An official of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has won the ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East Young Executive Award 2025.

Naga Satyanarayana Vattipalli bagged the award for a submission at the ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East’s annual research paper competition.

The topic of this year’s programme was ‘How Artificial Intelligence will Transform Airports and Customer Experience’.

Adoption of AI

In his paper, Mr. Vattipalli explored the opportunities and challenges associated with airports adopting Artificial Intelligence and related technologies to improve the overall passenger experience, regulatory and ethical considerations, sustainability, and environmental impact.

“With the advent of rapid development of technologies, AI is being applied to provide innovation throughout the entire airport experience. The exceptional research papers bring us new visions into the role of AI in aviation, and its potential in enhancing airport operations and passenger experience at large,” said Stefano Baronci, Director General of ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East.

The panel of judges also awarded Honourable Mention to Patrick Su from Airport Authority Hong Kong on his research paper entitled ‘Revolutionising Aviation: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Airports and Passenger Experience’. His research paper examines the impact of AI on airports and customer experience.

Innovative solutions

Introduced in 2009, the ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East Young Executive Award (YEA) is an annual research paper competition that encourages young talent in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions to contribute innovative solutions throughout the entire airport experience.

This is the second consecutive year that an official of BIAL, which operates the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, has bagged this award.

Manoj Kumar Ashok Kumar won the award in 2024 for his paper, which emphasised the urgent need for airports to invest in strong defence mechanisms to protect operational technologies from cyber attacks. His research highlights the importance of implementing advanced cybersecurity measures within the airport community.