In the world of airline operations, timing is everything. Whether it’s assigning flight and charter crews, managing airport terminals, or getting a caterer access to the right gate at the right time, everything hinges on secure, seamless access to the right systems. And when those systems are mission-critical, identity access is not just about convenience, it’s about safety, compliance, and business continuity.
Recently, we have been working closely with Amadeus, one of the most widely used airline operations platforms and a world-class technology provider powering the global travel and tourism industry. This platform is the backbone for logistics, crew scheduling, flight management, booking management, vendor access, you name it. But despite its widespread use, managing identity and governance controls within it was not simple. Access provisioning and governance was slow and complicated. Revoking access was often manual. External user governance? Even harder. And in the airline industry where every second counts, that’s not good enough.
That’s what led us to build a joint solution, one that brings modern identity security into the heart of aviation operations.
The access problem hiding in plain sight
Think about it. Pilots and stewards need to know where they are flying, when, and with whom. Maintenance staff need limited, timed access to specific terminals.
Catering vendors, contractors, and subcontractors need access to very specific systems, sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for weeks. Now imagine trying to manage all of that with spreadsheets, emails, and manual checks.
That’s the reality many airlines face. And when you are juggling hundreds of flights, thousands of employees, and an ever-evolving regulatory landscape, cracks start to show. Missed deprovisioning. Conflicting access rights. Audit findings. Operational delays.
That’s exactly what we set out to solve.
Building the bridge
We partnered directly with a major airline to co-design an identity connector. And this was not just about plugging into a system, it was about elevating how identity works across the entire flight ecosystem.
We worked collaboratively on leveraging the platform’s APIs, ensuring that our Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) solution could fully automate provisioning, enforce separation of duties, and manage external user access in real time. No more waiting days for someone to get or lose access. No more manual interventions. Just secure, compliant, and fast.
Four big wins
Here is where we saw the biggest impact:
- Real-time onboarding and offboarding – Airline staff and contractors get the access they need exactly when they need it, and lose it the moment they don’t.
- Separation of duties built in – No one gets to both request and approve access. Maker-checker logic is enforced, reducing security risk significantly.
- Governance for external identities – Vendors, caterers, third-party staff—everyone’s access is right-sized and tightly controlled.
- Audit-readiness and visibility, always – With certifications and access reviews baked in, compliance teams get peace of mind without chasing data.
And yes, it’s already live at one of the largest airlines in the world.
What this means going forward
This is not just a technical achievement—it’s a shift in how airlines can think about identity governance. Instead of leaving complex systems outside their governance programs, they can now bring them into the fold, automate the boring (and risky) stuff, and focus on keeping planes moving and passengers safe.
The broader vision here is simple: we want to help every organization bring their most business-critical apps into their identity security strategy. Because it shouldn’t matter how complex or legacy the system is—if it’s essential to your operations, it should be secure, governed, and ready for audit.
Airlines that modernize identity governance around their mission-critical platforms not only strengthen security, they gain the agility to keep crews, vendors, and operations moving at the speed of flight.
To learn more, request a demo today.
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