FTE APAC Pioneer Awards 2025

Recognising the airports and airlines transforming the passenger experience in Asia-Pacific.
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FTE APAC Pioneer Awards sponsored by:
Amadeus

About the FTE APAC Pioneer Awards

The FTE APAC Pioneer Awards celebrate the airlines and airports across the Asia-Pacific region that are leading the way in improving customer experience and driving innovation. The awards will be presented at APEX FTE EXPO Asia, taking place on 11-12 November 2025 in Singapore.

Past winners include some of the region’s most influential and innovative players such as AirAsia, Changi Airport Group, Cathay Pacific, Incheon Airport, Singapore Airlines, GMR Group, IndiGo, Airport Authority Hong Kong, Narita Airport, and All Nippon Airways – a testament to the prestige and impact of this award.

We are now inviting submissions from airports and airlines that have demonstrated outstanding efforts to embrace innovation, transform the passenger experience, and/or help define the future of the aviation industry. Three airports and three airlines will receive FTE APAC Pioneer Award trophies at APEX FTE EXPO Asia 2025.

Let us know why your organisation deserves to win one of these prestigious awards! Submit your entry by 29 August 2025.

View the FTE APAC Pioneer Awards 2024 winners
FTE Pioneer Award Trophy

What We’re Looking For

We invite airports and airlines from across the Asia-Pacific region to nominate their organisations for outstanding efforts in the following areas. Please note, one submission can include multiple examples. For instance, your submission may include examples of how your organisation is embracing innovation to enhance operations, transform the passenger experience, and help define the future of the industry. The more examples you provide, the better!

Embrace innovation across strategy, operations, or service design

Transform the passenger experience at any stage of the journey

Define the future of the aviation industry through new thinking, bold ideas, or technology leadership

We’re particularly interested in entries that demonstrate measurable or clearly articulated progress in areas such as: Operational Efficiency, Customer Experience, Commercial Performance, and/or Sustainability.

Submissions can reflect achievements over the past 12 months, including organisational change, digital transformation, process improvements, customer and staff enhancement initiatives, infrastructure upgrades, unique service propositions, and more.

Three airports and three airlines will be selected to receive FTE APAC Pioneer Award trophies. All submissions will be reviewed by the FTE team and select members of the FTE Advisory Board, complemented by extensive desk research by the FTE team.

Why You Should Enter the FTE APAC Pioneer Awards

The awards recognise the airlines and airports that are embracing innovation and transforming the passenger experience through new services, technologies, and operational improvements in the Asia-Pacific region.

Showcase your achievements
Tell everyone about your success!

Gain PR opportunities
Let your innovation shine in the spotlight.

Inspire the industry
Share bold ideas and push boundaries.

Organisation-wide recognition
Celebrate your organisation’s dedication and progress.

Generate new business
Connect with new partners and clients.

The FTE APAC Pioneer Awards winners will be announced at APEX FTE EXPO Asia 2025

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore – 11-12 November 2025

Key Dates

Submission Deadline
29 August 2025

Judging
September 2025

Shortlist Announced
September 2025

Winners Announced
11 November 2025


Industry Feedback: Asia’s Most Trusted Aviation Innovation Event

Hear from the leaders shaping the future of air transport at APEX FTE EXPO Asia.

My experience at APEX FTE Asia Expo was excellent. The quality of speakers and the breadth of topics were impressive, but what really stood out was meeting decision-makers that I haven’t encountered at other global shows. For anyone focusing on growth in Asia, this is an incredibly effective platform. The show offers a strong return on investment, with a well-balanced

Max Tremaine, Co-founder & CEO, Sherpa

APEX FTE Asia Expo is a hub for the most innovative minds across airports, airlines, and technology partners. It serves as a catalyst for collaboration and innovation, bringing together industry leaders with a shared goal: redefining the passenger journey. What I enjoy most is discovering new ideas, innovative solutions, and emerging companies, while also learning from partner airlines and sharing

Samson Arega Bekele, Group Vice President Customer Experience, Ethiopian Airlines

APEX FTE Asia Expo has been an exceptional platform for us. We connected with the right ecosystem partners – airlines, IFE and IFC providers, and technology collaborators – who showed strong interest in our VR headsets and participated in high-quality, hands-on demos. The feedback we received was invaluable as we continue refining and scaling our solutions for First and Business

Eric Mizufuka, Strategic Partner Manager, Reality Labs, Meta

This is a community that’s different than a normal show because it’s a big family where we can drive things together...I really love that you have all the ingredients here to work on the passenger experience of tomorrow.

