IATA, ACI Launch NEXTT Ahead of Rising Travel Demand

A new initiative to enhance the on-ground transport experience, guide industry investments and help governments improve the regulatory framework was launched this week by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in collaboration with Airports Council International (ACI).

“New Experience in Travel and Technologies” (NEXTT) comes in view of increased air travel demand and aims to optimize the use of emerging technologies, processes and design developments.

“We will not be able to handle the growth or evolving customer expectations with our current processes, installations and ways of doing business. And accommodating growth with ever bigger airports will be increasingly difficult if not impossible. NEXTT will address these challenges,” said IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac.

“Working with our airport partners we will explore the important changes in technology and processes to enhance the customer experience.”

Through cooperation with associations, service providers, engineering firms and manufacturers, IATA and ACI will via NEXTT monitor how passengers, cargo, baggage and aircraft move through the complete travel journey focusing on change in off-airport activities, advanced processing technology and interactive decision-making.

“NEXTT will seek to provide a seamless journey by exploring increased off-site processing options; reducing or even eliminating queues; more efficiently using space and resources through enhanced deployments of artificial intelligence and robotics; and vastly improving data sharing between stakeholders,” said Angela Gittens, director general at ACI World.