The results of the recent 2022 Airport IT Insights Survey were released by SITA and ACI (Airports Council International). These put a light on the rise in technology investments by airports for operation digitization and better passenger experience. Digital solutions will enable access to more self-service alternatives.
The Airport IT Insights Survey is the global airport industry’s most thorough investigation of IT trends. And, SITA and ACI World have been collectively conducting this survey for 19 years. According to the survey, air travel demand has recovered faster than expected. As a response to this, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are eagerly switching to IT solutions to automate passenger experience while fortifying their operations against disruption.
To support this digitalization push, the industry’s IT expenditure is anticipated to maintain its steady year-over-year growth trend since 2020. 93% of airports are anticipating that they will spend the same or more on IT in 2023 compared to 2022. Spending on airport IT increased to an estimated US$6.8 billion last year.
“The pandemic and the subsequent recovery have further highlighted the importance of the digitalization of airport operations, crucial to the overall airport customer experience. This year’s Airport IT Insights Report reveals a significant acceleration in the investment of digital solutions to make airports smarter, easier for passengers to navigate, and their interaction with numerous stakeholders seamless,” according to ACI World’s Director General, Luis Felipe de Oliveira.
Workplace challenges are causing pressure and bottlenecks for the workforce at the airport. To keep a check on these and smoothen experience throughout passenger journeys, airports are investing more in technology. Solutions for self-service and biometric identification are at the forefront of this transformation.
With 86% of airports expecting to deploy self-service initiatives by 2025, self-check-in and self-bag-drop are the top priorities. From 3% in 2021 to 39% in 2022, airports have increased their adoption of a single, secure biometric token across all touchpoints, with more than half aiming to do so over the next three years. This demonstrates a steadfast commitment to the next-generation travel experience, in which visitors may quickly navigate airports by utilising their faces as boarding passes.
Cloud service demand is a top priority for CIOs. It is crucial to cost optimization, efficiency enhancement, and the introduction of new passenger services. Scalability, another feature of cloud services, is essential for coping with unexpected passenger traffic spikes.
At least 93% of airports are planning to invest in IT business intelligence initiatives for flight operations and asset management by 2025. The focus is on clear and prompt communication with stakeholders and customers, adaptability to disruption, and agility.
Most airports plan to implement automated predictive alerts before events like flight disruption and business intelligence initiatives by 2025. This will allow airports to scale operations based on demand.
“Air travel has recovered faster from the pandemic than anyone in the industry had initially expected, particularly in Europe and the US. While the recovery is welcome, airports and airlines have found themselves on the back foot with staff and resource shortages. This has put a strain on operations, resulting in an increased risk of congestion, delays, cancellations and mishandled baggage. Digitalization is seen as key to addressing these challenges, providing more scalability and flexibility,” said David Lavorel, CEO of SITA.