Deloitte Global’s 2025 Airline CEO Survey reveals strategic shift toward resilience, reliability, and targeted innovation

New York, NY, USA 30 May 2025 - Amid economic uncertainty and complexity, airline CEOs are recalibrating their priorities to strengthen resiliency and long-term viability in the marketplace, according to Deloitte Global’s 2025 Airline CEO Survey. The data reveals that some of the biggest risks to airline success are now macro in nature—far outpacing traditional industry concerns like fuel price volatility or pilot shortages.

“In this year’s survey, there is a theme: CEOs are doubling down on the fundamentals they can control,” says Bryan Terry, Aviation leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “That means tightening cost structures, boosting operational reliability, and laying the groundwork for sustainable profitability and growth.”

Resilience through cost control and reliability

Airline CEOs are deliberately focusing on the fundamentals they can influence – whether it’s focusing on cost structures or striving for operational excellence. The focus demonstrates a deliberate pivot from growth-at-any-cost toward efficiency

• When asked for their top priorities over the next 12 months, 63% of CEOs are prioritizing cost control and financial health
• Over half of CEOs cited operational reliability as one of the top initiatives they will prioritize when it comes to customer experience
• A majority of CEOs deemed on-time performance (67%) and technical operations (60%) as a priority

A balanced approach to growth and leadership

While cost containment and operational efficiency remain important to the CEO agenda, more than half (53%) are also prioritizing customer experience, signaling that delivering value to passengers should coexist with financial discipline.

• To enhance customer experience, CEOs are prioritizing initiatives such as digital and mobile platform enhancements (65%) and operational reliability (58%)
• CEOs also cited transformative technology (47%) as the top initiative they are prioritizing over the next 12 months to drive growth.
• They identified strategic and visionary thinking (63%), operation execution and resiliency (60%) and employee engagement and culture (60%) as the top three traits to help guide their airlines to long-term success.

Technology investment as a catalyst

With a focus on transformative technology as the top driver of growth, the majority (63%) are prioritizing advanced data analytics over the next year, and many also have an upbeat perspective on AI’s transformational impact over the next three years.

• Beyond data analytics, CEOs also cited AI and machine learning (47%), next generation retail solutions (43%), and cyber and IT resilience (40%) as top investments over the next year
• A majority of CEOs (80%) expect AI to deliver the greatest gains in revenue management and dynamic pricing over the next three years
• Over half (60%) also expect AI to have a significant impact on predictive maintenance and aircraft reliability over that period
• Half (50%) see AI’s biggest impact in customer service and irregular operations recovery

Workforce and culture as strategic imperatives 

Amid the current economic backdrop, airline CEOs see workforce and culture as one of the key levers to help build resilience. CEOs are selectively prioritizing strategies that create organizational stability and a stronger corporate culture.

• Over half of CEOs (53%) said they are prioritizing leadership development and succession planning
• And 47% of CEOs are focused on employee experience and well-being
• Notably, traditional concerns such as pilot recruitment (30%), reskilling (20%), and flexible work models (13%) have taken a backseat

Targeted sustainability in a cost-conscious era

As the structural shift of the CEO agenda evolves, many are taking a more targeted and practical approach to sustainability.

• More than three quarters of CEOs (80%) cited sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a top initiative to achieve their sustainability goals, while carbon offsets now rank near the bottom, with only 13% of CEOs now citing this as a priority
• Aligning with the broader focus on operational efficiency, 63% of CEOs said they are prioritizing fuel optimization and block time
• More than half of CEOs (53%) are pursuing fleet modernization

“The future of aviation may not be about chasing the next big breakthrough—it may be about becoming resilient in the face of whatever comes next,” says Yvonne Rene de Cotret, Deloitte Global Transportation, Hospitality & Services Sector leader. “Airline CEOs are laying the groundwork for long-term strength, anchored by a commitment to cost control, reliability, and adaptive leadership.”

To access the full report, visit deloitte.com/CEOaviationreport.

About the 2025 Airline CEO Survey

Surveying 32 global airline leaders between 8 April 2025 and 8 May 2025, this survey was conducted by Deloitte Global using an online questionnaire from 8 April to 8 May 2025. Invitations were sent directly to airline CEOs and all responses are confidential. The participant group reflects a global mix of airline leaders representing a range of annual revenue sizes and business models. Responses reflect CEO sentiment at the time of fielding.