So-called ‘Gen Z’ and ‘Mellennial’ travellers are driving a digital transformation of the transport industry in general and air transport in particular, multinational air transport information technology (IT) company SITA reports. The company released its ‘Meet the Megtrends’ report last month, which covers emerging economic, societal, technological and traveller trends which are going to change the travel sector over the coming decade.

The report highlights that these emerging trends are not progressing in separate ‘silos’ but are interconnected and form a single developing and adapting ‘ecosystem’. The heart of this ecosystem is data. These trends will be further accelerated by the willingness of the data providers to share their data with the wider travel sector. And, in turn, this will open the way to a travel experience that will be more connected and seamless, which is what passengers want.

“The air transport industry is at a post-pandemic crossroads, facing challenges from all sides,” points out SITA VP for strategy and innovation Ilkka Kivelä. “While the travel recovery accelerates globally, airports and airlines are scrambling to provide the seamless travel experience passengers expect, often with slashed workforces and squeezed budgets. “The climate crisis demands swifter and more decisive industry action to make travel more sustainable. We now have an opportunity to reimagine the world of travel, connect the dots and transform travel with bold solutions that cross sectors and exploit the latest technologies.”

Regarding digital transformation, Gen Z and Millennial travellers are demanding that the digital aspects of travel be better integrated. For them, the priorities will be privacy, controls and digital identity rights, which could lead to a future in which people could travel anywhere without requiring physical documents or identity-checking.

And airports will become increasingly automated and ‘smart’, changing their workforces and flattening their management structures. Operations will be streamlined through technology. ‘Metaverse’ operations will be common at the world’s leading airports by 2030, allowing for the optimisation of their processes, while preventing disruptions and facilitating easy (intuitive) control of these smart airports. This will require airport staff to acquire new skills and create new opportunities for them.

Another significant emerging trend is the emergence of urban air mobility (also known as electric vertical takeoff or landing, or eVTOL) vehicles. By the end of the decade, eVTOL vehicles are expected to be established at major international airports. They will provide effective auxiliary services and act as a revenue stream for these airports. Last year alone saw $4.7-billion assigned to the development of eVTOL vehicles.

“These trends are shaping SITA’s own innovation agenda,” he points out. “We’re excited to be working across many of these areas and look forward to collaborating with partners to drive positive change across the industry.”