In this IR Open Mic snip-it, Curtis Grad invites his guest Jonny Andersen, CEO of Aruba Airport Authority to peer into the magic mirror and bear his soul.

🌐 Visit https://airportir.com/open-mic to hear more episodes and stay informed about the global aviation developments that matter to you.

In this IR Open Mic snip-it, Curtis Grad invites his guest Jonny Andersen, CEO of Aruba Airport Authority to share crazy stories from his wide-ranging aviation career spanning Scandinavia, East Africa and the Caribbean.

🌐 Visit https://airportir.com/open-mic to hear more episodes and stay informed about the global aviation developments that matter to you.

Welcome to Open Mic, the airport- and aviation-focused podcast hosted by Curtis Grad, Chief Executive and Founding Partner of Modalis Infrastructure Partners. Each episode features in-depth conversations with global aviation leaders—airport executives, investors, innovators, and policy experts—exploring the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the airport and aviation landscape.

In this episode, Curtis speaks with Jonny Andersen, CEO of Aruba Airport Authority. From his early days with Scandinavian Airlines in northern Norway to airport leadership roles in Norway, Kenya, Curaçao and now Aruba, Jonny shares lessons from a truly international aviation career and explores how airports can unlock economic opportunity, improve the passenger journey, and build stronger connections between destinations and the world.

They dive into:
✈️ Jonny’s global aviation journey—from Scandinavian Airlines and Norway’s airport system to executive leadership in Kenya, Curaçao and Aruba.
🌍 The enormous potential of aviation in Africa, the challenges of connecting the continent, and Jonny’s experience helping Nairobi secure last-point-of-departure status for direct flights to the United States.
🏝️ What makes island airports different—and why tourism, route development and seamless passenger processing are so critical to destinations like Aruba.
🇺🇸 How U.S. preclearance gives Aruba a competitive advantage and how new technology is helping the airport cut passenger processing times and eliminate bottlenecks.
🤝 Why understanding both the airline and airport sides of the business—and building a strong global network—can make airport leaders more effective.

Timestamps:
4:13 From Norway to Kenya: Building a global aviation career
5:03 Aviation’s untapped potential across Africa
7:22 Connecting Nairobi and New York: Achieving last-point-of-departure status
14:52 From Curaçao to Aruba: Leading island airports
16:27 U.S. preclearance and transforming Aruba’s passenger journey
24:00 Crazy aviation stories: Twin Otters in northern Norway
27:48 Airlines, airports and who really owns the passenger experience
36:34 Networking, international careers and advice for aviation professionals
45:18 Magic Mirror: Rapid-fire questions with Jonny

🎧 Tune in for insider perspectives from airport and aviation thought leaders.
🔔 Subscribe for future episodes.
💬 Like and Comment: How can airports use technology to make the passenger journey more seamless without losing the human element?
🌐 Visit https://www.modalisinfra.ca/openmic to hear more episodes and stay informed about the global aviation developments that matter to you.

In this IR Open Mic snip-it, Curtis Grad invites his guest Angela Gittens, former Director General of Airports Council International (ACI) World and current President of Schiphol USA to take the Magic Mirror challenge.

🌐 Visit https://airportir.com/open-mic to hear more episodes and stay informed about the global aviation developments that matter to you.

In this IR Open Mic snip-it, Curtis Grad invites his guest Angela Gittens, former Director General of Airports Council International (ACI) World and current President of Schiphol USA to share crazy stories from her remarkable career in the airport sector.

🌐 Visit https://airportir.com/open-mic to hear more episodes and stay informed about the global aviation developments that matter to you.

Welcome to Open Mic, the airport- and aviation-focused podcast hosted by Curtis Grad, Chief Executive and Founding Partner of Modalis Infrastructure Partners. Each episode features in-depth conversations with global aviation leaders—airport executives, investors, innovators, and policy experts—exploring the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the airport and aviation landscape.

In this episode, Curtis speaks with Angela Gittens, former Director General of Airports Council International (ACI) World and current President of Schiphol USA. Drawing on a remarkable career that includes leadership roles at airports in San Francisco, Miami and Atlanta, Angela shares her perspective on how airports have evolved, the importance of putting people at the heart of the passenger experience, and the challenges and opportunities that will shape the next generation of airport leadership.

They dive into:
✈️ Angela’s journey from airport business and finance to executive leadership and ultimately leading ACI World—and how working across different airport ownership and operating models shaped her global perspective.
🤝 Why exceptional customer experience is often most visible when things go wrong—and how strong airport cultures empower employees to step up when passengers need them most.
💻 The growing cybersecurity challenge facing airports as operations become increasingly dependent on digital technology, automation, and AI.
🌎 How airports are evolving beyond transportation infrastructure to become economic engines, community resources, and increasingly integrated parts of the passenger journey.
💡 The lasting impact of ACI’s Airport Excellence (APEX) peer-review program and why knowledge-sharing between airports is critical to advancing the global aviation industry.

Timestamps:
3:15 From airport executive to leading ACI World
8:10 Airport Service Quality and the passenger experience
11:25 Building an airport culture that performs when things go wrong
16:45 Cybersecurity, AI and the emerging risks facing airports
22:30 Crazy aviation stories: A suspected hijacking at SFO
26:20 Airports as economic engines and community resources
28:00 Technology, advanced air mobility and the future passenger journey
33:40 Angela’s legacy: APEX and the power of airport peer reviews
43:20 Magic Mirror: Rapid-fire questions with Angela

🎧 Tune in for insider perspectives from airport and aviation thought leaders.
🔔 Subscribe for future episodes.
💬 Like and Comment: How can airports embrace new technology while preserving the human element of the passenger experience?
🌐 Visit https://airportir.com/open-mic to hear more episodes and stay informed about the global aviation developments that matter to you.

In this IR Open Mic snip-it, Curtis Grad invites his guest Lorenzo Di Loreto, Chief Operating Officer of lux-Airport in Luxembourg to peer into the Magic Mirror and reveal his inner self!

🌐 Visit https://airportir.com/open-mic to hear more episodes and stay informed about the global aviation developments that matter to you.

In this IR Open Mic snip-it, Curtis Grad invites his guest Lorenzo Di Loreto, Chief Operating Officer of lux-Airport in Luxembourg to share crazy stories from his wide-ranging global career in the airport sector.

🌐 Visit https://airportir.com/open-mic to hear more episodes and stay informed about the global aviation developments that matter to you.