The second FTE Communities Live Day event of 2025 took place on 7 April 2025, hosted by Iberia at its Madrid headquarters. Over 100 members of the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group and FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub engaged in an inspiration-filled joint meeting, with compelling presentations, collaborative discussions and valuable networking. Additionally, FTE Hub members benefitted from a guided tour of Iberia’s state-of-the-art MRO facility at Madrid-Barajas Airport.
Learn more about the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group >> Learn more about the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub >>Exclusive FTE Hub tour of Iberia’s state-of-the-art MRO facility at Madrid-Barajas Airport
The FTE Communities Live Day began with an exclusive tour of Iberia’s state-of-the-art MRO facility at Madrid-Barajas Airport for FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub members.
Inspirational presentations from Iberia, IAG, Aena, Spanish Aviation Tech Hub, and IDEMIA
Members of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub and the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group convened for an action-packed joint meeting at Iberia’s Madrid headquarters. After welcomes and introductions from Darin Juby, Head of Transformation, Future Travel Experience and Kevin Kleist, Head of Emerging Trends, Southwest Airlines and Head of Innovation & Startup Engagement,
Future Travel Experience, Iberia and International Airlines Group (IAG) delivered a truly compelling presentation. It was standing room only as Martin Beitia Salaberria, Head of Innovation, Design & Research, Iberia; Marta de Dalmases Herrero, Open Innovation Lead, Iberia; and Harvey Tate, Head of Airport Innovation, IAG, shared fascinating insights into Iberia’s transformation journey and the new IAGi Accelerator and Ventures. They discussed how “innovation is about creating value through something new, as the spark that lights up transformation”, further sharing how Iberia and IAG achieve this “with a variety of transversal teams supporting the business”.
Pablo Lopez Loeches, Head of Ideation & Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Customer Experience Directorate, delivered a truly insightful presentation focused on ‘Robotics and autonomy across Aena’s airport network’. He shared insights into four key areas: Aena’s innovation strategy, remote and autonomous jet bridges, autonomous vehicles in the airside, and autonomous wheelchairs.
Íñigo Valenzuela, CEO & Founder, Smartvel and Founding Member, Spanish Aviation Tech Hub (SATH) then provided a compelling overview of the SATH, including contributions from members such as bob, which is building an end-to-end baggage tracking system; caravelo – a travel subscription company; BIGBLUE Analytics – AI-powered disruption management for airline operations; Deal Engine – software that automates refunds for airlines; PionAirLaw – a legal tech startup that automates the defence of passenger claims for refunds; and Immfly – a provider of innovative onboard digital solutions for airlines.
IDEMIA’s Raphaël Bejar, Head of Partnerships – IPS Travel & Transport, delivered a fascinating presentation on the ALIX AI-powered luggage identification solution, developed in partnership with Air France, which provides a “biometrics for bags” approach.
Interactive panel on robotics and autonomy
A truly interactive panel on robotics and autonomy was moderated by Darin Juby, Head of Transformation, Future Travel Experience and Kevin Kleist, Head of Emerging Trends, Southwest Airlines and Head of Innovation & Startup Engagement, Future Travel Experience, and featured panellists including Kevin Wilcox, CEO, CLX Engineering; Idar Sørgjerd, Department Manager – BHS, Tech & Operational Excellence, Avinor; Kristen Berndt, Director Below the Wing Strategy & Innovation, United Airlines; and Kellen Schroeter, CEO, Pattern. It was fantastic to see such a high level of collaboration and engagement between the panellists and audience.
The next in-person meetings of the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group and FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub take place on 13 May 2025 alongside the FTE World Innovation Summit, hosted by Pittsburgh International Airport on 13-15 May 2025.
See the FTE World Innovation Summit agenda >> Register for the FTE World Innovation Summit >>Mark your diary for FTE’s upcoming events
- 13-15 May 2025: FTE World Innovation Summit, Pittsburgh (including meetings of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub and FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group)
- 10-12 June 2025: APEX FTE EMEA / Ancillary & Retailing, Dublin (including meetings of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub; FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group; and FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group)
- 9 to 11 September 2025: FTE Global, co-located with APEX/IFSA Global EXPO, Long Beach (including meetings of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub; FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group; and FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group)
- 11-12 November 2025: APEX FTE Asia Expo, Singapore (including meetings of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub; FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group; and FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group)
