Where Global Airport Leaders Shape What Comes Next
The Sustainable Airport Areas International Conference (SAAIC) is a high-level international think tank bringing together a select group of decision-makers shaping the future of airport areas worldwide.
At the intersection of mobility, energy, technology, and economic development, SAAIC creates a space for strategic dialogue between airport CEOs, institutional leaders, industry executives, and international experts representing major airport hubs across the globe.
Unlike traditional conferences, SAAIC is intentionally designed around quality over quantity. The objective is not to gather the largest audience, but to bring together the right people at the right decision-making level to foster meaningful conversations, actionable ideas, and long-term collaborations.
Organized by Innovitech and Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) in collaboration with Val D’Oise and European partners, the 13th edition will take place for the first time in Montreal on October 1–2, 2026.
Organizers
Co-organizing Partners
Sponsors
Program
- Yves Beauchamp CEO, ADM Aéroports de Montréal
- Representative of the City of Montreal (invited)
- Sofiane Benyouci CEO, Innovitech
Economic diversification is key to build a stronger, more dynamic and more resilient economy in airport areas. Aside from the traditional developments, new industries are now attracted on airports and airports areas bringing innovative development.
What are these new industries attracted? What is their real potential ?
Moderator:
Pieter van der Horst, Managing Director Airport City Academy & Project Director Schiphol Area Development Company
- Philippe Stas Vice-President, Services, Commercial and Innovation, ADM Aéroports de Montréal • Finland, T
- Tommo Koivusalo Director, Economic Affairs and Development, City of Vantaa, Finland
- Robert Bachart Chief Real Estate Officer, Calgary Airport Authority (invited)
- Robert Herrig Director, Supply Chain & Advanced Manufacturing, Metro Atlanta Chamber Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance (invited)
- Francisco Medela Industry Affairs Director, ACI – Latin America and Caribbean (invited)
- Yuki Kawakita Manager Corporate Strategies Planning Department, Narita International Airport Corporation
- Chris Le Tourneur President & CEO, MXD Development Strategists Ltd
Among the emerging industries setting up around airports, the agrifood sector is playing an increasingly strategic role. A new industry cluster is taking shape on the outskirts of major hubs. What is the real strategic potential of the agri-food industry for airport areas? Which airports have already seized this opportunity? And how can this emerging trend be transformed into a sustainable driver of regional economic development?
Moderator:
Pieter van der Horst, Managing Director Airport City Academy & Project Director Schiphol Area Development Company
- Jean-François Benon Managing Director of CEEVO – The Val d’Oise Regional Development and Attractiveness Agency
- Tommo Koivusalo Director Economic Affairs and Development, City of Vantaa
- Xia Zhicheng Vice General Manager, Beijing New Aerotropolis Industrial Development
- Shannon James President & CEO, Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance (invited)
- Scott Marohn VP commercial, Winnipeg Airports Authority (invited)
- Will Rossall Director Real Estate and Lead Development, Winnipeg Airports Authority (invité)
Advanced Air Mobility is moving fast forward in several parts of the world. A critical point for successfully deploying worldwide Advanced Air Mobility is the airworthiness capability. Presently 3 major airworthiness systems coexist (European, Chinese, North American). What are the differences? How could companies overcome these differences to expand overseas? AAM will rapidly become a new means of transportation, part of a next-generation transit system? What will be the first use-case scenarios ? Another key point is the integration of Advanced Air Mobility into a multimodal transportation network? How could it be anticipated and achieved ? How AAM development could be anticipated in urban planning?
Moderator:
Maria Krylova, Senior Consultant, M2P Consulting GmbH
- Jean-Marc Frayret Director of Research – AAM Institute, École Polytechnique
- Melinda Zhu Director of Aviation Investment Promotion, BDAC Investment Promotion Bureau
- Jean-François Benon Managing Director of CEEVO – The Val d’Oise Regional Development and Attractiveness Agency
- Munish Khurana Senior Manager ATM/UTM Business Development EuroControl (invited)
- Michael Couch Senior Manager Cargo, Halifax Stanfield (invited)
- Bob Johnson Principal Johnson Consulting and Advisory
- JR Hammond CEO of CAAM (invited)
- Canada National Research Council
- Jeannie Stewart-Smith Manager & Senior Policy Advisor, Strategy and Emerging Technologies Branch, Civil Aviation, Transport Canada
- Jordan Cicoria EO Aerium Analytics, Drone Technology Solutions
Modern airports no longer simply provide air connectivity. They are transforming into multimodal transportation nodes providing, in addition to international air connectivity, local, regional and inter-regional connectivity by metro, regional trains and highspeed trains. How does this transformation strengthen airports competitiveness? How does long-distance connectivity via high-speed rail complement (or not) air travel? How does implementing a multimodality node at the center of airports reinforce the attractiveness of airport areas by creating a new service offering dedicated to local municipalities and residents? At the end of the day, how do these multimodal hubs contribute to the decarbonization objective?
