“Post-digital” generations driving airline and airport IT strategy by 2025

By 2025, 68% of the global population will be from “post-digital” generations – those born since 1981 who have grown up using technology in nearly every aspect of their lives and who are less likely to want face-to-face interactions unless absolutely needed, including when they travel.

A new report from SITA, 2025: Air Travel for a Digital Age, found 83% of airport and airline IT executives say these tech-savvy travelers will be the most important influence on their passenger solutions strategy over the next six years.

The report says these digital travelers are demanding more automation and hands-on control during every stage of their journey, including using their mobile phones to access baggage location notifications, boarding information and payments.

In the report, SITA CEO Barbara Dalibard says these travelers also have an expectation for “travel to be seamless, where every step fits neatly with the next, delivered as a single, unified experience” across airports, airlines, border control and other modes of transport – from the moment they leave home to when they arrive at their destination.

Dalibard says this shift will require more efficient operations and collaboration among all stakeholders responsible for delivering that experience.

“Without this collaboration, we will not be able to deliver the journey digital travelers want,” she says.

The report says some of the primary technologies the industry needs to invest in include cloud services, 5G, biometrics and secure travel tokens, automation, chatbots and artificial intelligence.