Visakhapatnam: Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu launched the central government’s Digi Yatra facility at the International Airport here and some other airports on Friday, to facilitate better travel experience for air passengers. Physical verification of data and documents of passengers at the airport, which used to take time, now takes only 5 seconds through the Digi Yatra mode.
The facility had been initially introduced at 15 airports in 2022 and it has now been extended to nine more airports, including here.
Parliamentarian M Sribharat, MLAs PGVR Naidu, Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy and Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, and MLC Chiranjeevi Rao were present. Junior cvil aviation minister Murlidhar Mohol participated in the event in virtual mode from Pune.
It was explained that the 'Digi Yatra' system aimed at providing air passengers a 'contactless', touch-free and seamless travel experience. With over 3 crore passengers utilising the facility and 54 lakh downloads of the Digi Yatra app done so far across various airports, the system has been a success.
Rammohan Naidu noted, “In 'Digi Yatra' technology, the data undergoes self-destruction in the database after 24 hours and is solely stored on the passenger's mobile phone. This allays privacy concerns.”
The minister stated, “Plans for introduction of seaplanes at Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada, helicopter services in the Himalayan region and the North East are also on the anvil. Efforts are under way to enhance the cargo facility at Visakhapatnam airport. Plans are on for the upcoming Bhogapuram international airport and for improved road connectivity to airports."
The civil aviation minister said the government was keen on making air travel more affordable and seamless while extending the Regional Connectivity Scheme by 10 years to involve poorly connected airports. "The ambitious goal is to increase the number of airports in India from 157 to 400 within 25 years," he said.
Deputy director general of civil aviation Pramod Thakur and chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) M Suresh spoke. Airport director Raja Reddy said the day marked the 'Digi Yatra' launch at Vizag, Patna, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Goa (Dabolim), Indore, Ranchi, Coimbatore, and Bagdogra airports from here in virtual mode.
