Travel Weekly Group Ltd

✈ Air New Zealand passengers can now use Apple's ‘Find My’ feature to track lost luggage with an AirTag. Launched in the Air NZ app in September 2023, the service allows both airline and passengers to use a live location link to find delayed or mishandled bags. The airline's Chief Digital Officer, Nikhil Ravishankar, highlights the added security this provides. Users can generate a location link from the Find My app and share it with the Baggage Tracing team for updated location tracking with timestamps.

📅 Global business travel industry projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2028. 💰 Black Box Technologies reveals 100% of corporate travel buyers demand urgent action on fragmentation. ✅ To combat inefficiencies, TMCs embrace AI, automation, and machine learning for optimized productivity. 🚀 Gen A expectations include consumer-grade, personalized solutions as they join the workforce in three years. 📍 Sammit Khanndeparkar of London Stock Exchange underscores TMCs' strategic partnership role. ✍ TMCs focus on ROI, with AI-powered platforms and collaboration to reduce fragmentation and align with future demands.

💻 In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, fewer companies see legacy technology as a barrier to digitalization in 2024 (23%) compared to 2022 (33%), per Eaton's study. This change is attributed to advances in AI and ML. Demand for data centres is rising due to AI, with 42.3% upgrading facilities, 38.6% expanding capacity, and 32.8% improving IT performance. Utilities expect up to 49% more grid capacity needs in the next decade. Manufacturers view AI as key for ESG goals (66%) and energy optimization (55%). Large building owners (54%) plan to install management systems within a year to optimize energy use. Eaton's Brightlayer software aids businesses in digital transformation through AI, ML, and big data.

💰 Qi, in partnership with Ant International, launched SuperQi in July 2024, aiming to digitize financial services in Iraq. SuperQi has 11 million cardholders and 5 million mobile app users, targeting over 15 million users by 2027. It offers a digital lifestyle super app and integrated digital bank, available in Arabic, English, and Kurdish. The platform has over 20,000 POS merchants, 10,000 cash-out agents, and projects to engage over 30% of Iraq's population by 2026. Qi's efforts have increased the banked rate from 5% to nearly 50%.

☁️ Infobip supports Qatar's digital transformation by leveraging Microsoft Azure Cloud. Aiming to enhance customer engagement and meet Qatar National Vision 2030 goals, Infobip offers AI-powered platforms and omnichannel services. With a committed local team in Doha, they ensure data residency compliance, direct connectivity with Qatari telecoms, and service availability through Azure Marketplace.

🚗 Eaton, set to broaden its EV charger lineup in 2025, will offer the Green Motion Duo capable of charging two vehicles at once with up to 22 kW each, and the Green Motion 30 and 60 for fast commercial charging. These chargers align with Eaton's Buildings as a Grid approach, providing energy efficiency, cost savings, and potential revenue generation. They support AC/DC options, feature Environmental Product Declarations for lifecycle integrity, and are designed for easy installation, boasting 25% quicker setup than the industry standard. Eaton ensures reliability with warranties and local service support, emphasizing their chargers' use of recycled plastics and remote monitoring capabilities. Preorders are currently open.

🚀 beOnd, the first premium leisure airline, has partnered with ZYTLYN Technologies to accelerate growth via AI-driven marketing, which could boost ROI by up to 350%. The technology provides predictive analytics for strategic planning and autonomous marketing orchestration. Dhaz Hunjan, CCO of beOnd, emphasizes innovation for customer experience, while ZYTLYN's Houman Goudarzi notes AI's revolutionary role in the industry. The platform allows integration with revenue management for enhanced control.