After a post-Covid resurgence, aviation leaders across the Americas are confronting a hugely uncertain future. On the one hand, Latin America displays world leading passenger demand growth, new markets opening up and a returning connectivity between key South American hubs. Yet look North and storm clouds gather. The USA saw a decline in domestic passenger demand in February with major carriers implementing a hiring freeze on cabin staff as businesses reduce non-essential travel. As President Trump’s trade tariffs send shockwaves through stock markets then is global recession inevitable or will America be great again? GHI unites key aviation stakeholders to explore the scenarios and how they shape very different ground handling strategies. How do we turn crisis into opportunity. Could unpredictability be the spur we need to push on with digital innovations, the adoption of sustainable GSE and investing in retaining our most talented team members?
 
This is a forum for putting your biggest business concerns to the panel so please email us your questions at confernences@groundhandling.com

Our Turnaround Management Platform enables you to streamline your ground operations, enhance communication between stakeholders coworking on a flight and automate post flight reporting. By integrating to all available data sources (Airport systems such as AODB or Smart Camera, Airline systems such as DCS or Type B) you are able to have access to all of the data needed to manage your operations. We are deployed in 200 airports around the world, working with airlines such as Air France, ANA or Air Transat.

Exclusive insight from the teams at TCR and JFK New Terminal One on delivering a landmark GSE pooling programme. How will airport authorities and resident ground handlers ensure +600 motorised and non-motorised units are charged and ready to go when the greenfield terminal opens? What steps have been made to optimise charging capacity, enhance safety on the apron and ensure equipment is available when and where required?

This case study-led discussion will explore how an operator has deployed AI powered apps and workforce management tools have claimed a 30% reduction in employee turnover in the notoriously tumultuous environment of the Americas apron. How can features like live feedback, gamification and on the job learning modules keep gen Z workers engaged? And where does traditional human leadership skills sit in an AI future?

Innovation is a hallowed phrase within aviation as the supply chain seeks to maintain world-class performance levels in the face of rising volumes and diminishing resource. GHI invites top ground handling operators from across the Americas region to demystify the term and explain the practical steps they are taking to bring innovation to the fore. Key discussion points will include does innovation come with a hefty price tag? And, do you need a dedicated team to unearth inspiration? We’ll ask our speakers to show some tangible examples of KPI enhancing innovation in the region.

With digitisation, and AI in particular, dominating industry airwaves – this session will explore the essentials for business focused digital transformation for handlers, airlines, GSE service workshops, GSE manufacturers and asset financing. Below the wing, companies are increasingly digitising business activities to enhance on-time performance, reduce costs, optimise staff and equipment utilization and benchmark performance for continuous improvement initiatives. The session will explore a 5-step model for successful digital transformation and an assessment checklist to answer the question ‘are we ready for digital transformation and AI?’.

After roaring back to surpass pre-pandemic passenger levels ahead of any other global region – latest IATA figures show a slight decline in North America traffic growth. Is this a blip or the start of a downward trend that could escalate under a wave of trade tariffs? Meanwhile, Latin American markets show near 7% year-on-year growth, aided by new infrastructure and tourism returning. This session will assess the year ahead for North and Latin American markets.

Exploring how dnata is launching ground handling into the space age with a showcase Orlando operation featuring a fully electric fleet, autonomous vehicles, automated billing, AI and anti-collision sensors. The team will reveal how a commitment to install the latest quality driven new tech doesn’t have to equal higher prices, the station can deliver a lower cost per turn than an orthodox operation. The dnata team will also explain how they newest tech is combined with the best staff talent with a proactive campaign to hire the ramp leaders of tomorrow.

The Argentinian government has liberalised its ground handling market causing a surge in international interest in one of the powerhouse economies of South America. With opportunities up for discussion at more than 35 airports – what is the market potential now Argentina has opened up and what are some of the entry challenges facing ground handlers looking to take advantage in the land of the puma?

