According to the civil aviation ministry, domestic airlines in India cancelled 7,030 scheduled flights this year up to May 31.
This data was presented to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, indicating a trend of increasing flight cancellations.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, in a written response, highlighted that in 2022, 6,413 flights were cancelled. This figure rose to 7,427 in 2023, showing a significant increase in disruptions.
For 2024, the carriers are expected to operate 4,56,919 scheduled departures, as per the ministry's data. The rising number of cancellations indicates ongoing challenges within the domestic aviation sector.
Addressing a query about Digi Yatra, Minister Mohol mentioned that this technology is being gradually implemented across airports nationwide. Since its launch, more than 2.5 crore air travelers have utilized Digi Yatra, which is based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). This system enables contactless and seamless movement of passengers through various checkpoints at airports.
Mohol assured that all passenger data is encrypted and stored securely in the passenger's smartphone wallet, shared only for a limited duration with the origin airport for validation purposes. He emphasized that the data is purged from the system 24 hours after the flight's departure, ensuring passenger privacy and security.