Travel Tech
The secrets behind Air Canada’s industry-leading app
Air Canada has become one of the Americas' most tech-forward airlines, boasting a cutting-edge digital strategy that includes in-app bag tracking, website redevelopment, and AI implementation. Chief Digital Officer Firas Al Osman believes the philosophy underpinning...
Musk/Ryanair feud escalates over O’Leary Starlink comments
Tech mogul Elon Musk and Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary continue to trade jibes over comments O'Leary made regarding Starlink. O'Leary has even welcomed Musk's threats to buy a share in the low-cost carrier. A subsidiary of Musk's company SpaceX, Starlink provides...
New American Airlines app feature helps passengers rebook during disruption
American Airlines is debuting new app features that will assist travellers in the event of disruption. Flight rebooking, bag tracking, and vouchers will all be available in one place on the app or the airline's website. Flight status is made clear through a dedicated...
TSA adds touchless screening to 50 more airports
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that 50 more airports will be upgraded with touchless screening technology. This will enable more passengers to breeze through security without fumbling with physical ID or documents. Launched in spring...
Aviation Festival Asia Award 2026 nominations are now open!
The aviation industry in Asia is moving faster than ever, driven by cutting-edge technology, bold collaborations, and a deep commitment to sustainable growth. The Aviation Festival Asia Awards 2026 are here to celebrate the organisations and initiatives that are...
Ryanair to scrap paper boarding passes from 12 November
Ryanair will officially scrap paper boarding passes on its flights from 12 November 2025. The switch to app-only tickets was due to take place on 3 November to coincide with the start of its winter schedule. However, Ryanair has pushed back the move to ensure a...
The next-gen passenger experience: Voice-first journeys from booking to boarding
Picture this: you step into the airport and the journey starts in conversation. No fumbling with apps, no juggling boarding passes, no tapping your way through a kiosk. The environment is listening—ready to respond to your voice. “Check me in.” The check-in kiosk...
Air Canada expands in-app bag tracking to European flights
Air Canada is rolling out in-app bag tracking across its European flights. Passengers travelling to destinations such as London, Rome, Paris, or Copenhagen can now access the popular service, which has already been introduced on North American and Asia-Pacific...
Lufthansa and Amadeus trial digital ID wallet for air travel
Lufthansa has partnered with Amadeus to test the European Union Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet for air travel. From July to August 2025, the German airline trialled the Wallet with its frequent flyers for online check-in, as well as bag drop, security gates, and...
Dubai Airport introduces world’s first document-free departure corridor
Travellers at Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3 can now enter departures through a document-free, fully automated 'Red Carpet' corridor. Developed by Dubai Airports and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai, the smart...
Halifax Stanfield Airport pilots customer service robots
Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA) has introduced two new customer service robots at Halifax Stanfield Airport. In partnership with local start-up Maritime Robotics, the Canadian airport is piloting the custom-built robots to provide additional customer...
The key UX features behind United’s award-winning app
United Airlines boasts both an award-winning app and loyalty programme. As one of the largest airlines in the world, the US carrier is setting standards for customer-centric travel and modern loyalty working to stay ahead of rapidly evolving expectations. The...
Is airport automation increasing passenger satisfaction?
The global airport automation market is predicted to grow from $55.05b in 2025 to $85.12b by 2033. This wide deployment of automation is streamlining operations and driving efficiency, but is it increasing passenger satisfaction? Research by Priority Pass surveyed...
Three AI trends transforming the industry by 2030
zeroG is the expert centre for data driven, AI and Machine Learning solutions in aviation. Powered by the Lufthansa Group, the company has been driving change by bringing a human-centric approach to complex data. At Aviation Festival Asia, Manuel van Esch, Managing...
Qatar Airways’ next-gen inflight entertainment system
Recently, Qatar Airways launched its next-gen in-flight entertainment system which adopts a modular, digital-first approach to in-flight engagement. The new system is powered by Panasonic Avionics’ new Converix platform on the airline's Boeing 777-9 fleet and was...
SITA’s 2025 Baggage IT Insights: An overview
Yesterday, SITA released its 2025 Baggage IT Insights report. The overarching message is: "handling more, mishandling less." In figures this means that although global air traffic was up 8.2 per cent, the mishandling rate fell from 6.9 per 1,000 passengers to 6.3....
Apple’s iOS 26 can store securely store your passport
Yesterday, at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2025), Apple unveiled its new operating systems, pointing out several key features that will be rolled out with iOS 26. One promising update is the option for digital passport storage within users' Apple...
Getting ahead of the next digital leap
Aviation is evolving and digital transformation is at the industry's centre. At Aviation Festival Asia, Deepankur Chawla, CEO at Maxify Digital discussed the next big technological shifts for airlines and airports, the power of artificial intelligence (AI), and how...
How to transform the travel sector by leveraging technology and innovation: A conversation with Skyscanner and Amadeus
Harnessing innovation to connect travelers with trusted partners and help them book their next trip with ease and confidence Skyscanner started out as spreadsheet in Edinburgh back in 2003 with the simple aim of making it easier for travelers to search and compare...
Keynote airport panel: “The evolving airport industry”
Keynote Panel at Aviation Festival Asia 2025: "The Evolving Airport Industry - Unpacking digitisation, a greener future, and strategic opportunities with airport leaders." While they do not own the customer relationship like an airline can, airports play a...
