IATA’s 2025 Global Passenger Survey reveals that smartphones, digital identity, and biometrics are rapidly becoming the preferred tools for managing the end-to-end travel journey, with travellers worldwide demanding more seamless, secure, and mobile-first air travel experiences.

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The global air travel industry is undergoing one of its most profound digital shifts in decades, and passengers are not just accepting the change—they are driving it. According to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 2025 Global Passenger Survey (GPS), travellers overwhelmingly want air travel to operate the same way they manage other parts of their digital lives: through mobile devices, seamless authentication, and friction-free digital identity.

The survey, which gathered insights from tens of thousands of travellers across regions, shows that smartphones, biometrics, and digital credentials are rapidly becoming the backbone of the modern passenger journey.

Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President of Operations, Safety and Security, summarised the shift bluntly:
“Passengers want to manage their travel the same way they manage their lives—on their smartphones and using digital ID… and they want more of it.”

Careen emphasized that cybersecurity must evolve in parallel. As digital processing expands from booking to baggage claim, building traveler trust in data privacy and secure systems is essential for long-term adoption.

Smartphones Are Taking Over the Entire Travel Journey

Mobile-first behaviour is now mainstream. From planning to payment to boarding, the smartphone is becoming the default travel companion—particularly among younger passengers.

Key behavioural shifts highlighted in the GPS include:

• Mobile booking rising: While airline websites remain the most common booking channel (31%), the share has decreased sharply from 2024 (37%), with mobile apps steadily gaining ground.

• Mobile-native travelers dominate: Nearly one in four younger travellers (25%) prefer to book flights on apps—double the rate of older age groups.

• Payments are going digital: Credit and debit cards still lead but have dropped to 72% of total usage. Digital wallets climbed from 20% to 28% in one year, with instant payment systems such as IATA Pay also growing.

• Travelers want one integrated digital credential:
  78% want a smartphone that can act as:

  • mobile wallet

  • digital passport

  • payment method

  • loyalty ID

  • airport access pass

• Electronic bag-tag use surging: Adoption jumped from 28% to 35%, as travelers increasingly prefer generating bag tags directly from their mobile devices.

These findings align with broader industry data showing exponential growth in airline mobile app usage, especially for check-in, bag tracking, disruption updates, and loyalty program engagement.

Biometrics Are Moving From Optional to Expected

The shift toward biometric-enabled travel has accelerated rapidly. Airports worldwide—from Singapore Changi and Dubai International to Amsterdam Schiphol and select U.S. PreCheck lanes—have implemented facial recognition, digital identity corridors, and biometrically enabled boarding.

The GPS indicates that travellers not only use these tools—they are highly satisfied with them.

Biometric insights from the survey:

• 50% of passengers have used biometrics in at least one step of their airport journey.

• Satisfaction is extremely high: 85% rate the experience positively.

• Security (44%), exit immigration (41%), and entry immigration (35%) are the most common biometric touchpoints.

• 74% are willing to share biometric data if it speeds up the process.

• Among those hesitant, 42% say they would reconsider if privacy and data protections were guaranteed.

Careen believes the industry is approaching a turning point:
“To make international travel fully digital, governments must begin issuing digital passports and enabling secure recognition across borders.”

Several countries, including Singapore, Finland, Australia, and the UAE, have already begun testing or rolling out digital travel credentials (DTCs), aligning with emerging ICAO standards.

Regional Highlights: Different Regions, Different Needs

The survey makes clear that digital adoption is not uniform. Local travel behaviour, infrastructure, and cultural expectations shape how passengers engage with technology.

Africa

• Highest preference for human interaction when booking.

• Faces the steepest visa and border challenges.

• High satisfaction despite complex travel processes.

Asia-Pacific

• The world’s most digitally confident travellers.

• Lead in mobile booking, digital wallets, and biometric use.

• However, they are also the most demanding—satisfaction is relatively low despite high tech adoption.

Europe

• The most cautious region in adopting biometrics and digital IDs.

• Strong preference for traditional websites and card payments.

• Moderate satisfaction levels.

North America

• Convenience is the top priority, particularly shorter journey times.

• Strong biometric usage but strong privacy concerns.

• Among the lower satisfaction regions globally.

Latin America & Caribbean

• High reliance on personal interaction and traditional payment methods.

• Strong willingness to adopt biometrics once introduced.

• Lowest global satisfaction scores.

