How Antom Enables Smarter Payments and Digital Transformation for Airlines
As global travel demand rebounds and international routes expand, airlines are accelerating their digital transformation strategies to support cross-border growth.
But scaling globally introduces new operational challenges.
Airlines must manage complex cross-border transactions, support diverse local payment preferences, optimize foreign exchange exposure, and maintain strong risk management frameworks - all while delivering a seamless booking experience for passengers worldwide.
Today, payments are no longer just a backend function. They are a critical component of airline revenue growth, customer experience, and financial efficiency.
To support this transformation, more than ten major airlines including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, and Hong Kong Airlines have partnered with Ant International’s Antom to strengthen their global payment infrastructure, optimize treasury operations, and enhance passenger engagement.
One Integration to Access Global Payment Methods
Traditionally, airlines needed to integrate with multiple payment service providers to support global customers.
This often created significant technical complexity, operational overhead, and fragmented data across payment channels.
Antom simplifies this process through a single integration that connects airlines to 300+ global payment methods, including:
- Credit and debit cards
- Digital wallets
- Bank transfers
- Regional alternative payment methods
This enables airlines to accept payments from travelers across 200+ markets while supporting 100+ settlement currencies.
For airlines, this reduces integration costs and system maintenance complexity.
For passengers, it creates a smoother and more localized ticket purchasing experience.
Airlines can implement this through Antom Payment Orchestration, which connects payment providers, optimizes routing, and manages global transactions through a unified platform.
AI-Powered Payments That Improve Transaction Performance
Payment success rates directly impact airline revenue. Even small improvements in transaction approval rates can translate into significant revenue gains for high-volume travel platforms.
Antom applies artificial intelligence to optimize payment performance through intelligent transaction routing.
Using Antom Payment Orchestration, airlines can dynamically route transactions to the most effective payment processor in real time, increasing approval rates and reducing payment failures.
At the same time, Antom Shield continuously monitors transactions for potential fraud, helping airlines mitigate risks while maintaining smooth payment experiences for legitimate travelers.
This combination of AI-powered routing and real-time risk management enables airlines to maximize conversion rates while protecting revenue.
Enhancing Passenger Engagement Through Payment Ecosystems
Payments are also an important touchpoint in the airline customer journey.
Antom’s AI-driven marketing engine A+Rewards connects airlines with 11 major Asian digital wallets, enabling airlines to deliver localized promotions and targeted offers directly within payment ecosystems.
With privacy-first marketing capabilities, airlines can:
- Launch localized promotions in specific markets
- Drive ticket purchase conversions
- Strengthen passenger loyalty and engagement
This transforms payments from a simple checkout function into a strategic marketing channel.
Simplifying Airline Treasury and Financial Operations
Airline payment flows are complex.
Revenue originates from multiple channels including:
- Direct ticket sales
- Online travel agencies (OTAs)
- Distribution partners
- Global booking platforms
Managing settlement, reconciliation, and refunds across these channels can create operational inefficiencies.
With Antom Business Account, airlines can consolidate and manage payment flows across direct and indirect sales channels through a unified financial management platform.
Key benefits include:
- Simplified reconciliation across payment channels
- Greater visibility into global funds movement
- More efficient settlement management
- Real-time treasury insights for operational decision-making
This enables airlines to streamline financial operations while maintaining stable and transparent cash flow management.
AI-Powered Foreign Exchange Optimization
For airlines operating globally, foreign exchange volatility can significantly impact financial performance.
Ant International has developed a proprietary AI forecasting model known as “Eagle Sequence”, which applies transformer-based time-series prediction technology to forecast FX exposure across multiple time horizons — hourly, daily, and weekly with up to 90% prediction accuracy.
This enables airlines to better time foreign exchange transactions related to:
- Ticket revenue settlement
- Aircraft leasing payments
- Aviation fuel procurement
- Global operational expenses
As a result, airlines can manage currency exposure more effectively and improve financial planning.
Why Payments Are Becoming a Strategic Priority for Airlines
The aviation industry is one of the most globally interconnected sectors in the world.
With customers booking flights across borders, currencies, and digital ecosystems, payments play a critical role in ensuring seamless global travel experiences.
According to Gary Liu, CEO of Antom and Senior Vice President of Ant International, the future of aviation will depend heavily on stronger payment infrastructure.
“Air travel is one of the most globalized industries and involves some of the most complex cross-border transaction scenarios. Antom will continue working with Ant International’s ecosystem to strengthen payments, treasury management, and risk capabilities for our partners - helping more companies build resilient global operations and achieve sustainable growth.”
Global Recognition in Travel Payments
Antom’s capabilities in the travel sector have also been recognized globally.
At the World Travel Tech Awards, Antom was named World’s Best B2B Travel Payment Provider for the second consecutive year in 2025.
Beyond aviation, Antom supports global merchants across industries including:
- eCommerce
- Digital entertainment and gaming
- Travel and mobility
- Food and hospitality
- AI applications and digital platforms
Through its integrated payment and digital commerce infrastructure, Antom helps businesses worldwide expand into new markets and connect with global consumers.
The Future of Global Aviation Will Be Digital
As international travel continues to evolve, airlines must build stronger digital capabilities to remain competitive.
Payments, treasury management, and data-driven infrastructure will become key drivers of operational efficiency and customer experience.
For airlines expanding globally, investing in intelligent payment systems will be essential to support long-term growth.
FAQ
What payment methods should airlines support for global customers?
Airlines should support a combination of global card networks, regional digital wallets, bank transfers, and alternative payment methods. Localized payment options significantly improve booking conversion rates in international markets.
How do payment orchestration platforms help airlines?
Payment orchestration platforms allow airlines to integrate multiple payment providers through a single system. This simplifies global payment acceptance, improves transaction routing, and increases approval rates while reducing operational complexity.
Why are digital wallets important for airline payments?
Digital wallets are widely used across Asia, Latin America, and emerging markets. Supporting local wallet payments helps airlines reach more travelers and reduce checkout friction during ticket purchases.
How can airlines reduce payment fraud risk?
Airlines can reduce fraud risk by implementing AI-driven fraud detection systems that monitor transactions in real time and identify suspicious patterns while minimizing false positives.
What financial challenges do airlines face when expanding globally?
Key challenges include managing cross-border payments, handling foreign exchange volatility, reconciling multi-channel revenue streams, and complying with international financial regulations.
