According to SAP Concur data, business travel costs continued to rise in the first half of 2026, with airfare up over 8%, hotel rates up nearly 6%, car rental costs up about 5%, and fuel-related expenses up 22% on average. Despite higher costs, companies largely maintained travel activity, but car rental bookings declined 4%, rail bookings increased 4%, and premium cabin bookings increased 9%.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published its second report under Article 89 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, assessing the interdependencies between aviation safety and socio-economic factors affecting safety-critical personnel. Based on surveys, occurrence data from the European Central Repository, and operational datasets, the report found no substantive safety concerns or systemic causal relationship between socio-economic factors and adverse safety outcomes. However, fatigue and lack of communication were consistent factors, and data limitations were identified. EASA will enhance collaboration with Member States and industry to improve data collection and safety promotion.
Amadeus Travel Intelligence data reveals a surge in travel demand for the August 2026 solar eclipse, with Spain and Iceland seeing significant interest. Flight bookings to airports along the eclipse path increased 25% year-on-year, with Bilbao (+366%), Asturias (+292%), and Valencia (+137%) leading. Hotel occupancy rose 16% and ADR increased 36%. Short stays (1-5 days) grew 57%, and solo travel increased 48%. Top long-haul markets include the USA, Japan, Argentina, and Canada.
A new GBTA study reveals that U.S. business travel spending reached $538.5 billion in 2024, generating $623.8 billion in economic impact, accounting for 2.1% of GDP, supporting 6.7 million jobs, and contributing $148.6 billion in tax revenue. Meetings and events accounted for 40.4% of total spending. Business travel has a multiplier effect, with each dollar generating $1.16 in GDP. The study covers all 50 states, with California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Illinois leading in spending.
Booking.com released the sixth edition of its European Accommodation Barometer, based on a survey of 1,240 executives and managers across 24 markets. Overall, 66% of accommodations expect positive development in the next 12 months, and 60% report a strong economic situation. However, gaps exist between large chains and small independents: 72% of chains report positive economic conditions vs 55% of independents. Cybersecurity readiness also varies, with 94% of large properties feeling prepared vs 60% of small ones.
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism released its 2025 statistical bulletin, showing domestic tourism trips reached 6.522 billion, up 16.2% YoY; domestic tourism spending reached 6.30 trillion yuan, up 9.5%. Inbound tourists reached 154.5 million, up 17.1%; outbound trips by mainland residents reached 148.36 million, up 20.8%. There were 16,994 A-level scenic spots and 7,586 star-rated hotels.
Expedia Group released Unpack '26 Summer, revealing a shift toward domestic travel, with global social conversation about domestic vacations up 77% YoY. The report also highlights trends like hotel hopping, beach readaways, sports events, and set-jetting.
Expedia Group released its Unpack '26 Summer report, showing domestic travel demand dominates summer holiday planning, with global social conversation up 77% YoY and 45% of Britons more interested in UK breaks. The report highlights trends like hotel hopping, sports event divergence, and set-jetting, along with top destinations and international cities with lower hotel rates.
Expedia Group released the first-ever summer edition of its Unpack '26 report, revealing that domestic travel demand dominates summer vacation planning. Social conversation about domestic vacations increased 77% year-over-year globally, with 63% of U.S. travelers planning a domestic trip. The report highlights trends such as hotel hopping, sports-driven travel, and set-jetting, along with top destinations.
A report from SAP Concur reveals that IT leaders see AI adoption putting pressure on their teams, with 86% reporting moderate or higher strain. Top challenges include shortage of development skills (47%), data security concerns (47%), poor internal data quality (42%), difficulty measuring ROI (39%), and change management (38%). The report recommends strengthening data governance, cross-functional collaboration, and phased AI implementation.
