AXiNsider Podcast host Andrew Tellijohn connects with 20 long-term, influential, industry executives to hear their stories and experiences from the past two decades, and their visions for the future of our industry.Â
Episode 20
Pauline Armbrust, Founder, Airport Experience News and Airport Experience Conference
Pauline Armbrust started Airport Retail News, an eight-page newsletter, in 1995 after hearing a soundbite about how much revenue airports in Europe were generating from their retail shops. American airports at the time were just discovering the potential in concessions, making it the perfect time to launch. As the industry evolved, so did ARN. Armbrust transitioned her newsletter into Airport Revenue News magazine in 2001 and started what is now the Airport Experience Conference a few years later. Two decades later, she sees an industry that focuses more intently on customer needs and wants, involves more local brands and embraces technology for the betterment of the traveler experience.
Episode 19
Courtney Thornton, EVP, Governmental and External Affairs, Avolta
When the opportunity arose for Courtney Thornton to become in-house legal counsel for the board governing Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, she didn’t even realize it had lawyers outside the city attorney’s office. That role exposed her to many opportunities in the industry. As Thornton began transitioning into a more customer-centered role, she’s had a front row seat as the industry became more technologically sound and savvy in meeting passenger needs for dining, check-in and convenience. Thornton focuses on opportunities that push forward those experiences for customers, that increase diversity throughout the airport industry and that provide wins for all involved parties.
Episode 18
Liz Dwernychuk, Director of Passenger Experience, Edmonton International Airport
Liz Dwernychuk is responsible for ensuring an exceptional passenger experience for travelers at Edmonton International Airport (YEG). In recent years, YEG has evolved – in its concessions program and overall design – to a venue that is reflective of its region. It’s an airport willing to pilot new ideas and seek non-traditional solutions. And, from an Indigenous Interpretive and Retail Center featuring educational exhibits and authentic art items for sale, to permanent art installations and a diverse selection of food and retail options, the airport reflects an industry-wide evolution toward making sure travelers have a unique experience with their needs met along the way.
Episode 17
Tracy Harris, Vice President, Concessions, Orlando International Airport
As vice president of concessions at Orlando International Airport (MCO), Tracy Harris combines her skills in data analysis with her creativity and desire to help exceed passenger expectations. MCO’s evolution from a utilitarian concessions program into a passenger-focused venue offering a broad variety of brands and services culminated two years ago with the opening of Concourse C, which balances pre- and post-security concessions, offers immersive media experiences and provides passengers a spacious, comfortable way to travel. Now, the airport is working on a master plan to bring its A and B terminals to new standards as well.
Episode 16
Derryl Benton, Chief Development Officer, Avolta
Derryl Benton was a banker in central Florida when he met the late Bill Jennings, then director at Orlando International Airport, at a chamber event. Soon he was running the small business program and then concessions at the airport. Over his 30 years in the industry, Benton has seen concessions offerings industrywide changing from minimal, drab and dull to vibrant and customer-focused. Women and minorities have become more prominent on the professional side of airports and related businesses. And, even as costs to enter the business increase, he’s excited to see a new generation of diverse concessions and airport leaders continuing to push the industry forward.
Episode 15
Roddy McOwan, Chief Development Officer, WHSmith North America
Retail in airports has changed significantly in recent years. Space that previously may have been set aside for a newsstand or bookstore has evolved, often into large retail marketplaces that give operators more flexibility on term. That, in turn, enables them to better follow trends and understand consumer preferences. It’s part of an ongoing concessions-wide shift that allows operators to meet the rising and more diverse set of customer expectations.
Episode 14
Nick Crews, CEO and Managing Partner, Crews Companies
Nick Crews never planned to join the family business in airport concessions. But, while finishing law school, Crews was also working part-time at LAX overseeing his parents’ news and gift locations. He built relationships, gained an appreciation for his parents’ work and has never left. Crews Cos. has become a leading ACDBE operator nationally, with 35 locations across LAX, ATL and the Washington airports, with more on the way. Crews leads collaboratively, which he says has helped with employee retention. That same approach has led to deeper relationships with brand and vendor partners as the airport has become a more technology-driven and complex place of business.
Episode 13
Gregg Paradies, President and CEO, Paradies Lagardère
The Paradies family was just starting its airport business as Gregg Paradies was graduating from college. He went to work for Macy’s in its buying office for a few years before returning to the family business. As airport retail evolved, Paradies became known for bringing brands like Brooks Brothers and Brighton on board. Now, in addition to getting into food and beverage, Paradies Lagardere is developing retail stores that could have a mix of local, regional and national brands within a single location, switching concepts in and out as they ebb and flow.
