The latest report by air transport IT provider SITA states that passengers will begin to witness an enhanced self-service airport experience over the next three years as the Internet of Things (IoT) takes hold of the industry.
SITA’s The Future is Connected report claims that 83% of passengers carry a smartphone today and that this will be the unifying technology in providing a connected end-to-end passenger experience. The report states that this can be seen from the 80% growth rate in travelers using smartphones at the check-in and boarding pass stages of their journey.
The report also states that over the next three years the vast majority of airlines and airports will continue their investment in mobile services for passengers, and that the majority of airports will also finance self-service processes.
SITA’s analysis shows that during the same period the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Fast Travel Program will reach a critical threshold. IATA’s target is to achieve a self-service experience for 80% of global passengers by 2020. This covers six key stages in the journey: check-in, bags-ready-to-go, document scanning, self-boarding, flight rebooking and bag recovery. Last year the initiative reached 29% of passengers with the goal of 40% this year.
Nigel Pickford, director market insight, SITA, said, “The air transport industry has already embraced self-service and now it is turning to the Internet of Things to deliver a more connected experience to travelers. Half of airlines expect to have IoT initiatives up and running over the next three years, meanwhile airports are building out the infrastructure to support IoT. Together, these will deliver improved operations and will lead to a step change in the passenger experience.”
The Future is Connected combines SITA’s global research with commentary and cases studies from airports and airlines that are moving to fully connected travel. Those featured include Changi Airport Group (CAG), Mumbai International Airport, Air New Zealand and Miami International Airport, along with industry perspectives from Airports Council International (ACI).
For further details download SITA’s full report here.