Moderator:
Ulla Ruuskanen, Director of Airport City and Regional Partnerships, City of Vantaa and Helsinki Uusimaa Regional Council
- Xavier Hurstel Executive Director, International and Economic Relations, Groupe ADP
- Tommo Koivusalo irector, Economic Affairs and Development, City of Vantaa
- Filip Czernicki Port Polska Programme, CEO of Centralny Port Komunikacyjny
- Karen Mazurkewich Vice-President, Stakeholder Relations and Communications, Toronto Pearson (invited)
- Stuart Hair Assistant Airport Director, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (to be confirmed)
- Louis-Philippe Allard Managing Director, CARGO M
- Atif Elkadi CEO, Ontario International Airport California
- Shamal Ratnayaka Aviation Strategy Lead, Transport for London
Due to the imperative of decarbonizing the air transport industry, airports are transforming into energy hubs, thus becoming increasingly energy resilient and independent. In parallel, the booming data center industry is looking for locations providing secure energy. Could an interesting symbiosis emerge ? Which airports are market ready ?
Moderator:
Chris Le Tourneur, President & CEO, MXD Development Strategists Ltd
- Éric Lefebvre CEO, H2CanFly
- Kevin Haas VP commercial of development, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
- Myron Keehn CEO, Edmonton International Airport
- Ken Cope Senior VP of real estate development, Denver International Airport
- Josh Philpott Principal, Stantec
- Bram Fransen Commercial Director, Equans West NL
- Dave Storer Director of Strategic Business Planning, Pittsburgh International Airport (invited)
- Brett Oakleaf Strategic Partnership Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Gary Weinstein Sustainability Manger, JFK International Air Terminal LLC
Automation and AI will drastically change processes in the airport industry. Automation of ground operations could represent a concrete response to the operational challenges faced by airports : labour shortages, pressure on stopover times, and the need to improve punctuality in a context of increasing infrastructure saturation. The use of digital twins is gradually becoming an industry standard for optimising the design and operation of air infrastructure. Digital twins offer major opportunities : optimizing infrastructure design, simulating passenger and aircraft flows, reducing operational risks, and creating immersive training environments for pilots and ground personnel. AI analytics can provide useful tools for easing flows both in terminals and on aprons, and for boosting commercial revenues.
Moderator:
Max Hirsh PhD, Managing Director, Airport City Academy
- Vivian Cheung Chief Executive Officer, Airport Authority Hong Kong
- Art Masri Vice President of Sales and Solutions Engineering, Airports North America at Vanderlande
- Regis Lacote Deputy Chief Executive, responsible for operations and innovation, Groupe ADP
- Brett Hartle Vice-President, Jacobs
A Strategic Platform for the Future of Airport Areas
SAAIC addresses the major transformations reshaping airport ecosystems and surrounding territories, including:
- Energy transition and airport decarbonization
- Artificial intelligence, automation, and digital transformation
- Advanced Air Mobility and next-generation transportation
- Economic diversification and territorial competitiveness
- Multimodal connectivity and integrated mobility hubs
- Resilience and long-term competitiveness of airport ecosystems
Designed as a high-value networking platform, SAAIC integrates a structured matchmaking and networking approach to maximize the relevance and impact of interactions between participants.
For attendees and partners alike, the conference offers direct access to influential international decision-makers, qualified discussions around shared priorities, and concrete collaboration opportunities within a focused and strategic environment.
Why Montreal?
L’éThe 2026 edition marks a strategic milestone for SAAIC:
- The 13th edition of a globally recognized traveling conference
- Only the second edition ever held in North America
- Hosted within one of the world’s leading aerospace and innovation ecosystems
Montreal offers a unique environment to host this international gathering, combining:
- A globally recognized aerospace and industrial sector
- Leadership in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies
- Strong institutional, economic, and innovation ecosystems
- A dynamic North American gateway connected to international markets
This edition aims to connect an international network of airport and mobility leaders with a local ecosystem capable of transforming discussions into concrete projects and collaborations.
Register for SAAIC 2026
Join an international network of airport leaders, industry executives, institutional representatives, and innovation experts shaping the future of sustainable airport areas.
SAAIC 2026 offers a unique opportunity to engage in high-level strategic discussions on the major transformations impacting airport ecosystems.
Become a Partner
Join a select group of international organizations shaping the future of sustainable airport areas and mobility ecosystems.
Whether your organization is active in aviation, mobility, infrastructure, energy, technology, urban development, or economic innovation, SAAIC offers a unique opportunity to connect with the right stakeholders and position your organization within high-level strategic discussions.
Contact the Team
For partnership opportunities, participation inquiries, or additional information about SAAIC Montreal 2026, our team would be pleased to connect with you.
