Bengaluru Airport Successfully Launches DigiYatra App’s Beta Version for Contactless Processing of Passengers

BIAL has pioneered the DigiYatra effort from its early concept days since 2017

As India celebrated its 75th Independence Day, the beta version of DigiYatra App was successfully rolled out at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport).

Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has been pioneering the DigiYatra effort from its early concept days and pilot trials have been held since January 2017 at BLR Airport. DigiYatra – the contactless, seamless processing of passengers at airports, based on the use of single token face biometrics for verification of passengers is a significant project led by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Government of India.

For the first phase rollout of the DigiYatra Central Ecosystem (DYCE), BLR Airport is one of the two selected airports in India and passengers experienced this new-age, contactless and seamless process that commenced on 15th August 2022.

The first passenger who checked-in using the DigiYatra App was felicitated at BLR Airport today

 
At BLR Airport, the DigiYatra Biometric boarding system at e-gates is operational and being rolled out at full scale for all domestic airlines in a phased manner, covering checkpoints for domestic travel. Passengers experienced a seamless check-in, passed through security, and boarded their respective flights using their single token face biometric for validating their identity and their boarding pass.

Vistara Airlines and AirAsia are the two airlines that are currently integrated with DigiYatra. Passengers can easily enroll on the DigiYatra app from the comfort of their homes. The app is currently available on Google Playstore for Android users, and an iOS version will be made available in one month.

“It is our constant endeavour at BIAL to offer innovative ways to simplify the passenger journey and make it as seamless as possible. The Digi Yatra Central Ecosystem implementation is one more step towards achieving this. We are glad to be part of the first phase rollout and value the trust reposed in us by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, and the Government of India. As the new gateway to India, BLR Airport is keen to be at the forefront of change and innovation,” said Hari Marar, MD & CEO at Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL).

The DYCE is being built on the standards defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which include Self Sovereign Identity (SSI) with Verifiable Credentials (VCs), Decentralised Identifiers (DIDs) with a trust layer of a Distributed Ledger and ensuring adoption of Privacy by Design and Privacy by Default as the fundamental tenets. This ensures privacy issues are taken care of and passengers will not have to worry about sharing their data as it is secure and will be deleted after 24 hours following their travel.

DYCE is the initiative of the Digi Yatra Foundation (DYF) which was set up as a joint venture company in 2019, and BIAL is one of the key shareholders. The DigiYatra Foundation will be a pan-India entity and the custodian of the Passenger ID validation process.

BLR Airport Introduces AI-driven Robots for an Enhanced Passenger Experience

Innovation being the hallmark of its services, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has introduced the first-of-its-kind AI-driven, assistance robots to enhance passenger experience at BLR Airport.

Currently, at the trial stage, 10 robots have been deployed to help guide passengers through the airport and answer basic queries. The robot count will be increased in a calibrated manner and will be further developed over a period in terms of functionality and features, after gauging customer feedback.

BLR Airport has partnered with Artiligent Solutions Pvt. Ltd. – specialists in AI and Robotics, to model the robots along with creating a customised passenger services software. The default language of communication will be English, with additional regional and international languages in the offing.

Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Operating Officer, BIAL, said that the airport prides itself on being a trendsetter when it comes to blending innovation and providing a seamless experience to passengers. “Pre-empting passenger requirements and complementing new-age technology with a focused customer-centric team approach has been our winning combination. These smart robots are the latest addition to our offering which shall further boost our concentrated endeavor to provide exceptional customer service.”

Rupesh Sawant, Chief Executive Officer, Artiligent said: “Innovative technology is revolutionising airtravel across the world. Artiligent ideated the AI_PORT concept to develop an enhanced airport experience for travellers. We are proud to associate with BLR Airport, the first airport in India to launch our solution and take a leap in their digital transformation journey.”

The robots will provide a variety of services which include providing information on the flight status, passenger convenience services, directional assistance, Retail and F&B information. They shall navigate autonomously through the terminal and escort passengers to their desired locations. If due to any reason, the robot is unable to answer queries, passengers shall be immediately connected to the ‘Airport Help Desk’ via video call, on the robot screen itself.

Bangalore Airport to Build Advanced Data Analytics Platform, CoE for Improved Passenger Experience

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport has entered into an agreement with American global IT firm, Unisys Corporation, to develop an Analytics Center of Excellence (CoE).

The Analytics CoE will support a business intelligence and advanced data analytics platform for BIAL to consolidate and rationalize the Airport’s strategic, tactical and operational reporting. According to a statement by the airport this will enable Airport staff to make faster and better-informed business decisions, process air travelers more quickly and enhance the airport experience for the customer.

As part of the new data-driven airport framework, the Unisys-developed platform will allow BIAL to generate more than 150 insightful, interactive business intelligence reports, utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to forecast future travel patterns and traveler trends. This will enable the airport to shift its strategy from hindsight to foresight, predictive to prescriptive and improve future decision-making processes. Hosted on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, the solution employs Azure capabilities such as Azure HDInsight, SQL Data Warehouse, Azure Machine Learning and Azure Advanced Data Analytics services.

“BIAL is committed to being a data-driven organization that will create a smart, futuristic and intuitive airport journey for passengers. Unisys brings a strong combination of in-depth understanding of the aviation industry and proven experience in delivering digital transformation for organizations of all sizes. Unisys’ solution will provide us with intelligent and intuitive data and analytics that will support the enhancement of the customer experience we provide,” said Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy and Development Officer, BIAL.

