The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released the findings of its 2025 Global Passenger Survey (GPS). The study highlights two dominant trends that are redefining how travelers experience air travel.
Growing reliance on mobile devices
Smartphones are now central to virtually every step of a journey. More passengers are using mobile apps to search for flights, complete bookings, manage payments, check‑in, handle immigration procedures, board, and even tag their luggage. Over half of respondents (54 %) prefer to interact directly with airlines, increasingly through mobile applications. While airline websites remain the top choice (31 %), their share has fallen from 37 % in 2024. Web‑based apps are gaining traction, especially among younger travellers (19 % vs. 16 % a year earlier).
Payment habits are also shifting. Credit and debit cards still dominate (72 %), but their usage dropped from 79 % in 2024. Digital wallets grew from 20 % to 28 %, and instant‑payment solutions such as IATA Pay rose from 6 % to 8 %.
Seventy‑eight percent of passengers would like a single smartphone that combines a digital wallet, e‑passport and loyalty cards to cover booking, payment and airport processes. Use of electronic bag tags generated via mobile devices increased from 28 % in 2024 to 35 % in 2025.
Accelerating adoption of biometrics
Biometric technologies are being used more widely at airports, with half of travellers (50 %) having experienced at least one biometric touchpoint, up from 46 % the previous year. The most common applications are security screening (44 %), exit immigration (41 %) and entry immigration (35 %). Satisfaction with biometric experiences is at a record high, with 85 % of users reporting a positive impression.
Seventy‑four percent said they would be willing to share biometric data if it allowed them to skip passports or boarding passes at checkpoints. Privacy concerns remain, but 42 % of those currently reluctant would reconsider if robust data‑protection guarantees were provided.
Regional insights
- Africa: Passengers value personal assistance and often book through airline offices or call centres. They report high overall satisfaction but face significant visa and immigration hurdles.
- Asia‑Pacific: The most digitally mature region, with strong mobile and digital‑wallet usage and frequent biometric interactions, though satisfaction with biometric services is comparatively low.
- Europe: Travelers prefer traditional booking channels and credit‑card payments, show the lowest biometric usage, and are cautious about data sharing.
- North America: Convenience‑driven passengers favour airline websites and quick itineraries, yet overall satisfaction is low and privacy concerns are strongest.
- Latin America & Caribbean: Preference for personal contact and credit‑card payments, high willingness to adopt biometrics, but overall satisfaction is the lowest globally.
- Middle East: High digital engagement, strong loyalty to reputable airports and airlines, and among the highest satisfaction scores.
Passenger demographics
Male travellers tend to adopt mobile apps and biometrics slightly faster than female travellers, who place more emphasis on airline reputation and reliability. Younger passengers (≤ 26 years) are the most proactive digital users but also the hardest to satisfy, demanding stronger privacy safeguards.
Survey scope
The GPS collected responses from more than 10 000 travellers across over 200 countries, providing a comprehensive view of passenger expectations. Detailed results are available on the Global Passenger Survey page.
Source: www.iata.org
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