To explore best practices, the airport operators are tasked with presenting biometric enabled models being successfully used in other countries
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, December 20, 2023: Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Shri Jyotiraditya M Scindia held an Advisory Group Meeting with Airport Operators on 19th December, 2023. With the upcoming season in mind, the Minister emphasized on the importance of preventing congestion at airports. He assured that the ministry is proactively implementing all possible measures to facilitate a smooth and time-saving travel experience for passengers during this period.
In the meeting, the Minister listened to the queries and suggestions from operators and guided them to ensure optimal operations for the convenience of passengers. An important topic of the discussion was the promotion of 'DigiYatra' to enhance the conversion rate from manual to digital check-ins and entry gate processes, ensuring hassle-free and swift passenger movement. Currently, the facility is available for domestic passengers at 13 airports of the country including: Lucknow, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Jaipur, Guwahati, Delhi, Bangalore, Varanasi, Vijayawada, Pune, Hyderabad, and Kolkata airports. In the discussion, the suggestion of integrating ‘DigiYatra’ for international passenger access at both departure and arrival. To explore best practices, the airport operators were also tasked with presenting biometric enabled models being successfully used in other countries.
Moving ahead, the Minister also reviewed the Capital Expenditure target of all airport operators, aligning it with the actuals obtained in Q3.
The meeting was attended by all airport operators including GMR Airports, Adani Airports, BIAL, Cochin Airport and the Airports Authority of India. The Secretary Civil Aviation, Shri Vumlunmang Vualnam, DG BCAS, Shri Zulfiqar Hasan, DG DGCA, Shri Vikram Devdutt and other Joint secretaries and senior officials of the Ministry were also present in the meeting.
The Minister for Civil Aviation and Steel, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia chaired the Cargo Advisory Committee meeting on 19th December 2023. During the session, the committee deliberated on the need to enhance collaboration within the cargo industry. Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia assured the members that the government will continue to adopt a proactive approach in responding to the concerns of the cargo industry and work towards fostering collaborative efforts among stakeholders. He also emphasized on the importance of having synergy between the ministry and other players of the industry to work closely to deliver as per the needs of the industry.
One of the key issues discussed was the need for a digital transformation in air cargo, encompassing E-KYC and digital shipping invoices. The Minister requested the committee to prepare a detailed action plan in order to explore and implement digital transformations in the industry.
The committee also addressed various taxation and operational challenges brought forward by industry representatives, reflecting the Ministry's commitment to a responsive and supportive regulatory environment.
This meeting reinforced the Ministry's dedication to fostering a vibrant and efficient cargo ecosystem, ensuring that the aviation sector continues to contribute significantly to the nation's economic growth.
The meeting was attended by cargo industry players including AAICLAS, FFFAI, EICI, BlueDart Aviation, ACAAI, Adani Airports, DIAL, ACFI, DACAAI and SpiceJet. Secretary Civil Aviation, Shri Vumlunmang Vualnam, DG DGCA, Shri Vikram Devdutt, and senior officials were also present in the meeting.
