Airport Experience® News - Leadership Issue 2025

MENTORING MOMENTUM Airports Are Creating Operator On-Ramps Through Mentorship, Experience

BY DAVID GORDON

Across the country, airports have long prioritized outreach to small businesses, particularly those certified under the federal Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) program. Now, regardless of regulatory changes that are shaking up that program, airports are signaling their continuing support of small and local businesses. Some airports are investing in deeper, more structured outreach efforts than in the past. Four standouts in this space are Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Each of these airports is transforming the traditional model of small business engagement. In Detroit, the SOAR program (Small Business Operators Arriving Ready) introduces small businesses to the airport environment through curated specialty retail leases and operational mentorship. The program was developed in collaboration with local leadership and shaped by community-focused intent. “The SOAR program is designed to create an entry point for established small businesses to operate in an inline space leased at DTW,” says Victoria Inniss Edwards, vice president of procurement, business development and contract compliance for DTW. “It offers a lease space that has been customized to defray

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AX NEWS DECEMBER 2025 / JANUARY 2026