Three key takeaways from SITA’s 2024 Passenger IT Insights

by | Oct 1, 2024 | Airlines, Airports, Digital Transformation, Travel Tech

IATA research indicates air travel demand is expected to double to 8 billion passengers by 2040.

While there is a consensus that technology will be fundamental in supporting this rapidly growing demand it is crucial the industry understands the evolving attitudes of passengers towards these changes.

SITA, a leading provider of IT solutions released its 2024 Passenger IT Insights which provides a useful overview of passengers’ opinions on various technological innovations.

The 2024 report surveys over 7,000 passengers spanning Brazil, Canada, Mexico, United States, Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, UK, Nigeria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Egypt, and Azerbaijan. According to SITA, these respondents “represent over 76 per cent of global passenger traffic collectively” offering a comprehensive view on passenger preferences.

Here are three key takeaways from this year’s report:

  1. Reliance on mobile devices is growing – The report describes passengers using their mobiles like a “remote control for the journey” with a significant growth in the percentage of passengers who booked travel through an airline app. In 2019, only 8 per cent of respondents booked through an airline app but that figure is now up to 20 per cent, reflecting a growing demand for mobile-based solutions.
  2. Passengers are open to Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) – The majority of respondents are not opposed to DTCs with 75 per cent saying they would be comfortable having their passport stored on their phone. Although younger frequent flyers look likely to be the early adopters of DTC, passengers display confidence in sharing their DTC across the board including with border control, the airport, and the airline.
  3. Passengers are willing to make sacrifices for sustainability – When it comes to sustainability, passengers are ready to make changes. Only one in seven respondents would not pay extra to offset carbon emissions and the average additional charge passengers are willing to pay sits at 10.8. Additionally, 58 per cent of passengers are willing to to fly an hour longer to reduce emissions by 25 per cent and 81 per cent would be willing to take less luggage if it would reduce the carbon footprint of the journey.

Commenting on the report, David Lavorel, CEO of SITA highlighted the industry is approaching a tech-dominated period of travel saying:

“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.”

 

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