Middle East

• One of the most digital-forward passenger bases (third-highest satisfaction globally).

• Loyalty programs and premium service influence choice of airport or airline.

• Enthusiastic about digital wallets and smartphone-based credentials.

The region’s passenger numbers are expected to double to 530 million by 2043, driven by major expansions at Gulf hubs and national aviation strategies aligned with tourism and economic transformation plans.

Passenger Demographics Show Wide Differences in Digital Comfort

The survey also highlights meaningful differences in behaviour across demographic groups:

Men

• More likely to adopt apps quickly

• Higher biometric usage

• Prefer mobile-first journeys

Women

• Slightly more cautious with digital tools

• Stronger preference for trust, reputation, and reliability

• Increasing alignment with mobile adoption trends

Travellers Under 26

• The most digital-forward segment

• Prefer apps, digital wallets, biometrics

• Want seamless journeys but are the hardest to please

• Demand strong privacy protections before fully committing to digital IDs

This demographic contrast suggests that airlines and airports must design flexible digital strategies that serve both tech-embracing and tech-reluctant travelers.

Aviation’s Next Phase: Smartphone-Centric, Seamless, and Borderless

IATA’s 2025 GPS paints a clear picture: the passenger journey is becoming increasingly digital, mobile-native, and biometric-enabled—faster than many expected.

At the same time, trust remains the essential foundation. Passengers want innovation, but only when:

• data is protected,

• identity is secure,

• systems are transparent, and

• the digital experience consistently works.

As governments begin exploring digital passports, and airports expand biometric corridors and self-service processing, the global travel industry is entering a new era—one where travel identity, payment, booking, and loyalty may soon merge into a single, secure, smartphone-based ecosystem.

Airlines that adapt quickly—and invest in friction-free digital journeys—stand to benefit from stronger customer satisfaction, improved operational efficiency, and a deeper understanding of their passengers.

Global Loyalty Organisation Take:

From a global loyalty perspective, IATA’s findings highlight several major implications for loyalty strategy, digital identity, and customer engagement across the travel ecosystem:

1. Mobile-first loyalty experiences are no longer optional.

With travellers increasingly choosing smartphones for booking, payments, boarding, and bag tracking, loyalty programs must ensure frictionless, app-centric journeys. Mobile apps are becoming the new loyalty hub, where points, digital credentials, and personalised offers converge.

2. Digital identity will reshape loyalty personalisation.

As biometric and digital passport adoption grows, loyalty programs will gain access to cleaner, more accurate identity data. This enables more relevant offers, real-time recognition, and seamless member verification across borders—improving trust and program stickiness.

3. Younger travellers expect loyalty integration across the entire journey.

Gen Z, the most mobile-native segment, wants loyalty embedded into booking, payments, airport processes, and even baggage handling. Programs must deliver instant benefits, not long-term accrual, to meet their expectations for speed and transparency.

4. Data privacy and trust will become competitive differentiators.

As passengers express willingness to use biometrics only when confident in data protection, loyalty organisations must act as stewards of sensitive identity information. Clear communication around privacy will drive loyalty participation and biometric adoption.

5. Regional differences require localisation of loyalty design.

Asia-Pacific travellers lead in mobile and biometric adoption, while Europe remains cautious and Africa still relies heavily on human interaction. Global loyalty programs must tailor:

• onboarding flows,

• digital features,

• payment methods,

• and communication styles
  to align with regional expectations and comfort levels.

6. The merger of loyalty, identity, and payment is accelerating.

With 78% of travellers wanting a single smartphone credential that acts as a wallet, digital passport, and loyalty ID, brands must prepare for a future where loyalty is deeply integrated into digital identity frameworks and travel credentials.

7. Seamless journeys increase loyalty retention.

When biometrics reduce friction, satisfaction rises—and satisfied travellers are more likely to remain loyal to the airline or airport ecosystem that “just works.” Loyalty is increasingly earned not through points alone, but through efficiency, ease, and trust.

8. Airports and airlines that digitise faster will secure stronger loyalty economics.

Companies that implement end-to-end digital processes—from mobile check-in to biometric boarding—will benefit from:

• higher customer satisfaction,

• lower operational costs,

• richer behavioural data,

• and stronger loyalty engagement.

Ultimately, the future of loyalty is inseparable from the future of digital identity and mobile-first travel.Organisations that embrace this convergence will lead the next decade of customer experience innovation.

Source: IATA / GLO