Episode 12
Rick Piccolo, President & CEO, President & CEO, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport
Rick Piccolo, the longtime president and CEO of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, has devoted his career to the aviation industry. Fresh out of high school, he started as a janitor at Buffalo Niagara International Airport (SRQ). He worked his way up through airfield maintenance into management before moving on to different jobs at airports in Florida. He gives credit for his ascension to several mentors who recognized his talent and offered him opportunities. SRQ, which has seen significant growth under Piccolo’s watch, is giving back through the establishment of a charter school and various internship programs aimed at helping the next generation access aviation careers.
Episode 11
Paul McGinn, Retired CEO, Marketplace Development
Marketplace Development Co-Founders Paul McGinn and Bob Weinberg started the company upon learning the Port Authority of New York-New Jersey wanted a private developer for the Central Terminal Building at LaGuardia. Marketplace became one of the first companies to focus on private sector businesses and practices to the airport. The ability to hand off filling and operating concessions to a third party has, for many airports, allowed them to maximize their programs, McGinn says.
Episode 10
Pat Murray, Deputy CEO, SSP America
When Pat Murray joined the newly established SSP America in 2007, the company’s smaller budget necessitated growth through local partnerships and proprietary brands rather than licenses. The company had a different feel and, as it gained space and credibility, it helped raise the bar on airport food programs.
Episode 9
Alan Gluck, Senior Manager of the Global Aviation Commercial Advisory, ICF
Alan Gluck has worn about every type of hat the airport industry offers. He’s worked for consultants, overseen the conversion of BWI’s concessions program to the developer model, planned RFPs for new terminals and managed individual programs. Any model can work well, he says, if staffed, contracted and overseen properly to ensure revenue generation and profits are balanced with making sure the public is served.
Episode 8
Zenola Campbell, Vice President of Concessions, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
From her time as an executive at McDonald’s to her 18 years in the airport industry, Zenola Campbell has spent a career in hospitality. She’s learned that if you focus on satisfying customer needs, everything else will fall in place. As Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the airport and its concessions program continue to evolve in that direction, finding new ways to reduce traveler stress by automating processes and keeping them entertained.
Episode 7
Paul Brown, Senior Director of Airport Brands and Concepts, SSP America
Paul Brown, senior director of brands and concepts at SSP America, has worked with large operators, directed a large concession program and a small airport. As a consultant, he helped small businesses and large brands get into airports. He believes focusing on the improving customer experience will, in general, lead to larger spends. But he also believes many underrepresented populations still need assistance in being able to compete for space in airports.
Episode 6
Eric Johnson, Director of Commercial Management and Airline Affairs, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Eric Johnson’s dad was in aviation so he grew up going to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He remembers spinning hot dog racks and generic restaurants. As his career started at MSP, the airport brought aboard more creative thinkers. Â Working with consultants and operators interested in pushing boundaries, the airport became one of the first to start changing the industry. The result was a concessions program resembling a mall, with dynamic storefronts and eye-catching design that helped transition not just MSP but the entire industry.
Episode 5
Andy Weddig, Executive Director of the Airport Restaurant and Retail Association
 Andy Weddig entered airports from commercial real estate just as airport concessions programs were beginning to resemble the malls where he previously worked. He started out helping manage programs at airports like O’Hare International and Midway in Chicago. More recently, he’s expressed concern on the operator side as costs and rents have increased significantly in ways that make it harder for both side to get what they need.Â
Episode 4
Stu Holcombe, Managing Partner, Travel Retail Partners
Early in his career, Stu Holcombe convinced Jon Luther, then president of Delaware North Cos. subsidiary CA One Services, he could create a better portfolio of proprietary food and retail brands than existed at the time. That expanded to celebrity chef offerings and other advancements in airport food and retail. Later, he established his own company, LS Travel Retail, to help brands a pathway into airports. That segment is in transition now, with technology and passenger behaviors changing the way retail is done.Â
Episode 3
Candace McGraw, CEO, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
When Candace McGraw arrived at CVG, Delta Air Lines was dehubbing the airport. She focused on attracting new carriers, which reduced airfares, and creating a great customer experience through local food, art and retail. The airport’s regional economic impact has more than doubled in the time since.Â
Episode 2
Ron Gomes, Retired Vice President of Strategic Alliances, HMSHost
The ACDBE program has created many opportunities for small women- and minority-owned businesses to participate at airports. But Ron Gomes says it needs to evolve, including providing incentives to grow rather than immediately graduating companies that get too large. It’s incumbent on the industry to work toward that, especially as the program faces uncertainty from recent Supreme Court rulings that could impact its future.