Ctrip Corporate Travel released its 11th annual Business Travel Management Market Whitepaper, based on a survey of 1,000 frequent business travelers. Key preferences: domestic short trips (under 2 hours) favor high-speed rail, while trips over 3 hours shift to air; domestic flight durations concentrate in 2-3 hours (55%). Booking habits: domestic air tickets increasingly booked 3-7 days ahead; international hotel last-minute bookings (under 1 day) rose from 24% to 39%. Hotel choices prioritize hygiene, soundproofing, safety, and office facilities.
Amadeus released 'Global Mobility Trends: Decoded, Traveler Insights 2026', based on a survey of 3,000 global travelers. It found 68% are likely to use AI assistants to book transport, with 33% very likely. Over 80% value AI for personalized recommendations, and nearly 80% appreciate post-trip loyalty offers. 47% are willing to share driver's license details in advance to speed up car rental. Only 7% report a completely smooth mobility experience, with top pain points being language barriers (32%) and unexpected costs (31%).
Ctrip Corporate Travel whitepaper shows China's business travel market is expected to grow 9.3% in 2026, with domestic travel trending to lower-tier cities. Cross-border orders for Chinese companies have grown over 30% for three consecutive years, with SME outbound orders up 78% in 2025. Destinations are shifting from traditional developed markets to Belt and Road countries, with Vietnam rising in importance. Cross-border travel management is entering the execution phase, with payment and settlement issues prominent.
Ctrip Corporate Travel released its 2025-2026 Business Travel Management Market Whitepaper, highlighting accelerated AI adoption in business travel. 59% of companies intend to or are trying to integrate AI capabilities with enterprise systems. 53% of business travelers have experienced AI features, with about half saying it improved efficiency. Usage of AI itinerary recommendations, planning, and booking exceeds 65%. Meanwhile, 62% of companies have strengthened cost control, shifting focus to reducing hidden losses.
ACI World released its Policy Agenda 2030 on 5 May 2026 in Montreal, setting out four airport-industry policy priorities: airports as businesses, airport capacity enhancement, safety, security and operations, and sustainable growth and decarbonization. ACI World warned that outdated regulatory frameworks risk constraining global air travel growth, capacity and sustainability, and urged governments and regulators to act on capacity, connectivity, resilience and socio-economic value. The agenda complements ACI World's 2025-2030 Strategic Plan and aligns with the ICAO Strategic Plan 2026-2050.
SAP Concur's CFO Insights report, based on a survey of nearly 1,000 finance leaders, reveals cybersecurity as the top external challenge (46%), with data breaches averaging $4.4 million. Leaders also struggle with AI ROI measurement, data quality, and skills gaps. Recommendations include strengthening governance, using new KPIs for AI ROI, and investing in data foundations and upskilling.
Alibaba Group announced it will report its unaudited financial results for the quarter and fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, before the U.S. market opens on May 13, 2026, and will hold a conference call the same day. Participants must pre-register, with English and Chinese dial-in options. The earnings release and slides will be available on the IR website.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism survey, domestic travel trips reached 1.901 billion in Q1 2026, up 6.0% year-on-year; total spending was 1.86 trillion yuan, up 2.9%. Urban residents made 1.403 billion trips, up 6.5%; rural residents made 498 million trips, up 4.6%.
Amadeus released the Travel Dreams 2026 report, based on surveys of 6,000 travelers and 500 hoteliers. It finds travelers increasingly use travel as a mental health reset, with 41% aspiring to return with a calmer nervous system. Hotels can generate an additional US$1 million annually by retailing personalized attributes like early check-in/late check-out. Sustainability is a key differentiator, with travelers willing to pay an average 11.7% premium for eco-friendly hotels. AI investment is accelerating, but travelers still value human touch.
ACI World published its 2025 rankings of the world's busiest airports on 14 April 2026. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport retained the top spot for total passengers with 106.3 million, followed by Dubai International and Tokyo Haneda; Chicago O'Hare ranked first for aircraft movements. Global total passengers are estimated at 9.8 billion in 2025, up 3.6% year over year; international passengers reached 4.0 billion, up 5.9%; air cargo rose 2.9% to almost 128.9 million metric tonnes. Shanghai Pudong posted the biggest jump in the top 10, rising from 10th to 5th.
