Air travelers are losing patience with time-consuming airport processes as a major industry survey reveals a widening disconnect between passengers’ digital-first lifestyles and aviation’s persistent reliance on queues, paper, and manual procedures.
SITA’s Travelers’ Voice: Passenger IT Insights 2025, released October 6, 2025, surveyed more than 7,500 passengers at airports in 25 countries worldwide, capturing authentic, in-the-moment insights from people just before takeoff and immediately after landing. Their message is unambiguous: travelers want air travel to match the pace of their lives.
Nearly two in three passengers surveyed said they want faster airport processing, while 42 percent desire single tickets covering air, rail, and road transportation. Mobile device usage has jumped 20 percentage points since 2020, with smartphones now serving as the central hub for managing travel experiences.
“Passengers aren’t resisting change. They’ve already changed,” said David Lavorel, CEO of SITA. “They’ve gone digital. Now it’s our turn. The future of travel isn’t just about adding tech. It’s about removing friction.”
The survey reveals that digital-first generations, now the main driver of aviation growth, are setting baseline expectations that many airports and airlines struggle to meet. Passengers manage their finances, health, and mobility from phones but encounter queuing, printing, and repetitive processes when flying.
Biometric technology and digital identity credentials have transitioned from futuristic concepts to expected features. Most passengers today prefer biometric gates over staffed counters, while nearly 80 percent are ready to store passports on their phones. Two-thirds would pay for that convenience.
Global digital identity adoption is projected to surge from 155 million users currently to 1.27 billion by 2029, creating both opportunity and pressure for aviation infrastructure that must accommodate these technologies. Ghana’s airports, like facilities worldwide, face decisions about when and how to invest in biometric systems.
Sustainability has evolved from optional virtue signaling to measurable purchasing criteria. Nearly 90 percent of passengers surveyed would pay more to reduce emissions, with many willing to fly slower or pack lighter to cut their carbon footprint. However, they want aviation industry commitment to match their own through tangible action, not just marketing statements.
Trust now functions as a measurable factor in travel choices. Even baggage handling, historically aviation’s biggest pain point, reflects this shift. Mishandling rates have reached historic lows, yet 78 percent of passengers would still pay for end-to-end baggage tracking services because trust matters more than just statistical improvement.
Intermodal travel is gaining traction, with 70 percent of passengers planning at least one trip combining air, rail, or road transportation this year. This trend creates complexity for booking systems, ticketing platforms, and customer service operations designed around single-mode journeys.
The survey findings suggest passengers want journeys that are simple, trusted, and sustainable. Simplicity means shorter waits, seamless intermodal trips, and real-time updates they can manage from mobile devices. Trust requires consistent delivery on promises, transparent communication, and accountability when problems occur.
“We’re asking passengers to adapt to travel,” Lavorel added. “But they’re asking travel to adapt to them. The tools are here: biometrics, digital IDs, real-time data, and smarter baggage. The only thing missing is urgency.”
For African airports including those in Ghana, these findings carry particular implications. Many African facilities have invested in physical infrastructure expansion but lag in digital systems deployment. Whether African aviation can leapfrog traditional development paths by implementing cutting-edge digital solutions remains an open question.
SITA’s technology already supports over 1,000 airports and more than 19,600 aircraft worldwide, helping over 70 governments balance secure borders with seamless journeys. The company bridges 45 to 50 percent of the aviation industry’s data exchange, meaning its insights reflect operational realities, not just passenger wishes.
The Travelers’ Voice report is part of SITA’s IT Insights series, alongside Air Transport and Baggage reports. With over a decade of data, these reports serve as the global benchmark for tracking how passenger expectations are shifting and what the industry must do to keep pace.
Airport infrastructure investments typically span decades, creating tensions between long-term planning cycles and rapidly evolving passenger expectations. Technology deployed today must remain functional for 20 or 30 years, yet digital capabilities now change fundamentally within five-year windows.
Ghana’s aviation sector has experienced growth in both passenger numbers and regional connectivity. Kotoka International Airport in Accra has expanded terminal facilities and added airlines, but questions persist about whether digital infrastructure keeps pace with physical expansion.
The survey reveals that passengers aren’t waiting for travel to catch up. They already live digital-first lives and expect aviation to deliver the same seamless, trusted, and sustainable experiences they find in other sectors. Banking, healthcare, and retail have undergone digital transformations that make aviation’s paper-based processes feel anachronistic.
Cost remains a complicating factor. Implementing biometric systems, digital identity platforms, and integrated baggage tracking requires substantial capital investment that many airports, airlines, and governments struggle to justify, particularly in emerging markets where passenger volumes may not support premium technology costs.
However, the survey suggests passengers are willing to pay for enhanced services. Two-thirds would pay for digital passport storage, 78 percent for comprehensive baggage tracking, and nearly 90 percent for emissions reduction. This willingness creates business cases for technology investments if aviation stakeholders can capture value effectively.
SITA is targeting net zero emissions by 2050 with science-based targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, cutting emissions 4.2 percent annually. The company’s climate strategy recognizes that passenger sustainability expectations will only intensify, making early action strategically advantageous.
Whether aviation can accelerate its digital transformation sufficiently to meet passenger expectations depends partly on regulatory frameworks, investment priorities, and competitive dynamics. Airlines and airports that move faster on digital capabilities may capture market share from slower competitors, creating momentum for industry-wide change.