Episode 1
Oris Dunham, Managing Partner, Dunham Group, LLC
After watching the movie Airplane, Oris Dunham worked for free at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for 13 months to learn the industry. The multitude of tasks appealed to him, but concessions at the time were mundane and lacked variety. That has changed dramatically, with a focus on sense of place and tremendous design. Now, Dunham feels that airports may spend too much time creating on that sense of place at the expense of building capacity. He says international airports have overtaken those in the U.S., in many cases because governments have spent billions of dollars to build massive, fantastic buildings.
A PODCAST SERIES HOSTED BY ANDY TELLIJOHN
Episode 18
Khalia Moore, SEA
A 10-year-old retail kiosk program aimed at providing opportunities for local small or ACDBE-certified retail business owners to test concepts at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is expanding, adding space for food and beverage operators to do the same. Those who pass through SEA’s introductory program, which is largely financed by the airport, can move on to the program’s intermediate level before each side decides whether to make a long-term commitment and investment. Two of the original participants – Seattle Chocolate and Planewear – have graduated to inline stores with full-length leases.
Episode 17
Stewart Steeves, Vantage Airport Group
Vantage Airport Group has been involved in some of the most visible airport redevelopments in the U.S. in recent years. Along with its partners, it’s putting the finishing touches on the complete rebuild of LaGuardia Airport (LGA), leading the concessions overhaul at Midway International Airport (MDW) and taking on management of the new terminal being built at Kansas City International Airport (MCI). Each of these programs is mixing in high levels of local, minority- and women-owned concessions that represent the individual community. Stewart Steeves, COO, provides an update on those projects.
Episode 16
Tim Harms, Enliven
Enliven has pouring rights deals at four airports in the U.S. The company’s new CEO, Tim Harms, says several more airports have put into upcoming RFPs language opening the door to additional deals. While pouring rights deals remain controversial among concessions operators, Harms says Enliven wants to work with them and all parties to ensure the deals increase sales and profits for each.
Episode 15
Daniel Robert Gooch, Canadian Airports Council
Canadian airports have faced more restrictions and gotten less help from the federal government throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic. Those factors have led to a slower recovery and forced them to take on large amounts of debt just to maintain operations. While some relief has started flowing through the Canadian aviation system, Gooch discusses what he feels is a competitive disadvantage with AXN’s Andy Tellijohn in this episode.
Episode 14
David Kasprak, O’Kelly Kasprak
As operations return to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic, airports need to find ways for people to congregate differently than they have in the past. AX Insider host Andrew Tellijohn chats with David Kasprak, principal and co-founder of the full-service design and project management firm O’Kelly Kasprak, about how airports can work with tenants and repurpose existing space.
Episode 13
Todd Hauptli, American Association of Airport Executives
Andy Tellijohn engages Todd Hauptli, president and CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives in a wide-ranging discussion around what it took to get congressional funding to help airports through COVID-19, where the industry stands with respect to President Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal and the organization’s efforts to step up innovation.
Episode 12
Rob Wigington, Airport Restaurant & Retail Association
AXN’s Andy Tellijohn and ARRA’s executive director Rob Wigington about the industry’s recent injection of optimism and how airports and operators can continue working together.
Episode 11
Stephen Van Beek, Steer
AXN’s Andy Tellijohn engages Steer’s director and head of North American aviation, Stephen Van Beek, in a discussion of the possibilities 2021 holds for traffic and profits.
Episode 10
Justin Meyer & David Long, City of Kansas City Aviation Department
The city of Kansas City is moving forward with plans for the concessions program inside the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport (MCI). An RFP will be on the street in mid-January. Whether it results in a single operator running the entire program or a dozen operators splitting the space, the proposal will result in a single contract that city officials think will be more palatable to financial markets offering support. The city and its consultant, ICF, will host a virtual meeting on January 12 and 13 through the virtual reality platform Virbela, where bidders can learn more. Firms can register at: www.FlyKCI.com/Concessions.
Episode 9
Sam Whitehorn, Principal & Co-Founder, Elevate Government Affairs
This episode is an update to our pre-election conversation with Sam Whitehorn, episode 7 released on October 29, 2020.
