For an industry often accused of moving too slowly on climate change, aviation has spent the better part of a decade doing something remarkable. It has aligned around a single destination. Net zero by 2050 is no longer seriously contested within commercial aviation. Airlines, airports, manufacturers, fuel producers, regulators and governments broadly agree on the objective. The challenge is no longer ambition. The challenge is execution.

Raven, the aviation growth specialists, today launched the Customer Growth Index (CGI) at the 82nd IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro: a single, comparable rating of the digital experience that wins or loses airline bookings. The CGI scores carriers on four measures of airlines’ digital estates - speed, accessibility, booking flow and AI findability - and ranks each one against a bespoke competitive set matched by both business model and geography. In practice, this means a low-cost carrier is judged against comparable low-cost carriers in the same region rather than against a long-haul flag carrier or an operator in another market.

The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) has hosted its latest Start‑Up & Investor Connect Webinar, where five early-stage founders presented a new generation of AI powered innovations designed to modernize how travel is planned, sold and experienced. Across the hour-long pitch session, one theme stood out; AI driven infrastructure is rapidly becoming the defining focus of early-stage travel tech. The session brought together a global group of travel-savvy angel and seed investors, including leaders with deep experience across OTAs, aviation, hospitality technology and destination marketing. Investors were invited to pitch in to the companies’ funding rounds, and offered founders candid feedback on scalability, integrations and real-world applicability.

InterLnkd has today unveiled NEXORA, a curated ancillary stream that helps inflight connectivity partners turn onboard dwell time into a revenue opportunity – across both full inflight Wi-Fi and closed onboard network environments. Built as a drop-in upsell layer for inflight portals, NEXORA extends the curation and personalisation technology behind InterLnkd’s AirMall inflight retail solution to the wider ancillary market.

Air New Zealand has engaged IBS Software, a leading travel technology company delivering AI-powered travel solutions, to power the commercial launch of Air New Zealand's Skynest product, the world's first sleep pod experience available to Economy and Premium Economy passengers on scheduled long-haul flights.

Bob W, the award-winning AI - and tech-powered hospitality operator, has announced plans to open a new 136-unit aparthotel in Stuttgart's historic Bad Cannstatt district, bringing its signature blend of technology, design and local storytelling to one of Germany's most significant cultural neighbourhoods. Scheduled to open in 2027, the new property will occupy a site spanning more than 3,000 square metres and is built on the location of a former World War II bunker. The development will feature 136 smart apartments across five floors, alongside a communal kitchen and lounge, co-working space, laundry facilities and a 550-square-metre fitness area.