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Air travel now runs on code: Inside the tech backbone reshaping airports - The Times of India

MUMBAI: As the global air travel industry becomes larger and more complex with each passing decade, airlines and airports are increasingly moving towards digitisation. From printed paper tickets that came in airline jackets, to home-printed e-tickets, to today's digital boarding passes on mobile phones; from conventional check-in and immigration counters to biometric gates; and from local storage of information to cloud-hosted passenger systems, digitisation has transformed every stage of the passenger journey.One of the most closely watched developments is unfolding at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), where a trial is under way to use computer vision and biometrics to identify and track checked baggage. The system captures a bag's "biometrics'' or digital signature through high-resolution imaging and AI-driven pattern recognition, reducing reliance on printed tags. The AI-driven system makes it easier to track bags that go errant, especially at mega transfer hubs. If successful, this could cut sharply into the US$5 billion in annual losses the aviation industry suffers from mishandled baggage, losses borne largely by airlines, Sumesh Patel, SITA President for Asia Pacific said in an interview with TOI. The trial also marks a turning point: "For any such technology to be effective, every stakeholder has to step up -- airlines, airports, and ground handlers," Patel said. "Airlines must integrate new baggage platforms, airports must install advanced imaging cameras across conveyor systems, and backend applications must be synchronised to handle massive real-time data," he said, adding that he expects the adoption timeline to be under a decade, which is much faster than the past tech cycles.Auto-reflight: Lost bags now rebook themselvesA companion technology already in commercial use is auto-reflight, currently being used by Lufthansa. Lost bags are automatically matched to the next logical flight using AI, without waiting for human intervention, Patel said, adding that Lufthansa now processes around 70% of its missed bags through auto-reflight. The feature could be especially impactful in large global hubs such as London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Dubai, Doha, where tight connections and high transfer loads drive most baggage mishandling, he said. Whether Indian carriers adopt it may depend less on domestic volumes and more on their exposure to such transit hubs. "If a carrier's major hub adopts the solution, the airline would be keen to participate," Patel noted. Some airlines are also experimenting with auto-notification, where passengers are alerted the moment a bag is confirmed missing. For Qantas, the first rollout sent notifications during flight, unintentionally overwhelming cabin crew with questions. The system now alerts passengers only when they step off the aircraft.India's aviation growth is forcing a digital leapIndia, meanwhile, is undertaking one of the world's largest aviation digitisation programmes. The country has the world's largest airport cloud-enabled platform that handles passenger processing across its 61 private and govt-owned airports, a digital backbone that handles tasks like conventional check-in and biometrics enabled DigiYatra check-in along with other jobs like baggage processing, passenger identity documentation etc. The 61 airports include 50 govt-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) airports. The programme is part of AAI's shift to a unified, cloud-based platform that will modernise passenger and baggage processing at its airports. More than 3,500 touchpoints are planned, giving smaller airports the same scalable, technology-driven capabilities as larger ones, said Patel.Unlike other markets where individual airports drive adoption, making for a fragmented adoption, India's change is being led system-wide as AAI is govt-owned while DigiYatra is a govt-backed initiative. Even conventional check-in counters across dozens of airports now run fully on cloud, enabling uniform upgrades, faster deployment, and real-time data access.India has the third largest domestic aviation market in the world, the country handled 411 million passengers last year (including international passengers) and contributes USD 53 billion to GDP through aviation. With new airports like Navi Mumbai and Jewar designed as digital-first terminals, cloud-enabled operations, biometrics, automated baggage systems, and integrated resource management are becoming foundational. At Navi Mumbai International Airport, for instance, 22 automated self-bag-drop units will enable touch-free processing from Day One.Learning from global IT outagesThe industry's dependence on digital infrastructure also means outages hurt more than ever. From the global CrowdStrike-triggered disruption to local fibre cuts, the causes vary widely making prediction difficult. Patel emphasises the need for redundant systems like 'Local DCS', which act as on-site fallbacks if main airline systems disconnect. Singapore mandates such backups under its Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) framework. Patel said more governments may eventually follow.Airlines, too, are adapting. After IndiGo's extensive early-December disruptions, the carrier announced more proactive passenger notifications last week and revised processes to prevent passengers from arriving at airports without clarity on delayed or cancelled flights. "The data is always there; it's about how quickly processes evolve in response," Patel said.The passenger is changing -- fastSITA's Passenger IT Insights reveal a striking trend: the world's travellers are no longer dominated by frequent flyers. The fastest-growing cohorts are first-time or occasional flyers and older travellers, a shift visible across Europe, Asia, and North America. These passengers place a premium on clarity, trust, and convenience driving demand for biometrics, simpler check-ins, and real-time baggage visibility, according to the survey.Sanjeev K, SITA, VP Asia Pacific said the shift in passenger profiles globally has made digital adoption a critical focus. India and South Asia are witnessing rapid uptake of mobile and digital services, comparable in some ways to China's advanced digital payment and app-driven ecosystem, he said, adding that passengers who may not be highly literate or familiar with airport processes are still adapting quickly when technology is made simple, visual and intuitive, often through formats similar to short social-media videos. "Older travellers gain confidence and a sense of accomplishment when they adopt the new technology," he said. "older passengers are now comfortable with digital tools in their daily lives whether banking, messaging or other services. The initial difficulty lies mainly in understanding airport processes during a first trip. To bridge that gap SITA works closely with airports to ensure support systems are available to guide travellers through steps like using Digi Yatra, kiosks or self-bag drops," he said. He added that any new technology involves a learning curve, and the aim is to make that first experience stress-free by providing timely assistance so that, after one or two uses, the process becomes second nature to passengers. Patel said that airlines and airports plan to invest USD 8.9 billion and USD 37 billion, respectively, in digital and biometric systems globally. The goal is a frictionless, self-service journey from curb to boarding. The long-term roadmap envisions a world where passengers check in once, digitally, and use that identity throughout their journey: at border control, retail, boarding, and baggage retrieval.

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