Airports are digitally transforming with the sector expected to increase investment in technology by an average of 17 per cent in 2024, according to Travel Technology Investment Trends, a major new study commissioned by Amadeus. 

Data from the study points to shared airport and airline objectives, with both seeking to improve the passenger experience.

In fact, senior airline leaders confirmed that ‘improving the passenger experience at the airport’ is their top technology priority.

This matches closely with leaders of airports, who also stated this objective as the number one reason for investing in technology.

Both airports and airlines view biometrics as a transformative technology, with 66 per cent of airport and 65 per cent of airline executives planning to implement biometrics at key airport service points like check-in, bag-drop and boarding over the coming three years. 

The survey highlights the desire of airports and airlines to work better together to reach their shared objectives, with 64 per cent of airport leaders planning to ‘implement improved data sharing agreements with airlines’ over the coming three years. 

Over a longer-term horizon (five years), what the top technology airport leaders plan to implement is ‘more advanced and collaborative technology at the Airport Operational Control Centre (APOC)’.

Such tools enable airports to simulate the impact of operational decisions before they happen and deliver new unified communications channels to work more responsively with stakeholders like airlines.

Leaders also cited inflexible passenger systems that force airport services like check-in and baggage to be delivered from specific locations.

This challenge explains why a third of airports said they plan to move such systems to the cloud this year in search of greater flexibility, with 92 per cent of those surveyed seeing value in offering passenger services from new locations inside and outside the terminal.

Holger Mattig, senior vice president, product management, Airport & Airline Operations, Amadeus, said: “We see from this study that airports and airlines face common challenges and share common objectives.

“Whether it’s transforming the end-to-end passenger experience with biometrics, reducing baggage delay issues or better managing day-to-day operations with more collaborative technology at the APOC, everyone wants the same outcomes.” 

He added: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ - nowhere is that more true than airport operations.

“To maximise outcomes from this 17 per cent increase in spend, its important technology is viewed as a way to better connect stakeholders and to establish a more mature ecosystem in aviation.

“That’s how we’ll improve on-time performance and deliver more value for passengers.” 

More Information

An online survey commissioned by Amadeus was conducted by market research company Opinium with senior technology decision makers from 50 airports and 100 airlines during December 2023.

Respondents were drawn from the UK, France, Germany, UAE, USA, Mexico, Brazil, India, China and Korea to provide a globally representative sample of the industry.