- ACI World and Amadeus named the 2025 Technology Innovation Award winners, recognising airports leading in digital upgrades, data use, biometrics, and sustainable terminal design.
- The winning projects show how tools such as biometric bag drop, smart cleaning systems, and bioclimatic buildings can help airports manage rising passenger numbers and improve day-to-day operations.
- Industry speakers highlighted that digital identity and biometrics are now proven technologies, opening the way for more seamless travel and better use of airport capacity.
Airports Council International (ACI) World and Amadeus have announced the winners of the 2025 Technology Innovation Awards, recognizing the world’s most innovative airports. This year’s winners spotlight measurable advances in digital transformation, data-driven operations, identity-enabled self-service, and sustainable, climate-smart terminals.
Why this matters
Air travel will reach 9.8 billion passengers in 2025 (+3.7 percent YoY), with demand projected to rise to 17.2 billion by 2043. Airport technology and innovation are essential to unlock capacity, improve the passenger experience, and build operational resilience while advancing sustainability.
Winners of the Technology Innovation Awards 2025
- Best Innovation in Airport Passenger Related Processes: The Future Checked In: Biometric Enabled Self Baggage Drop at Kempegowda International Airport
- Best Innovation in Airport Operations and Installations Management: Smart Cleaning System: Redefining Facility Management through Innovation at Queen Alia International Airport
- Best Airport Innovation Leader (Individual): Pablo Lopez Loeches, Head of Ideation & Entrepreneurship at Aena
- Best Innovation: Airport on the Rise (5 million passengers or less): Bioclimatic Airport Building at Roland Garros Airport
ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci said: “The 2025 Technology Innovation Awards winners are about successful innovation implementation—solutions that run every day, in real airports, under real pressure. This year’s winners spotlight measurable advances in digital transformation, data-driven operations, identity-enabled self-service, and sustainable, climate-smart terminals. These are the types of innovations airports need now—meeting today’s passenger expectations while keeping pace with rapid growth in air travel.”
Amadeus EVP AirOps said Rudy Daniello said: “Many congratulations to this year’s airports recognized in the Technology Innovation Awards, from all of us at Amadeus. Our industry stands on the cusp of huge change as airports across the world digitally transform to offer a seamless travel experience. Now mature technologies like digital identity and biometrics are proven to drastically improve the experience of travel the door is open to even greater levels of innovation across the sector. The initiatives underlined how airports can work closely with their airline and government partners to ensure these transformative technologies are applied in a coordinated and integrated manner that delivers outstanding new passenger experiences while boosting overall capacity.”
The announcement was made at the Airports Innovate Gala Dinner. The event is curated as a premier global gathering that showcases the innovations transforming the future of airport travel. The conference is jointly organised by ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, ACI EUROPE, and ACI World, and this year it is hosted by Korea Airports Corporation.
