by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 7:51 PM ET, Mon March 12, 2018
Amadeus Ventures has invested in a start-up computer vision and artificial intelligence company focused on helping airports manage the billions of travelers they handle each year.
The company, CrowdVision, develops software that assists airports with the job of monitoring the flow of passengers in real time to minimize queues and more efficiently manage resources.
The data gathered by CrowdVision is used to improve plans and help airports react decisively to keep travelers moving and make their experience more enjoyable, Amadeus said in a statement.
"Together with CrowdVision, we will be able to help airports to better anticipate and respond to traveler flows for better real-time, planning and investment decisions. We're committed to helping airports improve their operations and performance, because when airports run smoothly, everyone benefits: airports can get more value out of their retail areas, more flights can take off on time, and travelers enjoy better journeys," Suzanna Chiu, head of ventures at Amadeus, said in a statement.
The investment comes at a time when air passenger volumes are growing at a record pace. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently reported that 7.8 billion passengers are expected to travel in 2036. That figure represents a near doubling of the 4 billion travelers that were expected to take to the skies in 2017. What's more, passenger volumes show no sign of slowing down.
CrowdVision's existing airport customers are benefiting from reduced queues and waiting times, leaving passengers to spend more time and more money in retail areas, Amadeus said.
Others have optimized the allocation of staff, desks, e-gates and security lanes to make the most of their existing infrastructure and postpone major capital expenditure on expansions.
"CrowdVision complements the existing Amadeus Airport IT portfolio to deliver additional insights and benefits to customers," said Fiona Strens, CrowdVision's chief executive officer. "Working with Amadeus will give us access to a huge network of airports and travel partners around the world. We're looking forward to helping more airports operate more efficiently so we can all get to where we're going without the stress of crowds."
Amadeus Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Amadeus, invests in start-ups that are at the crossroads of travel and technology.
Amadeus launched this initiative in 2014 and CrowdVision is the latest addition to a portfolio that already includes start-ups such as Situm, Avuxi, Betterez, Bluesmart, BookingPal, Flyr and Yapta.
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