At the 20th anniversary edition of FTE Global, which took place in Dallas, Texas, on 8 to 10 September 2026, Air Canada Vice President of Customer Experience and Service Operations Tom Stevens participated in an insightful Keynote Fireside Chat, focusing on how the airline uses artificial intelligence (AI), better information, and new technology to make the passenger journey more proactive and personal. In conversation with Atlanta News First On Air Personality Savannah Louie, Stevens discussed disruption recovery, frontline empowerment, baggage, accessibility, and Air Canada’s Airbus A321XLR, which he said already delivers an NPS score about 11 points higher than the airline’s standard aircraft. 

As the 20th anniversary of FTE Global wrapped up in Dallas last week, the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and Future Travel Experience (FTE) provided a look ahead to the range of passenger experience and innovation events on the calendar in the coming months. This included the announcement of another move for FTE Global in 2027, this time to Las Vegas, where the event will again be co-located with IFSA Global EXPO. 

At the 20th anniversary edition of FTE Global, which took place in Dallas, Texas, on 8 to 10 September 2026, American Airlines Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Heather Garboden outlined an accelerated investment plan that could bring nearly one new, renovated, or expanded lounge experience to the airline’s network per month on average over the next two to three years. In the compelling keynote, Garboden also discussed American’s investments across four key priorities concerning the passenger experience: disruption management, team member interactions, digital technology and data, and premium service.

At the 20th anniversary edition of FTE Global, which took place in Dallas, Texas, on 8 to 10 September 2026, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Lauren Woods, participated in a compelling Keynote Fireside Chat focused on ‘How Southwest Airlines will use technology to achieve its aim to be the world’s most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline’. In conversation with Future Travel Experience Managing Director Max Gosney, Woods discussed how data, artificial intelligence (AI), and new employee tools can make travel easier, improve reliability, and help employees take better care of customers. 

Rosen Aviation and Axinom today announce a new Connected Seatback Platform, a cloud-powered, light-weight, wireless seatback platform in which the screen operates as the airline’s own digital surface in the air, with use cases far beyond in-flight entertainment. The joint solution combines displays provided by Rosen Aviation with Axinom’s software platform, and together the two companies are uniquely positioned to make this a genuinely new approach to the seatback in a LEO-connected world. It gives airlines a single foundation for entertainment, commerce, loyalty, disruption management, and any other service they choose to build, with the cloud serving as the brain.

At APEX’s Future Travel Experience Global 2026, Virgin Voyages SVP Fleet Experience Nicole Huang challenged airline and airport leaders to judge artificial intelligence by a different standard: not how much it automated, but how well it helped people listen, understand, and act. Her argument came alive through three small gestures: a rose, two glasses of Pinot Noir, and two carafes of sparkling water. “AI only provides context,” Huang reflected. “Human beings interpret the nuance and act on it.” The future of artificial intelligence in travel arrived on stage at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center...

The Crystal Cabin Award returns in 2027 with eight categories that once again recognise innovation and excellence in the aircraft cabin industry. The categories for Crystal Cabin Award 2027 include awards for accessibility, breakthrough start-ups, aircraft cabin concepts, cabin technologies, IFEC & digital services, passenger comfort, sustainable cabin and university. In addition to next year’s awards, the Crystal Cabin Award and the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) are launching a new distinction dedicated to innovations that connect the aircraft cabin with the wider travel experience. 

Ajith Balakumar, CEO of Forthcode discusses how for the past two years, much of the aviation industry’s conversation about artificial intelligence has focused on customer-facing applications but a shift is now taking place. Chatbots. Automated service. Personalised offers. Generative trip planning. These applications matter, but they represent only the beginning of what artificial intelligence (AI) could mean for airlines. The more significant shift now taking place is behind the scenes. AI is moving from answering questions to helping airlines make and execute decisions across increasingly complex operational environments. That distinction is important.

Latvia’s flag carrier airBaltic has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States, launching a court-supervised restructuring to reduce its debt while keeping flights operating. Air Baltic Corporation and certain subsidiaries voluntarily filed with the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on September 14, 2026. The airline said scheduled flights, ticket sales, reservations and customer services would continue normally throughout the process. Existing tickets, vouchers and credits remain valid.

Korean Air has announced that its complimentary high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi powered by Starlink will become available on board this week. Korean Air’s passengers will be offered the new broadband connectivity on select flights so they can stream, work, and stay online in the cabin the same way they would at home. The airline says the launch of the high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi establishes Korean Air as the first full-service carrier in East Asia to introduce Starlink connectivity and marks an initial milestone in Korean Air’s broader fleet modernisation roadmap ahead of the airline’s merger with Asiana Airlines.

Eutelsat has signed an Authorisation to Proceed (ATP) with Airbus Defence and Space for the initial industrial activities required to build 229 additional OneWeb satellites. These spacecraft will supplement the 440 satellites already procured from Airbus and due for delivery and launch shortly, bringing the total number of new OneWeb satellites manufactured by Airbus to 669. The new batch is intended to maintain and enhance service continuity across the OneWeb constellation. The satellites will be produced at Airbus Defence and Space’s Toulouse facility, which is already manufacturing previous batches. Eutelsat says this approach supports production continuity and a consistent delivery rate.

SkyTeam carrier  Delta Air Lines is doubling down in the City of Angels, with five new nonstop routes from  Los Angeles International Airport(LAX). The airline recently announced that it would connect Los Angeles to Monterey (MRY), bringing the Atlanta-based carrier's new route plans to five destinations between October and next April. It is highly expected that the airline will announce even more new nonstop flights from Los Angeles; the five already known include Manila, Vancouver, Newark, Palm Beach, and now Monterey. This takes the airline's total number of routes from LAX to 64, and most importantly, adds two additional international links to Canada and the Philippines.

DFMi found a sweet spot on the IFSA Global EXPO show floor last week with the debut of JOYRIDE. DFMi tells PAX International that the “uncommon candy” drew strong demand from airlines and buyers, with several expressing interest in bringing the brand on board. Founded by Tyler Merrick in 2022, JOYRIDE set out to create plant-based, low-sugar, non-GMO candy. Merrick partnered with YouTuber and former Division I athlete Ryan Trahan to develop sweets made without artificial flavors or colors, synthetic dyes or preservatives.