IndiGo, Digi Yatra and Bangalore International Airport Limited Successfully Conduct Technical Trials of Contactless International Travel Project with IATA
National, 09 April 2026 — IndiGo, India’s preferred airline, in partnership with Digi Yatra Foundation, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), and International Air Transport Association (IATA), successfully demonstrated integrated international travel flow from ticketing, managing bookings to seamless, biometric-enabled journey in technical trials at the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport). This first-of-its-kind initiative in India was part of IATA’s global campaign of conducting Proofs-of-Concept (PoCs) for International Contactless travel journeys in key markets across the globe.
Earlier this year, IndiGo and Digi Yatra Foundation had successfully implemented cutting-edge Self Sovereign Identity (SSI) based ecosystem utilising biometric technology for contactless passenger processing at airports and an app-to-app integration enabling seamless sharing of boarding passes between their-mobile applications. Building on the successful model, IndiGo and Digi Yatra Foundation, in association with BIAL, have demonstrated the viability and scalability of this technology to enable international travel. This marks a significant step towards full-scale deployment and ushers in the next phase of digital travel.
Neetan Chopra, Chief Digital and Information Officer, IndiGo, said “At IndiGo, we are committed to shaping the future of travel through innovation and customer-centric solutions. These successful technical trials clearly demonstrate the feasibility and scalability of leveraging digital identity and biometric technologies to deliver seamless, contactless airport experience. We are pleased to have collaborated with IATA, Digi Yatra and BIAL to take this initiative a step ahead from the concept stage, and look forward to it playing a meaningful role in the evolution of global air travel.”
“India is emerging as a global leader in digital and contactless travel, and the work being done by IndiGo, Digi Yatra and Bangalore International Airport Limited clearly demonstrates what is possible when innovation, scale and collaboration come together. This proof-of-concept shows how India’s digital identity ecosystem can be extended beyond domestic travel to enable seamless international journeys, built on globally aligned standards. The success of these trials reinforces India’s role in shaping the next
phase of passenger experience transformation, with solutions that can be replicated across the world,” said Kim Macaulay, IATA’s Chief Information and Data Officer.
George Fanthome, Chief Technical Officer, Bangalore International Airport Limited, said: “At BLR Airport, we have taken a phased approach to building a biometric led travel ecosystem, supported by continued investments in seamless, technology enabled passenger flows. These new trials align with the airport’s broader vision of enabling contactless travel at scale, where passenger-controlled data, interoperability, and seamless experiences converge. As the ecosystem evolves, the focus will be on driving standardisation and enabling contactless journeys that can scale across other airports.”
BLR Airport has been at the forefront of implementing Digi Yatra, setting benchmarks for seamless and secure domestic passenger processing. As international passenger volumes continue to grow, the airport is now advancing the next phase of biometric enabled travel for international passengers. This positions BLR Airport as the only airport in India participating in this IATA-led global initiative alongside leading airports and airlines worldwide.
Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO Digi Yatra Foundation, said “What we have demonstrated with IndiGo, BLR Airport, and IATA goes beyond a successful PoC, it is a glimpse into the future of international travel. We enabled a seamless, end-to-end digital journey where a passenger’s identity is securely established in advance and verified across airport touchpoints using only their face. Built on Digi Yatra’s privacy-first, consent-led framework, this approach ensures minimal, purpose-bound data usage. By aligning with IATA’s One ID standards, we have also demonstrated true interoperability with other global travel ecosystems, paving the way for faster, more secure, and globally trusted travel experiences at scale”
About IndiGo
IndiGo is India’s preferred and amongst the fastest growing carriers in the world. IndiGo has a simple philosophy: offer fares that are affordable, flights that are on time, and provide a courteous and hassle free travel experience across its unparalleled network. With its fleet of 400+ aircraft, the airline operates around 2200+ daily flights, connecting 95+ domestic and 40+ international destinations, and welcomed 124 million customers in CY25. IndiGo was also named the ‘Best Airline in India and South Asia’ by Skytrax at the World Airline Awards 2025. IndiGo has been named the sixth Most Punctual Airline in Asia-Pacific in 2025 by the global aviation analytics firm, Cirium. For more information, please visit www.goIndiGo.in or download our mobile app. Facebook | X | Instagram
About BIAL
Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport), operated by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), closed CY 2025 with strong performance across key metrics. The airport became the first in South India to serve over 43.82 million passengers, earning a place in the ACI Large Airport category, and processed 520,985 metric tonnes of cargo. As South India’s busiest airport and the third largest in the country, BLR reached a significant milestone in February 2025, surpassing 350 million cumulative passengers since its opening. In terms of Cargo, BLR Airport continues to be the No. 1 Airport for processing perishable cargo in India for the fourth consecutive year. BIAL’s growth is powered by Fairfax
India Holdings Corporation, its majority private promoter. Through significant investment, Fairfax plays a key role in accelerating the airport’s development and transformation.
