New Delhi: Air Canada, Virgin Australia and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) have been named the three finalists in the Battle of the Airline Apps, a competition that is part of the World Aviation Festival (WAF), taking place from 13 to 15 October 2026 in Lisbon.
The contest focuses on innovation in airline mobile technology, according to the festival’s press release. The finalists will demonstrate how their apps are reshaping the passenger journey across booking, check-in, in-flight engagement and post-travel loyalty programmes.
Three airlines, three digital strategies
The airline representatives — Carlos Faxas, VP Digital Products at Air Canada, Dan Fischer, Head of Digital Product, Strategy & Design at Virgin Australia, and Massimo Pascotto, VP Digital Customer Experience at SAS — will present and defend their mobile app strategies before a panel of industry experts.
The panel comprises Suzanna Chiu, head of Amadeus Ventures at Amadeus, Ann Cederhall, owner of travel business consulting firm LeapShift, Mark Lenahan, consultant at Lenahan Consulting Ltd, Glenn Morgan, partner at investment firm SkiesFifty, and Jonas von Kruechten, principal advisor at advisory firm Dgtlsky.
“The real value of the competition lies in hearing airlines explain their design choices and digital investments,” said Daniel Boyle, General Manager of Transport at organiser Terrapinn.
“This year, three very different carriers will put their mobile strategies before the judges, giving attendees a closer look at some of the brightest approaches shaping how airlines interact with their customers,” he added.
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What the finalists are bringing
The contenders arrive with fresh credentials.
Virgin Australia’s May 2026 app upgrade lets passengers bid for upgrades and choose Fly Ahead or Fly Later options. The app also offers a new domestic check-in experience that replaces kiosks with an integrated bag tag-and-drop system, which the airline says can cut check-in and bag drop time by up to 50%.
Air Canada’s app offers turn-by-turn airport directions and walk times at 12 airports, including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, allowing users to navigate busy airports, including finding terminals and connecting gates.
Both carriers were also part of the initial group of airlines supporting Apple’s enhanced boarding passes, which show live flight updates.
The SAS app opens check-in 22 hours before departure, lets travellers add extras such as lounge access and upgrades, and holds EuroBonus members’ digital card and SAS Smart Pass.
Previous winners
Qatar Airways won the competition at WAF 2025, while Lufthansa Group took the title in 2024 and United Airlines won in 2023.
World Aviation Festival 2026 will feature 600 speakers across 16 conference tracks and is expected to draw more than 4,500 aviation professionals.
Edited by Maryam Hassan