European travellers are less satisfied with air travel and slower to use digital technology than passengers in other regions, according to a new passenger survey from International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The association’s Global Passenger Survey found that 84 per cent of European passengers are satisfied with air travel in 2026, compared with a global average of 87 per cent.
Europeans are also the “most cautious” about adopting digital travel technology, with the use of both biometrics and AI below the global average.
Only 47 per cent of Europe-based respondents experienced biometric processes when flying in the past year compared with a global average of 58 per cent.
Europeans are also less willing to share biometric data for airport processes (70 per cent versus a global average of 78 per cent) or to be interested in using a digital passport for online check-in (79 per cent versus a global figure of 84 per cent).
Airports in Europe have been hit by long queues this year as the EU has implemented its new Entry-Exit System (EES) biometric system.
European respondents are also the least likely to use AI for planning trips at just 35 per cent, compared with a global average of 49 per cent.
IATA said the survey, which polled 10,000 people across 200 countries, showed passengers globally are “embracing biometric identification to reduce repeated document checks”, with 87 per cent of passengers being satisfied with their biometric experiences when flying.
But there are still concerns around the use of biometrics among passengers globally, including the potential for data breaches (a concern for 59 per cent of respondents), information being shared with other organisations (49 per cent), and a lack of clarity about how personal information is handled (41 per cent).
The survey identified that travellers “continue to face barriers from complex immigration and visa processes”, despite the advance of new technologies. The number of respondents who have been discouraged from travelling to a country due to immigration requirements rose from 33 per cent in 2025 to 43 per cent this year.
“Governments can help by simplifying entry requirements, eliminating duplicate checks, and accelerating the issuance and acceptance of secure digital travel credentials,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president for operations, safety and security.
Careen also called for governments to adopt “common standards” for electronic visas, also known as eVisas, to make it easier for airlines to verify these digital documents.
“More than 100 countries issue eVisas, yet there is little consistency in how they are checked. The tools to fix that already exist, and governments should adopt them," he argued.