Airport Experience® News - ACDBE Issue 2026

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

ensuring that as lounges continue to grow, the broader terminal experience grows with them. One of the clearest themes emerging from my recent work is that comfort is not a single experience. For some travelers, comfort means privacy and quiet. For others, it is the energy of a local restaurant, the convenience of fast‑casual dining, a place for children to play, or simply the reassurance of having options. North American airports often focus on offering “a taste of place,” or a sense of regional culture and hospitality that gives each airport its own identity. That identity remains a competitive advantage and a point of pride for airport leaders across the country. Lounges complement that identity, but they are not designed to replace it. Partnership as the Path Forward What this moment calls for is not a recalibration of any single element, but a reaffirmation of the collaborative approach that has historically defined the success of U.S. airports. As airports,

Left, Below: Traditional airport concessions (SSP America’s Rappahannock Oyster Bar at IAD and Jacob’s Pickles at JFK pictured) are feeling the competition, but Mboya suggests that “stakeholders have an opportunity to come together and take a fresh look” at how the commercial environment is evolving.

operators, airlines, and financial partners look ahead to the next generation of terminals, the most valuable tool at our disposal is partnership. The challenges and opportunities we are navigating such as shifting passenger segments, evolving access models, changing commercial expectations are shared challenges. And shared challenges are best met with shared insights. Airports are already doing tremendous work to evaluate new trends, test new formats, and understand the financial implications of a changing commercial mix. Many airport leaders have expressed interest in conversations that bring airlines, lounge partners, operators, and card issuers together earlier in the planning process not because anyone is doing anything “wrong,” but because alignment is increasingly important.

Below: Common-use lounges, often affiliated with credit cards, have come on strong over the past decade, and travelers are flocking to these venues (Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club at Harry Reid International Airport pictured).

An Invitation to Continue the Dialogue As someone who works daily in airport terminals across North America and who deeply respects the stewardship responsibilities airports hold, I see enormous potential in approaching commercial planning not as a series of individual decisions, but as an interconnected system that thrives when each component reinforces the others. My thinking continues to evolve, just as the industry does. But I remain convinced of one constant: airports succeed when they offer travelers a balanced, welcoming, and locally grounded experience. Lounges will grow. Passenger expectations will broaden. But the airports that lead the next chapter will be those that continue to shape their commercial environments with both creativity and care, ensuring that every traveler, whether they choose a lounge, a restaurant, a café, or simply a quiet corner, feels supported from the moment they enter the terminal. This is not a story about tension. It is a story about opportunity. And it is one I believe the industry is exceptionally well‑positioned to embrace together.

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AX NEWS JUNE 2026