Republic of India - International Airports security on Biometric based Digital processing

[Hindustani78]

04-October, 2018 15:13 IST
Civil aviation Ministry Releases the policy on Biometric based Digital processing of passengers at airports called “Digi Yatra”

Digi Yatra central platform will be operational by end of February, 2019

The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Shri Suresh Prabhu today released the policy on biometric based digital processing of passengers at airports called “Digi Yatra” at a press-conference here. Addressing the media, he said that the Ministry has taken the initiative to develop standards for digital processing of passengers at airport to ensure uniform implementation and passenger experience across Indian airports through a connected ecosystem. He said, a technical working committee having members from airport operators, airlines and industry has been formed for development of standards.

The media was told that DigiYatra Central Platform will be operational by end of February, 2019. Bangalore & Hyderabad International Airports will be ready with pilot implementation by end of February, 2019. Airport Authority of India (AAI) intends to roll out the programme initially at Kolkata, Varanasi, Pune & Vijayawada by April, 2019.

Shri Suresh Prabhu said, DigiYatra will provide a pan-India powerful platform for future, adding that Airports will have the possibility of providing innovative services and consent based targeted services in future. “Any service provider involved in facilitating travel of passenger from door to door will be able to use this platform in future through innovative solutions” he said. The Minister asserted that the ultimate beneficiary will be the passengers, who will have all the travel related options available to them.

Elaborating on the contours of Digi Yatra, Minister of State of Civil Aviation, Shri Jayant Sinha said, it is a Facial Recognition based passenger processing which is a common standard being adopted the world over. To provide a seamless experience right from the entry to the airport upto boarding the aircraft, Shri Sinha said, DigiYatra will have a centralised registration system for passengers. “Under the Digi Yatra, passenger can get a Digi Yatra ID by sharing minimum details like Name, e-mail ID, Mobile number and details of one approved Identity proof where Aadhar ID is not mandatory. This DigiYatra ID will be shared by passengers while Booking ticket. Airlines will share the passenger data and DigiYatraID with the departure airport”, he said. Shri Sinha pointed out that a passenger who has created the Digi Yatra ID has to undergo a onetime verification at the departure airport during his/her first travel. “In case a passenger opted for Aadhar based verification, the identity will be verified online. On successful verification, facial biometric will be captured and stored in the Digi Yatra ID profile of the passenger. In case the passenger has chosen any other identity for creating Digi Yatra ID, verification will be done manually by Security personal and facial biometric will be captured and stored in the Digi Yatra ID profile. By this process the registration is complete”, he explained.

Shri Jayant Sinha said, Digi Yatra will bring benefits to passengers and all stakeholders involved in the process, as Airport operator will have travel information in advance for better resource planning and the real-time data of passengers within the terminal will enable the operator to take proactive action to avoid congestion.

The Secretary, MoCA, Shri Rajiv Nayan Choubey further elaborated on Digi Yatra mechanism saying that a successfully registered passenger can go directly to the entry point E-Gate of the airport and scan the barcode/ QR code of the ticket/ Boarding pass. “A camera will capture the face for comparing with DigiYatraID Photo. On successful verification of the travel details and facial matching, the E-Gate will open. The system will also generate a token in the system combining the face of passenger with PNR of the ticket, so that at subsequent check points the ticket details will be available on face recognition.”

“At check-in counter or at the Self Bag Drop counter, the passenger will be identified by face and there is no need to show any document or ID for this purpose. The passenger will gain entry to the security check area through an E-Gate by facial recognition. Similarly at the boarding gate also the passenger will be identified by face for entering through an E-Gate for boarding the aircraft.”

“Airlines will have the information of its passenger and their status within the terminal. No more missing passenger causing departure delays. Security will benefit from the ability of the technology to verify the passenger at every checkpoint in a non intrusive way except that physical frisking of the passenger as per security procedures will continue. Intentional Boarding pass exchange by passenger or wrong boarding by mistake will not happen.”

As Indian Aviation is witnessing an unprecedented passenger growth for the past 50 months and it is likely to continue, this would mean the existing airports have to handle more passengers for considerable time before additional infrastructure is created. “The passengers are expecting better facilitation at the airport and Security remains a key concern in air travel. Leveraging technology is the only solution to meet such challenging requirements”, Shri Choubey said. Pointing out that multiple stakeholders are involved in a seamless travel process for a passenger, he emphasised that it was important that the stakeholders work in a connected environment for reaping the benefits of technology. He said, in order to achieve this objective, the Ministry of Civil Aviation evolved the concept of “DigiYatra” which envisages a connected ecosystem enhancing the seamless travel experience for the passengers and simultaneously improving the security.

Click here to see PPT file.

