Moonware 2025 year in review

It’s a wrap! 2025 was a fantastic year for Moonware, marked by real operational impact, major milestones, and growing momentum across the industry.

From product advancements to new deployments, team growth, and global industry conversations, our progress was driven by disciplined execution and strong partner collaboration.

Here’s a look back at what our team built and accomplished.

Deployment highlights

We expanded our operational footprint across Japan and Mexico, bringing HALO to major international stations.

Japan Airlines — Tokyo Haneda (HND)
HALO supported JAL’s vision for a more connected and data-driven airfield, powering real-time coordination for ground ops teams at one of the world’s busiest hubs.

PrimeFlight — Mexico City Santa Lucía (NLU)
PrimeFlight adopted HALO to streamline ground handling and improve operational visibility as part of its continued growth in the region.

These deployments represent key Moonware milestones and underscore the shift toward modern, data-driven ground operations across the industry.

The Moonware team at HND airport

Product innovation: what we shipped in 2025

This year, we introduced some of the most impactful capabilities into HALO, shaped directly by real-world ground operations and designed to improve coordination, efficiency, and operational control.

Here are a few of the features released this year:

Turnaround visibility
Visualize the turnaround progress in real time, highlighting completed and remaining tasks so teams can spot issues early and keep departures on track.

Custom events checklist
Define the data captured in each digital flight file, including timestamps and photos, to support SLA evidence and ensure accurate safety documentation.

Crew utilization metrics
Analyze work time and idle time to understand productivity patterns and inform staffing decisions.

24/7 in-app support
Access live support directly within HALO, connecting with the Moonware team without leaving the platform.

HALO platform in use on mobile device

Our team grew, and so did our impact

We expanded the team across engineering, design, and commercial functions, deepening our operational and technical expertise.

Mark Busalacchi, VP of Sales, joined Moonware to lead our commercial expansion and further fuel HALO’s adoption across airlines, handlers, and airports. Building on his experience as VP at Swissport USA, he is shaping how we grow and engage with partners across the industry.

Leo DiCara, Senior Software Engineer, came aboard to strengthen HALO’s backend systems and advance our data architecture. His work draws on experience from Grafana Labs and Riot Games, where he focused on scalable, data-driven engineering.

Matt Ott, Lead Software Engineer, joined to lead Android development for HALO, focusing on building reliable, high-performance mobile workflows for ground operations. His background in mathematical systems and real-time communications at Hurricane Electric and Dialpad informs how he builds fast, reliable Android workflows for live ground operations.

Christina Doolan, UX Designer, joined to advance the design and usability of Moonware’s products. With design experience from USC and Bluebeam, she is shaping clearer interfaces, more cohesive visual systems, and streamlined interactions that support airfield teams.

Every new teammate strengthens our progress toward modernizing ground operations, enabling product improvements and supporting the operational systems in use today.

The Moonware team in Los Angeles

Events, conferences & global conversations

Moonware joined aviation leaders across the global ground handling ecosystem to discuss the future of operations, digital transformation, and the technologies reshaping how work gets done on the airfield.

Where we showed up

GHI Asia, March 2025 — Da Nang, Vietnam
Our VP of Customer Operations, Cecilia Guillen, spoke on crew productivity and how data-driven coordination can unlock measurable gains in workforce performance.

GHI Americas, June 2025 — Orlando, Florida 
Our Founder & CEO, Javier Vidal, joined the main stage debate on the outlook for ground handling in the Americas, discussing the economic landscape and the strategies operators will need moving forward. In addition, Cecilia presented on employee turnover and how improved planning and automation can stabilize staffing.

World Aviation Festival, October 2025 — Lisbon, Portugal 
Javier participated in the panel “From tarmac to take-off: future-proofing aviation infrastructure with AI, robotics, and venture capital,” outlining how intelligent orchestration will reshape airside operations.

Eurocontrol Innovation MeetUp, October 2025 — Paris, France 
Javier spoke on AI in ground operations, sharing how algorithmic tasking and real-time operational intelligence are enabling faster, more predictable airside performance.

GHI Annual, November 2025 — Amsterdam, Netherlands
Our Founder & COO, Saunon Malekshahi spoke on airfield automation and how next-generation systems will define the future of airport operations. In addition, Javier presented on leveraging operational data for faster and safer ground operations. 

What we heard

Across every conversation, one message was clear: ground operations need real-time visibility, standardized processes, and tools built for today’s realities.

The conversations this year reflected growing momentum behind operational transformation in aviation and demand for technology that helps ground handlers, airlines, and airports work smarter.

Moonware Founder & CEO Javier Vidal speaking at GHI Annual Conference

An award-winning year

One highlight this year was winning the Pride of Ground Handling Digital Innovation Award at the Ground Handling International Annual Conference. The honor recognizes our commitment to improving safety, reliability, and operational clarity on the airfield through modern, data-driven coordination.

More importantly, it shows how the industry is responding to practical, data-driven tools that improve how ground operations are planned and executed.

Moonware Founder & CEO Javier Vidal with fellow winners at the Pride of Ground Handling Awards

Looking ahead to 2026

Next year, we will continue expanding HALO’s capabilities, introducing new automation workflows and deploying to additional stations across the U.S. and internationally. Our focus remains on advancing ground operations today while building the digital foundation needed for fully autonomous airfields.

Thank you for being part of our journey this year. We’re excited for what’s ahead.