Travel Tech

“An opportunity for airlines to experiment with innovation.” Mauro Oretti, Head of SkyTeam Operations
Mauro Oretti, Head of SkyTeam Operations joined to discuss the various ways SkyTeam facilitates innovation in the industry, highlighting key initiatives and future trends. Opening the conversation, Mauro covered the establishment of a new innovation department,...

Keynote panel: Unpacking airport masterplans
The keynote panel at World Aviation Festival "Unpacking airport masterplans," gathered Christina Cassotis, CEO, Pittsburgh International Airport, Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports Company, Luis Felipe De Oliveira, CEO, Director General, A.C.I. World Inc, Thomas...

The significance of Virgin Atlantic’s Flight100
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has been positioned as a critical component in the industry's attempts to decouple aviation from the environmental damage it causes. This is illustrated by IATA's estimate that SAF could contribute around 65 per cent of the reduction in...

IndiGo launches GPT-4 powered, ticket booking chatbot: 6Eskai
On Monday, the Indian-based low-cost-carrier (LCC) IndiGo launched its AI chatbot, 6Eskai. The chatbot, developed by the airline's inhouse digital team, is powered by GPT-4 technology and "offers a first of a kind platform for booking tickets across the entire...

“Where the future is” with Alex Mans, Founder & CEO, FLYR
Alex Mans, Founder & CEO, FLYR shares his thoughts on the challenges disrupting passenger experiences, meaningful uses of artificial intelligence (AI), and how technology can be leveraged in the sustainability journey. Next year, FLYR will be joining as World...

Augmented Reality at PDX supporting travellers with diverse needs
Earlier this month, Portland International Airport (PDX) expanded its partnership with GoodMaps after a successful pilot program. PDX offers a free app to help travellers with a range of needs to safely navigate the airport space. The app uses LiDAR mapping technology...

Record-breaking Thanksgiving travel: An opportunity for airlines?
This year, Thanksgiving Day falls on 23rd November in the US, with the wider holiday period spanning 17-28th. Industry group, Airlines for America, has forecast that US carriers will transport a record-breaking 29.9 million passengers during this time, 1.7 million...

“The more you understand your customer, the more you can innovate.” Andrew Ward, VP Marketing & Customer Experience, Jazeera Airways
In advance of Aviation Festival Asia in February, Andrew Ward, VP Marketing & Customer Experience, Jazeera Airways joined for a brief interview. The conversation explored how the airline is using data analytics, tech adoption, and customer insights to inform...

LCC CEO panel: Evolving landscape and key trends
The LCC CEO panel at World Aviation Festival explored the evolving low-cost landscape and unpacked key trends as we move towards 2024. Moderated by John Strickland, Director, JLS Consulting, the panel gathered together Marcel de Nooijer, CEO, Transavia Netherlands,...

“Nothing is the same as before.” Snowfall on intermodal travel and passenger behaviours
Ron Glickman, VP of North America, Snowfall joined to discuss the evolution of passenger preferences, the strategic use of data to deliver personalised experiences, and the important connection between intermodal travel and sustainability. As we unpacked the impact of...

“Earning the industry its right to grow,” with Christina Cassotis, CEO, Pittsburgh International Airport
At World Aviation Festival, Christina Cassotis, CEO, Pittsburgh International Airport joined for a brief interview. The conversation covered a range of topics looking at the airport's approach to innovation, sustainability, and passenger experience. The airport, which...

From picking a destination to where you sit on the plane, here’s how Amadeus sees travel changing in 2024
As an ever-evolving industry, it is important to stay at the forefront of change. So, with 2023 starting to draw to a close, Amadeus has leveraged its propriety data and expert analysis to answer the question, "How will we travel next year?" Here are five developments...

The role of technology in crafting an airport experience from the future with Maurice Jenkins
This World Aviation Festival interview with Miami International Airport (MIA) CIO began with Maurice Jenkins sharing his vision for the "ideal" airport experience. The MIA CIO described a paperless, seamless, holistic airport/airline journey, centered around the...

“You need to change the mindset as well, it’s not just about changing the technology.” Branchspace on innovating digital airline retailing
At World Aviation Festival, Michael Huynh, Founder, Branchspace, and Ursula Silling, CEO, Branchspace joined for a discussion around innovation in digital airline retailing. Firstly, conversation covered how Gresham House Ventures' £5m investment into Branchspace will...

Keynote CEO panel: Decarbonisation, AI, and tech trends
At World Aviation Festival, the keynote CEO panel consisting of Luis Gallego, CEO, IAG, Güliz Öztürk, CEO, Pegasus, Tim Clark, President, Emirates, Luís Rodrigues, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO, TAP Air Portugal, and Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA,...

ICAO Digital Travel Credentials will change the world of travel
The unique nature of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Digital Travel Credential (DTC) presents an exceptional opportunity to build a next-generation system for passport issuance and inspection, setting a new standard for the traveler experience....

“That’s the art. It’s understanding the customer and meeting them where they are.” VP of Marketing and Loyalty, United Airlines
At World Aviation Festival, Luc Bondar, President of MileagePlus and VP of Marketing and Loyalty, United Airlines joined to discuss the airline's marketing and loyalty strategies. Touching on United's well-known campaign with their new Chief Trash Officer, Oscar the...

Inside Changi’s recently opened T2
After three and a half years of engineering and expansion works, Singapore's Changi Airport has fully reopened Terminal 2 (T2). Adding an extra five million passengers per annum (mppa) to the airport's capacity, the terminal opened ahead of schedule ready to embrace...

“The move is inevitable.” Jitendra Sindhwani, IBS Software on the transition to modern airline retailing
At World Aviation Festival, Jitendra Sindhwani, President, Global Sales and Marketing at IBS Software joined for a brief interview exploring the challenges and opportunities in transitioning to Offers and Orders based airline retailing. Acknowledging that the industry...

Eindhoven Airport deploys AI to boost turnaround efficiency
In recent years, there has been widespread discussion around the benefits of AI and its potential to drive efficiency in the industry. One of the areas technology is poised to make a significant impact is the turnaround process. Schiphol Group Aviation Solutions have...