Airport Experience® News - Pre-Conference Issue 2026

FEBRUARY 2026

Dear Readers,

FEBRUARY 2026 / V24 N268

This is year off to a strong start for many, as air travel continues to thrive even as the economy falters. In addition to buoyant leisure travel and stable business demand, the U.S Travel Association is predicting an additional 30 million international visitors will be coming to the U.S. this year for major sporting events, including the World Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and other events. This issue of Airport Experience News highlights the ways airports and concessionaires are preparing for the influx of sports-minded visitors, from special teams deployed to manage logistics to event-specific pop-up F&B, retail and passenger engagement opportunities. This issue also captures the predictions of some of the nation’s foremost food and beverage consultants who share their expectations for the current year. And, in another outlook article, airline experts analyze the current state-of-play for North America’s leading carriers. Interviews with Michael Stephens of Tampa International Airport and, separately, Jonathan Song of Plaza Premium Group, round out this issue of AXN.

PRE-CONFERENCE ISSUE

GLOBAL FLAVORS TREND UPWARD

MAJOR EVENTS MOBILIZE AIRPORT, CONCESSIONS TEAMS

TPA’S MICHAEL STEPHENS SHARES VISION

Happy Reading,

Carol Ward Editor-in-Chief

Airport Experience News carol@airportxnews.com

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AX NEWS FEBRUARY 2026