- IATA highlighted priorities for digitalisation across retailing, payments and digital identity.
- Seven airlines are live or implementing Orders with more than 20 expected from 2027.
- IT providers have committed more than $1.7bn (€1.45bn) to Offers and Orders.
- Airlines spend more than $24.5bn (€20.8bn) annually to process payments.
- More than eight in ten passengers are interested in digital passports for check-in.
IATA has highlighted the challenge to turn advances in digitalisation across airline retailing, payments and digital identity into better passenger journeys and a more efficient industry. Sandrine Le Borgne, IATA Interim Director General and chief financial officer, noted AI assistants and automated agents are changing how travellers discover and compare travel. The strategic opportunity for airlines is to prepare for this shift while retaining control of their data, commercial relationships and data quality.
Modern Airline Retailing is central to adapting to the changing marketplace and the transition is already under way. Seven airlines are live or implementing Orders with more than 20 expected to follow from 2027 while IT providers have committed more than $1.7bn (€1.45bn) to Offers and Orders. Financial functions must be considered holistically as part of investments in digitalisation. With airlines spending more than $24.5bn (€20.8bn) annually to process payments the effects must be considered together.
Biometrics are increasingly becoming part of the normal travel experience making airport processing faster. The standards for secure digital passports exist with ICAO’s Digital Travel Credential and more than eight in ten passengers indicate interest in using a digital passport to check in. The challenge for wider adoption is governments taking the step to issue and accept digital travel credentials. The 2026 events mark the first time they have been held in North Asia reflecting its role in digital innovation.
Sandrine Le Borgne shared “Offers and Orders are the foundation; AI is the accelerator. They need to move forward together as AI increasingly reshapes how travel is discovered, sold, and serviced.”