[caption id="attachment_126359" align="aligncenter" width="700"] L-R: Javed Malik, Chief Operating Officer, BIAL, Raja Ponnuru, Financial Controller, Unisys India, Ramachandran CK, AGM – Business Intelligence, Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy & Development Officer, (back) Subhash Choudhary, Sales Director, Unisys India[/caption]

The platform will allow the Airport to provide real-time content information pertaining to Airport services and flight information. The services will also provide travelers access to improved airport navigation, communication of airport services and proactive and personalized retail offerings based on passenger preferences and past spending history. This offers passengers greater visibility into airport amenities and services, in addition to establishing an avenue for BIAL to generate non-aeronautical revenues.

“BIAL is a perfect partner, committed to meeting the growing needs of today’s connected traveler,” said Tony Windever, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Unisys. “This strategic collaboration leverages Unisys’ deep domain expertise and digital transformation capabilities, like the Analytics Center of Excellence, to create a more agile, predictive business model for travel and transportation customers. Supporting BIAL’s innovative vision, this has the potential to become one of the most advanced deployments of data and analytics for any airport in India, and potentially in the world.”

BIAL is a public-private consortium that owns and operates Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, the third busiest airport in India by passenger traffic. According to BIAL, the annual passenger traffic through the Airport is expected to grow from 26.91 million passengers in FY2018 to over 65 million passengers in the next decade. To meet growing passenger demand the airport will introduce a second runway by 2019 and open a second terminal by 2021.

“This strategic collaboration leverages Unisys’ deep domain expertise and digital transformation capabilities, like the Analytics Center of Excellence, to create a more agile, predictive business model for travel and transportation customers,” said Tony Windever, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Unisys.

In 2016, BIAL had launched the BLR Airport app, as part of its digital platform offering. Through the app, BIAL revolutionized the travel experience at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB) through a combination of digital technologies that include the Internet of Things, people, services and data.

Source - Unisys

[Top Image - TheIndianExpress.com]

Bangalore Airport Becomes 'Smart Airport' With Launch of BLR Airport App

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) steps up the game by committing to a futuristic and innovative vision of The Smart Airport - a digitized, seamlessly connected and intuitive airport that is positioned as the ‘Gateway to South India’. BIAL in collaboration with ThoughtWorks, a global technology company, today announced the launch of the BLR Airport app, as part of its digital platform offering. Through the digital platform bouquet of services, BIAL aims at revolutionizing the travel experience at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB) through a combination of digital technologies that include the Internet of: things, people, services and data. The airport will build on its existing technological capabilities to engage with its customers and provide integrated services across various touch points. The newly built digital platform’s innovative potential will keep adapting to the Bengaluru airport’s evolving digital needs. Through these efforts BIAL aims to future-proof its airport operations and services by making meaning of the abundant digital data available and create a more personalized, just-in-time travel services.

One can download the BLR Airport App from Google PlayStore Android App or iOS App Store.

In the first phase the unique and exclusive features of the app include:

• Flight information and Flight tracking – offers real-time flight status updates


• One-touch WIFI connect – No repeat input of OTP and user-details, the details once shared as a first time user, will connect a passenger to Wi-Fi automatically when at the airport


• Navigation with Google Indoor Maps – Easy navigation through the airport using the Google Indoor Map feature


• Must Try (F&B) and Must Buy (Retail) – Experience the airport retail and F&B


• Contextual notifications, powered by Beacons – Receive relevant notifications based on your location


• Feedback – Allows user to share feedback about their airport experience using the BLR Airport app

With this app, one can track flight information with real-time updates, single click to Wi-Fi (Android phones), navigate the terminal and stay informed on ‘must- buys’ in shopping or ‘must–try’ food & beverages along with information on transport, lounges and more.

A first step, as part of this digital transformation was offering passengers everything at a single click on their mobile phone through the BLR Airport app. The airport app includes a number of useful features to help simplify the passenger’s airport experience. Customers will find the BLR Airport app easy, engaging and simple to use. The navigation provides an intimate interface with real-time flight information and commercial offerings. Available on iOS and Android platforms, the app is designed to provide customers with the best of airport navigation powered by Google Indoor Maps (the first Indian Airport to use Google Indoor Maps), context-specific operational and commercial notifications powered by beacon technology deployed by leveraging leading industry standards.

Talking about the new digital introduction, Mr. Sanjay Reddy, MD, BIAL stated, “At BIAL our aim is to transform our customers airport experience. Every new digital introduction will combine innovation and emotion, because we strongly believe that digital is more than just technology. The ‘BLR Airport’ app is an example of how we are leveraging technology to make travel through the airport simple and easy. As we move forward our concerted efforts will be in introducing innovative and interactive digital solutions that will create value for our customers.”

BIAL’s digital partner, ThoughtWorks, undertook a detailed study of 14 leading airport apps, to ascertain the most powerful features for the ‘BLR Airport’ app. The key features of the app which is aimed at giving travelers an ‘airport in their pocket’ experience allows flight tracking, provides timely updates related to flights and gates, shares special Retail and F&B offers. For Android users they get an additional feature of one touch WiFi connectivity. The app’s underlying design principle is maintaining an easily navigable user journey through intuitive design and is based on the airport’s philosophy of providing its customers a ‘Naturally, Easy Experience’.

"ThoughtWorks is proud to be associated with Bangalore International Airport Limited in delivering on their vision of a Smart Airport using Digital touch points for making the passenger journey a naturally easy experience. Through continuous collaboration with BIAL, we designed and delivered a highly sophisticated and scalable platform, with context aware iOS and Android Apps that enables a high quality experience for passengers. We are truly excited about the next few releases where we would be building some interesting features on the platform that adds more value to the passengers, airport and their partners,” Mr. Sudhir Tiwari, Managing Director, ThoughtWorks India.

In June 2016, BIAL introduced a Twitter hashtag #Flightstatus an automated notification feature that allows passengers to receive flight status on their social channel. The Twitter hashtag was introduced as part of BIAL’s ongoing efforts to engage with its audiences on social platforms.