World Aviation Festival 2026 Spotlights AI and Airline Technology

The World Aviation Festival 2026 took place over three days in October at the FIL convention center in Lisbon, Portugal. The event featured presentations on artificial intelligence and technology for airline operations and passenger services.

Key details

• The event was reported to have drawn more than 4,500 attendees and 600 speakers.
• Value Group presented AI applications for helping airlines anticipate the passenger effects of cancellations and diversions.
• CellPoint Digital presented Zenith, a platform designed to use AI to reduce declined airline card payments.
• Assaia’s 2026 Turnaround Report put average turnaround delays at 11 minutes at North American and European airports.
• Dohop was reported to have added Wizz Air as a customer and to be expanding into air-rail connectivity.
• Allegiant Chief Commercial Officer Drew Wells said Allegiant First is planned for 2027, alongside deliveries of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The planned offering includes differentiated seating and upgraded food and drink options.

Assaia estimates that turnaround inefficiencies could represent up to $44 billion a year.

Why it matters

The presentations covered airline work on several fronts, from coordinating passenger journeys during schedule changes to processing payments and improving aircraft turnarounds. Assaia estimates that turnaround inefficiencies could represent up to $44 billion a year, and says AI-assisted turnarounds could reduce part of that gap.