MoCA’s DigiYatra to make air travel seamless

The Ministry of Civil Aviation will be adding a digital experience for air travellers through DigiYatra Platform, which is an industry-led initiative co-ordinated by the Ministry. The move comes in line with Air Sewa which brings together all the stakeholders on a common platform for handling customer grievances and disseminating real-time data. Union Minister for Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju claimed that DigiYatra initiative will transform the flying experience for passengers and position Indian aviation amongst the most innovative air networks in the world. Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, launched a report on DigiYatra on June 8 and said that this initiative aims to bring together entire industry to develop a digital ecosystem that will deliver Indian customers a seamless, consistent and paperless service experience at every touch point of their journey.
The Ministry has created a Technical Committee comprising industry stakeholders which will submit its recommendations in 30 days. These propositions would be open for public comments and discussions for another 30 days. These would then be translated into a time-bound action plan. He informed that all aviation stakeholders – airlines, airport operators, security and immigration agencies, cab operators, retail establishment and others are working to devise digital standards which can enable seamless exchange of data and information. He said that these standards can power unique applications which can deliver a delightful experience for air travellers. Sinha also said that the platform will be built on 4 key pillars—Connected Passengers, Connected Airports, Connected Flying and Connected Systems.
DigiYatra would offer which can make it possible over a period of time for passengers to plan their trips efficiently by identifying price trends and estimate future airfares at the time of ticket booking; optionally link their Aadhaar to airlines and other ecosystem players at the time of booking for faster airport entry and automated check-ins without requiring any paper-based interventions. With the help of this interface, passengers would be able to walk-through security scanners swiftly owing to advanced biometric security solutions; receive relevant information pertaining to various facilities, protocols, airline timings, queue lengths at airports etc.; engage in customised digital offerings at experience zones; get real time notifications about congestion and delays to have greater visibility on the next step of journey. They will also be able to conveniently navigate through the airport using digital guidance systems, interactive kiosks and augmented reality apps; stay connected during flights and indulge in immersive experiences. Also book in-flight services and destination based offerings digitally; get a prompt when their luggage reaches the baggage claim belt; and submit grievances, share experiences and provide feedback.