IGA Istanbul Airport to Host 2026 ACI World Airport Experience Summit

Register now to live this opportunity at IGA Istanbul Airport as the host of the 2026 ACI World Airport Experience Summit, because we believe it will unlock practical improvements for travelers and operators. The event will bring together airport leaders, retailers, and technology partners to examine how travelers navigate complex spaces and how operations can adapt in real time.

Over two days, the program includes 12 sessions, four workshops, and three site tours of IGA’s latest terminal improvements. A highlight is the live demos of location-sharing technologies that help teams synchronize arrivals, departures, and passenger flows.

selahattin recognises the value of shared data across the airport ecosystem and will outline how data-informed decisions shape personnel deployment, queue management, and energy use.

This summit supports informed positioning for airports in the east region and creates opportunities for vendors to collaborate with IGA and other partners. It also includes a focus on space optimization and improving travelers’ experiences.

Practical takeaways include a blueprint for integrating biometric flows, baggage handling, and retail engagement in new space, plus guidance on how to scale location-sharing across operations. Attendees will leave with a concrete action plan and a list of opportunities to pilot joint initiatives.

Event scope and practical agendas for the 2026 World Airport Experience Summit at IGA

Adopt a three-track, focused program that delivers advanced insights and concrete actions for IGA, airlines, stakeholders, and travellers.

The event scope centers on three pillars: processes, infrastructure, and space design for indoor-based spaces. It compares major airports and features america-focused case studies alongside international references. Attendees will review projects and roadmaps, then translate findings into actionable steps to improve traffic management, facilities resilience, and hospitality artefacts in arrival zones, concourses, and lounges.

Agenda structure allocates 90-minute blocks across three tracks. Day 1 includes a high-impact session on capacity planning and flow optimization, plus breakout workshops with airlines and stakeholders to align on personalized services for travellers and on the application of data-driven tools to daily demand. Breakout rooms will showcase artefacts, signage, and room concepts that elevate onboarding, check-in, and wayfinding in indoor spaces.

Day 2 concentrates on group sessions with airlines, airport groups, government partners, and suppliers to define priority projects and milestones. Traveller-focus panels gather preferences on seating, queues, and waiting experiences. Each track delivers clear owners, deadlines, and measurable outputs that feed into a three-month action plan and a set of room concepts to pilot in a controlled environment.

Outputs include a concrete action plan, a prioritized portfolio of projects, and a blueprint for hospitality spaces and artefacts across major hubs. The agenda ends with executive reviews from regional groups (america and others), ensuring alignment with infrastructure investments, traffic forecasting, and room-based demonstrations that can scale to multiple airports.

AI-driven passenger service demos: what technologies will be showcased and how they work

Launch a focused, scalable suite of AI-driven demos that tackle core passenger touchpoints: biometric check-in, smart gates, and guided navigation. This forward plan could provide a clear, state-of-the-art view of how AI accelerates processing, while keeping the experience humane and predictable.

Each demo showcases the latest advancements in computer vision for queue detection, voice and chat interactions for information, and middleware that links central infrastructure with frontline staff.

Coordinate with the council of industry partners and bilgen to align on data governance, privacy, and a culture of rapid experimentation, leveraging patterns in passenger flows across the central infrastructure and the plant floor.

To drive tangible results, pilots should quantify turnaround improvements, gate throughput, and fuel usage reductions, with a just plan to scale.

Set an april milestone where demos transition to live trials in a controlled zone, reinforcing world-class passenger service and providing a template for other airports.

From check-in to boarding: real-world improvements delivered by AI for travelers

Implement ai-driven biometric check-in at first touchpoints to cut average processing times by 40% and keep the flow accessible for travelers with mobility needs. This approach will ensure security while delivering a pleasant start to the trip and set a scalable baseline for the turkish hub.

sunlight signage and ai-driven pathing showcase how location-based cues reduce crowding, part of a broader effort to make travelers feel relaxed.

Biometric verification integrated with ai-driven identity checks will handle peaks at departure gates. Pilots have said this reduces rechecks by 30–45%, ensuring security without slowing those moving through.

weve mapped each function to minimize handoffs and protect privacy, deeply aligning with airport operations and Turkish regulations.

Turkish retailers can leverage location-based data to tailor offers at checkpoints and terminals; this supports the industry by delivering targeted, relevant experiences regardless of traveler segment.

Analytics direct vehicle flow at curbside and pick-up zones during events, reducing wait times and smoothing peak capacity.

IGA Istanbul will showcase these capabilities at the 2026 ACI World Airport Experience Summit, illustrating how ai-driven, biometric workflows will translate into tangible benefits for stakeholders and the functions that run terminal operations.

Data privacy, security, and governance considerations for AI in busy airports

Implement a risk-based data governance framework across all airport systems within 60 days to protect passenger data.

Limit data collection to defined purposes; minimize retention, and disable location-sharing unless it directly supports safety or operations. Apply anonymization for analytics whenever possible.

Establish a cross-functional AI council with representatives from operations, IT, security, legal, and accessibility leads. The council develops policy, approves major data uses, and tracks development milestones; schedule reviews for the september summit timeframe and keep focus on protecting users and operations.

Embed privacy-by-design into every project; recognises bias in data and documents data sources and model assumptions to help teams interact with the system confidently.

