Back in 2025, during the World Aviation Festival, Value Group co-CEOs, Thomas Sergnese and Daniele Bocchieri, talked to AeroTime about revolutionizing disruption prevention and care in the airline industry through software and a presence on the ground to offer last mile care at key airports.
In October 2026, the two Italian executives returned to Lisbon to showcase how, over the course of 12 months, the Italian company has refined and refreshed its business proposition.
Key to this continued growth is the expansion of its RUBIK technology platform, which, in its multiple flavors (Enterprise, Plug and Play, and Go) offers both passengers and airlines a more efficient way of managing irregular operations (IROPS), such as flight delays, cancellations or diversions.
The RUBIK application gives passengers the ability to self-manage the aftermath of flight disruption issues with straightforward access to on-the-ground accommodation and rebooking options and eliminates the need to queue at an airport counter.
But the importance of technology aside, the other foundation pillar of the company’s value proposition is its capability to offer onsite support. This gives passengers who, due to their age, health conditions or specific needs, require additional assistance, the option to receive in-person support.
During conversation with AeroTime, Sergnese referred to the fact that many airlines have reported app usage rates of around 70% among their passengers.
“But what happens to the remaining 30%?” he said. Sergnese highlighted elderly passengers, first-time flyers and people traveling in groups as segments of passengers whose assistance needs are difficult to fully address through automation. Booking fragmentation also adds to the gap. For example, a digitally savvy traveler who booked through an agency might not receive a direct email from the airline informing them of an issue.
It is for precisely these reasons that Value Group has established its own service desks and lounges at 20 airports in Europe, including Milan Malpensa (MXP) and London-Gatwick (LGW), However, a truly global reach requires the capability of providing a last-mile service at scale.
Scaling through partners
This is when the network of partners assembled by Value Group comes into play. As of the fourth quarter of 2026, the company’s supplier network reaches more than 430 airports. “Can you imagine hiring people in 433 airports? Not even the biggest handler has this type of presence,” Daniele Bocchieri said.
This segmented and differentiated approach to disruption handling is also echoed in Value Group’s technological platform. The company has developed its RUBIK software suite into a family of solutions that respond to different industry and market needs.
RUBIK Enterprise uses APIs (application programming interface) to connect with the customer airlines’ passenger service system (PSS) and flight operations systems. Affected passengers receive a message with a deep link which allows them to book their own hotel and transport.
RUBIK Plug and Play requires no integration at all. Passengers simply scan a QR code at the airport, enter their name, and book a room. It can be live at a station within days and is already deployed with several airlines, the executives confirmed.
RUBIK Go is designed for passengers who are not comfortable with digital processes or are unable to use the technology for certain reasons. In this case, ground staff can use the system to scan the passenger’s boarding pass and assign a room and transport on the spot.
Harnessing AI to ease disruption
As Value Group steps up its global expansion, particularly in growth markets such as the Americas and Asia-Pacific, Sergnese and Bocchieri continue to devise new ways to leverage its operational expertise in order to help airlines stay one step ahead of disruption.
Artificial intelligence (AI) could become a powerful ally in this mission. For example, enabling Value Group to proactively provide actionable insights in case of disruption.
What if a software platform could help airlines handle disruption in real time? A case in point would be helping airlines choose where to divert a flight based on the carrier’s capability to provide the best possible disruption response on the ground.
In such cases, AI analytical capabilities would be coupled with Value Group’s own data and expertise to determine, for example, which airport has the most suitable inventory of available hotel rooms nearby.
Likewise, agentic solutions can help airlines improve disruption management, for example, by providing more personalized solutions, tailored to the preferences of their most frequent and valued customers.
To learn more about Value Group, watch AeroTime’s video interview with Thomas Sergnese, Co-CEO & Chief Commercial Officer.