[Prague, May 22, 2024] — Travelers passing through Rome Fiumicino, Amsterdam Schiphol, and Václav Havel Airport Prague are now encountering a high-tech addition to their pre-flight routine: AI-powered skincare consultations. Lagardère Travel Retail has integrated Perfect Corp.’s Skincare Pro technology into its beauty outlets, transforming the traditional duty-free browsing experience into a data-driven personal consultation.

The integration of artificial intelligence into the retail environment aims to eliminate the guesswork associated with purchasing cosmetics in a high-pressure airport setting. Rather than manually scanning shelves, passengers can now utilize a digital interface to identify specific dermatological needs and receive immediate, tailored product matches.

AI Analysis Targets 12 Specific Skin Concerns

The Skincare Pro system operates by conducting a comprehensive digital analysis of the user's skin. The technology is programmed to detect and evaluate 12 distinct skin concerns, ensuring a level of precision previously unavailable in self-service airport retail.

The AI specifically monitors for:

  • Wrinkles and firmness
  • Pores and texture
  • Spots and acne
  • Dark circles and eye bags
  • Redness and oiliness
  • Moisture levels and radiance

Once the analysis is complete, the system filters a curated catalog of approximately 200 skincare products from 11 global brands. This guided approach allows passengers to bypass the overwhelming variety of a standard beauty counter and move directly to products that address their specific skin profile. For the time-sensitive traveler, this reduces the decision-making window, allowing for a quicker transition from security to the departure gate.

Strategic Rollout Across European Aviation Gateways

The current deployment is concentrated in three primary European hubs, chosen for their massive international footprints. However, industry reports indicate that Lagardère Travel Retail intends to expand this AI capability to two additional European airports by the end of 2026.

The scale of these locations underscores the potential reach of the technology. In 2025, Václav Havel Airport Prague recorded 17.75 million passengers, marking an 8.5% growth over the previous year. The hub serves 194 destinations via 84 different airlines, with foreign travelers making up 58.5% of the total traffic. Projections for 2026 suggest passenger volume could climb to 18.9 million.

Rome Fiumicino operates on an even larger scale. Data from the Italian civil aviation authority, ENAC, shows the airport handled roughly 50.9 million passengers in 2025. International traffic was a primary driver for the region, representing 68% of all Italian airport passenger traffic and growing by 8% compared to 2024.

Rising Passenger Volumes Drive Retail Innovation

The push toward AI integration coincides with a period of record-breaking growth for European aviation. According to ACI EUROPE, airports across the continent handled 2.6 billion passengers in 2025, a 4.4% increase from 2024. This growth was heavily skewed toward international travel, which rose by 5.6%, while domestic traffic remained nearly flat with a marginal 0.2% increase.

For retail operators, this surge in international diversity necessitates a more flexible approach to product curation. The European Commission has previously noted that airports serve as vital economic gateways; as the passenger demographic becomes more global, the tools used to sell to them must become more intuitive and personalized.

Digital Integration and the "Dwell Time" Strategy

The introduction of AI skincare analysis is part of a larger effort to optimize "dwell time"—the period passengers spend in the terminal after security. Lagardère Travel Retail is shifting its model from purely transactional sales to immersive experiences.

This digital ecosystem already includes:

  • Click & Collect: Allowing passengers to secure items online before arrival.
  • Shop & Collect: Streamlining the pickup process for pre-ordered goods.
  • In-Store Incentives: The AI skincare tool generates a QR code upon completion of the analysis, providing a discount that encourages the user to make an immediate physical purchase.

K-Beauty Integration at Rome Fiumicino

Reflecting the global shift in beauty trends, the Rome Fiumicino implementation specifically incorporates "K-Beauty." Four Korean skincare brands have been added to the selection, acknowledging the massive international demand for South Korean cosmetic innovation.

In an environment where a single retail point serves passengers from dozens of different countries daily, the ability to blend global legacy brands with trending regional specialties like K-Beauty is essential for maintaining competitive edge.

Scaling Digital Transformation in Global Travel Retail

The financial scale of these operations provides a glimpse into the future of airport commerce. Lagardère Travel Retail manages a network of over 4,800 stores and restaurants across 50 countries and nearly 300 airports. In 2025, the company reported revenues of €6.133 billion.

Despite the heavy reliance on AI, the company is maintaining a "phygital" approach—combining physical presence with digital tools. Human beauty advisors remain on-site to provide expert guidance after the AI has provided the initial data-driven recommendation.

This trend toward full digitization is evident elsewhere in the industry. At Amsterdam Schiphol, for instance, the VAT-refund process for non-EU travelers was fully digitized as of January 2026, removing traditional paperwork from the passenger journey.

Why This Matters: The Shift in Passenger Experience

For the modern traveler, this evolution means the "duty-free wander" is being replaced by targeted utility. From a logistical standpoint, the integration of AI into beauty retail solves a specific pain point: the lack of time. When a passenger has only 30 minutes between a security check and boarding, they are unlikely to experiment with new brands. AI removes the risk of a "bad purchase" by providing a pseudo-clinical validation of the product's suitability.

Furthermore, this signals a broader move toward "Invisible Retail," where the technology does the heavy lifting of curation, leaving the human staff to focus on high-value closing and customer service. As this rolls out to more airports, the benchmark for airport shopping will move from "what is available" to "what is right for me."

Slug: ai-skincare-technology-european-airports-retail

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