In 2023 air travel soared beyond industry expectations and IATA predictions suggest that demand will reach eight billion global passengers by 2040.
According to SITA’s newly released 2024 Passenger IT Insights report, travellers see technology as the key to smooth journeys, eagerly embracing innovations.
Air transport communications and information technology specialist, SITA, surveyed more than 7 000 passengers across 25 countries in the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in Q2 of this year as part of the research.
Sixty-four per cent of passengers highlight shorter airport queues as the most important improvement to the travel process they would like to see. Biometrics have been proved to speed up passenger processing times, but half of passengers expressed lingering concerns about data privacy.
This points to a clear need for education and reassurance about the safety and benefits of biometric technology, tested against rigorous data security standards. Still, passengers rate their comfort levels with biometrics relatively highly, at an average of 6,7 out of 10.
Passengers already use their mobile devices as a remote control for the journey, with high levels of adoption across key stages like booking, dwell time, and baggage collection.
Taking this a step further, three out of four passengers reported being comfortable with having their passports stored on their phones through a secure Digital Travel Credential and sharing this in advance to speed up the journey.
This signals the hugely important role digital identities will play in the travel experience of the future.
David Lavorel, SITA CEO, said: “We are on the cusp of a new era in travel, as unprecedented demand converges with technological innovations that have the power to revolutionise the journey.
“The appetite from passengers is clear: they’re eager to embrace the latest digital solutions to make their experience swifter and more streamlined than ever before. The responsibility falls to the industry to make sure travellers are fully informed of the advanced data security and privacy-preserving potential of biometrics.”
Sustainability remains front of mind for passengers, who are willing to take on extra commitments in terms of cost and time to make their travel greener. They're willing to pay an average of 11% on top of their ticket cost to offset their flight’s carbon emissions.
More than half are also open to taking longer flights at slower speeds or carrying lighter baggage to reduce their carbon footprint.
