SITA is highlighting a central challenge in modern air travel: airlines and airports have powerful digital tools, but those tools must work together. Better data sharing could help travellers move through airports with fewer delays, clearer updates and less repeated processing.
Artificial intelligence, digital identity and baggage tracking already support parts of the passenger journey. Yet a flight disruption can still affect connections, ground services and luggage in different ways. Coordinating information across those systems will determine how much travellers benefit from new technology.
The opportunity extends beyond the airport terminal. Airlines, border authorities, ground handlers and transport providers all influence a journey. When they exchange timely information, they can respond sooner when plans change.
AI Helps Airlines Respond to Disruption
SITA’s 2025 Air Transport IT Insights research shows how widely airlines have adopted artificial intelligence. It reports that 83% use AI for operational decisions and passenger services. Meanwhile, 51% use it to predict delays and disruption.
Those applications can help teams identify problems before they spread across a network. For example, an airline could detect a delayed arrival and assess which passengers risk missing onward flights. Staff would then have more time to plan assistance or alternative connections.
However, predictions alone cannot resolve every problem. Airport teams, ground handlers and other airlines may need the same information to act. If their systems remain separate, a useful warning may reach the right people too late.
That makes data exchange a practical priority. The value of AI grows when operational teams can turn its findings into coordinated decisions.
Digital Identity Could Simplify Airport Checks
Digital identity offers another route to a smoother passenger experience. Biometric systems can help verify travellers at selected airport checkpoints, reducing the need to repeat some document checks.
A more connected journey could allow eligible passengers to use secure identity information across check-in, baggage drop and boarding. Border and security procedures would still follow the rules set by the relevant authorities.
For passengers, the potential benefit is straightforward: fewer repeated steps and a clearer path through the airport. For operators, connected systems could make it easier to manage queues and direct staff where they are needed.
The experience will depend on how airports and authorities introduce these services. Travellers need clear information about which checks support digital identity and which documents they must still carry. Privacy and secure handling of personal data also remain essential to public trust.
Baggage Shows the Value of Shared Information
Baggage handling provides a measurable example of aviation technology’s impact. SITA’s 2026 Baggage IT Insights research reports that mishandling rates fell by 23% in 2025. The rate reached 4.9 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers.
That improvement matters to travellers, especially those making connections or beginning time-sensitive trips. A missing suitcase can disrupt a holiday even when the flight arrives on schedule.
SITA estimates that mishandled baggage still costs the aviation industry about $6.3 billion annually. Its research puts the average cost at roughly $260 for each affected bag. Better tracking and faster information sharing therefore matter to both passengers and airlines.
When baggage systems communicate effectively, staff can locate a delayed bag and arrange its return more quickly. Travellers can also receive more useful updates instead of waiting without knowing where their luggage is.
Connected Travel Extends Beyond the Terminal
A passenger journey may involve a train, road transfer and several flights. Each change creates another point where a delay can affect the next step.
Real-time information sharing could help transport providers respond when flights arrive late. It could also help airports anticipate congestion and prepare assistance for travellers who need extra support.
These improvements require cooperation across organisations with different responsibilities and systems. Airlines cannot deliver the whole experience independently, and airport technology cannot solve problems without accurate operational information.
For tourism destinations, smoother connections can make complex itineraries easier to manage. Clearer updates and dependable baggage handling may also improve travellers’ confidence when planning trips with multiple stops.
SITA’s findings point to a practical next step for aviation: connect the technology already in use. If the industry shares information securely and acts on it quickly, passengers could spend less time managing disruptions and more time travelling.
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