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[Hindustani78]

Vice President's Secretariat
30-October, 2018 15:28 IST
Safety of passengers should be at the centre of airline activity: Vice President

Connectivity is the key for economic growth; Delhi Airport is pride of our nation; Releases Economic Impact Report and Coffee Table Book of Delhi Airport

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that safety of passengers should be paramount for any transportation service and asked aviation industry to place passengers’ convenience at the centre of all activities. He was addressing the gathering after releasing the Economic Impact Report and Coffee Table Book encapsulating the growth story of Indian Aviation marking completion of 12 years of operations of GMR Group at Delhi Airport, here today.

The Vice President appreciated Airport authorities and GMR employees for maintaining global standards at Delhi Airport. “Delhi Airport is pride of our nation”, he added.

The Vice President said that governments, policy makers and business enterprises must ensure hassle free environment at Airports for commuters. He further said that Government’s efforts to improve domestic air connectivity and make it affordable would get a boost if quality infrastructure is built and efficient customer services are provided by airliners. Public Private Partnership is the most suitable mode of developing such infrastructure and it is the best model to provide quality services at an affordable price as it allows competition among different entities, he added.

The Vice President said that connectivity is the key for economic growth and added that aviation industry has huge scope for development. He said that the growth of the aviation sector will have a multiplier effect on the Indian economy as it would positively impact hospitality and tourism sectors, among others.

The Vice President said that effective implementation of UDAN scheme would develop regional connectivity and promote economically viable flights on regional routes. He asked Airport authorities and PPP operators to focus on making it accessible and affordable to the common man.

The Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Shri Jayant Sinha, the Lt. Governor of Delhi, Shri Anil Baijal, the Chairman of GMR Group, Shri Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao and several members of aviation and airline industry were present on the occasion.

Following is the text of Vice President’s address:

“It is my privilege to be with you this afternoon and to have just released two important books, which encapsulate the growth story of Indian Aviation.

At the outset, my heartiest congratulations to Mr. G.M. Rao and his team for having successfully completed 12 years of operations at Delhi Airport which is India’s leading airport in the PPP sector.

I am given to understand that since the time GMR Group took over this airport, the number of Air Traffic Movements have gone up by 250 per cent, while the passenger numbers have gone up nearly 400 per cent. This is by no means a small achievement while maintaining a consistent top rank in the service quality rankings and making India proud by continuously being the world’s number one airport for the past few years.

If one looks at the world aviation scenario, it has doubled in the last 15 years and today, a country like India is the 4th largest aviation market in the world.

We are also among a few countries in the world which took bold steps of privatizing the industry. Today PPP airports handle 55 per cent of the total Indian Passenger Traffic and more than 72 per cent of the total air cargo traffic. I am also told that Delhi Airport is 16th busiest airport globally and they are targeting it to be among the top five in the near future.

The world today faces a variety of economic challenges as well as extreme volatility on various fronts. At times like this, it is important that appropriate investments be made to increase and improve the infrastructure within the country. I am informed that Delhi Airport will soon be spending nearly Rs. 9,000 crore to boost its capacity to nearly 100 million passengers per annum.

The Economic Impact Study has also been a huge eye-opener. I am happy to note that the Delhi airport contributes to almost 0.7 per cent of the national GDP and almost 18 per cent of Delhi’s GSDP. It is extremely heartening to note that this entity employs nearly 28 lakh employees both directly as well as indirectly.

I always knew that there was something significant happening whenever an announcement was made about the airport, but these figures and ranks which have now been highlighted bear testimony to the devotion, dedication and discipline of all agencies involved in the operations of Delhi Airport.

Congratulations to all on this achievement, particularly to Shri Mallikarjuna Rao and his family. I wish GMR group many more achievements in the years to come.

With the government deciding to improve domestic air connectivity and make it affordable, the need of the hour is to provide quality infrastructure and efficient customer services. The scope for growth and expansion of the Indian civil aviation industry is huge and the focus must be on making it accessible and affordable to the common man.

The global airlines body, International Air Transport Association (IATA), has projected India to be the third largest aviation market around 2024 surpassing the UK.

It has also projected the Asia-Pacific region to drive the biggest growth with more than half the total number of new passengers over the next 20 years coming from these markets. The growth is being driven by a combination of continued robust economic growth, improvements in household incomes and favourable population and demographic profiles, it noted.

The present trends in air transport suggest passenger numbers could double to 8.2 billion in 2037 and this doubling of air passengers could support 100 million jobs globally, according to IATA.

The National Civil Aviation Policy unveiled in 2016 has mentioned that if every Indian in the middle class income bracket takes just one fight a year, it would result in a sale of 35 crore tickets.

It should be noted that the growth of the aviation sector will have a multiplier effect on the Indian economy as it would positively impact hospitality and tourism sectors, among others.

The Aviation Policy seeks to create an ecosystem to make flying affordable to masses to enable 30 crore domestic ticketing by 2022 and 50 crore by 2027. The government also launched the UDAN scheme to develop regional connectivity and promote economically viable flights on regional routes.