A survey commissioned by SAP Concur reveals that business travel is crucial for career growth, but access is uneven. 51% of U.S. adults traveled for work in the past year, with 20% being frequent travelers. 76% believe business travel opens up opportunities, but younger and lower-income groups feel it is out of reach. Frequent travelers enjoy more premium experiences but also face operational strains like expense reporting hassles.
ACI World opened submissions for the 2026 ACI World Airport Innovation Awards on 31 March 2026, inviting airports worldwide to showcase innovation in passenger experience, operations and sustainability. Now in its sixth year, the awards cover four categories: passenger-related processes, operations and installations management, individual innovation leadership, and airports handling 5 million passengers or fewer annually. Submissions close on 16 June 2026 and will be judged by an international expert panel; winners and top-five finalists per category will be announced at the ACI Airports Innovate event in Barcelona from 23 to 25 November 2026.
The Finance Leaders' Fraud Report 2026, published by IFOL and sponsored by SAP Concur, reveals only 22% of finance leaders feel well protected, down from 32% last year. Fraud is harder to detect, AI adoption is insufficient, and training is lacking. 62% of organizations experienced fraud losses in the past three years.
Amadeus Travel Intelligence data shows inbound air bookings to the UK for Easter 2026 (April 2-7) are up 13% from 2025, with hotel bookings up 15%. Families and groups lead growth, each up 22%. India leads origin markets with a 78% increase, followed by Australia and the US, both up 36%.
ACI World's Airport Economics Report shows global passenger traffic reached 9.4 billion in 2024, exceeding 2019 by 4%, but airport revenues remain below pre-pandemic levels. The report urges policymakers to support airport investment to sustain connectivity and economic growth.
The article explores how the strategic alliance between SAP Concur and Amex GBT is redefining business travel through the Complete solution. Both companies emphasize co-development, a unified data layer, and AI at the core to deliver seamless travel and expense experiences. It also discusses NDC complexity, data advantages, and questions for CXOs.
Alibaba Group announced it will report its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, before the US market opens on March 19, 2026, and will hold a conference call the same day. Participants must pre-register, and the earnings release and slides will be available on the IR website.
ACI World announced the 2025 ASQ Customer Experience Awards, showing airports outperforming other industries in customer experience as passenger satisfaction continues to rise. Nearly 707,000 passengers were surveyed in real time, with more than half of the world's air travelers passing through ASQ-rated airports. Border and passport control saw the largest satisfaction gains, while airport ambience and cleanliness were the strongest drivers of overall satisfaction.
Airports Council International (ACI) World released its World Airport Traffic Forecasts 2025-2054, projecting global passenger traffic to reach 10.2 billion in 2026 (+3.9% YoY) and double to 18.8 billion by 2045. The report highlights strong long-term demand but challenges like capacity constraints and uneven regional growth, calling for collective investment in infrastructure.
Amadeus data reveals that airline bookings to the US, Canada, and Mexico for the tournament period (June 5-July 19) are up 15% year-over-year as of January 8, 2026. Following the match schedule release on December 6, 37% of flight bookings have been made. British travelers lead with 18% of international bookings. Hotel occupancy in host cities like Vancouver, Toronto, and Mexico City has risen significantly.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, domestic tourism trips reached 6.522 billion in 2025, up 16.2% year-on-year; spending totaled 6.30 trillion yuan, up 9.5%. Urban residents made 4.996 billion trips, up 14.3%, while rural residents made 1.526 billion trips, up 22.6%.
