID which allows a camera to verify your face and lets you pass through security checks without showing any boarding pass. The initiative promotes paperless and hassle-free air travel. It requires a one-time verification at the departure airport while flying for the first time using the ID. After a successful verification, facial recognition biometric will be captured and stored in the Digi Yatra ID for future travels.

The airport also ran a trial run from where the facility was made available to people travelling between1-3 July to Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Vizag, Chennai and Vijayawada. An airport official stated, "As many as 180 passengers voluntarily signed up for FR (facial recognition), though 70% used it on Day 1. The numbers are certain to increase. This will eventually be extended to all domestic fliers. It will not only make the process of boarding smoother but also help them save time. At present, CISF staff spend at least half a minute on physically checking every passenger's ID card."

"If the pilot is successful, it will be used for security checks as well. Instead of displaying the boarding pass, passengers can just look into the camera to ascertain their credentials. If found genuine, the system will automatically clear their passage towards boarding," he added.

According to Times of India, E-Passports will also be issued soon to people in India. "Indian embassies and consulates are being connected to the Passport Seva Project worldwide," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2019 in Varanasi on January 22.

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