The Ministry of Civil Aviation has mandated that airline companies and travel agencies issue air tickets and boarding passes with QR codes. This new directive aims to curb unauthorised access to airport terminals by individuals posing as passengers. The advisory was issued in response to increasing instances of people entering terminals with fake or cancelled tickets.
Currently, security personnel verify both tickets and identification cards before granting access to the terminal. Despite these checks, some individuals have managed to breach security using fraudulent or expired tickets. The introduction of QR code scanning at terminal gates is expected to enhance detection of such false tickets, as the code reader can effectively identify discrepancies.
At present, over 90% of domestic travellers at Cochin International Airport already present tickets with QR codes. However, the system’s implementation is not yet fully operational at international terminals. This is due to the fact that many international passengers carry tickets issued by foreign airlines, and the existing code readers are not compatible with these international QR codes. To address this, many international airlines encourage passengers to complete their check-in online, which provides QR codes for boarding passes. On the other hand, passengers using the DigiYatra system do not encounter these technical issues, as they receive QR codes electronically.
