IT investment by airports is rising as airports seek to meet the rising expectations of passengers in terms of service and a hassle-free experience, a new global survey has revealed.

IT investment as a percentage of airports' revenue rose to 4.4 per cent in 2010 and 81 per cent of airports expect their budgets to remain the same or increase in 2012.

The top investment projects for airports in the next three years are IT infrastructure upgrades and mobile services.

The 8th annual SITA Airport IT Trends Survey co-sponsored by Airports Council International (ACI) and Airline Business magazine, which tracks airport technology trends, is based on responses from almost 100 airport operators, representing the views of 198 airports, including more than two-thirds of the top 100 airports by revenue, which are responsible for 43 per cent of global passenger traffic.

The survey, which was launched on Monday at the 20th ACI North America Annual Conference in San Diego, found that "improving customer service" is the top driver for new technology investment in airports, with 63 per cent considering this their highest priority.

Improving airport safety and security is also a high priority (53 per cent), with increased investment in technologies such as biometric identification, which has already been implemented by 28 per cent of respondents at border control.

Reducing the cost of business was ranked lower this year, but remains a high priority for most airports (46 per cent).

"Overall, almost six out ten airports are planning major investments to upgrade their existing IT infrastructure to support new passenger and workforce solutions," it said in a statement released here.

According to the IATA, airport IT spend in 2010 rose to 4.4 per cent of revenues, compared to 3.6 per cent in 2009, with airports in Asia, the Middle East and Africa leading the way, reflecting the level of infrastructure investments in these regions.

Airports in Europe are more cautious about future investments, with most keeping their IT spending static. The global outlook for 2012 looks positive, with 81 per cent of airports expecting their budgets to remain the same or increase.

SITA Vice-President (Airport Solutions) Ilya Gutlin said: "The survey shows airports are putting passengers first when it comes to investment in IT. They are particularly focused on mobile services for passengers, which ease their journey through the airport by providing updates on departure gates; flight information and delays; and other relevant information."