Airport Dialogues
Closed-Door Roundtable Discussions for Real Conversations, Real Solutions and Real Connections.
4 November 2026
Think of Airport Dialogues as a space where the right people come together to have the right conversations—without the noise. These are closed-door, 90-minute roundtable sessions designed for professionals who are actively shaping the future of airport operations.
No marketing fluff. No speeches. Just a small group—no more than 15 participants—engaging in real, facilitated discussions about the challenges they’re facing and the opportunities ahead in airport operations. Whether you’re an airport planner, operator, consultant, regulator, ground handler, or airline rep, this is where you’ll find peers who get it—and want to solve it.
WHY JOIN?
HOW THE DIALOGUES WORK?
- Intimate Roundtables: Join a select group of industry peers for focused, in-depth discussions. With a maximum of 15 participants per session, you’ll experience a truly collaborative environment.
- Real Conversations, Real Solutions: Go beyond presentations and engage in genuine dialogue to address critical challenges and opportunities facing the airport ecosystem.
- Diverse Perspectives: Connect and exchange insights with planners, airports, consultants, government bodies, ground handlers, and airlines. Gain a holistic understanding of industry issues.
- Interactive Format: Each 90-minute session includes facilitated discussion, dedicated Q&A, and valuable small-group networking activity to foster meaningful connections.
Sessions and Themes
SESSION 1
Moderated by:
Scaling Airport Capacity: The Reality of Deploying Autonomous Fleet and Robotics
SESSION 2
Moderated by:
Breaking the Data Silos: Transforming Real-Time AI Insights into Increased Performance
Session 3
Moderated by:
Smarter Screening, Safer Borders: Exploring AI Imaging in Airport Security
AI-powered image analysis is reshaping how airports manage security and passenger flow. This roundtable brings together airport operators, regulators and legal experts to explore the real-world potential of smart imaging—from faster threat detection to smoother border control.
Moderator: Alan Xavier Tan, Senior Vice President, Aerodrome Safety & Aviation Security, Changi Airport Group
SPECIAL SESSION by McKinsey
Senior Executive Roundtable
Hosted and moderated by world-leading consultancy McKinsey.
SPECIAL SESSION by ARUP
Constructing Tomorrow’s Terminal while Improving Today’s Experience
Airports across the world face the challenge of accommodating growth at the same time as providing operational excellence. How best to expand and modernise terminals while ensuring that today’s passengers enjoy a seamless journey? Major terminal projects span multiple years, and it is critical to ensure satisfied travellers, smooth operations and steady commercial performance during these periods.
Moderator: Regine Weston, Arup Fellow
AIRPORT DIALOGUES SESSION 1
Moderated by:
Jana Baschin
Senior VP, Corporate Development and Sustainability
Fraport AG
Scaling Airport Capacity: The Reality of Deploying Autonomous Fleet and Robotics
This closed-door roundtable addresses the practical operational hurdles of scaling autonomous systems and robotics across the entire airport footprint. This session explores how automation—from landside terminal operations and automated cargo logistics to airside ramp handling—can maximize existing processes and unlock hidden capacity.
Led by a European hub perspective and driven by regional operational insights, this discussion brings together diverse viewpoints from East and West to exchange lessons learned on cross-zone interoperability, mixed-traffic safety, and the readiness required to connect a fully automated airport ecosystem.
Moderated by Jana Baschin, Senior VP, Corporate Development and Sustainability, Fraport AG. Nov 4, 16:00 – 17:30, Room 105.
- Airport Operators & Regulators involved in:
- Airside Operations
- Terminal & Cargo Operations
- Innovation & Technology
AIRPORT DIALOGUES SESSION 2
Moderated by:
Thomas Romig
Chief Airport Operations Officer
Masterise Group
Breaking the Data Silos: Transforming Real-Time AI Insights into Increased Performance
This closed-door roundtable focuses on the collaborative reality of integrating predictive AI and computer vision into airport operations. True operational excellence and system performance requires seamless coordination between airport operators, airlines, air traffic control and ground handlers. This session moves past the traditional silos to discuss how teams can share real-time data, leverage AI insights, build trust in AI assisted systems, and upskill frontline crews to turn data into on-time departures, improved customer experience and increased revenues.
Moderated by Thomas Romig, Chief Airport Operations Officer, Masterise Group. Nov 4, 14:00 – 15:30, Room 105.
- Airports, Airlines & Ground Handlers involved in:
- Hub & Ramp Operations
- Air Traffic Control
- Data Analytics & IT Systems
AIRPORT DIALOGUES SESSION 3
Moderated by:
Smarter Screening, Safer Borders: Exploring AI Imaging in Airport Security
AI-powered image analysis is reshaping how airports manage security and passenger flow. This roundtable, moderated by Alan Xavier Tan, Senior Vice President, Aerodrome Safety & Aviation Security, Changi Airport Group, brings together airport operators, regulators and legal experts to explore the real-world potential of smart imaging—from faster threat detection to smoother border control. We’ll dive into the benefits, challenges, and practical steps for adoption, especially in the early stages when certification and regulatory frameworks may still be evolving. Expect a candid, cross-disciplinary conversation on how to move from pilot to practice responsibly and effectively.
Targeted Participants:
- Airport Operators
- Aviation Regulators
- Legal Experts
Key Discussion Points:
- What are the key values to adopting such technologies?
- What are the key concerns and obstacles in adoption?
- In the absence of certification and regulatory approval at the early stages, how might this be adopted?
AIRPORT DIALOGUES - SPECIAL SESSION by McKinsey
Senior Executive Roundtable Hosted and moderated by World-leading Consultancy McKinsey
This exclusive roundtable session will bring together top executives from airports, airport authorities, government authorities and selected organisations for a high-level, closed-door discussion.
Stay tuned with us for more updates!
(*by invitation only)
AIRPORT DIALOGUES - SPECIAL SESSION by ARUP
Airports across the world face the challenge of accommodating growth at the same time as providing operational excellence. How best to expand and modernise terminals while ensuring that today’s passengers enjoy a seamless journey? Major terminal projects span multiple years, and it is critical to ensure satisfied travellers, smooth operations and steady commercial performance during these periods.
This roundtable, moderated by a renowned aviation expert Regine Weston, Arup Fellow, brings together leading voices to explore how airports can successfully deliver large-scale construction projects while simultaneously improving the passenger experience and maintaining operational excellence. Through real-world case studies, we will examine strategies for achieving this delicate balance and the lessons learned along the way.
Target Participants
- Airport operators
- Architects
- Aviation stakeholders involved in terminal development and passenger experience
Key Discussion Points
- How airports can sustain and enhance passenger experience during major construction phases
- Strategies for keeping efficient operations while navigating disruption
- Approaches to infrastructure development that deliver long-term transformation
- Aligning priorities across customer experience, operations, and infrastructure to achieve simultaneous improvement
