As biometric checkpoints proliferate at airports worldwide, more passengers are embracing the technology, according to a new survey from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Biometrics are becoming commonplace as facial recognition scans replace traditional documents at airport checkpoints like security screening, immigration, and the boarding gate.
More travelers are open to using biometrics to reduce document checks throughout the airport process; the survey shows 78% of passengers said they would be willing to share their biometric information if it meant they could skip showing a passport or boarding pass.
Openness to biometrics appears to coincide with more travelers experiencing the tech on recent flights. Nearly 60% of passengers report using biometrics at least once in the past 12 months, up from just 50% in 2025.
Notably, fliers report high satisfaction with biometrics, with 87% of passengers saying they were happy with their experience.
Travelers in North America reported the highest use of biometrics, but they also had the strongest concern about data breaches.
Other concerns across survey respondents included information potentially being shared with other organizations (49%) and a lack of clarity about how their personal information is handled (41%).
“More passengers are experiencing biometrics during their travels,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president, operations, safety and security. “They like it and want more. That’s good news because the benefits are substantial— smoother journeys for passengers and more efficient, secure processes for governments and airlines.”
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