Amadeus emerges as suitor for Idemia PS, deal would create airport biometrics behemoth

Global aviation technology supplier Amadeus IT SA has emerged as a potential buyer for Idemia Public Security, sources tell Bloomberg.

The sale price is estimated at between 2 billion and 3 billion euros (approximately $2.3 billion to $3.5 billion).

Idemia PS has a large footprint in biometrics for law enforcement, mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs), border control and travel, and also owns the IP for the biometric algorithms used across the group, as Biometric Update reported last year.

Talks are ongoing, according to the report, and other companies and private equity firms, the former group including Thales, are said to be considering bids.

Spain-headquartered Amadeus was formed in 1987 by Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa and SAS to serve the aviation industry as an IT systems integrator. The company expanded its portfolio of travel-centric biometric technologies when it acquired Vision-Box in a €320 million ($374 million) deal in 2024.

Amadeus’ business has continued growing, with reported revenues above €6.5 billion ($7.6 billion), up 6.1 percent on a year-over-year basis, in fiscal 2025. The company’s Adjusted EBIT grew by just over 10 percent on a constant currency basis to €1.9 billion ($2.2 billion). Amadeus plans to carry out a €500 million ($586 million) share repurchase program over the next 6 months.

Advent International put Idemia on the block in 2023, and was reported at the time to be seeking up to €6 billion ($7 billion). The parent company split Idemia into Public Security, Smart Identity and Secure Transactions divisions at the beginning of 2024.

Idemia Smart Identity was acquired by France-based IN Groupe in a deal estimated to be worth up to a billion euros ($1.1 billion) and completed last July.

Article Topics

acquisitions  |  Advent International  |  Amadeus  |  biometrics  |  IDEMIA  |  Idemia Public Security