In 2025, the most exciting competition in aviation isn’t happening at the gates or on the runways. It’s happening in our pockets!
The World Aviation Festival (WAF) is bringing back its crowd-favourite Battle of the Airline Apps, where leading carriers will face off live on stage to prove which mobile app makes flying smarter, smoother, and more rewarding.
Taking place from 7–9 October 2025 in Lisbon, the showdown gives travellers and industry insiders alike a rare chance to see how airlines are reimagining the passenger journey, from one-tap booking and hassle-free check-in to in-flight engagement and loyalty rewards that actually matter.
Meet the digital challengers
Five global airlines, inlcuding two from the Middle East, are stepping into the spotlight this year, each bringing their own spin on innovation:
- Qatar Airways: Christoph Guittard, SVP Business to Customer
- Air India: Satya Ramaswamy, Chief Digital and Technology Officer
- Copa Airlines: speaker to be confirmed
- Saudia: speaker to be confirmed
- Air Canada: Carlos Faxas, Managing Director, Ops Mod and Tech Enablement
The competition isn’t just about sleek design or flashy features – it’s about how well these apps deliver real-world convenience for passengers while driving loyalty, efficiency, and commercial growth for airlines.
Judged by passenger experience pros
This isn’t a popularity contest, but a serious digital stress test. A heavyweight panel of passenger experience and aviation tech leaders will question, critique, and ultimately crown the winner:
- Anne De Hauw: Founder, In Air Travel Experience
- Oliver Schmitt: MD Digital Hangar & SVP Digital Customer Solutions, Lufthansa Group
- Seth Miller: Founder, PaxExAero
- Mark Lenahan: Consultant & Director, Lenahan Consulting Ltd
- Hosted by Henry Harteveldt: Travel Industry Analyst, Atmosphere Research
For the audience, it’s a front-row seat to see how airlines are tackling the challenge of blending automation with a human touch, and what “next-gen customer experience” really looks like.
What’s in it for travellers?
For passengers, the outcome of this battle could shape the apps we’ll be tapping into on our next trips. We’re thinking things like:
- Fewer queues and overall less stress at airports
- Personalised offers that are innovative, useful, but not pushy
- In-flight content and upgrades that add value to the journey(s)
- Loyalty perks that actually make travelling more rewarding or compelling
“The Battle of the Airline Apps is more than a competition; it’s a live case study in how airlines are reimagining the digital passenger journey. With this year’s stellar line-up of finalists and judges, we expect bold ideas, healthy debate, and plenty of inspiration for the aviation industry and beyond.” – Daniel Boyle, General Manager of Transport at WAF organiser Terrapinn
Beyond the battle: WAF 2025’s big picture
The app showdown is just one highlight of a packed World Aviation Festival programme. This year’s event will see an expected 4,500 aviation professionals, 600+ speakers and 400 exhibitors coming together to share insights and innovations.
The festival will dive into the hottest aviation topics, including AI and machine learning, airline retailing, sustainability, digital transformation, and the future of customer experience. For the aviation industry, WAF 2025 isn’t just another conference – it’s where the future of flying takes shape.
Head to WAF 2025 for more details and to register.
