Calling on airports: Submissions open for the 2025 Technology Innovation Awards

ACI World and Amadeus celebrate cutting-edge technology initiatives and leadership transforming the future of air travel

Montreal, 20 March 2025 – Airports Council International (ACI) World and Amadeus today open submissions for the anticipated 2025 Technology Innovation Awards. These awards celebrate cutting-edge technology initiatives and leadership within the airport sector that are transforming the future of air travel technology.

ACI airport members are invited to submit their candidacies for the fifth edition of the ACI World-Amadeus Technology Innovation Awards. This year’s competition will once more recognize the best innovations across the following four categories:

• Best innovation in airport passenger-related processes
• Best innovation in airport operations and installations management
• Best airport innovation leader (individual)
• Best innovation: Airport on the rise (5 million passengers or less annually)

ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci stated: “The Technology Innovation Awards remain an essential platform for honoring the airports and individuals at the forefront of technological progress. These awards spotlight the visionary efforts that address the most pressing challenges in modern air travel, driving more efficient, sustainable, and seamless travel experiences. The winning airports will showcase the highest standards of innovation in airport technology solutions.”

Amadeus EVP AirOps Rudy Daniello said: “We’re proud to partner with ACI World on the Technology Innovation Awards for another consecutive year. 2025 marks a tipping point for the application of technology at airports across the world. With biometrics, it’s now possible to deliver seamless end-to-end experiences for passengers so they can progress through every airport touchpoint and even immigration without needing to present documents. Combined with the introduction of a new generation of airline technology for delivery management at the terminal, we expect airports and their airline partners to push the boundaries of what’s possible over the coming years. At Amadeus our role is to ‘connect the dots’, ensuring all stakeholders benefit from easier data exchange through a common platform.”

The Technology Innovation Awards invite innovative technology projects and leadership initiatives that enhance the passenger experience, improve operational efficiency, and optimize airport processes for passengers, employees, and aviation stakeholders. The previous editions have celebrated advancements in fields such as biometrics, artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and big data analytics. Submissions will be open until 2 June 2025, and all entries will be evaluated by an expert panel of industry professionals.

The winners of the 2025 Technology Innovation Awards will be announced and celebrated during the Awards Ceremony at the ACI Airports Innovate event, which will take place from 25-27 November 2025 in Busan, Republic of Korea. Airports Innovate, which continues to gain momentum in its third year, gathers global leaders from the aviation and technology sectors to recognize the innovative work that is shaping the future of air travel.

About ACI 

Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, is a federated organization comprising ACI World, ACI Africa, ACI Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, ACI EUROPE, ACI Latin America and the Caribbean and ACI North America. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2025, ACI serves 830 members, operating 2,181 airports in 170 countries.

About Amadeus

Amadeus makes the experience of travel better for everyone, everywhere by inspiring innovation, partnerships and responsibility to people, places and planet.

Our technology powers the travel and tourism industry. Inspiring more open ways of working. More connected ways of thinking, centered around the traveler. Our open platform connects the global travel and hospitality ecosystem. From startups to big industry players and governments too. Together, redesigning the travel of tomorrow.

We are working to make travel a force for social and environmental good. A collective responsibility to protect and improve the people and places we visit, ensuring travel continues to make positive contribution to our world.

We apply innovation to meet new needs, to solve real challenges. Our truly diverse global workforce, made up of 150 nationalities, is passionate about travel and technology.

We are an IBEX 35 company, listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange under AMS.MC. We have also been recognized by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the last 11 years.

Amadeus. It’s how travel works better.

Learn more about Amadeus at www.amadeus.com.

Editor notes

1. Learn more about and apply to the ACI World-Amadeus Technology Innovation Awards.

2. Join us at the 2025 ACI Airports Innovate event.