The election is, well, likely almost over. Most of the prominent races that featured candidates with a history of supporting transportation funding were won by the incumbent candidate. The election of Joe Biden likely means negotiations with Congress will be at least a bit calmer over the next four years. And, even if the Georgia Senate run-offs in January result in divided government, infrastructure is generally a bipartisan issue, with influential members of both parties in favor of putting money into projects in all phases of transportation, including airports.
Episode 8
Lise D’Andrea, President, CEO & Founder, CXE
While there’s still a lot of uncertainty around when airports might start truly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic that has devastated it since March, there are some positive signs in terms of hiring. A survey of its clients conducted by CXE earlier this year indicated that nearly two-thirds were starting or planning to start bringing back substantial portions of its pre-pandemic work force. Many of those companies also have started spending more time focusing on improving the employee experience, with plans to communicate regularly, train aggressively and regularly recognize and show them appreciation for their work. These strategies, in both the short- and long-term, could help improve the overall travel experience for passengers.
Episode 7
Sam Whitehorn, Principal & Co-Founder, Elevate Government Affairs
President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have both promised significant infrastructure bills during their campaigning for president. There aren’t a lot of details as to what their plans would include or how they would be funded. But the need for significant upgrades to roads, bridges and airports across the U.S., coupled with the ability to stimulate the economy and get people back to work, make it likely that either candidate, if elected, would make such investments an early priority.
Episode 6
Roddy Boggus, Vice President and Aviation Buildings Service Group Leader, RS&H
As the industry prepare for eventual recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, several other factors are affecting what the industry might look like in the future. Millennials are becoming more prominent and powerful and they’re less likely than older passengers to spend money on food or retail when they travel. So, as airports look to find ways to convince travelers they are safe, they also must deal with the likelihood of changing passenger habits that could affect the layout and mix of the entire experience.
Episode 5
Christina Cassotis, CEO of Allegheny County Airport Authority
Traffic at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is running at about 30 percent of 2019 levels. But that doesn’t mean the airport has nothing going on during the industry-wide COVID-19 crisis. The airport delayed the groundbreaking on a $1.1 billion modernization project, but spent time rethinking design aspects of its future terminal that airport officials hope can mitigate the impact of potential future health outbreaks. PIT also has begun development of its Pittsburgh Airport Innovation Campus, which aims to attract participants in the 3D printing industry to the airport, furthered its solar and natural gas developments on the way toward unveiling its self-sustaining microgrid, and diversified its non-aeronautical revenue formula with a foray into the cargo business.
Episode 4
Bill Swelbar, Chief Industry Strategist with Delta Airport Consultants
Initially, Delta Airport Consultants’ research indicated the possibility that by the end of 2020, traffic could be back as high as 40 percent of 2019 levels. The recent second-wave of COVID-19 cases around the U.S., however, and the accompanying announcement by several carriers that they would shrink capacity after Labor Day, indicate a slower recovery, with regional air service likely to experience the greatest suffering. A slow return to flying by businesses and ongoing restrictions on international travel also represent a drag on a potential recovery, meaning it’s likely three or four years or more before traffic even approaches the record year that 2019 was for many airports.
Episode 3
Rian Burger, Senior Principal specializing in Airports for Stantec Architecture
While COVID-19 has had a disastrous effect on travel, it’s pushing airports to make many changes that have been talked about for years. Enhanced cleaning processes and touchless transactions are among ways the industry is getting healthier. Airports should consider furthering those enhancements and going a step further by diversifying revenue streams going forward to ensure that pandemics or other disasters don’t have the same kind of impact in the future.
Episode 2
Julie Wienberg, Vice President of Aviation Infrastructure, HNTB Corp.
The COVID-19 health pandemic will eventually be in the past and signage reminding travelers to socially distance and wash hands may go away with it. But this is likely not the last pandemic this country will see. Whether it’s building with materials that are easier to clean, increasing the availability of touchless options for passengers or designing security measures that ensure the health and safety of travelers and those who work at the airport, increased awareness of the implications of health-related incidents will create long-term change in the airport experience.
Episode 1
Nick Baker, CEO and Creative Director, SmartDesign Group
Vancouver-based Smart Design Group has benefited significantly from its work in aviation design. So, as the effects of COVID-19 ravaged travel counts across the world, Nick Baker wanted to give something back. He’s offered his company’s services for free to members of the Airport Minority Advisory Council in order to help smaller businesses navigate changes necessary to consider reopening. While he’s optimistic and hopeful that the effects of COVID will be a memory in the next couple years, he’s also got some ideas on how the industry can evolve to win back the confidence of travelers and emerge stronger as travelers return.
