Amadeus is acquiring biometrics and identity technology provider Idemia Public Security (IPS) for €1.2 billion.
Amadeus said the move follows a competitive bid process for the France-based company.
The acquisition, which is expected to close in the middle of 2027, strengthens Amadeus' existing biometric and identity capabilities. In January 2024 Amadeus acquired Vision-Box, a biometric border control specialist, for €320 million. At the time it said it could expand the biometric company's capabilities beyond airports to hotels.
The deal will enable Amadeus to speed up its growth in airport and border technology, "enhancing the company's deliberate strategy to bring biometric identity capabilities into its core travel platform."
"A combined Amadeus-IPS offering will also drive the further digitalization of core travel processes, delivering faster, more secure inter-connectivity between a range of stakeholders. Biometrics allows identity to be verified instantly, enabling faster processing, better security, and more efficient operations," the company said.
The acquisition will also help Amadeus connect touchpoints along the traveler journey as it works towards a more seamless offering from booking, through the airport and on to boarding.
“This demonstrates further our long-term commitment to biometrics as part of our broader platform strategy," said Luis Maroto, president and CEO of Amadeus. "Alongside AI, biometrics is one of the most transformative technologies for delivering fast, convenient and secure end-to-end traveler journeys.”
IPS has approximately 3,300 employees globally and a customer base of more than 600 public and private sector companies. It also offers secure identity services to other areas including government applications.
The acquisition of Idemia is Amadeus' second in 2026, with the company announcing it had acquired SkyLink, an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven corporate travel booking startup in February.