Foreword by Nicholas Key
CEO, 15below
The challenges the industry has faced over the last few years have taken everyone by surprise.
In 2025, global passenger traffic surged to an estimated 4.8 billion - 3% higher than 2019 levels, highlighting the remarkable recovery of the travel industry. However, this growth has been accompanied by unprecedented operational pressures. From overwhelmed air traffic control systems and extreme weather events to geopolitical tensions and persistent aircraft delivery delays, airlines have faced disruption on every front. And while these challenges may seem overwhelming, how you respond when plans change is what truly defines your brand’s reputation.
Disruption has always been part of air travel, but today, it is more frequent, more complex, and more costly than ever before.
Ongoing geopolitical tensions across the Middle East have further reinforced this reality, with airspace restrictions, rerouting, and rising operational costs continuing to disrupt airlines worldwide. Around 5 million leisure and business travellers were impacted in the early weeks of the conflict and this number is set to rise the longer it continues.
The CrowdStrike outage of July 2024 was also a strong reminder of how vulnerable even the most robust IT systems can be, with airlines like Delta reporting losses of up to $500 million. Add to that the ripple effect of supply chain issues, where limited aircraft availability means there’s often no spare capacity to re-accommodate disrupted passengers, and it’s clear that having a disruption management strategy is no longer optional.
How airlines respond to these challenges not only affects operational efficiency, but also directly impacts the passenger experience.
Today’s passengers expect more than just reactive updates, they demand real-time information, hyper-personalised communication, and quick resolutions. In fact, 65% of customers expect companies to adapt to their changing needs and preferences. A simple notification isn’t enough; passengers want proactive solutions that minimise disruption to their journeys. Just as importantly, they expect to receive updates through the channels that suit them best, whether that’s SMS, email, their airline app, or social messaging platforms like WhatsApp. For passengers, understanding what’s happening next via the right channel is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s an expectation. Airlines that fail to meet these expectations risk reputational damage, and the impact is felt all the way down to the bottom line. In 2025, businesses that invested in digital customer engagement saw revenue increase by 90% on average, while omnichannel strategies drove a 9.5% year-on-year growth. Even more striking, companies that prioritised customer experience reported revenue boosts of up to 80%.
of people trust a business more when they can exchange messages directly with it
Source: chatmaxima
Why is technology important?
Automation is now essential
Automation is the differentiator for airlines managing disruption. Manual processes can’t meet the speed and scale required, while automation delivers timely updates, reduces operational strain, and improves the passenger experience.
It’s not just for large airlines
Airlines of all sizes are embracing automation to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and provide consistent, high-quality communication, even during the most complex IROPS.
Resilience during outages
Advanced communication systems, including Offline Data Stores, are essential for maintaining passenger communication during IT outages. By securely storing passenger data and enabling automated workflows, airlines can continue communicating even when core systems fail.
Smarter communication
With evolving self-service AI tools, mobile channels, and IROPS monitoring, disruption communication is rapidly advancing. Airlines that adapt will set new standards for operational excellence and passenger satisfaction.
Helping you take action
Produced by our in-house experts, this guide sets out how a coordinated approach to passenger communication, helps airlines manage disruption more effectively, reduce operational pressure, and improve key experience metrics such as NPS and CSAT, while building lasting passenger trust. Against a backdrop of ongoing operational and geopolitical challenges, we hope you find it a useful and practical resource.
