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Ahmedabad Airport Experience Goes Paperless with Face ID

Newzdaddy Business Updates

Ahmedabad Airport reimagined under AIAL with bigger terminals, smarter tech and smoother journeys.
Daily flyers triple since 2020, powered by expanded gates, new cargo capacity and integrated operations.
10 million safe work hours, 60% EV fleet and 30+ global honours for excellence and sustainability.

Ahmedabad International Airport Limited (AIAL), the operator of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA), celebrates five years of successful operations, marked by transformative passenger experiences, robust infrastructure expansion, and global recognition. Since taking over operations in November 2020, AIAL has redefined travel comfort and efficiency. Passenger traffic has grown from 10,133 daily movements to over 36,500 in 2025, supported by a sharp increase in Aircraft Traffic Movements (ATMs) from 117 to 284 per day.

Terminal 1, serving domestic passengers, has expanded to 39,000 sq m with triple seating capacity, additional boarding gates, 36 check-in counters and new Digi Yatra-enabled e-gates. Terminal 2, now an integrated domestic and international hub, spans 49,000 sq m with 12 boarding gates, expanded immigration and security areas and dedicated prayer, childcare and transfer facilities. A new General Aviation terminal spanning an area of 400 sq m has been introduced for exclusive charter flight operations.

The airport under this operator achieved the prestigious Level 4 accreditation from Airports Council International (ACI) for customer experience, making it one of the few airports in India to do so. This accreditation recognised improvements such as digital SOPs, self-bag-drop, AI-based surveillance, and a baggage handling rate increase from 600 to 1,600 bags per hour. The Digi Yatra system, which allows face recognition-based boarding and paperless travel is part of the airport’s tech rollout. The credentialing framework stores facial data for only 24 hours and uses blockchain/decentralised identifiers to protect passenger privacy.

A state-of-the-art Integrated Cargo Terminal (20,000 sq m) was inaugurated to handle up to 200,000 metric tonnes (MT) annually, alongside a modern General Aviation Terminal catering to charter traffic. AIAL also introduced automated baggage systems, cleaning robots, and a Digi Yatra ecosystem that utilises facial recognition as the new boarding pass.

The new cargo terminal at SVPIA has quickly become the main freight hub, handling about 70% of the city’s international air cargo in its first month, with major carriers shifting operations there. The facility handles e-commerce, perishables, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts and more, supported by advanced infrastructure (ANPR, barcode tracking, cold-chain zone).

The airport achieved 10 million safe work hours. It took significant steps toward sustainability — switching to green power, recycling all its wastewater for reuse and converting most of its vehicles to electric. As part of its sustainability and passenger-experience push, the airport also introduced EV inter-terminal shuttles and deployed smart cleaning robots across terminals, raising its service quality scores significantly.

Recognised with over 30 awards in five years, including the ACI Level 4 Certification, British Safety Council 5-Star Rating and CII’s Zero Waste to Landfill Platinum certification, AIAL continues to raise benchmarks in operational excellence, sustainability, and passenger delight.

While I did not publicly find the exact figure “60% EV fleet” or “10 million safe work hours”, the cited awards and certifications lend credibility to the “30+ global honours” component. The statement is consistent with public information on excellence and sustainability.