WELCOME TO THE AXINSIDER PODCAST!
AXiNsider is an interview-style podcast featuring in-depth discussions with the professionals, leaders and wave-makers working to steer the industry toward growth and innovation.
SUBSCRIBE ON
  
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Episode 18
Khalia Moore, SEA
A 10-year-old retail kiosk program aimed at providing opportunities for local small or ACDBE-certified retail business owners to test concepts at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is expanding, adding space for food and beverage operators to do the same. Those who pass through SEA’s introductory program, which is largely financed by the airport, can move on to the program’s intermediate level before each side decides whether to make a long-term commitment and investment. Two of the original participants – Seattle Chocolate and Planewear – have graduated to inline stores with full-length leases.
Episode 17
Stewart Steeves, Vantage Airport Group
Vantage Airport Group has been involved in some of the most visible airport redevelopments in the U.S. in recent years. Along with its partners, it’s putting the finishing touches on the complete rebuild of LaGuardia Airport (LGA), leading the concessions overhaul at Midway International Airport (MDW) and taking on management of the new terminal being built at Kansas City International Airport (MCI). Each of these programs is mixing in high levels of local, minority- and women-owned concessions that represent the individual community. Stewart Steeves, COO, provides an update on those projects.
Episode 16
Tim Harms, Enliven
Enliven has pouring rights deals at four airports in the U.S. The company’s new CEO, Tim Harms, says several more airports have put into upcoming RFPs language opening the door to additional deals. While pouring rights deals remain controversial among concessions operators, Harms says Enliven wants to work with them and all parties to ensure the deals increase sales and profits for each.
Episode 15
Daniel Robert Gooch, Canadian Airports Council
Canadian airports have faced more restrictions and gotten less help from the federal government throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic. Those factors have led to a slower recovery and forced them to take on large amounts of debt just to maintain operations. While some relief has started flowing through the Canadian aviation system, Gooch discusses what he feels is a competitive disadvantage with AXN’s Andy Tellijohn in this episode.
Episode 14
David Kasprak, O’Kelly Kasprak
As operations return to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic, airports need to find ways for people to congregate differently than they have in the past. AX Insider host Andrew Tellijohn chats with David Kasprak, principal and co-founder of the full-service design and project management firm O’Kelly Kasprak, about how airports can work with tenants and repurpose existing space.
Episode 13
Todd Hauptli, American Association of Airport Executives
Andy Tellijohn engages Todd Hauptli, president and CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives in a wide-ranging discussion around what it took to get congressional funding to help airports through COVID-19, where the industry stands with respect to President Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal and the organization’s efforts to step up innovation.
Episode 12
Rob Wigington, Airport Restaurant & Retail Association
AXN’s Andy Tellijohn and ARRA’s executive director Rob Wigington about the industry’s recent injection of optimism and how airports and operators can continue working together.
Episode 11
Stephen Van Beek, Steer
AXN’s Andy Tellijohn engages Steer’s director and head of North American aviation, Stephen Van Beek, in a discussion of the possibilities 2021 holds for traffic and profits.
Episode 10
Justin Meyer & David Long, City of Kansas City Aviation Department
The city of Kansas City is moving forward with plans for the concessions program inside the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport (MCI). An RFP will be on the street in mid-January. Whether it results in a single operator running the entire program or a dozen operators splitting the space, the proposal will result in a single contract that city officials think will be more palatable to financial markets offering support. The city and its consultant, ICF, will host a virtual meeting on January 12 and 13 through the virtual reality platform Virbela, where bidders can learn more. Firms can register at: www.FlyKCI.com/Concessions.
Episode 9
Sam Whitehorn, Principal & Co-Founder, Elevate Government Affairs
This episode is an update to our pre-election conversation with Sam Whitehorn, episode 7 released on October 29, 2020.
The election is, well, likely almost over. Most of the prominent races that featured candidates with a history of supporting transportation funding were won by the incumbent candidate. The election of Joe Biden likely means negotiations with Congress will be at least a bit calmer over the next four years. And, even if the Georgia Senate run-offs in January result in divided government, infrastructure is generally a bipartisan issue, with influential members of both parties in favor of putting money into projects in all phases of transportation, including airports.
