Last week, airport chief executives from across the United States and Canada gathered for ACI-NA’s CEO Forum, our annual high-level meeting focused on agenda setting, peer exchange, and relationship building that powerfully shapes the direction of the airport industry.
Unlike traditional conferences built around podium presentations and panels, ACI-NA’s CEO Forum is intentionally designed for dialogue. Small-group discussions and facilitated roundtables created space for candid conversations among peers facing similar pressures, opportunities, and decisions. The result was a collaborative environment where leaders could step away from daily operational demands and focus on the longer-term horizon.
Several themes surfaced repeatedly throughout the week, underscoring both the pace of change and the shared priorities of airport leadership.
Artificial intelligence emerged as a topic of both excitement and caution. CEOs discussed practical applications already influencing day-to-day airport operations, from predictive maintenance to customer service automation, while also weighing data governance, cybersecurity, and the responsibility to safeguard sensitive information. The conversation reflected an industry eager to harness innovation while maintaining public trust.
Environmental strategy remained firmly top-of-mind. From PFAS transition planning and regulatory developments to resiliency investments and evolving energy demands, airport leaders emphasized the complexity of balancing sustainability goals with infrastructure realities. Discussions highlighted the need for coordinated policy engagement and long-term asset planning as airports continue to adapt to changing environmental expectations.
Airports are also focused on economic volatility and its impact on air travel. Airline restructurings, fluctuating passenger demand, and the emergence of advanced air mobility technologies are reshaping the aviation ecosystem. CEOs shared insights on preparing their organizations for uncertainty while continuing to invest in modernization and service delivery.
A highlight of the Forum was an interactive session conducted in partnership with AirportNEXT, previewing findings from a new Futures Study designed to identify the trends most likely to influence airports over the next three to five years. More than 300 airport executives contributed input, evaluating 55 distinct trends ranging from workforce dynamics to technology adoption. While the AirportNEXT Futures Study is slated for release later this year, CEOs in the room were able to actively collaborate and brainstorm strategies to respond to emerging challenges.
The week also marked an important milestone for ACI-NA as the Board convened for the first time under the leadership of newly installed Chair Cindy Nichol, Director of Airports for the Sacramento County Department of Airports. Her opening remarks and facilitation set a tone of collaboration and forward momentum that carried through the Forum’s discussions.
ACI-NA’s CEO Forum’s impact is felt over the course of the year in the partnerships formed, the ideas exchanged, and the collective understanding that the strength of North American aviation lies in shared knowledge and unified purpose. In a period of rapid transformation, the opportunity for airport leaders to learn from one another may be one of the industry’s most valuable assets.
Colleen Hamilton is a principal with Art of Context, a Boston-based technology firm helping airports improve passenger experience through innovative technology solutions that reduce client administration and ensure extension for future innovations. Art of Context has recently been certified as a DBE.
All of the gates in Terminal E are Common Use gates. ADP’s Sign Studio module drives the suite of displays that figure prominently in the boarding podium and within the gate pier. The ADP templates tie into both flight data and the boarding control app interface to display the correct complex scenario.
The new gates are “swing gates”/”flex gates” They can accommodate one large wide body jet or the simultaneous boarding of two smaller planes. The process is data driven, so the signage will accommodate either scenario automatically.
The system accommodates the CBP Biometric Facial Comparison technology. Upon login, the gate agent selects standard or biometric boarding. If biometric boarding is chosen, the boarding process instructions and privacy notices are displayed on a totem sign satisfying Customs and Border Protection mandates.
Mark Summers is Zartico’s General Manager for Airports. He has been involved in commercial aviation for his entire professional career, working with Eastern Airlines, SITA, and Rockwell/Collins Airport Services. He is a former ACI committee member and resides in the Atlanta metro area.
IT teams. Airports must provide reliable, secure and fast connectivity for passengers and staff. Private 5G, leveraging CBRS spectrum, rises to the challenge. Providing extensive bandwidth and increased latency—working alongside existing public cellular distributed antenna systems (DAS) and Wi-Fi—private 5G enables secure on-premise data management and uninterrupted coverage for critical operations.
With the right technology, 5G can bring an environment to life. Take, for example, the state-of-the-art converged network Boingo designed and deployed at Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A, featuring Wi-Fi 6, cellular DAS, and private LTE over CBRS. The Boingo Private Network supports daily activity on the airport apron, including airside and outdoor areas where aircraft are parked, loaded and unloaded, refueled, boarded and maintained. This network solution provides a cost-effective deployment for outdoor connectivity in a tough to access area requiring extensive bandwidth for connected devices.
This chart shows new direct flight routes added this month in North America. It is helpful to see where carriers are focused on expanding their networks.
Look for the Airports Council International – North America Airport Insights Report each month in the Centerlines newsletter. 
John Hoover is a marketing director at 
Design template (example data). Leverage space on landscape screens without sacrificing display of flight information.
Colleen Hamilton is a principal with Art of Context, a Boston-based technology firm helping airports improve passenger experience through state-of-the-art technology solutions that reduce client administration and ensure extension for future innovations. Art of Context has recently been certified as a DBE.