The Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA), a technology and telecommunications company, said global digital identification adoption by air travellers would surge to 1.27 billion by 2029 from its current 155 million users.

SITA also said that nearly 90 per cent of passengers would pay more to reduce emissions.

These were contained in the 2025 Travellers’ Voice, SITA Passenger IT Insights.

Speaking on the report, the Chief Executive Officer of SITA, David Lavorel, said most air travellers today preferred biometric gates over staffed counters.

According to him, about 80 per cent of travellers are ready to store their passport on their phone, while two-thirds would pay for that convenience.

The report stated that despite the improved baggage handling, 78 per cent of passengers still paid for end-to-end baggage services.

Lavorel added: “We are asking passengers to adapt to travel. 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.”

According to SITA, almost two in three air travellers said that they wanted faster airport processing, while 42 per cent craved for a single ticket covering air, rail and road.

“Passengers aren’t resisting change. They’ve already changed. They have gone digital. Now it’s our turn. The future of travel isn’t just about adding tech. It’s about removing friction,” the report added.

He emphasised that the report channels the voices of more than 7,500 real passengers, surveyed at airports in 25 countries around the world, just before takeoff and right after landing.
The SITA boss declared that these are authentic, in-the-moment insights from people living the journey.