The future of air travel is digital, seamless, and increasingly contactless. That is the clear message from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which released the results of its 2025 Global Passenger Survey (GPS). The survey, which captures the sentiments of over 10,000 travelers across 200 countries, highlights two dominant trends redefining the passenger experience: the ubiquitous rise of mobile reliance and the accelerating adoption of biometric technology.
“Passengers want to manage their travel the same way they manage many other aspects of their lives—on their smartphones and using digital ID,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President of Operations, Safety and Security.
1. Mobile Reliance is Now the New Normal
The smartphone is no longer just a communication device; it is the essential travel companion. The survey shows that more travelers than ever are managing every stage of their journey using their mobile devices, from initial booking to baggage claim.
Key Mobile Trends:
- Direct-to-Airline Preference: Over half of travelers (54%) now prefer to deal directly with airlines, and they are increasingly doing so through mobile apps.
- Shift in Booking Channels: While airline websites remain the most popular booking choice at 31%, this figure is down from 37% in 2024. Conversely, the preference for mobile apps is trending upwards, a shift driven predominantly by younger travelers.
- Digital Wallet Dominance: Payment preferences are evolving rapidly. While credit and debit cards remain dominant (72%), the use of digital wallets has seen a significant jump, rising from 20% in 2024 to 28% in 2025.
- The All-in-One Digital ID: Passengers overwhelmingly want their smartphones to do more. A staggering 78% of passengers want to use a single smartphone solution that combines a digital wallet, a digital passport, and loyalty cards to book, pay, and navigate airport processes.
2. Biometric Adoption Accelerates with High Satisfaction
The use of biometrics is expanding rapidly across airport checkpoints, and passengers are welcoming the change, prioritizing speed and convenience over traditional paper-based processes.
Key Biometric Trends:
- Widespread Usage: Half of all passengers (50%) have now used biometrics at some point in their airport journey, up from 46% in 2024. This usage has increased by nearly 20 percentage points since 2022.
- Highest Satisfaction: Passengers who have used biometrics report high levels of satisfaction, with 85% saying they are happy with the experience.
- Willingness to Share Data: A strong majority, 74% of travelers, stated they would be willing to share their biometric information if it means they can skip showing a passport or boarding pass at checkpoints like check-in, security, border control, and boarding.
- Privacy Caveat: While the convenience is clear, privacy remains a key concern. However, there is a path to greater trust: 42% of passengers currently unwilling to share their biometric info said they would reconsider if data privacy was explicitly assured.
IATA’s One ID initiative is the foundation for this transformation, aiming to allow passengers to use a single digital identity for all airport touchpoints.
The Road Ahead: Seamless, Secure, and Digital
The 2025 GPS survey signals a clear mandate for the aviation industry: invest in technology that reduces friction and provides a secure, streamlined experience. For this fully digital, border-to-border travel experience to become common practice, IATA emphasizes that governments must play a vital role by issuing digital passports and enabling their secure, standardized recognition across international borders.
As the air travel industry moves toward a future where paper travel documents are obsolete, maintaining passenger trust through stringent cybersecurity and data protection measures will be paramount. The digital future of travel is here, and passengers are ready to embrace it.
