Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Some 58% of air passengers used biometric identification at an airport at least once in the past 12 months, up from 50% a year earlier and 34% in 2022, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The findings were published on 28 October in IATA’s 2026 Global Passenger Survey (GPS), presented in Macau. The survey covered more than 10,000 respondents across more than 200 countries.
IATA identified three main trends: biometric identification is becoming more widespread as interest in digital passports grows; artificial intelligence is changing how people plan trips; and entry requirements are increasingly discouraging travel.
“Passengers are using technology to make travel easier. AI is becoming a mainstream planning tool, while biometrics and digital identification are making airport processes faster. However, many travellers still face barriers due to complex immigration and visa procedures,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice-president for operations, safety and security.
Overall satisfaction with air travel reached a record 87%, compared with 86% in 2025 and 75% in 2019. Passengers were least satisfied with baggage collection and border control, where satisfaction rates stood at 72% and 70%, respectively. The proportions reporting dissatisfaction were 11% for baggage collection and 12% for border control.
Among passengers who had used biometric identification, 87% were satisfied with the experience. Some 78% said they would be willing to provide biometric data if it meant they no longer had to present their passports and boarding passes at checkpoints. Of these respondents, 75% would prefer to register in advance once so they could be automatically recognised at every stage of their journey.
Biometrics were most commonly used at security screening, where adoption rose from 44% to 48%. Use at check-in increased from 29% to 35%. Some 40% of passengers had used biometrics at outbound border control and 33% at inbound border control. The figures were 28% for boarding, 13% for baggage drop-off and 7% for business lounges.
Passengers’ main concerns involved data breaches, cited by 59%; the sharing of information with other organisations, at 49%; and uncertainty about how personal data is used, at 41%. A further 24% did not know how long their data would be stored, while 20% were unsure how to have it deleted.
Digital passports and travel planning
Some 84% of passengers expressed interest in using a digital passport instead of a physical document during online check-in. Another 82% said they would be willing to share a digital passport with an airline when booking if it enabled personalised services, such as information about visa requirements. The same proportion wanted to use a smartphone combining a digital wallet, digital passport and loyalty cards.
“For biometrics to become the norm in international travel, governments must harmonise the issuance and recognition of secure digital passports,” Careen said.
Nearly half of respondents, or 49%, had already used AI to plan a trip. Some 21% had used it to search for flights to a specific destination, 19% to find the cheapest tickets and 17% to look for travel ideas. Another 16% had searched for the best-value place to book, while 13% had looked for flights within a specified budget.
“Airlines need not only to ensure their offers are visible on AI services, but also to create convenient ways to turn conversations with AI into actual bookings,” Careen said.
Immigration requirements had discouraged 43% of passengers from travelling to a particular country, up from 33% a year earlier. Among those affected, 53% cited procedural complexity as the main reason, while 17% each pointed to privacy concerns and costs.
Geopolitical issues and conflicts had deterred 59% of respondents from travelling. Among this group, 72% cited safety concerns, 13% uncertainty over whether the trip could take place and 10% rising costs.
Some 86% of passengers were willing to submit immigration information electronically in advance, up from 83% in 2025. The share preferring to complete immigration procedures before arriving at the airport rose to 45% from 41%.
Meanwhile, 60% preferred to obtain visas online, while 25% favoured applying in person at a consulate or embassy.
“More than 100 countries issue electronic visas, but there is little consistency in how they are verified. The tools to address this problem already exist, and governments should implement them,” Careen said.
Regional differences
Passengers in the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East reported the highest overall satisfaction with air travel, at 90% in both regions. Africa followed at 89%, while North America and Latin America each recorded 85%. Europe ranked at 84%. Latin America registered the largest year-on-year improvement, rising by five percentage points.
Passengers in the Middle East were the most likely to use AI for travel planning, at 72%. They also showed the highest willingness to use biometrics, at 84%, and digital passports for check-in and booking, at 91% and 88%, respectively.
European passengers were more cautious: 35% had used AI and 47% had used biometrics. Willingness to use biometrics stood at 70%, while 79% were prepared to use a digital passport for online check-in.
North America had the highest rate of biometric use, at 63%, but also the greatest concern about data breaches, cited by 64% of passengers.
In Asia-Pacific, 56% of passengers used electronic baggage tags, compared with a global average of 42%. African passengers were the most likely to have abandoned travel plans because of entry requirements, at 52%. Visa complexity and cost accounted for 84% of the reasons cited by this group.
Among passengers aged 26–40, 70% had used AI to plan trips, compared with the overall average of 49%. In this age group, 61% had used biometrics and 52% had used electronic baggage tags.
