Published on
September 11, 2025
The ACI World Airport Experience Summit 2025 is held for the first time in its new China installment, in Guangzhou, where airport and aviation authorities from China and beyond reflect on innovations to make the next generation of airports. Focusing on the new use of technology for user satisfaction, such as AI and biometrics, the summit, held from September 8 to 11, 2025, at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, and peers from all over the world discussed the issues of the use of immersive technology and user-centered design to foster new user experiences.
The third summit, with such a line-up of speakers, is especially significant for China, as it is the time when much of the world’s attention is on the Southeast Asian aviation market. Guangzhou is the glue in the rapidly growing Chinese aviation market, and is the first step to address the problems and advantages of the world’s users’ avionics as the Chinese aerial market is just above 3 billion and is expected to more than double over the next two decades. This expectation highlights the importance of the event.
This Year’s summit aimed at redefining and advancing the airport experience
“It’s all about Reimagining the People Experience” is the primary focus of the 2025 summit, which elaborates on the focus that most airports are starting to make on the ease of the journey and the user interfaces that are helpful for the staff of the airport as well. Attendees of the summit were presented with and discussed many of the new technologies coming into use in airport operations and services. Some of the highlighted innovations included AI interfaces for bio-metric security checkpoints and streamlined operational processes, and the use of other immersive technologies for elevating and personalizing the passenger airport experience.
A significant portion of the summit aimed at the growth of the airports to include the transformation from transit operations only to self-sustained and self-destined airports. Such changes are brought about by the combination of retail, self-service, personal service, and entertainment designed to engage the passengers who are in the waiting phase of the airport.
Program Highlights: Keynote Speeches and Panels
With the opening remarks of the Chairman of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Candace McGraw, who was the Chair of the ACI World Governing Board, the event began. Each of them highlighted innovative strategies and partnership opportunities, bolstering optimism toward the future of the airport industry. Justin Erbacci, ACI World’s Director General, noted that airport transformations across the globe must encompass bold thinking that goes beyond viewing airports merely as transit junctions.
A memorable moment was listening to the keynote address by Song Hoi See, Founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group, who spoke of the evolution of the airport industry and his vision of the future of airport hospitality. He articulated that airports have already outgrown their primary function of boarding an aircraft and now encompass myriad facets of retail, entertainment, and various value-added services. Deeply insightful were his comments, focused on the acute need for services and environments required by passengers that are evolving.
A panel dedicated to passenger and staff experience innovations was held with leaders from Aeroporti di Roma, Korn Ferry, and Krakow Airport. The panel underscored the strategic importance of constructing an airport and its potential airport ecosystem. Positive performance and culture yield business success.
Cross-Industry Innovation and Cross-Industry Actionable Insights
The summit also featured cross-industry actionable innovations, including retail, health, technology, and event production. The panel examined ways for airports to redefine the customer experience by collaborating with other industries in order to enhance the overall experience for travelers.
The event underscored the importance of airport customer technology and customer feedback innovation. Other sectors serve as exemplary models for best practice integration of airport system thinking. This helps positively to the passenger experience as well as the overall service.
Celebrating Excellence in Airport Service’ has been shortened to ‘Celebrating Excellence in Airport Service
The ASQ Awards Ceremony is one of the most-awaited events of the summit. There was a standing of the awards on the 10th of September 2025. Providing answers on customer experience for almost 700,000 passengers is no small feat. These surveys, which have been consolidated through the ASQ program, are then analyzed, which is why ACI World and Amadeus distribute the ASQ awards. For the year 2025, a total of 95 airports received awards in 181 categories. 10 of which were the ACI World Director General’s Roll of Excellence, celebrating 10 years of outstanding service.
‘the most comprehensive and trusted global measurement program for’ is replaced with ‘the most comprehensive and trusted global measurement program for.’ Their awards are given for excellence to the airports that aim to improve the travel experience. This year’s awards particularly focused on the airports that uplift the service standards. These airports are underscored for sheer excellence in passenger service.
Reflecting the Advancement of Airports
Through the lens of technological advances in AI and biometrics and fusing them with the ever-changing human experience world, the ACI World Airport Experience Summit 2025 transformed the global airport industry, focusing on the human touch of technology. The summit emphasized the need for technological adoption in the operational model, but with human experience domination at the center of technology rollouts.
Alongside the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Expansion, which reflects the futuristic capabilities of Chinese airports, the summit showcased the exhibitors of global cross-pollination of ideas and the cooperative framework needed in the industry.
Conclusion: Looking Ahead Toward the Airports of Tomorrow
The ACI World Airport Experience Summit 2025, like many other events, was not only for the projection of current trends, but also for dreaming of what the future of airports would hold. The visions articulated during the summit will serve as the guiding ethos for the next generation of airports, making air travel more comfortable, more efficient, and more accessible to everyone. The summit, which was held in Guangzhou, China, was in the most appropriate place, as China is the world’s fastest-growing aviation market and greatly enhances the aviation infrastructure. The conversations and ideas generated during this time frame demonstrate that the future of the airport industry will result from the integration of advanced technology, secondary innovation, and regulatory humanistic approaches to airport design.
