Adani Airport Holdings Limited and Thales Forge Strategic Partnership to Improve Airport Operations and Passenger Experience in India

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), the largest private airport operator in India, and Thales, a global leader in advanced technologies, today announced a strategic partnership to revolutionise AAHL’s international airport operations and passenger experience across the country. Under this partnership, Thales has already deployed the Fly to Gate solution at seven of AAHL-managed airports² in India, streamlining and enhancing the journey for millions of travellers since early 2024. Extending this collaboration, AAHL has now awarded Thales an additional contract to deploy at all its airports, the innovative Airport Operation Control Centre (APOC) to optimise overall airport management and enhance passenger experience securely.

The seven airports operated by AAHL are currently equipped with DigiYatra powered by Thales’ Fly to Gate solution built on the responsible use of advanced facial recognition technology as a secure passenger ID proof. The pre-enrolled passengers can then benefit from a smooth and trusted way to speed up their journey, eliminating the need to show an ID document and the boarding pass at each check point (from check-in to boarding). Reducing passengers processing time up to 30% at these airports, this seamless integration of responsible biometric solutions (cf Thales TrUE Biometrics) aligns with the Indian government's vision of a digital India.

In addition, Thales has been awarded to work on the design, integration, and implementation of an end-to-end APOC solution for all AAHL-managed airports. This cloud-based ‘Smart Digital Platform’ will centrally host all the necessary applications to improve overall airport management, security, and passenger experience. The innovative APOC platform collects operational data from integrated airports sub-systems and sensors, while complying with standards of privacy. This data is then intelligently processed using automation, big data analytics, and robust artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. The solution which will be deployed soon, will anticipate, and reduce unplanned resource shortages, hence increasing predictability and global efficiency.

"We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Adani Airport Holdings Limited to bring innovative technology solutions to revolutionise airport operations and the passenger experience in India. Our Fly to Gate biometric solution for DigiYatra and the smart Airport Operation Control Centre (APOC) will enable AAHL to streamline operations and also ensure a secure and simplified journey for millions of passengers. Together, we are committed to support India in its vision of becoming the largest aviation market in the world by 2047," said Mr. Ashish Saraf, VP and Country Director for India, Thales.

¹ DigiYatra is a Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India led initiative to make air traveller’s/ passenger’s journey seamless, hassle-free and Health-Risk-Free. The DigiYatra process uses the single token of face biometrics to digitally validate the Identity, Travel, Health or any other data that is needed for the purpose of enabling air travel.

² Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialising in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aeronautics & Space and Cybersecurity & Digital identity.

It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive.

The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G.

Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

About Thales in India

Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in Noida and has other operational offices and sites spread across Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, among others. Over 2200 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India. Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India’s growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Aerospace and Cybersecurity & Digital Identity markets. Thales has two engineering competence centres in India - one in Noida focused on Cybersecurity & Digital Identity business, while the one in Bengaluru focuses on hardware, software and systems engineering capabilities for both the civil and defence sectors, serving global needs.

About Adani Airport Holdings Limited

AAHL was incorporated in 2019 as a 100% subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, the flagship company of the Adani Group. In line with its vision to be the global leader in integrated infrastructure and transport logistics, the Adani Group made its maiden venture into the airports sector by emerging as the highest bidder for the operation, management, and development of six airports: Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram, and signing concession agreements with the Airports Authority of India for all six airports. AAHL also holds 74% in Mumbai International Airport Ltd, which, in turn, holds 74% in Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd. With eight airports in its management and development portfolio, AAHL is India's largest airport infrastructure company, accounting for 25% of passenger footfalls and over 30% of India’s air cargo traffic.

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