Aena has presented its latest innovation roadmap at the PTE World Conference in London, outlining the company’s strategy to support the transformation of airport operations and infrastructure.
The Spanish airport operator, which manages London Luton Airport and has recently acquired Leeds Bradford and Newcastle airports, said its long-term strategy is built around four key areas: improving the passenger experience, developing autonomous airport capabilities, exploring new business models and strengthening sustainability.
Vanesa Calvo, head of financing and innovation trends at Aena, presented the framework, which focuses on enhancing the end-to-end passenger journey while integrating new technologies across airport operations.
She also outlined how Aena measures the impact of innovation, alongside its open innovation initiatives, including Aena Ventures, which works with startups, and Innova, its internal program for employee-led innovation. These schemes are supported by technology scouting and international partnerships.
Aena used the conference to highlight progress within the Airports for Innovation (A4I) alliance, a collaboration of 10 airport operators aimed at sharing and testing digital solutions.
Jennifer Fermoselle, an innovation specialist at Aena, said the alliance enables airports to validate new technologies more quickly while reducing implementation risks and optimizing resources through shared pilot projects.
She also outlined developments in the alliance’s governance model, which is intended to expand participation and support the scaling of successful initiatives across multiple airports.
Aena presented a project developed with DeuSens as part of its innovation program, focused on using virtual reality and haptic technology to train airport personnel, including firefighters, marshals and maintenance staff.
According to Aena, the system allows operational procedures to be simulated in immersive environments, enabling staff to train for complex scenarios in controlled conditions. The company said the approach offers greater flexibility and efficiency compared with traditional training methods, and could be scaled across its airport network.
The speakers said Aena’s roadmap reflects a broader effort to combine operational efficiency, technological innovation and sustainability as the company adapts to growing passenger demand and evolving industry requirements.
Save the dates! PTE World 2027 will be held at RAI Amsterdam, April 6-8, 2027.
