Digital transformation is key as airports face capacity crunch
April 11, 2025
With global air travel expected to hit 7.9 billion passengers annually by 2043 – double that of which it is today – airports are grappling with limited physical space, capital investment and political backing to scale infrastructure at the same pace.
Ensuring airports can cope with the inexorable growth in passenger numbers is down to the broader investment and adoption of their digital transformation, says SITA.
In a white paper, titled Airports of the future, which was released earlier this week during Passenger Terminal Expo (PTE) held in Madrid, the air transport technology specialist highlights that airports simply can’t expand at the same rate as the anticipated growth in passenger traffic. Rather than trying to expand the physical space, the focus should be on making better use of existing infrastructure, reducing friction, optimising operations and enhancing the passenger journey.
Role of smart technology
Speaking at PTE, Sergio Colella, SITA’s president for Europe, said the key for airports lies in technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, biometrics and machine learning. “We’re seeing a major shift towards biometrics and Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs),” he explained. According to SITA’s IT Insights, by 2027, 74% of airports expect to have biometrically enabled self-boarding gates in place. There is also an increasing drive to move passenger processes, such as check-in and bag drop, off-site, Colella added.
SITA’s research also outlines how airport operations are being transformed through robotics, predictive maintenance and the shift towards Total Airport Management (TAM) solutions. Meanwhile, partnerships, such as SITA’s collaboration with Apple to use its AirTags for its WorldTracer system are helping improve baggage traceability. With mobile phones and other hand-held devices now near-ubiquitous in airports, both for passengers and staff, airports will increasingly take advantage of this by using apps to carry out more complex tasks. Processes that take place on the move will become an everyday occurrence
As airports undergo the digital transformation, key weaknesses and threats include integrating new technologies with legacy systems, inconsistent levels of technological readiness and varying international data protection regulations. Other major concerns include high upfront investment costs, increased vulnerability to cyberattacks, data privacy breaches and possible restrictions on the use of biometric technologies.
Despite these challenges, the future holds significant promise. Contactless travel, personalised services powered by AI, cost reduction through automation, improvements in gate allocation efficiency, robust ROI projections, reduced wait, expanded retail opportunities through off-airport processing and improved sustainability through reduced energy consumption are just the beginning. Augmented and virtual reality will soon play larger roles in the passenger experience, offering everything from interactive wayfinding and virtual tours to staff training.
The report also acknowledges that airports, airlines and their partners are “awash with data.” While it’s not always understood, used or shared to its full potential, SITA emphasises that data is the starting point for unlocking airports’ potential. With good secure data and detailed insight into customers and operations, airports can harness the power of new technologies such as AI, machine learning and digital identities to create seamless, secure and safe airports.
Designing for the future
Low-friction, walkthrough airports – where facial biometrics replace static gates – present a major opportunity to boost capacity without expanding physical infrastructure. Micro-segmented, AI-driven offers tailored to individual passengers also promise to elevate the travel experience, while future airports will use robotics to increase resource availability and operational flexibility.
The paper concludes that many other technologies and trends are already on the horizon. Innovations to consider include faster and more powerful networks, robotics, autonomous vehicles, quantum computing and urban air mobility (UAM). Airports also need to plan for ever-increasing numbers of electric vehicles, both airside and in their car parks. They will also need to consider upgrades to electric charging infrastructure and beyond that to hydrogen fuelling opportunities.