Ingo Wuggetzer, Vice President of Cabin Marketing, Airbus

APEX FTE Asia Expo has been an outstanding experience – especially as a first-time attendee. The diversity and quality of the audience has been incredibly impressive. I’ve made valuable connections with industry professionals from across the region and beyond, including emerging and fast-growing aviation markets. It’s a truly global gathering of the air transport community, and I’m already looking forward

Janine Tan, Sales Executive, LHS

The two days at APEX FTE Asia Expo have been an excellent experience. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to meet colleagues from different airlines, learn from their experiences, and understand the innovative approaches they’re taking to enhance the passenger journey. Equally inspiring has been connecting with service providers offering cutting-edge, AI-driven solutions. The event is a hub for learning, collaboration,

Anjali Birla, Vice President – Customer Strategy, Air India

This was my second time attending APEX FTE Asia Expo, and once again it has been an inspiring experience. I particularly value the FTE Communities working groups, where industry peers actively share ideas, sparking new insights and inspiration. The event is a unique opportunity to connect with old friends and meet new colleagues from around the world, exchanging knowledge on

Tomoyuki Kikuchi, Head of Innovation, Ground Handling Planning, All Nippon Airways

What stands out most about APEX FTE Asia Expo is the quality of the visitors. The conversations we’ve had have been focused, relevant, and commercially meaningful. We’ve generated a strong pipeline of highly qualified leads and connected with decision-makers who are actively exploring new solutions. If the quality of networking sessions and attendees continues at this level – or improves

Derek Ong, Senior Director, Commercial & Strategic Partnerships, LHS

As a first-time exhibitor and a startup, APEX FTE Asia Expo has been a fantastic experience from start to finish. The team was incredibly supportive throughout the booking process, making it easy to navigate and ensuring we felt set up for success. The quality of visitors to our booth exceeded expectations. We connected with decision-makers, experienced aviation professionals, and even

Brenna Murphy, Owner, Secure Horizons International

APEX FTE Asia Expo is always a valuable experience for us. It provides the perfect platform to reconnect with existing customers, engage with future prospects, and strengthen relationships with key partners across the Asia Pacific region. The quality of attendees is consistently high – knowledgeable professionals who ask insightful questions and are actively seeking solutions to real operational challenges. That

Dimitrios Tsirangelos, Vice President Business Development IFE Technology & Innovation, Spafax

It’s always a pleasure to return to Singapore for APEX FTE Asia Expo. The week began with the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group at the Meta offices, providing a valuable forum to discuss the future of baggage handling and operational transformation. We were also proud to present our immersive technologies and how we are using them to enhance baggage operations

Mark Lakerveld, Executive Director Strategy & Markets, Vanderlande

This was Gispol’s first time participating at APEX FTE Asia Expo, and it proved to be a valuable platform for building brand awareness in the region. As we continue expanding our presence within the airline industry, it was important for us to showcase our capabilities and engage directly with the Asia Pacific market. We made several interesting new contacts and

Tjeerd van Zanen, Business Development Director, Gispol

Our experience at APEX FTE Asia Expo this year has been wonderful. Having previously participated in the Global events in Long Beach, it was fantastic to join the Singapore event for the first time and connect directly with Asia Pacific airlines. We were able to meet several carriers for the first time, reconnect with existing customers, and showcase our latest

Emma Stuart, Marketing Manager, Bodd

What sets APEX FTE Asia Expo apart is the quality of networking and engagement. From the first-night networking event, we had the chance to meet other suppliers and airline representatives, sparking meaningful conversations and potential collaborations. For us, it’s quality over quantity – even though we don’t have extensive business yet in this region, the calibre of the people we

Nicky Slater, Airline Business Development Manager, ITW Envopak

Our overall experience at APEX FTE Asia Expo has been extremely positive. The event offered fantastic opportunities to network with airports, airlines, third-party providers, and technology partners from the region and beyond. We were able to make meaningful inroads in target markets and establish valuable new contacts. The FTE Communities sessions at the Meta offices were particularly fascinating, providing insights

Josh Bakhbakhi, Vice President Growth – APAC, CAVU

APEX FTE Asia Expo has been a wonderful experience for our team from across the globe. The event provides an excellent opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, meet potential vendors and partners, and engage with the event staff, who are always fantastic to work with. We keep returning because of the exceptional quality of visitors – from airlines and airports to

Bill Carleton, Director, NEC

APEX FTE Asia Expo in Singapore has been an excellent experience. The participation from airlines was strong, with C-level executives and key decision-makers attending from both existing and potential customers. The conference sessions covered relevant topics, and the audience engagement – including insightful questions about our new products – was very valuable. The social events were a highlight, providing a

Alain Beaumont, Sales Director IFEC, RAVE Aerospace (formerly Safran Passenger Innovations)
Event Overview

Vital Event Information

APEX FTE EXPO Asia 2026 - Uniting the World in Singapore

For the first time, APEX EXPO and FTE Asia Expo unite as one global platform.

This year, we build on 15 years of extraordinary momentum as our long-running regional show transforms into a true global mega-event. APEX FTE EXPO Asia 2026 (formerly FTE Asia and FTE APEX Asia Expo) combines the unrivalled customer experience heritage of APEX with Future Travel Experience’s long-established regional innovation platform.

This powerful collaboration creates the industry’s most comprehensive platform for passenger experience and innovation – connecting airline, airport and technology leaders from across APAC and beyond to showcase the ideas, solutions and partnerships redefining the future of travel.

Event
APEX FTE EXPO Asia 2026
Date
- November 2026
Location
Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore

Media Partners

APEX Daily Experience - APEX FTE EXPO Asia Media Partner
PAX Tech - APEX FTE EXPO Asia Media Partner
Travel Voice Japan - APEX FTE EXPO Asia Media Partner