12 of FTE’s most popular interviews and features from 2025: Agentic AI, robotics, automation, inflight innovation, and much more
The following article was published by Future Travel Experience
With the end of 2025 fast approaching, here Future Travel Experience highlights some of our most popular original content from each of the last 12 months – from robotics and AI to inflight innovation, and much more.
Here at Future Travel Experience, our original content is a vital part of our strategy to drive positive change in the air transport and travel sectors. Thanks to exclusive interviews, in-depth features and news round-ups, the FTE website and e-newsletters are renowned as a high-quality source of information and inspiration for those responsible for enhancing innovation, customer experiences and operational efficiency. With the end of 2025 fast approaching, here we highlight some of our most popular original content from each of the last 12 months. Read on for in-depth interviews with the likes of Lufthansa, Schiphol, Southwest, Fraport, All Nippon Airways, CVG Airport, British Airways, Vantage Group, United Airlines, Aeroporti di Roma, Star Alliance, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and many more.
Mark your diary for FTE’s 2026 global event schedule in Dublin, Dallas and Singapore:
- APEX FTE EMEA, co-located with Ancillary & Retailing and the new FTE Smart Ramp & Baggage Innovation Summit – 9-11 June 2026, Dublin.
- FTE Global – 8-10 September 2026, Dallas, Texas. Headline Partners: DFW, Southwest Airlines and Dallas Love Field Airport.
- APEX FTE Expo Asia – 18-19 November 2026, Singapore. Combining APEX Global EXPO with FTE’s regional APAC event.
January 2025: 12 technology and CX trends that can enhance airline and airport operations in 2025
The beginning of a new year brought with it an opportunity, coinciding with CES 2025, to take a look at the trends, as well as the new and emerging technologies, which would shape the air transport industry over the next 12 months. Revisit the feature to find out which technologies we predicted would play a crucial role in improving passenger experiences and enhancing business performance. We explored everything from robotics, automation and artificial intelligence to biometrics and digital identity, immersive technologies, sustainability, and more.
Read the full story >>February 2025: 5 airlines that are taking personalisation to the next level: how Lufthansa, Delta, Riyadh Air, Cathay and JetBlue are focusing on an intuitive, contextual and seamless CX
Travellers increasingly expect end-to-end personalisation at every step of their journey. In February we explored how, as technology evolves, customers expect their travel experience to adapt and evolve in a way that is intuitive, contextual and seamless. As airlines strive to create memorable and seamless journeys, personalising the passenger experience has become a key focus. From high-tech solutions to premium services, our focus on personalisation explored how 5 airlines – Lufthansa, Delta, Riyadh Air, Cathay Pacific and JetBlue – are focusing on taking personalisation to the next level.
Read the full story >>March 2025: Top ancillary & retailing trends to watch in 2025
The ancillary & retailing space is ripe for innovation. As travellers increasingly expect more seamless and personalised experiences, airports and airlines are embracing advanced technologies and CX strategies to transform the ancillary & retailing landscape. In March, we published a comprehensive two-part focus in which Vantage Group, Air France-KLM, Threedot, Munich Airport, Oman Air, nlmtd, Vancouver Airport Authority, Kinetic Consultancy, daa (operator of Dublin and Cork airports), Lufthansa Group, Heathrow, Fraport, and more shared their insights into the top ancillary & retailing trends to watch in 2025.
Read part 1 of our ancillary & retailing focus >> Read part 2 of our ancillary & retailing focus >>April 2025: Robotics revolution – Schiphol, Boston Dynamics, Southwest and Fraport discuss how they are stretching the boundaries of innovation with robotics and automation
We are in the midst of a robotics revolution. Robotics technologies and automation can help to solve some of the air transport industry’s biggest challenges, while reimagining approaches to delivering more personalised customer experiences and enhancing operational efficiencies. In April, we published an extensive focus on robotics and automation, with Schiphol Group, Boston Dynamics, Southwest Airlines and Fraport sharing their insights into the latest developments and trends in this domain, ahead of robotics being explored in-depth at the FTE World Innovation Summit 2025 in May.
Read the full story >>May 2025: BA CEO discusses how AI, forecasting, optimisation, machine learning, and more are transforming operational performance and CX
Cutting-edge technology introduced as part of British Airways’ £7 billion transformation investment programme has seen the airline boost its operational performance to record levels. In this video interview at the FTE World Innovation Summit 2025 in May – ahead of his exclusive keynote – Sean Doyle, Chairman & CEO, British Airways, discussed how artificial intelligence (AI), forecasting, optimisation and machine learning have transformed the airline’s operational performance and become an integral part of getting customers to where they need to be with minimal delay to their travel plans. Every part of British Airways now uses this latest technology, which has significantly increased the number of flights departing on time or ahead of their scheduled take-off times.
