Javier Marín, executive vice chairman of Aena, gave the opening address and keynote speech at PTE World Conference 2025 at 8:30am on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
Aena’s address
Attendees listened as Marín covered the main challenges of the industry including facilitating continuous innovation in passenger experience, commercial strategy and sustainability. He also shared his excitement about the recent announcement that the UK government has approved the development consent order (DCO) to enable London Luton Airport (LLA) to increase its annual passenger capacity from 19 million to 32 million passengers. He went on to talk about his admiration for the industry, saying that the main asset of airport world was the people working for the airports, and that it was the talent and commitment of its staff that enabled the industry to be as resilient and innovative as it is today.
Beyond this, when welcoming the delegates to the conference, Marín encouraged those listening to seize the opportunity PTE World Conference presents, to share personal and professional experiences that will propel the industry.
He said, “You are a good representation of those that dedicate their efforts beyond the daily obligations. Thanks to you, we are able to overcome the most difficult and challenging situations the industry faces. I would like to invite you to share your experience with people beyond this industry. We need to continue attracting talent and committing people to join us. When attending the conference, I’m sure you’ll be focused on listening to many talks, visiting the expo area and talking to each other. What I would like to ask you is to take some time also to gain some personal advantages from this opportunity. These events are very important for the professional point of view, but also for the personal point of view. So enjoy the opportunity to meet many people, exchange knowledge and gain valuable contacts for the future and beyond.”
Indeed, the expo and conference enable airports and airlines to debate current issues and form business relationships on a global scale, with more than 10,000 people from over 120 countries expected to attend this year. Specifically, more than 1,750 conference attendees are expected at the show from around the world, featuring board members, CEOs, managers and their teams.
PTE World announcements
Immediately following Marín’s address, Peter Massey, commercial director at UKi Media Events, announced the show’s rebrand to PTE World. “Why the change? Well, many of you have been calling us PTE for years, so we thought it was about time that we officially rebranded as PTE and to make our informal identity to the world official,” he explained. Read the full story here.
Massey also announced the launch of PTE Asia, a brand-new event dedicated to the Asia-Pacific region that will take place in Singapore on September 23 and 24.
“This expansion comes at a critical time for the industry,” he said. “APAC is projected to lead global air passenger traffic growth over the next 15 years, and numbers are expected to more than double from 2019 levels to reach 8.7 billion by 2042. As ACI reports, 9 out of 10 fast growth passenger traffic markets are in Asia. We’re extremely honored to have received strong support from Changi Airport Group, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board and Marina Bay Sands.”
Find out more about PTE Asia here.
PTE World 2025 is on April 8, 9 & 10 at IFEMA in Madrid. Click here for more PTE World news and below to register for the conference and your FREE expo pass