Ensure accessibility by design: provide notices, multilingual options, and assistive interfaces so everyone can understand AI outputs and decisions.

Security controls include role-based access, MFA, encryption for data in transit and at rest, and complete audit trails; conduct incident simulations quarterly and refine response playbooks.

Operational guidance for nervous passengers and staff: create clear escalation paths, provide human oversight in high-stakes terminal decisions, and keep support options visible at the point of contact.

Map data flows and governance for location-sharing: identify risk points, apply continuous monitoring, and enforce strict approvals for any data transfer outside safety-critical channels; allow only what is necessary to support operations without compromising privacy.

Communications and social interactions: offer opt-outs where feasible, provide simple explanations of AI actions, and enable staff to interact with passengers with transparent information.

Partnered vendors must adhere to the same controls; include privacy, security, and governance commitments in all contracts and monitor compliance through regular audits.

Keep guidance yanımda for frontline teams in the terminal and at check-in areas; ensure training materials are available in multiple languages and accessible formats.

The september reviews will help refine safeguards; use the best-practice model to scale controls across all hubs and partner networks to reduce delays and improve resilience.

Deployment roadmap: pilots, milestones, and scale-up plans for IGA’s AI services

Start with a 90-day pilot in three hubs to validate data pipelines, AI service latency, and user adoption, ensuring readiness for broader rollout while capturing real-world usage and feedback.

1. Pilots: define scope, data flows, and success criteria
   • Target functions include passenger flow optimization, predictive maintenance, and queue management, with exceptional user experiences as the overarching goal.
   • Implement a shared data model across core systems, while safeguarding privacy and compliance, and support location-sharing based on explicit consent.
   • Measure performance with clear metrics: latency, throughput, accuracy, and a utilization map spanning three locations–created data surfaces, dashboards, and alerts to enable your teams to act quickly.
   • Establish a fast feedback loop to capture needs from operations, IT, and customer care, ensuring the intelligence we deliver aligns with the entire airport ecosystem.
   • Track progress with a simple, transparent overview so stakeholders can see how the pilot moves toward success globally and within Turkish operations.
2. Milestones: concrete checkpoints and go/no-go gates
   • M1 – foundation: connect data sources (CIS, CCTV-derived analytics, and service desks), validate data quality, and validate location-sharing controls with privacy safeguards.
   • M2 – first pilot release: deploy AI services to a limited queue scenario and a controlled passenger segment, achieving the initial target latency and accuracy thresholds.
   • M3 – safety and governance: complete risk assessment, ensure information security alignment, and finalize a data-retention policy that supports the entire lifecycle.
   • M4 – expansion plan: publish a shared lessons document, update the capability catalog, and approve a phased scale-up across further bays and partner locations.
   • M5 – readiness for globally distributed rollout: lock in the operating model, support model, and cost framework to drive a massive yet controlled deployment.
3. Scale-up plans: phased rollout, governance, and continuous improvement
   • Phase 1: Turkish core–extend to all major IGA facilities, align with local data-privacy rules, and create a robust information-sharing routine that respects consent and security.
   • Phase 2: regional expansion–include additional airports in the region, establish a common set of APIs, and unify monitoring across locations to achieve a cohesive overview.
   • Phase 3: global deployment–connect global operations, standardize metrics, and enable an autonomous improvement loop that keeps the intelligence fresh and relevant.
   • Scale metrics: measure impact with a clear cost-to-value delta, track meters of data moved, and monitor system reliability to ensure a well-balanced SLA.
   • Governance: maintain a lightweight governance board, with roles defined for security, privacy, and operational excellence to support a shared, well-coordinated effort.
   • People and skills: train Turkish teams and international counterparts in AI-enabled decision-making, emphasizing collaboration so every stakeholder contributes to success.
   • Risks and mitigations: identify potential bottlenecks–data quality, integration gaps, and user adoption–and address them with proactive dashboards and rapid response playbooks.

Partners, vendors, and speakers: mapping the summit’s AI ecosystem at IGA

Establish a single planning nucleus: a cross-functional team that shares a live AI-ecosystem map for partners, vendors, and speakers, hosted within the IGA facility with secure access for staff.

IGA’s program includes tracks that cover fields such as operations, security, passenger services, fuel management, and asset optimization, providing a sector-wide view of innovations and potential across the industry.

Each partner and vendor submits a concise profile detailing capabilities, concrete case studies, and how data is handled, enabling safe sharing and faster decision-making.

Speakers are matched to concrete outcomes: live AI pilots, practical demos, and after-action reviews, through a structured agenda that respects staff time and travel constraints.

The map highlights opportunities across airport operations, including cultural and customer-experience pilots, making the experience enjoyable while reinforcing security and safety standards.

To boost crisis readiness, include a scenario exercise where a data feed fault or AI misroute is simulated; partners show how the system handles it, and truly valuable lessons are captured to guide future responses.

A symbol of trust appears as a transparent vendor wall: it lists security clearances, references, and contact points to share insights and accelerate collaboration.

Practical steps for attendees include joining the live mapping session, visiting some booths, collecting digital badges, scheduling follow-ups, and sharing post-event notes through a secure portal, ensuring continued learning.

Attendees from america and other regions will join a dedicated roundtable to share best practices.