Trust issues ground Scots’ confidence in airport technology
Scottish air passengers are the most cautious in the UK when it comes to airport technology, showing strong preferences for printed boarding passes and hesitancy around new technology like AI and biometrics, according to IT services firm Getronics.
The findings come from Getronics’ 2025 Travel Trust Barometer, a UK wide survey that asked 2,000 people about their attitudes toward data security and technology in travel.
The research found that Scots are more likely to favour physical boarding passes than people elsewhere in the UK, with 35% of Scottish passengers preferring printed passes compared to just 28% across the rest of the country. Another 23% of Scots said they use both physical and digital passes, highlighting a cautious, belt-and-braces approach to technology.
The survey also shows only 52% of Scots say they feel in control of their personal data when travelling which is the lowest level of confidence anywhere in the UK.
The same proportion of Scots (52%) trust airports to keep their information safe, and a majority (61%) believe airports collect more personal information than necessary.
Andrew Madigan, client director at Getronics, said the findings highlight a need to build greater public confidence in both airport technology and how personal data is handled.
He said: “Technology is becoming an increasingly central part of the airport experience, and that trend is only set to continue as the industry evolves.
“New technology can be a daunting prospect for all kinds of reasons. Reliability and safety are two key issues, which means airports are having to work hard to keep passengers informed and educated about how planned changes are going to make the air travel experience safer, more convenient and more enjoyable.”
Getronics specialises in building resilient, industry-leading IT security systems that protect mission-critical operations, working with a range of Scottish and UK airports.
Andrew added: “We’re seeing growing need to modernise whilst defend against a persistent increase in hacking attempts across the sector.
“Airports need to build that trust, particularly in Scotland, and building a strong digital infrastructure has to sit at the heart of this.
“Technology will continue to evolve, but airports must ensure that protecting personal data evolves with it.”