Amadeus has revealed the results from its Travel Technology Investment Trends study, which found that airports are expected to increase investment in technology by an average of 17% in 2024.
Collaborative technology investments
The study points to shared airport and airline objectives, with both seeking to improve the passenger experience. Senior airline leaders confirmed that ‘improving the passenger experience at the airport’ is their top technology priority. This matched closely with leaders of airports, who also stated this objective as the number one reason for investing in technology.
Both airports and airlines in the survey viewed biometrics as a transformative technology, with 66% of the airport executives and 65% of the airline executives planning to implement biometrics at key airport service points like check-in, bag-drop and boarding over the coming three years.
The report also highlighted the desire of airports and airlines to work better together to reach their shared objectives, with 64% of airport leaders planning to ‘implement improved data sharing agreements with airlines’ over the coming three years. The surveyed technology airport leaders also reported plans to implement ‘more advanced and collaborative technology at the Airport Operational Control Centre (APOC)’ over five years.
| Which of the following technologies are you planning to implement? | Next 12 months | Next three years |
| Data analytics for insight into key airport processes and demand | 40% | 42% |
| New technology for airport operations (e.g. Airport Operational Database) | 36% | 36% |
| Biometrics for passenger services (e.g. check-in and boarding) | 26% | 40% |
| Improved data sharing with airline partners | 36% | 28% |
| Moving passenger services to the cloud (e.g. moving check-in around the terminal or off-airport) | 32% | 28% |
Airport leaders’ plans for technology implementation in the short and medium term. Top five choices from a selection of 12 options.
Technology challenges
Yet when asked about their top technology challenges, half of the airport leaders in the report pointed to ‘a lack of common technology that brings stakeholders together around shared processes’ as their number one challenge.
| What do you see as the biggest airport technology challenges? | Next 12 months |
| Lack of common technology that brings stakeholders together around shared processes | 50% |
| Inability to maximize usage of airport’s assets e.g. check-in desks, stands, gates | 42% |
| Inability to easily capture and analyze key airport data | 42% |
| Inflexible on-site passenger processing tied to specific locations e.g. check-in desk | 38% |
| Lack of data shared by airline partners | 36% |
Airport leaders’ top technology challenges. Top five choices from a selection of 12 options.
The leaders also cited inflexible passenger systems that force airport services like check-in and baggage to be delivered from specific locations. This challenge explains why a third of airports said they plan to move such systems to the cloud in 2024 in search of greater flexibility, with 92% of those surveyed seeing value in offering passenger services from new locations inside and outside the terminal.
| In which of the following locations do you think it would be useful to provide check-in and baggage services? | Next 12 months |
| New locations around the airport e.g. car park | 52% |
| Major hotels in the vicinity of the airport | 46% |
| City center locations | 40% |
| Major events like conferences or sporting venues | 38% |
| Cruise terminals | 28% |
Holger Mattig, senior vice president of product management for airport and airline operations at Amadeus, said, “We see from this study that airports and airlines face common challenges and share common objectives. Whether it’s transforming the end-to-end passenger experience with biometrics, reducing baggage delay issues or better managing day-to-day operations with more collaborative technology at the APOC, everyone wants the same outcomes.”
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts – nowhere is that more true than airport operations. To maximize outcomes from this 17% increase in spend, it’s important technology is viewed as a way to better connect stakeholders and to establish a more mature ecosystem in aviation. That’s how we’ll improve on-time performance and deliver more value for passengers.”
Futureproofed airport technology
Airport leaders were also asked to choose the most important broad technologies for their businesses in the short and medium term from a shortlist of 15 options, with machine learning, generative AI, cloud computing and digital payments topping the list of priorities both in the coming year and over a five-year horizon.
| 2024 | 2029 |
| Machine learning | Machine learning |
| Generative AI | Generative AI |
| Cloud computing | Cloud computing |
| Digital payments | Digital payments |
| Extended reality (the metaverse) | Extended reality (the metaverse) |
In related news, Amadeus recently completed the acquisition of Vision-Box, a provider of biometric systems for airports, airlines and border control customers. Click here to read the full story.