Around the world, airline passengers in the post-Covid-19 pandemic era were concerned with convenience and the simplification of processes for air travel, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. IATA, the global representative body for the airline industry, was reporting the results of its 2022 Global Passenger Survey. This was based on 10 000 responses from 222 countries and territories.

“Travel during Covid-19 was complex, cumbersome and time consuming due to government-imposed travel requirements,” noted IATA senior VP for operations, safety and security Nick Careen. “Post-pandemic, passengers want improved convenience throughout their trip. Digitalisation and use of biometrics to speed up the travel journey is the key.”

For 75% of passengers, proximity to an airport was their number one priority, when choosing from where to fly. For 39%, airport proximity was even more important than the ticket price. A top priority, the survey reported, was being able to access all booking services and options at a single place. Also important was the ability to pay using the passenger’s preferred payment method; 82% reported being able to do so. Regarding carbon emissions generated by their flights, 18% stated that they offset them. Among those who did not, the biggest group (36%) were simply not aware that this was an option.

“Today’s travellers expect the same online experience as they get from major retailers like Amazon,” highlighted IATA senior VP financial settlement and distribution services Muhammed Albakri. “Airline retailing is driving the response to these needs.”  

Immigration requirements had deterred 37% of passengers from travelling to particular countries. More specifically, 65% of these travellers had been put off by the complexity of the entrance process, while 12% had been deterred by the cost involved and 8% by the time required. Regarding visas, where required, 66% wanted to obtain them online, before they flew, 20% would rather go to an embassy or consulate to obtain them, and 14% wanted to be able to get them at an airport. When it came to sharing immigration information, to accelerate the airport arrival process, 83% were willing to do so; however, in 2021 that figure had been 88%. No fewer than 75% of passengers wanted to use biometric data in place of passports and boarding passes; more than 33% already had experience with biometric identification while travelling, and 88% of them expressed satisfaction with their experiences with biometrics.

“Travellers have told us that barriers to travel remain,” pointed out Careen. “Countries with complex visa procedures are losing the economic benefits that these travellers bring. Where countries have removed visa requirements, tourism and travel economies have thrived. And for countries requiring certain categories of travellers to get visas, taking advantage of traveller willingness to use online processes and share information in advance would be a win-win situation.”

Of the passengers surveyed, 44% would prioritise being able to check-in before they got to the airport; 32% would rather prioritise being able to undergo immigration procedures off-airport, while 93% would be interested in undergoing background checks, in order to speed up their security screening. Regarding luggage, 80% said they would be more likely to check it in if they could track it throughout the journey, 50% were interested in using electronic bag tags, while 67% would be interested in home pick-up and delivery of their baggage.