Airlines association Iata said additional document checks meant it now took passengers up to three hours to go through check-in, security, border control, customs and baggage claim during their journey – compared with around 90 minutes before the pandemic.
Iata said these longer processing times came despite passenger volumes only being at around 30% of pre-Covid levels, with the longest delays at check-in and border control because of the requirement to check health documents.
An Iata survey also revealed that most airline passengers would be willing to share their biometric data if it reduced time spent queuing in airports as travel emerges from the pandemic.
The passenger study revealed there has been a huge increase in the number of travellers who would be prepared to share this personal data to improve the airport experience, compared with the same survey two years ago.
Most travellers (73%) would be willing to share biometric data – up from just 46% in 2019. While 88% said they would share immigration information before departure to allow “expedited” processing.
Nick Careen, Iata’s senior vice president for operations, safety and security, said: “Passengers have spoken and want technology to work harder, so they spend less time ‘being processed’ or standing in queues.
“They are willing to use biometric data if it delivers this result. Before traffic ramps up, we have a window of opportunity to ensure a smooth return to travel post-pandemic and deliver long-term efficiency improvements for passengers, airlines, airports and governments.”
More than half of passengers (55%) said queuing at boarding was the “top area” for improvement, followed by queues at security screening and then border control/immigration.