Episode 8
Lise D’Andrea, President, CEO & Founder, CXE
While there’s still a lot of uncertainty around when airports might start truly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic that has devastated it since March, there are some positive signs in terms of hiring. A survey of its clients conducted by CXE earlier this year indicated that nearly two-thirds were starting or planning to start bringing back substantial portions of its pre-pandemic work force. Many of those companies also have started spending more time focusing on improving the employee experience, with plans to communicate regularly, train aggressively and regularly recognize and show them appreciation for their work. These strategies, in both the short- and long-term, could help improve the overall travel experience for passengers.
Episode 7
Sam Whitehorn, Principal & Co-Founder, Elevate Government Affairs
President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have both promised significant infrastructure bills during their campaigning for president. There aren’t a lot of details as to what their plans would include or how they would be funded. But the need for significant upgrades to roads, bridges and airports across the U.S., coupled with the ability to stimulate the economy and get people back to work, make it likely that either candidate, if elected, would make such investments an early priority.
Episode 6
Roddy Boggus, Vice President and Aviation Buildings Service Group Leader, RS&H
As the industry prepare for eventual recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, several other factors are affecting what the industry might look like in the future. Millennials are becoming more prominent and powerful and they’re less likely than older passengers to spend money on food or retail when they travel. So, as airports look to find ways to convince travelers they are safe, they also must deal with the likelihood of changing passenger habits that could affect the layout and mix of the entire experience.
Episode 5
Christina Cassotis, CEO of Allegheny County Airport Authority
Traffic at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is running at about 30 percent of 2019 levels. But that doesn’t mean the airport has nothing going on during the industry-wide COVID-19 crisis. The airport delayed the groundbreaking on a $1.1 billion modernization project, but spent time rethinking design aspects of its future terminal that airport officials hope can mitigate the impact of potential future health outbreaks. PIT also has begun development of its Pittsburgh Airport Innovation Campus, which aims to attract participants in the 3D printing industry to the airport, furthered its solar and natural gas developments on the way toward unveiling its self-sustaining microgrid, and diversified its non-aeronautical revenue formula with a foray into the cargo business.
Episode 4
Bill Swelbar, Chief Industry Strategist with Delta Airport Consultants
Initially, Delta Airport Consultants’ research indicated the possibility that by the end of 2020, traffic could be back as high as 40 percent of 2019 levels. The recent second-wave of COVID-19 cases around the U.S., however, and the accompanying announcement by several carriers that they would shrink capacity after Labor Day, indicate a slower recovery, with regional air service likely to experience the greatest suffering. A slow return to flying by businesses and ongoing restrictions on international travel also represent a drag on a potential recovery, meaning it’s likely three or four years or more before traffic even approaches the record year that 2019 was for many airports.
Episode 3
Rian Burger, Senior Principal specializing in Airports for Stantec Architecture
While COVID-19 has had a disastrous effect on travel, it’s pushing airports to make many changes that have been talked about for years. Enhanced cleaning processes and touchless transactions are among ways the industry is getting healthier. Airports should consider furthering those enhancements and going a step further by diversifying revenue streams going forward to ensure that pandemics or other disasters don’t have the same kind of impact in the future.
Episode 2
Julie Wienberg, Vice President of Aviation Infrastructure, HNTB Corp.
The COVID-19 health pandemic will eventually be in the past and signage reminding travelers to socially distance and wash hands may go away with it. But this is likely not the last pandemic this country will see. Whether it’s building with materials that are easier to clean, increasing the availability of touchless options for passengers or designing security measures that ensure the health and safety of travelers and those who work at the airport, increased awareness of the implications of health-related incidents will create long-term change in the airport experience.
Episode 1
Nick Baker, CEO and Creative Director, SmartDesign Group
Vancouver-based Smart Design Group has benefited significantly from its work in aviation design. So, as the effects of COVID-19 ravaged travel counts across the world, Nick Baker wanted to give something back. He’s offered his company’s services for free to members of the Airport Minority Advisory Council in order to help smaller businesses navigate changes necessary to consider reopening. While he’s optimistic and hopeful that the effects of COVID will be a memory in the next couple years, he’s also got some ideas on how the industry can evolve to win back the confidence of travelers and emerge stronger as travelers return.
WELCOME TO THE AXINSIDER PODCAST!
AXiNsider is an interview-style podcast featuring in-depth discussions with the professionals, leaders and wave-makers working to steer the industry toward growth and innovation.
SUBSCRIBE ON
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