Edgar, Dunn & Company Publishes Whitepaper: From Plumbing to Storefront - How ‘Payments’ is Changing for Airlines

From plumbing to storefront: how “payments” is changing for airlines

PARIS, FRANCE, September 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Edgar, Dunn & Company (EDC), a leading global strategy consultancy specialising in payments and financial services, today announced the release of its latest whitepaper, “From Plumbing to Storefront: How Payments Are Changing for Airlines.” Produced by EDC’s Travel Practice, the study highlights how payments have shifted from being a hidden back-office function to a strategic driver of revenue, customer experience, and competitive advantage in the airline industry.

The whitepaper underscores that payments costs represent approximately 2.2% of airlines’ revenues, around $22 billion globally, yet payments remain one of the most underleveraged areas of airline operations. With the right strategy, airlines can unlock 10–20% cost savings and generate entirely new revenue streams.

Drawing on more than 20 years of dedicated expertise in travel payments, EDC identifies seven key payment challenges airlines face today, from acceptance and issuing to governance, data management, and infrastructure complexity, and provides actionable frameworks, case studies, and best practices to address them.

“Payments have moved from the boiler room to the shop window,” said Pascal Burg, Director and Co-Lead of EDC’s Travel Payments Practice. “Airlines that treat payments as a strategic enabler - not just a cost centre - are already seeing tangible results in conversion, profitability, and customer loyalty.”

“With digital innovation, regulatory changes, and shifting customer expectations, payment strategy is no longer optional,” added Greg Toussaint, Director and Co-Lead of EDC’s Travel Payments Practice. “Our whitepaper provides airlines with a roadmap to turn these challenges into opportunities.”

Key highlights from the report include:
• How optimising acquiring contracts can rebalance power in a post-pandemic landscape.
• Best practices for untapped issuing opportunities that link payments to loyalty and new revenue streams.
• Why fragmented payment governance slows innovation — and how airlines can restructure ownership.
• The role of payment orchestration in simplifying complex infrastructures and accelerating time-to-market.
• Five steps airlines can take to move from blind spots to data-driven payment decisions.
• Innovation strategies to prepare for the future of airline payments.

The full whitepaper is available for download here.

About Edgar, Dunn & Company

Founded in 1978, Edgar, Dunn & Company (EDC) is an independent global payments consultancy, advising clients in more than 45 markets each year. EDC’s Travel Payments Practice, established in 2002, works closely with airlines, hotels, OTAs, and payment providers worldwide to design and implement strategies that optimise payments across cost, revenue, and customer experience.

Amine Saidi
Edgar, Dunn & Company
amine.saidi@edgardunn.com
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