Passengers go digital, why don’t airlines?

Most passengers have gone fully digital, but air travel has not caught up. From online banking to ride-hailing, everyday life runs at smartphone speed, yet flying still means queues, paper, and repeated checks.

Travellers want the same effortless, intelligent experience in the sky that most already have on the ground, reveals the 2025 SITA Passenger IT Insights – Travelers’ Voice report.

The study channels the voices of more than 7,500 real passengers, surveyed at airports in 25 countries around the world, just before take-off and right after landing. SITA says these are authentic, in-the-moment insights from people living the journey.

Passengers’ demands are clear: they want journeys that are simple, trusted, and sustainable. Simplicity means shorter waits, seamless intermodal trips, and real-time updates they can manage from their phones.

Nearly two in three say they want faster airport processing, while 42% want a single ticket covering air, rail, and road. Mobile is already the hub, with usage up 20 points since 2020. And digital-first generations, now the main driver of growth, are setting the baseline for what travel must deliver next.

“Passengers aren’t resisting change. They’ve already changed,” says David Lavorel, SITA CEO. “They’ve gone digital. Now it’s our turn. The future of travel isn’t just about adding tech. It’s about removing friction.”

Biometric technology and digital identification have shifted from emerging concepts to mainstream expectations. Most passengers now prefer biometric gates over staffed counters, with nearly 80% willing to store their passport digitally on their phones. Two-thirds are prepared to pay for this convenience, and global digital identity adoption is projected to increase from 155-million users today to 1.27-billion by 2029.

Sustainability is no longer a side note with nearly 90% of passengers willing to pay more to reduce emissions. Many would fly slower or pack lighter to cut their footprint. They want the industry to match this commitment with tangible action.

Trust has become a measurable factor in how passengers make travel decisions. Baggage handling, once a major source of frustration, has improved significantly, with mishandling rates at record lows. Despite this progress, 78% of passengers say they would pay for end-to-end baggage services, reflecting the importance they place on reliability. The emphasis on trust extends beyond air travel, as 70% of passengers plan to take at least one intermodal trip this year.

“We’re asking passengers to adapt to travel,” says Lavorel. “But they’re asking travel to adapt to them. The tools are here, biometrics, digital IDs, real-time data, and smarter baggage. The only thing missing is urgency.”

The study forms part of SITA’s IT Insights series, which also includes the Air Transport and Baggage reports. Drawing on more than a decade of data, the series provides a global benchmark for understanding how passenger expectations are evolving and how the aviation industry is responding.

Findings indicate that passengers are already living digital-first lives and increasingly expect air travel to deliver seamless, reliable, and sustainable experiences.