OAG released its ranking of 2025's busiest airline routes. Jeju (CJU) to Seoul Gimpo (GMP) is the world's busiest route in 2025 with 14.4 million seats scheduled, up 1% versus 2024 but still 17% below 2019 capacity, with seven carriers operating the route. The second and third routes are both in Japan: Sapporo New Chitose-Tokyo Haneda (12.1 million seats) and Fukuoka-Tokyo Haneda (11.5 million seats). The top 10 comprises entirely domestic flights, with nine of ten in Asia Pacific; the only non-Asia Pacific route is fifth-placed Jeddah-Riyadh with 9.8 million seats, up 13% year-on-year, the fastest growth in the top ten. Among cross-border routes, Hong Kong-Taipei leads with 6.8 million sea…
OAG released its 2024 busiest routes rankings based on its Global Airline Schedules Data. Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE) became the world's busiest international route with 6.8 million seats and 48% year-on-year capacity growth, rising from third place last year. Cairo-Jeddah ranked second with 5.5 million seats and 68% growth over five years, while Dubai-Riyadh ranked sixth with 4.3 million seats. Asia Pacific accounted for seven of the top ten international routes and nine of the top ten domestic routes.
OAG's report "Middle East Skies: A New Era of Competition, Capacity and Growth" shows the Middle East aviation market expanded 5% since 2019, the second-fastest growing region globally behind South Asia at 12%. Low-cost carriers now account for 29% of Middle East capacity, more than doubling from 13% in 2014. flynas posted 63% capacity growth in 2024 versus 2019, the region's fastest-growing airline, followed by flydubai at 56%. Emirates and Qatar Airways both ranked among the 2024 top 20 global airlines by capacity.
OAG released its ranking of the world's busiest airports for 2024. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) remains the world's busiest global (international + domestic capacity) airport with 62.7 million seats, up 2% versus 2023 but still 1% below 2019 levels. Dubai International Airport (DXB) is second busiest and the leader in international capacity, with seats up 7% year-on-year to 6.2 million. Tokyo Haneda (HND) is third with 55.2 million seats, up 5%, followed by London Heathrow (LHR) in fourth with 51.5 million seats, the busiest airport in Europe. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) was the fastest growing Top 10 airport with 29% year-on-year capacity growth, r…
OAG analysis shows Asia Pacific total capacity surpassed 2019 by 0.5% in 2024, with domestic markets 4.7% above 2019, led by China and India. International capacity reached 594.8 million seats, one in four globally. Competitive pricing drove fare reductions up to 71% on some routes.
OAG released Megahubs 2025 in its tenth anniversary year. London Heathrow (LHR) ranked the world's top Megahub for a third consecutive year, with international destinations growing 24% over the past decade. Istanbul (IST) surged from 8th to 2nd with a 25% increase in potential connections, where Turkish Airlines operates 79% of flights. Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) completed an all-European top three. Kuala Lumpur (KUL) took joint fourth, the highest-ranked Asian airport and leader in low-cost connectivity, with AirAsia accounting for 36% of flights.
OAG, in collaboration with Microsoft, released a report exploring how AI uses trusted data to address operational challenges like delays and maintenance forecasting. It emphasizes data readiness as key to AI transformation and showcases nine real-world use cases.
OAG released Megahubs 2024, ranking the top 50 most internationally connected airports. London Heathrow (LHR) remained the world's #1, with Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Tokyo Haneda (HND) at #2 and #3. Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) ranked #4, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) #7, New York JFK #6, and Istanbul (IST) #8. The ranking is based on flight data from the busiest day for global aviation between September 2023 and August 2024, which was August 2, 2024.
OAG released its industry report "The Future of the Airline Passenger Experience," examining three areas reshaping modern air travel: flight booking, inflight entertainment, and airline loyalty. The report analyzes how digital platforms and personalized experiences are redefining booking, how inflight entertainment has evolved from communal screens to personalized streaming, and how traditional loyalty models are shifting toward more flexible approaches to engage a new generation of travelers. OAG Chief Commercial Officer Jeremy Burke said the airline industry is undergoing a transformative shift propelled by technology and data.