Airport leaders signal significant increase in technology investment
Research from Amadeus and Opinium shows airport executives plan to boost technology spending by an average of 17% over the coming year to address operational and passenger experience challenges.
A report by Amadeus and Opinium Research, involving 50 senior airport executives, highlights a global push to modernize infrastructure. According to the findings, 94% of airports plan at least moderate technology investment, with 44% of leaders indicating plans for aggressive spending in the next twelve months. The investment focuses primarily on improving passenger experience and operational efficiency.
Biometric technology is a central component of these upgrades. Nearly all surveyed airports are either implementing or planning to introduce biometric authentication for touchpoints including check-in, bag drop, and boarding. Executives cite the dual need to enhance security and streamline passenger flow as the primary drivers behind this adoption, with the U.S. currently leading in large-scale deployments.
The industry is also pivoting toward cloud-based processing to decentralize operations. Research indicates 92% of respondents value the ability to provide passenger services from locations outside traditional terminal counters, such as hotels or city centers. By adopting cloud-native tools like Amadeus’s Airport Cloud Use Service (ACUS), airports aim to increase service flexibility and maintain operations in cases where on-site infrastructure is limited or compromised.