Day 2 of the World Aviation Festival 2025 in Lisbon brought together some of the most influential voices in global aviation, with government leaders, airline CEOs, and industry innovators addressing the sector’s defining challenges – resilience in a geopolitical world of uncertainty, the urgent need for decarbonisation, and the transformative potential of technology.
Over 4,500 global leaders are attending the festival at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa, with more than 600 speakers and 400 travel tech companies showcasing the latest developments in aviation.
Aviation at a crossroads
Opening the day, Hugo Espírito Santo, Portugal’s Secretary of State for Infrastructure, called for a shared vision to make aviation more resilient, diverse, and inclusive. He highlighted the Portuguese government’s plans for a new Lisbon airport five times larger than the current hub and confirmed approval of TAP’s partial privatisation. “The new aviation industry is going to be smarter and more inclusive,” he said, underlining the role of technology, AI, and cybersecurity in shaping the sector’s future.
Airline leaders on resilience and the decarbonisation challenge
Sustainability was a consistent theme in the agenda, with airline leaders warning that the industry’s ability to decarbonise will determine its long-term licence to grow.
TAP Air Portugal CEO Luís Rodrigues emphasised that while airlines are committed to sustainability, they cannot achieve net zero alone. they can’t produce SAF, can’t build engines, and can’t replace short haul flights with rail. Airlines are doing everything they can, but progress is not fast enough.
IAG CEO Luis Gallego pointed to misaligned incentives in the supply chain: “Airlines want more efficient engines, but manufacturers lack incentives to invest in new designs. Hydrogen aircraft have already been delayed beyond 2035.”
IATA Director General Willie Walsh underlined the financial burden, warning that airlines face €5 billion in additional costs to meet sustainability targets, with fuel suppliers charging premiums for SAF at airports where they hold monopolies.
Meanwhile, Eddie Wilson, Ryanair, said that the airline’s latest aircraft consume 16% less fuel and generate significantly less noise, but stressed that the industry is being held back by the lack of affordable SAF. “Energy companies are not producing enough SAF. We will use it when the price falls, but right now supply is too limited and too expensive,” he said.
Technology and digital retailing
Innovation was in the spotlight as IBM and event headline sponsors FLYR presented their collaboration with Riyadh Air, building an Offer & Order native airline in under two years. The project demonstrates how modular, IATA aligned technology can transform airline retailing, enabling carriers to sell flights alongside ancillary products in the modern, e commerce style that consumers expect and demand.
Wilson also shared how Ryanair is embracing AI and machine learning to boost customer experience and loyalty. From predictive crew management to a new digital boarding pass launching in November, he highlighted how technology is helping Ryanair move 600,000 passengers more efficiently while improving disruption management. He stressed that “fusion between human and AI is the key,” noting that AI is not replacing jobs but enhancing operations.
Strategy, competition and innovation
In a CEO panel, the top leaders from Ryanair, SunExpress, Swissport, Microsoft and PROS explored how technology, competition and customer expectations are reshaping aviation.
Swissport’s Warwick Brady described how the company is digitising ground services, investing in autonomous vehicles and AI to improve efficiency across 4 million annual turnarounds, while expanding its global lounge network.
Max Kownatzki, CEO of SunExpress, stressed the importance of balancing automation with the human factor during disruption, while highlighting new ancillary products – such as Covid insurance – that proved popular with customers. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Julie Shainock and PROS’ Surain Adyanthaya pointed to the rise of AI driven revenue management, dynamic pricing and real time personalisation, while warning that transparency in offers is essential to maintain trust.
Ryanair’s Wilson noted the challenges of implementing personalisation at scale, while also highlighting the growing cybersecurity risks airlines face.
Redefining airline commercial strategy
In a fireside chat, easyJet’s CCO Sophie Dekkers reflected on how Covid accelerated change in the industry, with inflation, fuel prices and airport costs now creating new pressures. She noted that 22 million ATC delays were recorded in Europe last year, compounded by reduced airspace due to the war in Ukraine and aircraft delivery delays.
Dekkers explained how embedding data scientists into easyJet’s revenue management team has transformed decision making, allowing the airline to respond in real time to unpredictable customer behaviour. “Automation allows the team to focus on exceptions, while data science ensures we can identify problems as they happen,” she said.
Meeting traveller expectations and workforce challenges
Speakers also explored shifting traveller demographics and expectations. Gallego highlighted the importance of tailoring offers to different customer profiles across IAG’s portfolio, while Rodrigues pointed to the operational challenges of serving an ageing traveller base. IAG’s Walsh noted that premium leisure travel has rebounded faster than other segments, underscoring the need for airlines to adapt to evolving demand patterns.
Attracting and retaining talent also emerged as a critical challenge. Gallego described IAG’s group wide career development programmes, while Rodrigues stressed the resilience of aviation workers and the need to bring in fresh perspectives from outside the industry. All agreed that diversity and next generation skills will be essential to aviation’s reinvention.
New developments
The World Aviation Festival was again the stage for several announcements, including InterLnkd’s milestone partnership with Viasat to offer the provider’s airline customers access to AirMall, a full-scale digital inflight shopping mall. Meanwhile, Immfly announced having reached an agreement to acquire Data Clarity. The deal will bring together leading onboard digital solutions with aviation’s most advanced data intelligence platform. The insurance company Chubb launched TravelPro, a new suite of travel insurance products designed to address the most common challenges faced by international travellers.
Following a ceremony earlier, Arcube was crowned winner of this year’s World Aviation Festival startup competition. The company develops modular and sustainable infrastructure solutions designed to help airports and airlines scale operations more efficiently.
Coming up…
The event continues today (9th) with further keynotes, panels, and announcements from across the aviation ecosystem – with a focus throughout the day on airport experience, operations and infrastructure. Kicking off at 9.30am, delegates will first hear from flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway in a fireside chat, with further keynotes featuring airports such as Jeddah, JFK, Miami International Airport and Munich Airport.
For details on this year’s speaker line up, visit: https://www.terrapinn.com/conference/aviation-festival/speakers.stm
