CAPA’s World Aviation Summit – changing passenger preferences: new world or evolution of the old?

COVID-19 accelerated a raft of trends in the air travel industry, but the move towards embracing technology to enable a contactless experience at all points along the passenger journey has become one of the most important and persistent.

With health and safety concerns a priority, demand for self-service and mobile technologies spiked on the ground and in the air. Both passengers and transport providers have sought to reduce the risks presented to them by the pandemic, as well as to negotiate the maze of new circumstances in the most efficient manner possible.

While many of the precautions and requirements of the pandemic have been eliminated, passenger expectations around selfservice, digitalisation and immediate access to live information remain fully in place. As a result, the air travel industry has committed itself to a future where passengers have the option for a truly 'touchless' experience.

Travel intentions remain undampened in the post-pandemic world, but traveller preferences continue to evolve.