The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its 2025 Global Passenger Survey, revealing a significant shift in how travelers prefer to navigate the air travel experience. The survey found a strong preference for modern technology — from digital boarding passes to biometric security — to enhance the journey.
The survey also notes key differences between regions and passenger demographics, showing the balancing act that airlines and airports must juggle to keep their customer bases happy.
IATA Survey Shows Passenger Faith In All Things Digital
The airline industry has undergone a major digital transformation in customer service over the past couple of decades. According to IATA, this has only accelerated in recent years as airlines increasingly adopt digital solutions. This has led to a decidedly different airport experience for many travelers, who can now rely on conveniences like smartphone apps and biometrics to navigate through an airport in a more timely and stress-free manner.
Passengers are increasingly relying on their mobile phones to manage all stages of their journey, starting from searching and booking flights to boarding and baggage tracking. IATA’s survey found that 78% of passengers were in favor of using a smartphone that can combine digital wallets, passports and loyalty cards, while payment patterns are also changing, with passengers shifting towards digital wallets and booking apps.
|
Category |
2025 |
2024 |
|---|---|---|
|
Prefer airline websites for booking |
31% |
37% |
|
Prefer mobile apps for booking |
19% |
16% |
|
Use credit/debit cards for travel payment |
72% |
79% |
|
Use digital wallets for travel payment |
28% |
20% |
|
Use electronic bag tags |
35% |
28% |
Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Operations, Safety and Security, commented,
“Passengers want to manage their travel the same way they manage many other aspects of their lives—on their smartphones and using digital ID. The message that travelers are sending in this year’s GPS is clear: they like it, and they want more of it.”
Biometric Use On The Rise
IATA’s survey found that 50% of passengers have used biometrics in an airport at least once — up from 46% last year — an indication of the industry’s growing adoption of biometric security solutions. It has been a rapid rise for the implementation of biometrics, which has gone up by 20 percentage points since 2022.
The most common place to encounter biometric technology is at security (44%), closely followed by exit immigration (41%) and entry immigration (35%). IATA’s Careen said there is considerable scope for biometric technology to grow, particularly if combined with digital passports, creating a passenger experience that is “even more convenient, efficient, and secure.”
Much like digital apps, passengers are overwhelmingly happy with their biometric experience, reporting an 85% satisfaction rate. 74% of those surveyed said they would be willing to use biometrics if it replaced showing their passport or boarding pass at airport checkpoints. However, concerns over data privacy have led to a degree of mistrust in the safety of biometric data, but 42% of passengers currently unwilling to share their biometric data said they would reconsider if privacy was assured.
Regional And Demographic Trends
Passengers in Asia-Pacific are apparently the most tech-savvy and ahead of the rest of the globe in terms of digital wallet and mobile app usage. This group also reported the highest level of satisfaction, a point which only further enhances the efficacy of going digital.
North American travelers have shown a strong preference for convenience, which should bode well for the greater adoption of digital tools. While biometrics are widespread in the North American airport ecosystem, privacy concerns among this group are the highest globally.
Male passengers have demonstrated a quicker adoption of apps and are also more likely to opt in for biometrics. On the contrary, female travelers have been slower to take up digital options, but are showing a growing preference for digital systems. Younger passengers under the age of 26 have shown the highest use of digital apps, but also reported the lowest level of satisfaction with the travel experience.
