IATA Calls for Connected Digital Travel to Improve Journeys and Airline Finances

Speaking at the opening of the IATA World Financial Symposium and World Passenger Symposium in Macao, Sandrine Le Borgne called for a stronger focus on the practical value of digital investment.

Travelers can already plan trips with artificial intelligence, pay through digital wallets and use biometrics at airports, giving airlines new ways to improve the passenger experience. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says the next challenge is turning those advances into connected services that make travel easier and strengthen airline finances. Delivering those benefits requires airlines, technology providers and governments to connect their efforts across retailing, payments and digital identity.

Speaking at the opening of the IATA World Financial Symposium and World Passenger Symposium in Macao, Sandrine Le Borgne called for a stronger focus on the practical value of digital investment. IATA's Interim Director General, CFO and Senior Vice President for Corporate Services said technology should help the industry operate more efficiently and build financial resilience. Her message covered the systems behind ticket sales and payments as well as the services passengers encounter throughout their journeys.

The 2026 events mark the first time the two symposiums have been held in North Asia, reflecting the region's leading role in digital innovation. China's airlines carried a record of more than 770 million passengers in 2025, with considerable room for further growth. Supporting that demand will require continued investment in technology that makes travel simpler, improves efficiency and supports more sustainable operations.

Airlines Prepare for Shopping Through AI

AI assistants and automated agents are changing how travelers discover and compare travel options, creating fresh opportunities and risks for airlines selling their services. IATA says airlines need to prepare for this shift by maintaining control of their data and commercial relationships, supported by reliable information. The quality of that data will matter as automated tools take a greater role in helping customers choose, book and manage trips.

Modern Airline Retailing, built around Offers and Orders, provides the foundation for adapting to this changing marketplace. Seven airlines are already live with or implementing Orders, more than 20 are expected to follow from 2027, and IT providers have committed more than US$1.7 billion to Offers and Orders. Le Borgne described AI as an accelerator of this transformation, calling for both developments to move forward together as travel sales and servicing evolve.

Payment Choices Must Make Financial Sense

New digital payment methods can give passengers more choice, bringing financial consequences that airlines need to assess across processing costs, cash flow and risk. Airlines spend more than US$24.5 billion each year processing payments, making the financial effects of new payment options an important part of investment decisions. IATA called for finance functions to be considered together across digital projects so that improvements in one area do not create unnecessary costs or complications elsewhere.

The shift to Offers and Orders also needs reconciliation, settlement and revenue accounting built into its design from the beginning. Including these functions early allows airlines to remove complexity from the processes behind each sale. IATA's message is that updating retail systems should simplify the underlying work and strengthen financial operations, rather than carry existing complications into a digital format.

Digital Passports Need Government Support and Global Standards

Biometrics are becoming a familiar part of airport travel, helping passengers move through checks faster and with fewer interruptions. Many systems remain specific to individual airports or countries, limiting the wider benefits that connected digital identity could deliver for passengers and airlines. ICAO's Digital Travel Credential already provides standards for secure digital passports, making government decisions to issue and accept these credentials central to broader adoption.

Passenger interest is strong, with more than eight in ten saying they would be interested in using a digital passport to check in. Le Borgne pointed to China's experience in digital shopping, payments and travel as a source of lessons for the wider industry, stressing the need to keep solutions connected across borders. A single set of global standards that develops alongside technology would help turn regional progress into easier journeys for passengers worldwide.