In the end, I would like all the airlines and other stakeholders in the aviation industry to place the safety and passengers’ convenience at the centre of all your activities.

JAI HIND!”

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AKT/BK/RK

 

[Hindustani78]

Cabinet01-November, 2018 12:13 IST
Renaming of Jharsuguda Airport, Odisha as “Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda”

Approved renaming of Jharsuguda Airport, Odisha as “Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda”


Benefits:

Veer Surendra Sai is a well-known freedom fighter of Odisha. Renaming of the Jharsuguda airport in his name will fulfill long-pending demand of the Odisha Government, which reflects the sentiments of the local public of the respective area. It will also be a befitting tribute to the contribution of the revered personality associated with the State.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Tourism
05-November, 2018 16:39 IST
Shri K J Alphons inaugurates Tourist Facilitation and Information Counter at IGI Airport, New Delhi

Tourism Ministry to open 24X7 Facilitation Counters in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Gaya and Varanasi soon

Shri K.J. Alphons, Union Minister for Tourism inaugurated the Tourist Facilitation and Information Counter at Indira Gandhi International Airport New Delhi, today. The facilitation counter is located at the T3 terminal arrival gates of the IGI Airport. The Tourism Ministry is also starting Facilitation Counters in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Gaya and Varanasi.

Opening the facilitation Centre for visitors, which is first of its kind by the Government in IGI airport, the Minister said that this shall be of great help to the tourists visiting the country. The Minister added that the counter shall cater to non-English speaking tourists also as the Counter will also be connected to the 24x7 Helpline – ‘1363’ of the Tourism Ministry where the tourists can speak directly with the foreign language agents and get guidance in French, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Arabic.

The Ministry of Tourism has set-up this Counter with an objective to provide 24x7 information to both domestic and international visitors arriving into IGI Airport, New Delhi. The Tourist Facilitation Counter will be manned by 2 staff and a Supervisor to answer the queries of the tourists and also guide them with information. The Counter is also stocked with sufficient high quality tourist literature and brochures to be provided to the tourists.


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NB/JP/Tourism/05-11-2018

The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C), Shri Alphons Kannanthanam inaugurating the Tourist Information and Facilitation Counter of Ministry of Tourism, at the IGI airport International arrival hall, in New Delhi on November 05, 2018.

The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C), Shri Alphons Kannanthanam at the inauguration of the Tourist Information and Facilitation Counter of Ministry of Tourism, at the IGI airport International arrival hall, in New Delhi on November 05, 2018

The Minister of State for Tourism (I/C), Shri Alphons Kannanthanam at the inauguration of the Tourist Information and Facilitation Counter of Ministry of Tourism, at the IGI airport International arrival hall, in New Delhi on November 05, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Civil Aviation
19-November, 2018 16:14 IST
Suresh Prabhu launches AirSewa 2.0

Chennai Airport awarded for hundred percent grievance redressal

Suresh Prabhu presenting the AirSewa Champion Award to Chennai Airport

The Union Minister of Civil AviationandCommerce & Industry, Suresh Prabhu, and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha launched the upgraded version of AirSewa 2.0 web portal and mobile app in New Delhi today.

Speaking on this occasion the Civil Aviation Minister said that a need was felt for development of an upgraded version of AirSewa to provide a superior user experience with enhanced functionalities. Major improvements include features such as secure sign-up and log-in with social media, chatbot for travellers support,improved grievance management including social media grievances, real-time flight status and details flight schedule. The upgrade and improved version of AirSewa operates through an interactive web portal as well as through a mobile app for both android and iOS platforms and will offer passengers a convenient and hassle-free air travel experience. The web portal and application will help to capture air travellers’ feedback for policy interventions.

The Minister further added that the focus is now on improving the quality of services so that passengers who are travelling have a safe and comfortable experience.

The Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha, said that today five crore passengers are travelling every year and will grow exponentially in the near future. There was an urgent need of upgradation of AirSewa and systemic intervention in improving customer services.

Air passengers face issues like flight delays, problem in refunds, long queues, inadequate facilities at airports and complaints of lost baggage. The Ministry of Civil Aviation launched AirSewa web portal and mobile app in November 2016 to address this need. The AirSewa 1.0 was received well, with around 30,000 app downloads and around 75,000 web portal hits since its launch. It has helped significant number of air passengers to get their concerns resolved with 92 % closure rate for grievance solutions. In addition to grievance redressal, AirSewa also provides real-time flight status and flight schedules.

Further upgrades of AirSewa are also being planned which would include DigiYatra registration, airport maps, BHIM payment integration and grievance escalation and transfer.

Suresh Prabhu and Jayant Sinha also gave away the champion award to Chennai airport which saw hundred percent timely closure of grievances in one year. Secretary Civil Aviation, Dr.GuruprasadMohapatraand other officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation were present on this occasion.

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RJ/MM