Themed “Airport Operations for Tomorrow”, conversations surrounding these topics are especially crucial as the aviation industry is witnessing rapid transformation and projected global passenger traffic to reach 19.5 billion by 2042.

Day 1 morning highlights: Keynotes and expert insights

The opening day of IASEA 2025 set an exciting tone with thought-provoking discussions and visionary insights from industry leaders.

The fireside chat on 'Reshaping Global Airport Operations', led by Patrick Ky, CEO, International Centre for Aviation Innovation (ICAI) and moderated by Glory Wee, Senior Director, Aviation Development Group, Civil Aviation Authority Singapore (CAAS), discussed the fundamental shift they anticipate airport operations will face and how airports must evolve to balance the imperatives of efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. When asked to share one game-changing technology that will redefine the industry, Patrick Ky shared that “innovation that drives data sharing will be key”, but that would require many regulatory aspects and willingness from airports to share with each other. This would take time, but it is key to building a stronger future.

“It is clear from our discussion that in order to reshape airport operations, it is not just about technological advancements but also about setting standards, data integrity, collaborations, and sharing best practices. Above all, the industry needs to work towards building trust with partners and eco-system players,” said Glory Wee, Senior Director, Aviation Development Group, Civil Aviation Authority Singapore (CAAS).

At the show, leading airports, including Narita International Airport Corporation, and Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), presented case studies highlighting their technological integrations, regional growth strategies, and efforts to meet rising demand while enhancing passenger experience.

Shinichiro Motomiya, General Manager, Narita International Airport Corporation, presented the ‘New Narita Airport’ expansion project for the 2030s, which includes extending an existing runway, constructing a new runway, improving connectivity into the city, building a new cargo area, and consolidating this into a single terminal to accommodate the expected increase of passenger capacity from 57 to 75 million and cargo capacity from 2.4 to 3.5 million tons at Narita International Airport.

Separately, Vietnam’s aviation sector is experiencing rapid growth, with domestic travel projected to increase by over 20% from 2023 to 2027. To meet this soaring demand, Nguyen Dang Minh, Director of Airport Operations Department, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), shared ACV’s master plan to develop a robust and resilient airport network by 2050. By 2030, ACV will equip 30 airports across the country with a combined capacity to handle 275.9 million passengers and 4.1 million tons of cargo annually. By 2050, the network will expand to 33 airports (14 international and 19 domestic), ensuring that 97% of the population has access to an airport within 100 kilometres.

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