Airlines Prioritize AI Investment Despite Data Integration Hurdles
Airlines and airports are moving ahead with artificial intelligence investments in the next 12 months, but poor data integration is blocking them from getting full value from their spending. A study by SITA, an IT solutions provider for the aviation industry, found that 49% of airlines and 33% of airports struggle with data consistency across systems.
Seventy-nine percent of airline IT professionals ranked AI as a priority investment area. Biometric identity management solutions came in second at 42%, followed by business intelligence software at 33%.
Where AI Is Already Deployed
Airlines have moved fastest in two areas. Sixty-three percent use AI within operations control to manage disruption, aircraft assignment, and crew availability. Seventy-five percent deploy it for customer service.
Early implementations tend to focus on individual systems. Thirty-nine percent use AI for predictive alerts and 38% for simulation. But the research points to a shift toward more centralized AI use across operations.
Infrastructure Spending Accelerates
Forty-one percent of airlines said they are enabling AI now, while 51% plan to do so within the next two years. Cloud readiness and scalability drove this infrastructure investment for 59% of carriers, followed by cybersecurity risks at 55% and operational disruption concerns at 46%.
Airlines expect IT spending to reach $36 billion in 2025, representing just under 6% of revenue. That mirrors spending levels from 2023 and 2024. IT professionals anticipate budgets will grow slightly in 2026.
Airports are spending more aggressively. IT investment at airports is projected to hit $14.8 billion in 2025, accounting for more than 7% of revenue. The top priorities are IT, telecom, and networking infrastructure at 56%, cybersecurity services at 53%, and passenger processing systems at 52%.
The Data Problem Blocks Progress
Data integration and quality issues are the real constraint. Sixty-two percent of carriers cited process and culture transformation as their biggest IT challenge, while 49% each said data integration and data quality were problems.
For biometric identity solutions, cooperation between stakeholders emerged as the main barrier. Fifty-seven percent of airlines and 44% of airports said this was their primary challenge.
Cybersecurity offers another example of data's importance. Forty-nine percent of airlines use AI for cybersecurity, but the technology's effectiveness depends on consistent, integrated data flowing across systems.
David Lavorel, CEO of SITA, said the constraint carries immediate costs but also points to opportunity. "Where data does not flow freely across systems and partners, investment cannot fully deliver what it was designed to unlock," he said.
For IT professionals in aviation, the message is clear: technology spending will accelerate, but the organizations that prioritize data integration will see returns faster than those treating it as an afterthought.
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