UK-based airport operator Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has formed a new partnership with startup accelerator and corporate innovation platform Plug and Play, headquartered in Silicon Valley.
As Plug and Play’s first airport Anchor Partner, MAG has the opportunity to influence the technology focus areas of upcoming travel accelerator programs. MAG joins Plug and Play’s Travel & Hospitality program alongside 21 other partners including Changi Airport Group, Pittsburgh International Airport and Gatwick International Airport.
As well as operating three major airports in the UK, Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands, MAG operates MAG-USA, an airport services business operating airport lounges and parking solutions across the USA.
Last year, MAG established its own, in-house technology and e-commerce business – MAG-O – to respond to technology-driven changes in the way passengers travel.
Andrew Harrison, MAG’s CEO, airport services, said, “We have developed a successful airport e-commerce business in the UK, and a rapidly growing US business too. As we continually look for new and innovative ways to develop our business, becoming Plug and Play’s first airport Anchor Partner is the perfect way for us to find fresh new ideas, while supporting innovation and entrepreneurialism across the travel sector.”
Amir Amidi, managing partner, Plug and Play, added, “We are thrilled to onboard MAG as our first airport Anchor Partner. MAG already has a head start on most airports as it relates to digital transformation. Our goal is to be an additional catalyst in MAG’s future innovation roadmap and ultimately enhance the traveler’s journey through their ecosystem.”
Since its launch in 2016, Plug and Play Travel & Hospitality has accelerated over 110 startups. Its mission is to discover, support, and scale disruptive technologies that are defining the future of travel and hospitality.
