After govt’s ‘not mandatory’ clarification, drop in DigiYatra usage at Pune Airport

Following this, the number has consistently seen a decline over next five months with April 2024 recording a low of 1,36,423. There was a slight uptick registered in July 2024 though when 1,46,661 passengers used the system.

All major airlines operating from Pune Airport provide passengers with a Digiyatra check-in option.

The system was operationalised at Pune Airport in April 2023. It uses facial recognition technology for seamless and paperless travel at airports. Passengers who register for the system by providing their biometric information and ID details, do not need to produce a physical boarding pass and can pass various checkpoints in the airport, including entry gates, security checks, and boarding gates with facial scans.

The system has also received pushback with a section of flyers and activists raising privacy concerns. The activists, including Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale, have raised the issue with the Civil Aviation Ministry citing complaints that the airport staff, DigiYatra Buddies, and security personnel were forcing passengers to enrol for the system.

On January 24, the then Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified that the enrolling for the system was “purely voluntary” and that the ‘consent of the passenger was a pre-requisite’.

He also said that the airport operators have been advised to “sensitise Digi Buddies on the consent taking process” and “keeping the use of DigiYatra purely voluntary”.

Pune Airport Director Santosh Dhoke told The Indian Express that ministry’s clarification may have played a role in reduced enthusiasm among the passengers for Digiyatra usage. He said that the increase in number of check-in counters at the airport including those at the New Integrated Terminal Building may have distributed the passenger burden to other kiosks.

Cargo at Pune airport

“We have taken several measures to reduce the congestion at the check-in points. That may have slightly reduced the usage of DigiYatra gates. Also, the ministry had issued a clarification in January 2024 that it’s use is not mandatory, hence a section of flyers chose to go for normal check-in points,” said Dhoke.

‘Rs 309 cr revenue, Rs 200 cr profit’

Pune Airport earned the Airports Authority of India, under Ministry of Civil Aviation, Rs 207.59 crore profit in the financial year 2023-24.

As per the data obtained using RTI, with 64,030 aircraft movements and 9.5 million passenger footfall, the Pune Airport earned a revenue of Rs 309.79 crores against an expenditure of Rs 102.2 crore, on a stand-alone basis.

Pune airport saw a record number of flight movements in 2023-24. In 2019-20 , before the Covid-19 pandemic brought the aircraft operations to a nought in March 2020, Pune Airport had seen 54,261 flight movements. This number came down to 30,000 in the next year and 31,278 in 2021-2022, with a large period of these years being the period of lockdowns. In 2022-23, the flight movements were normalised and the airport surpassed the pre-pandemic flight movement number by clocking 59,451 movements. In 2023-24, the flight movements reached 64,030.

Digiyatra usage at Pune Airport

Similarly, the airport saw 95.25 lakh passenger movements in the year 2023-24 which is the highest ever for this airport. During this year, it also surpassed the pre-pandemic passenger traffic – clocked in 2019-20 at 80.85 lakh passengers.

‘Stagnant Cargo operations’

Although Pune Airport has registered remarkable passenger growth, the cargo operations have remained stagnant. In 2023-24, Pune Airport handled 39,557 Metric Tonnes of domestic cargo, marginally lower than 39,557 Metric Tonnes handled the previous year. The number remains in the range of pre-pandemic levels with the airport having handled 37,533 Metric Tonnes in 2019-20.

The international cargo operations at Pune Airport remain negligible (8 tonnes moved in 2023-24) due to a lack of significant international connectivity.

The information shows that the domestic cargo at Pune Airport comprises mainly vaccines ( 30%) automobiles and parts (30%), and agricultural produce such as fruits, vegetables and flowers (25 %).

Airport Director Dhoke said that stagnancy in cargo operations in 2023-24 was largely due to closure of the cargo terminal for several months last year due to regulatory issues and shifting of the terminal to a new location.

“We had to wait for a few months for regulatory approval and hence the operations were completely shut for a few months. The international operations suffered worse. We are hoping that the cargo operations will now pick up,” said Dhoke.