Digital transformation and innovation take centre stage at day 1 of International Airport Summit 2025

Day 1 of International Airport Summit 2025 in Berlin. Credit: IAR.

Day one of the International Airport Summit (IAS) 2025 focused on the essential need for the aviation sector to embrace digital transformation to drive both efficiency and a better passenger experience. Key themes included leveraging data as critical infrastructure to unlock airside capacity, the cultural changes needed to integrate AI and biometrics smoothly, and embedding sustainability into core commercial strategies. The summit highlighted that the future of airports depends not on building more, but on achieving smarter operations and transforming the airport into a lifestyle destination that truly connects with its community.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport CEO opens summit with keynote on German aviation’s future

BER CEO Aletta von Massenbach opened the summit with a candid examination of Germany’s aviation recovery, arguing that high taxes and regulatory burdens are stifling competitiveness. She revealed how BER is stabilising financially – with consecutive years of positive EBITDA – and outlined a strategy centred on cost discipline, targeted network development and sustainability. Despite Germany lagging 15% behind 2019 traffic levels, von Massenbach described opportunities for growth through improved long-haul competitiveness and more agile responses to market shifts. Her keynote set the tone for a day focused on practical, data-led solutions to systemic industry challenges.

Airports evolve into lifestyle destinations

In a lively fireside chat, leaders from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Blaise Diagne, Fredericton and AtkinsRéalis agreed that the future airport is not a cookie-cutter terminal but a destination with its own sense of place, shaped by local architecture, climate and community. The panel highlighted concrete answers to today’s passenger experience demands: intuitive self-service, freedom of movement (not forcing travellers through duty free “like IKEA”), and spaces that reflect local life – such as outdoor social plazas in warm climates. Fredericton’s use of ex-military staff in their security team to build trust and its free short-stay parking to increase dwell time were presented as practical wins. The message was clear: airports thrive when they reflect, support and connect their communities.

Technology that makes passengers say “WOW”

Sponsored by Veovo, this panel demonstrated that “wow moments” come from technology that simplifies – not complicates – the journey. Rather than more dashboards, airports need systems that turn data into action. Speakers from King Salman International Airport Development Company, MATARAT, Miami, Aeroporti di Roma and Heathrow shared examples like AI-driven routing that alerts passengers when lifts or escalators fail and suggests alternatives in real time, as well as footfall analytics that directly improve staffing, cleaning cycles and retail performance. The consensus: tech must empower staff, boost predictability, and quietly remove friction. With the right tools, airports can give travellers more time, more choice and a more human-centric experience.

Biometrics and the future of identity

Sponsored by HID, this session made a compelling case that document-free travel is no longer experimental – it is becoming an operational necessity. Panellists revealed that biometric checks are already cutting processing times from 25 seconds to just eight, but adoption hinges on trust. Passengers participate willingly when they understand the value exchange: faster queues, fewer bottlenecks and a calmer journey. The panel underscored that transparency, education and strong data protections will determine the pace of global rollout. Airports that align airlines, staff and government around a clear operational goal – whether efficiency or queue reduction – will move fastest toward seamless curb-to-gate identity.

Unlocking airside capacity without new infrastructure

In a session sponsored by NATS, experts argued that airports can unlock significant capacity not by building more, but by using what they already have far better. The answer lies in integrated data, shared situational awareness and stakeholder alignment. Airports that unite airlines, ATC and regulators around common operational metrics are already reducing delays and improving stand utilisation without a single new square metre of apron. Digital twins and predictive modelling were highlighted as powerful tools, but only when paired with trust and cross-functional governance. The panel concluded that the biggest bottleneck is rarely infrastructure – it is siloed decision-making.

Roundtable discussions

Delegates engaged in hands-on discussions around harnessing data, AI, airside efficiency and security and identity strategies. Standout insights included the need for a shared industry vocabulary for data exchange, the importance of starting with small, high-value use cases, and the recognition that airports must treat data governance as a core operational function rather than a technical add-on.

Delivering hyper-personalised experiences

Sponsored by +impact, this panel argued that true hyper-personalisation requires airports, airlines, retailers and government to work from a unified data ecosystem. The key answer that emerged: passengers will only share their data when given clear consent options and tangible benefits such as faster processing or tailored offers. When trust and transparency are built in, the commercial upside is significant – panellists estimated a 10–20% increase in non-aeronautical revenue through AI-driven personalisation and predictive automation. The future passenger journey is not just personalised – it is co-created through smart data partnerships.

Sustainability and consumer behaviour

Bologna Airport’s Nicola Gualandi revealed how sustainability, when embedded into every commercial decision, can meaningfully influence traveller behaviour. By partnering closely with concessionaires, Bologna doubled waste sorting rates from 20% to 50% and rolled out initiatives such as closed-loop recycling and cooking-oil-to-biofuel conversion. With Gen Alpha expected to be the most sustainability-driven consumers in aviation history, Bologna’s new ESG scoring for concessionaires shows how airports can accelerate environmental impact by aligning commercial partners with sustainability goals.

Smart baggage handling innovations

In a session sponsored by Smiths Detection and Beumer Group, speakers outlined how zero manual bag lifting and robotised baggage halls are within reach – but only with deep process redesign. AI-powered failure prediction is already reducing breakdowns and preventing costly shutdowns, while prescriptive data is enabling proactive maintenance. Yet the panel’s core insight was cultural: automation succeeds only when airports stop trying to “digitise the old process” and instead adopt new, logistics-style workflows. Transformational baggage handling requires governance, data sharing – especially around screening – and early buy-in from handlers and airlines.

AI-powered ground operations at Frankfurt Airport

Fraport, zeroG and FraAlliance demonstrated how AI is giving ground teams unprecedented visibility, replacing guesswork with verified real-time insights into turnaround progress. The results include more predictable off-block times, smarter staffing and earlier interventions. Crucially, the speakers stressed that frontline trust is the backbone of any AI rollout. Fraport invested heavily in co-design workshops and transparent explanations of how the system works – not just what it does. With strong data governance and airline collaboration, Frankfurt is now moving toward shared apron-wide situational awareness that enhances both efficiency and resilience.

Realising the digital airside

Sponsored by Bentley Systems, this session showcased how digital twins and automation can give airports an intelligent, semi-autonomous airside environment. Brussels Airport’s success in reducing de-icing costs through integrated data proved that predictive operations deliver real savings. But the panel identified a major barrier: lack of interoperability. Without a common semantic model for data sharing, gains remain isolated. The solution, panellists agreed, is industry-wide governance that forces alignment across all players – from ground handlers to ANSPs.

Data as the new jet fuel

Zurich Airport and Zühlke made the case that airports must first fix their data quality, context and metadata challenges before chasing advanced AI ambitions. When those fundamentals are in place, data’s power becomes transformative: Zurich can now predict passenger flows 3.6 hours ahead, while Vancouver uses its digital twin to manage zero-visibility aircraft movements. The session’s headline message: data is not a byproduct – it is critical infrastructure, and must be governed with the same precision as any physical asset.

The event ended with networking drinks sponsored by Kweichow Moutai who created their own drink for the International Airport Summit and the celebration of excellence at the 2025 Airport Honour Awards.

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