SITA says record tech spend hinges on data coordination

SITA has published its 2025 Air Transport IT Insights report, finding the air transport sector invested a record $50.8 billion in technology in 2025. The study, which covers both airlines and airports, argues that the value of this spend now depends on how effectively operational data is shared and coordinated across systems and partners. Airlines committed $36 billion, equivalent to 3.6% of revenue, while airports lifted their IT budgets to $14.8 billion, or 7.3% of revenue, up from 6.4% a year earlier. According to the survey, 83% of airlines and 89% of airports make data‑driven decision‑making a strategic priority.  

Investment is no longer the issue

Implementation is now focused on breaking down silos. Forty‑six percent of airlines are upgrading flight operations systems so that information is consistent and available in real time across flight, crew, aircraft and passenger systems. Sixty‑three percent already use artificial intelligence in operations control to manage disruption, aircraft assignment and crew availability, while 79% name generative AI and large language models as their top investment priority over the next 12 months. For most airports (71%), cybersecurity is the leading technology focus. Meanwhile, 64% of airlines plan to issue their own digital credentials, up from 32% in 2024, and biometric border control is live at 54% of airports and could reach 83% by 2028.

The numbers point to strong intent to capitalise on new technology. However, SITA cautions that poorly coordinated data remains a brake on results. According to IATA, flight delays alone account for $30 billion of industry revenue, and 49% of airlines identify data integration and consistency as the primary barrier. The investment is there, but outcomes will remain constrained until systems and partners share a sufficiently fluid information base. The same applies to environmental targets: fewer than 20% of operators have deployed total emissions tracking and airside carbon measurement, both of which require harmonised data across multiple parties.

“We are publishing this research at a moment when the industry is under significant pressure. Across every area we measured, the same constraint emerges: where data does not flow freely across systems and partners, investment cannot fully deliver what it was designed to unlock. That constraint carries a higher cost today, but also a clear opportunity to emerge stronger,” said David Lavorel, CEO of SITA.

“Across AI, cybersecurity, digital identities and sustainability, operators name the same constraint: data that does not flow freely across systems and partners. It is consistent across every area we measured. Data coordination is not a future priority. It is what is limiting outcomes today,” concluded Lavorel.