The Centre has said that airline passengers may have to provide a government photo identity document while booking domestic flight tickets from Friday, The Times of India reported. The Aadhaar number, driving licence, passport or Permanent Account Number can be used as identity proof while buying airline tickets. The new rule is likely to be implemented after the Centre issues the “no-fly list” on Friday.

“India is the first country to have a no-fly list on the grounds of safety,” Union Minister of State for Aviation, Jayant Sinha said. “We are going to issue a civil aviation requirement where some identity card number will have to be provided. People who provide Aadhaar numbers will soon be able to get digital boarding cards.”

Sinha said that a team of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, led by its chief BS Bhullar, had met global aviation regulators in Mongolia. “We had received comments on the draft no-fly list, and after much deliberation, the final rules will be issued on Friday,” he said.

After several incidents of misbehaviour were reported at airports and on flights by a few lawmakers, Sinha had on June 20 said that a national “no-fly list” will be rolled out. The ministry had proposed placing flying bans on passengers from between three months to three years. It had added, though, that the lists would not be mandatory for all airlines to follow.