SITA’s 2017 Passenger IT Survey has found that passengers traveling through India’s airports are becoming more expectant of self-service technologies being available to use at the hubs.
The use of technology among Indian airline passengers remains high, with 87% using it at check-in and 52% for booking, and self-bag drop use was at 21%, up from 12% in 2016. The research also shows that 54% of passengers would rather opt to use self-bag drop than go to an airline check-in counter, compared to 33% globally.
Maneesh Jaikrishna, SITA’s vice president, Indian subcontinent, Eastern and Southern Africa, said, “In India, travelers are increasingly demanding the use of self-service and mobile technology in the airport to speed up their journey. This expectation, in many cases, is running ahead of availability in Indian airports today.
“This is good news for the industry as it provides airports and airlines the opportunity to fully benefit from technology to speed up the journey and drive operational efficiencies, helping them meet the demands of rapidly growing passenger numbers across the country.”
India’s national biometric identity system is the largest in the world with over one billion enrolled members, and Indian passengers have shown greater willingness to use biometrics to accelerate their journey through the airport.
In 2017, 70% of passengers in India said they would definitely use biometrics if given the option, removing the need to show a passport or boarding card at key points in the airport – the global average for this is 57%.
The survey was conducted across seven Indian airports, representing 71% of passengers in the country. India is expected to see passenger numbers grow by 337 million over the next 20 years to 2036, more than tripling from the 141 million passengers in 2016.