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AIRPORT DAYS
Where Challenges Meet Solutions
GATE Airport Days bring members directly into the operational heart of airports. They create a platform for on-site exchange, where technologies, processes, and real-world challenges are explored together with those who run and shape airport operations every day.
Understanding Operations Where They Happen
Airports are complex, highly interconnected systems. From passenger flow and baggage handling to security and apron operations, every process must perform reliably under increasing pressure.
GATE Airport Days are designed to provide direct insight into this reality. By bringing members on site, the format enables a deeper understanding of operational environments, constraints, and priorities, something that cannot be fully captured in presentations alone.
Through close collaboration with host airports, participants gain access to areas, systems, and processes that are normally not visible from the outside.
What You Can Expect from Our Airport Days
At the core of each Airport Day is direct dialogue with those responsible for daily operations.
Participants engage with airport experts, operational managers, and technical teams to discuss current challenges and future developments. Site visits, from terminals to baggage handling systems and apron operations, provide a concrete basis for these conversations.
This combination of observation and discussion creates a shared understanding. It allows solution providers to align their technologies more closely with real operational needs, while airports gain fresh perspectives and ideas from the industry.
As highlighted during the first Airport Days in Berlin and Lisbon, this on-site exchange significantly accelerates knowledge transfer and opens up new opportunities for collaboration.
Highlights from Previous Airport Days with GATE
Vienna International Airport (VIE)
The GATE Airport Day at Vienna International Airport centered on baggage logistics and the investments currently being made in the airport's infrastructure. Participants took a close look at the baggage handling operation, a complex system that moves thousands of suitcases reliably every day and is currently undergoing a major transformation. The new Hold Baggage Screening (HBS) facility and the extension building for the Baggage Logistic Center (BLC) showed the scale of the ongoing work.
Another stop on the visit was the air traffic control tower. At 109 meters, it is among the tallest in the world, and participants could see first-hand how the latest technology is being installed there.
Beyond the site visits, the day offered plenty of room for direct exchange. In open conversations with the airport's operational team, participants discussed current projects, day-to-day challenges, and future plans. For many, this dialogue was the most valuable part of the visit, offering insights that go well beyond what presentations alone can convey.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
The GATE Airport Day at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) offered participants a comprehensive look into one of Europe’s most modern airport environments. Guided by senior operational leaders, the visit focused on how the airport manages increasing passenger volumes while continuously optimizing processes.
Participants explored Terminals 1 and 2, gaining insights into recent developments such as the integration of passenger and baggage screening into airport operations, a move that has significantly increased efficiency and capacity. Digital services like “BER Runway,” “BER Traveler,” and biometric solutions demonstrated how passenger experience is evolving through technology.
Beyond the infrastructure, what stood out was the open exchange with the airport’s operational teams. Discussions around process optimization, system integration, and future challenges provided a realistic understanding of how innovation is implemented in a live environment. The day concluded with a dedicated dialogue session, allowing participants to reflect on observations and connect them directly to their own solutions and projects.
Humberto Delgado Airport Lisbon (LIS)
The GATE Airport Day at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon shifted the focus towards operational logistics and the complexity of managing a major international hub. As a key gateway connecting Europe with South America and Africa, the airport operates under high traffic pressure and demanding operational conditions.
Participants were given exclusive access to the apron area as well as the airport’s baggage handling system and its control center. This behind-the-scenes perspective highlighted the critical role of efficient baggage flow and real-time coordination in ensuring smooth airport operations.
The visit offered a detailed view of how logistical challenges are addressed in practice from system performance to operational decision-making. Direct discussions with airport experts provided valuable insights into how processes are continuously optimized to handle growing passenger numbers while maintaining reliability.
For many participants, the Lisbon Airport Day made the complexity of airport operations tangible in a very concrete way, reinforcing the importance of aligning technological solutions with real operational requirements.
In connection with the Passenger Terminal Expo, participants visited Madrid–Barajas Airport, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs. The visit provided valuable insight into how a large international airport manages passenger flows and delivers a high-quality travel experience at scale.
The Aena team welcomed the group and shared detailed information about the airport’s operations, offering a closer look at the factors that shape the passenger journey. Participants explored the terminal’s commercial areas, discussed current developments, and gained a deeper understanding of how passenger experience concepts are implemented in practice.
A guided apron tour complemented the visit by providing a direct view of airside operations and the complexity of day-to-day airport activities. Combined with the exchange with airport representatives, the Airport Day offered valuable operational insights and highlighted the scale, efficiency, and coordination required to run one of Europe’s leading airports.
Benefits for Members
Gaining operational insight
Experience airport processes first-hand to better understand real-world challenges and requirements.
Connecting with decision-makers
Engage directly with airport operators, technical experts, and operational leaders on site.
Bridging industry and operations
Align technologies and solutions with actual airport needs through open, practice-oriented dialogue.
Accelerating knowledge Transfer
Translate on-site observations into actionable insights for products, projects, and strategies.
Enabling collaboration
Create the basis for new partnerships by bringing airports and industry closer together.