Watch the full video >>June 2025: Fraport partners with global airports in the AeroAS Autonomous Airport Operations Program to drive innovation and a smarter, more efficient future
In an exciting step toward transforming airport operations, Fraport – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – is leading the charge in the AeroAS Autonomous Airport Operations Program. In June, we published a compelling video interview with Claus Grunow, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Digitalization, Fraport, who shared how this groundbreaking initiative brings together over 120 global airports with the shared goal of integrating autonomous technologies to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and shape a smarter, more sustainable future for the aviation industry.
Watch the full video >>July 2025: Aeroporti di Roma transforming travel and shaping the airport of the future in collaboration with emerging tech pioneers
Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – is reinforcing its role as a hub for transformative change in the air travel ecosystem. ADR this year launched the fourth edition of its international ‘Call4Startups’, continuing its mission to transform the aviation sector through bold collaboration with emerging tech pioneers. In this video interview, published in July, following her participation at the co-located APEX FTE EMEA and Ancillary & Retailing events, Giorgia Marizza, Acceleration Program & Open Innovation Specialist, discussed the ‘Call4Startups’, the Airports for Innovation network, ADR’s broader innovation strategy, and much more.
Watch the full video >>August 2025: Agentic AI – the transformative potential of advanced autonomy and the move towards Artificial General Intelligence
Agentic AI refers to the point at which artificial intelligence (AI) moves beyond merely responding to input and begins to take ownership of outcomes. These solutions are rapidly spreading across various industries, including air transport. Progressive airlines and airports are increasingly exploring the potential of agentic AI – systems capable of autonomously executing tasks and interacting with travellers and staff. In August, we published a comprehensive two-part focus on agentic AI, in which CVG Airport, Lufthansa Industry Solutions, Aeroporti di Roma, Fraport, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, United Airlines, and more discussed its transformative potential to act autonomously in dynamic environments and the ultimate move towards Artificial General Intelligence. AI was also a key theme of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub throughout 2025, alongside Robotics and the Internet of Things.
Read part 1 of our agentic AI focus >> Read part 2 of our agentic AI focus >>September 2025: Expanding horizons – Meta and Lufthansa Group elevate inflight experiences across more airlines in the future
At FTE Global 2025 in September, Meta and Lufthansa Group announced the next chapter in their ongoing partnership. Building on the success of their immersive inflight entertainment pilot leveraging Travel Mode, Meta is expanding the collaboration to bring virtual experiences to even more passengers of the Lufthansa Group, which includes airlines such as Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Discover Airlines, within the next years.
Read the full story >>October 2025: Inside All Nippon Airways’ Smart Ramp vision: autonomous vehicles, tech innovation, and human collaboration
In October, we explored how All Nippon Airways (ANA) is on an innovation journey to transform ramp operations through technical advancements and human collaboration. Central to this is the airline’s participation in the pioneering FTE Smart Ramp initiative, which has the ultimate goal that aircraft turnaround can be achieved autonomously and more efficiently. In this interview, ahead of his participation at November’s APEX FTE Asia Expo 2025, Tom Kikuchi, Head of Innovation, shared ANA’s vision for autonomous vehicles connected harmoniously with people, details of its FTE Smart Ramp Proof of Concept, and much more.
Read the full story >>November 2025: Pittsburgh International Airport transforms customer experience with opening of $1.7bn new terminal
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – opened its landmark $1.7 billion new terminal on 18 November 2025. This next-generation facility is designed to set new benchmarks in passenger experience, sustainability, and innovation. The FTE World Innovation Summit – hosted by Pittsburgh International Airport on 13-15 May 2025 – provided a unique opportunity to experience the newly completed Pittsburgh International Airport terminal ahead of its opening.
Read the full story >>December 2025: Star Alliance’s vision for enhancing end-to-end CX – improving the interline journey and balancing tech with the human touch
Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance, is committed to seamless collaboration and enabling effortless interline journeys across its 25 member airlines. In this insightful video interview published in December, following her participation at November’s APEX FTE Asia Expo 2025, Ambar Franco, Vice President Customer Experience, shared how Star Alliance is laser-focused on customer experience, with a unique role in improving the interline journey while balancing data, automation, innovative technology and the human touch.
Watch the full video >>Mark your diary for FTE’s 2026 global event schedule in Dublin, Dallas and Singapore
- APEX FTE EMEA, co-located with Ancillary & Retailing and the new FTE Smart Ramp & Baggage Innovation Summit – 9-11 June 2026, Dublin.
- FTE Global – 8-10 September 2026, Dallas, Texas. Headline Partners: DFW, Southwest Airlines and Dallas Love Field Airport.
- APEX FTE Expo Asia – 18-19 November 2026, Singapore. Combining APEX Global EXPO with FTE’s regional APAC event.
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12 of FTE’s most popular interviews and features from 2025: Agentic AI, robotics, automation, inflight innovation, and much more
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