Europe’s busiest airport and the world’s most connected megahub has selected Netcompany as its primary digital operations partner. Heathrow is embarking on an ambitious journey to reshape the passenger experience for over 80 million travellers every year.

Netcompany has been chosen to develop Heathrow’s new digital operational backbone. Already powering some of Europe’s leading airports, the digital solution, AIRHART, unifies all operational systems and real- time data in one platform. This means greater situational awareness, smarter AI-driven decision support, and streamlined operations – ensuring Heathrow runs efficiently and reliably.

The agreement also marks a strong example of the importance of choosing future-proof, European- developed digital solutions – a key message in Netcompany’s Stand Tall Europe campaign. As an inspiring European tech leader, Netcompany continues to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty while delivering innovation with global impact.

“This partnership with Heathrow reflects Netcompany’s deep commitment to the UK market and to delivering technology that supports the nation’s most critical infrastructure. Heathrow is not just a gateway to Britain, it is an economic engine, and ensuring its operations are powered by a resilient, future-ready digital platform is a responsibility we take seriously. By bringing AIRHART’s proven capabilities to the UK’s busiest airport, we are combining European-scale expertise with local delivery strength to set a new standard for how major airports harness AI and real-time data to serve millions of passengers.” says Richard Davies, UK Country Managing Partner, Netcompany.

With a proven track record at major European hubs like Copenhagen and Munich, AIRHART is already handling mission-critical airport operations at scale.

Heathrow’s Chief Operating Officer, Javier Echave, said: “As one of the world’s busiest airports and the UK’s only hub, it is essential that the technology which sits behind our operations can withstand the test of time, not only serving us effectively today but also positioning us strongly for the future. With that in mind, we’re delighted to be partnering with Smarter Airports and Netcompany, using the AIRHART system which will provide us with a flexible, integrated platform to orchestrate critical processes with. This programme will play a central role behind the scenes to ensure we continue delivering for both our passengers and customers in the years ahead.”

This multi-year agreement marks a bold step toward redefining global airport operations, positioning Heathrow as a model for how digital innovation can transform critical infrastructure worldwide.

Netcompany to power Heathrow’s digital ambitions

Programme scope

The AIRHART programme at Heathrow will deliver a modern orchestration platform underpinning several core operational capabilities, including:

• Airport Operational Database (AODB) – replacing Heathrow’s existing systems with a next- generation data foundation.
• Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) – enhancing collaboration and situational awareness across the airport community.
• Airport Operations Plan (AOP) – enabling a predictive, continuously optimised operational plan aligned with European and global standards.

While these capabilities will be delivered as part of the programme, the broader significance lies in Heathrow’s adoption of the AIRHART Airport Operations Orchestration Platform (AOOP model), future- proofing its operations through a scalable platform that can evolve in line with changing needs, industry innovation, and the application of advanced technologies such as AI.

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