Ever since the demonetization fever hit the nation, technological advancements have radically altered the status quo of things. Aadhar is one such technology that has stepped up to cater to the evolving tech ecosystem in India.
Issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Aadhaar is a unique 12 digit identity number issued to all residents of India based on their biometric and demographic data. In short, it is your unique National ID. And this is where the endless possibilities begin; from getting your rations to being the exclusive identification agency at airports. Speaking of airports, how exactly would this play out?
Secure Entrée
Secure Entrée
The fact that Aadhaar has an individual’s biometric information associated with its unique number implies that Identity verification has taken a quantum leap. Airports across India accept any kind of central/ state issue ID proofs such as Driving Licence, PAN Card, Passport, Voter ID and so on. Considering the variety of ID documents that are presented, security personnel are often overwhelmed when trying to distinguish the fake ones from the originals.
The introduction of Aadhaar as an identification method will bring about a standardised procedure across airports. Here’s how a likely scenario would pan out.
· Entry: Biometric devices are placed at the airport entrance where passengers are identified by security personnel based on their Aadhaar.
· Ticket Booking: Online travel portals can integrate with the UIDAI database and have passengers enter their Aadhaar number while booking tickets. This will also ease the booking process as vital passenger details can be auto-populated from the database. Also, ‘passenger-to-ticket’ verification at the airport can be done seamlessly.
· Ticket Purchasing: Unified Payments Interface (UPI) introduced by the National Payments Council for India (NPCI) has been changing the face of payments in India. These can be used to make payments online at travel portals.
Aadhaar-Pay is another revolutionary payment feature that allows payment to be made without the use of any physical elements such as a debit/ credit card. Passengers can simply enter the Bank name, and Aadhaar number and the biometric access (fingerprints) can be used as the password to complete the transaction. Cancellation would work in the same way.
Enhanced Airport Security
Maintaining airport security is always a big concern for airport authorities, given the rising trend of safety breaches in airports across the world. Having travellers linked to a sole nation-wide identification module would mean identifying culprits or other ‘persons of interest’ can be done instantly.
The integration of your Aadhaar profile with criminal records and police databases would further allow for enhanced security and control over airport operations and passenger activities.
Endless Possibilities with Integration
Proper integration of Aadhaar with other platforms can mean endless possibilities for airports, airlines and passengers. For instance, the integration of Aadhaar with personal medical records could imply that airlines are alerted to serious medical conditions of passengers and can be prepared for any incidents that might arise.
The move to introduce Aadhaar as a ‘passenger verification’ option is certainly a welcome move and could work out to the benefit of everyone involved in air-travel.
We, Finahub, are experts in Aadhaar related products and services like eSign, eKYC, Authentication etc. If you want to know how your enterprise can start using it, please give us a call @ 0484 2388285 or email us at [email protected]
