Amadeus IT Group has announced its intention to acquire IDEMIA Public Security (IPS) for 1.2 billion EUR, with the aim of expanding its capabilities in biometric identity and border technologies at airports.
The proposed acquisition follows a competitive bidding process and remains subject to regulatory approvals and conditions. Completion is expected by mid-2027.
IPS, headquartered in France, provides biometric and identity solutions to more than 600 customers across public and private sectors. Its services cover areas such as passenger processing, access control, and government-grade identity systems. The company employs around 3,300 people worldwide.
The addition of IPS would strengthen Amadeus’ position in airport and border management technologies, building on its existing connections across airlines, airports, hotels and border authorities.
Decius Valmorbida, President of Travel at Amadeus said:In a fast‑evolving AI‑world the bridging of physical and digital identity will be critical for seamless travel. By combining Amadeus and IPS capabilities we will be able to create more joined‑up travel journeys in the future, better connecting the travel ecosystem and linking the traveler to the different steps of the journey.
The company plans to integrate IPS’s biometric capabilities into its broader technology platform. This is expected to support the use of digital identity across multiple stages of travel, including booking, airport processing and boarding. The combination of systems could enable more automated processes and improve coordination between different parts of the travel sector.
The transaction aligns with Amadeus’ wider strategy to expand its role across the travel ecosystem. By linking biometric identity with existing travel systems, the company aims to increase the number of touchpoints it supports throughout a passenger journey.
Luis Maroto, President and CEO, Amadeus said:This demonstrates further our long‑term commitment to biometrics as part of our broader platform strategy. Alongside AI, biometrics is one of the most transformative technologies for delivering fast, convenient, and secure end‑to‑end traveller journeys. This will enable us to deliver our services across more traveller touch points, in turn reducing friction, and improving the traveller experience, while supporting our ambition to further expand biometric capabilities, extending traveller ID throughout the journey.
The deal follows the company’s 2024 acquisition of Vision-Box, which specialises in biometric systems for travel environments.
The transaction will now proceed through regulatory review before completion. An earn-out arrangement could increase the total value of the transaction to 1.35 billion EUR, depending on future performance.
