New terminal of Pune airport to roll out DigiYatra check-in options soon

While responding, Airport Director Santosh Dhoke clarified that there weren’t significant roadblocks delaying the DigiYatra launch, except for some initial technical challenges during the installation of the required technology. “Though minor technical issues exist, they are being addressed. Every new system requires time to implement, especially when security is involved,” Dhoke explained.

He explained to Express that an earlier plan to reuse e-gates from the old terminal for the new facility was reconsidered after the Ministry of Civil Aviation insisted there should be no inconvenience to passengers.

The new terminal now has 15 e-gates installed at designated DigiYatra facial recognition checkpoints. While Dhoke did not commit to a specific launch date, he assured passengers that the process is progressing steadily and they may start the service within a month or may take a bit more.

The existing new terminal, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2024, spans an area of 22,000 square metres and has a passenger handling capacity of 7 million annually.

According to the airport’s available data, the number of DigiYatra users at the old terminal has been inconsistent this year. In January, 1.73 lakh passengers used the facility, the highest since its launch in April last year. However, the numbers dropped to 1.36 lakh in May before slightly improving to 1.46 lakh in April. Despite these fluctuations, Dhoke is confident that the usage of DigiYatra will increase in the future.