Business travel Weekly · 2026 · Week 44 · 26 Oct — 1 Nov

In October 2026, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday issued final certification for the Boeing 737 MAX 10, clearing the way for deliveries of the largest variant to begin. Airlines have ordered more than 1,550 MAX 10s, accounting for 31% of Boeing's outstanding 737 orders. Boeing said deliveries will begin in the coming months, with the first aircraft expected to be delivered to Canada's WestJet in early 2027. The variant still needs certification from Canadian and EU regulators, and the related procedures are expected to take several more months.

On October 27, 2026, IATA released data showing that in 2025 global airlines processed USD 1.05 trillion in sales, generating USD 24.5 billion in payment costs, up 10.4% from 2023, higher than the 7.7% increase in sales over the same period. The average cost per transaction was USD 5 per passenger, of which payment fees were USD 20.7 billion, accounting for 84.5%, and the average card payment rate was 2.53%. IATA said it is promoting payment efficiency improvements through IATA Pay, IFG and a new corporate travel payment solution. On October 28, at the World Financial Symposium and World Passenger Symposium in Macau, IATA proposed that the aviation industry needs to translate digitalization progress in retail, payment and digital identity into more efficient passenger journeys and stronger financial resilience; currently 7 airlines have launched or implemented Orders, with more than 20 expected to follow starting in 2027, and IT suppliers' investment in Offers and Orders has exceeded USD 1.7 billion. On the same day, Web in Travel also reported the above digital value priorities proposed by IATA at the Macau summit.

IATA released the 2026 Global Passenger Survey on October 28, 2026, based on more than 10,000 responses from over 200 countries. The survey shows that 58% of passengers experienced biometrics at airports in the past 12 months, up from 50% in 2025, with satisfaction with biometrics reaching 87%. 49% of passengers have used AI to plan travel, of which 21% used it to search for flights to a specific destination. Entry requirements became a travel obstacle: 43% of passengers abandoned a destination due to entry requirements, up from 33% in 2025, of which 53% considered the process too complex.

SAP Concur released its eighth global business travel survey, focusing on blind spots in corporate travel expense management. The survey shows that 60% of surveyed CFOs say corporate travel expense fraud is increasing; 92% of CFOs believe employees may use AI to falsify travel expenses or receipts, a proportion higher than 84% in 2025. The progress disclosed so far is limited to the survey results themselves, with no information yet on follow-up measures or policy changes.

On October 27, 2026, Travelport and Cognizant announced a deepened strategic partnership, with the goal of making Travelport a truly AI-native platform in global travel retail. According to a press release issued by Travelport, the two parties will embed AI in the platform, products, and operations. This is the latest public information currently available about the partnership; the report did not disclose the partnership amount, timetable, or phased implementation arrangements. On October 30, PhocusWire reported in its business travel technology weekly that Travelport and Cognizant had completed the first phase of the modernization plan announced in May, building the technical infrastructure for subsequent AI development; the next phase will launch AI tools for travel agencies and suppliers, with initial engineering focused on Travelport Trip Services, which handles services such as bookings, exchanges, and refunds, and teams from Cognizant across 18 countries will participate. Earlier reports did not mention the connection between the partnership and the May modernization plan or the phased arrangements; subsequent reports added the completion of the first phase and the direction of the next phase.

On October 26, 2026, SITA announced it had reached an agreement to acquire Flightscape, the aviation operations software business under CAE Inc. On the same day, PhocusWire reported that the transaction's enterprise value was US$500 million. Flightscape's software is used daily by more than 90 airlines for flight planning, crew management, operations control, ground coordination and inflight services. SITA plans, after the transaction closes, to integrate Flightscape in phases with its existing products including Safety Line and Big Blue Analytics, to help airlines coordinate operations, anticipate disruptions and improve recovery. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approval, and has not yet closed.