Airport tech investments may not pay off without clear RFPs, former ACI chief warns

Airports risk spending money on technology that delivers only marginal improvements to passenger services and revenue if they fail to define clear requirements before approaching suppliers, former Airports Council International (ACI) Director General Luis Felipe Oliveira has warned.

Oliveira, Executive Director and CEO of Exactly Consulting and Services Sarl, made the comments during a World Aviation Festival webinar titled “From passengers to guests: A new ethos for airport development”, ahead of the event’s return to Lisbon from 13-15 October.

“In the end, you get what you ask for. Without clear requirements, airports risk investing money in things that won’t provide a great improvement for the airport and for its guests,” he said.

Oliveira argued the way airports define requests for proposals (RFPs) remains one of the biggest weaknesses in technology adoption. He believes investments should be linked to clear operational, passenger or commercial outcomes rather than judged solely by how sophisticated the technology is.

“The idea to link every investment with the value of the outcome is something that airports need to start thinking about more. Not simply sophistication in technology, but what they can get out of the technology to improve passenger services and, of course, to improve revenues,” he said.

Airports are accelerating their adoption of artificial intelligence, biometrics, facial recognition, robotics, digital identity and automated passenger-processing systems. However, Oliveira said the suitability of any tech investment depends on factors as varied as the airport’s size, traffic, route mix, number of terminals, and its operational complexity.

Top-tier systems may not generate a sufficient return for small and mid-sized airports, he pointed out. At the same time, specifying only basic capabilities can leave airports with systems that fail to deliver meaningful improvements.

“When you specify only the basics, you receive only the basics, and the basics sometimes won’t help improve the customer experience. To articulate the expected level of performance and the impact on passenger experience, the technology needs to align with the operational reality of this specific airport,” Oliveira said.

He also urged airports to establish a technology roadmap that covers the complete passenger journey before selecting individual systems and suppliers. Airports contain airlines, ground handlers, government agencies, border authorities and technology providers whose systems must work together to orchestrate a better traveller journey.

“That’s why airports need to define a clear roadmap for technology that will help them identify the right partners. They need solutions that are not linked to only one provider, but provide opportunities to be interoperable,” he said.

With global air travel demand forecast to more than double by 2050, airports are increasingly under pressure to expand capacity while improving both passenger experience and commercial performance.

Oliveira said technology should support – rather than displace – the human service passengers enjoy today. This will remain particularly important as airports accommodate ageing populations and travellers with different levels of confidence in using digital systems.

“Despite all the advantages of technology, it cannot replace the human services, the courtesy, the empathy, and the problem-solving skills that remain essential in lounges, food and beverage, the customer service desk – and every other point where passengers need support beyond what automation can provide,” he said.

This need for airport-specific planning also applies to the fast-growing ‘airport city’ model, Oliveira argued. Major hubs including Singapore Changi and Hong Kong International Airport are developing extensive commercial and leisure offerings, while smaller airports such as Brazil’s Florianópolis are using restaurants and events to engage local communities and generate non-aeronautical revenue.

“Each airport, in the end, needs to discover its own vocation in terms of what kind of services it can provide for its customers,” Oliveira said.

Oliveira will moderate sessions on the Airport Keynote and Airport/Airline Collaboration Track at World Aviation Festival. His appearances will include on-stage interviews with Lars Redeligx, CEO of Düsseldorf Airport, and Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airports, as well as panels with senior airport and airline executives.

For more information about World Aviation Festival 2026, visit www.terrapinn.com/conference/aviation-festival.