GHI invites operators to share practical ramp stories of how new GSE, equipment technology, and operational practices have reduced operational risk and prevented incidents in the ramp environment. This session will explore how dnata has leveraged wireless communication strategies to enhance situational awareness, connecting the tow team and flight crew as a unified apparatus to minimize risk. The case study will demonstrate how the team transformed the solution into an advantage against an airport environment that continues to experience significant growth, where the margin of error can be as little as 25 feet. Gino Matteoni, Senior Vice President of Safety and Training, dnata: David O’Connell, CEO dBd Communications

Join us for the second of our sessions inviting operators to share practical ramp stories of how new GSE, equipment technology, and operational practices have reduced risk and prevented incidents in the ramp environment. PrimeFlight will discuss how it has reimagined its communication strategy after reviewing network incidents involving tow and pushback teams with inexperienced ramp team members. The case study will explore how communications systems are being integrated into new employee training during pushback to boost situational awareness, increase knowledge, and how change management techniques are implemented to address resistant employees into adopting new tech with some innovative adjustments to equipment.

Join us at Damarel as we showcase the latest generation of the FiNDnet Suite—an enterprise-level turnaround management, service capture, and billing solution. Whether you're a small operation or a global ground handler, FiNDnet offers a class-leading solution used worldwide to seamlessly coordinate, monitor, and enhance all aspects of airport operations. It comprehensively addresses your operational and business processes and leverages automation to drive cost reduction, performance enhancement, and revenue growth.

Join us to see how the latest version features a complete mobility solution for SLA monitoring and event timings, ensuring that FiNDnet empowers you to deliver unparalleled service.

Discover how EBIS simplifies Ground Support Equipment (GSE) management in this 15-minute live demo. We’ll walk you through key features including asset tracking, preventative maintenance scheduling, work order management, and reporting—all in one intuitive platform. EBIS is designed to help operations teams reduce downtime, improve compliance, and extend equipment life with real-time visibility into your fleet. Whether you're managing tugs, belt loaders, or GPUs, EBIS brings clarity and control to your GSE maintenance operations. Visit us at Booth E24 to see how EBIS can streamline your workflows and support data-driven decision-making.

While aviation leaders are pledging a net zero operation by 2050, the reality on the ground is a shortfall in charging points, GSE parking space and disjointed investment plans among airports, airlines and GSPs. This panel will invite fleet directors at major ground handlers to outline their sustainable fleet strategies and the steps to building a more coherent path to a low carbon future. A special focus of this panel will be bridging technologies like battery-as-a-service, power share as well as a look at sustainable fuel alternatives to Li-power like hydrogen and bio-fuels

GSE operators are being asked to do more with less, making operational efficiency and strategic decision-making more critical than ever. But without standardized data and real-time visibility, making informed decisions is a challenge. In this case study led session, we’ll explore how an airline/handler is using data standardization and system integrations to improve maintenance, fleet strategy, technician productivity, and help GSE operations move from reactive to proactive decision-making.

Passengers with reduced mobility are one of the fastest growing passenger groups within aviation and more than one in five travellers set to be classed as a PRM by 2050. This PRM passenger segment will double in value to over $1 billion by 2033. This session looks at how airports, airlines and GSPs go from a reactive and resource-intensive approach to PRM passengers to shaping a strategy that is proactive, data-driven and profitable.

When it comes to acts of God like pandemics, floods or hurricanes then there’s nothing we can do, right? Wrong, it is within your power to prepare for large scale disruptions to operations, this workshop session will show. And being proactive with your emergency planning mitigates commercial loss and maximises profitability during the recovery, participants will hear. Attend to discover how environmental events that seem to be more frequent, another pandemic, or other major events can be brought within your grasp.

This interactive workshop will ask what human skills will remain influential in motivating and inspiring aviation employees in the age of digital transformation. Attendees will learn how to blend technology with more traditional leadership tools to ensure you are optimising your workforce’s performance.

Nearly 90% of employees say they will not work, or continue to work for, a company with a poor reputation. So, with the entire ground handling industry feeling the weight of a negative employer image, how can you stand out to find and keep talent? This hands-on workshop will provide proven, business-boosting recruitment marketing and employer branding tactics to attract job seekers and promote your unique culture. It will also help you match prospective candidates to key attributes for ramp and check-in-based roles through compelling external messaging.

This workshop session will explore the importance of just culture in defining a line between a genuine mistake and gross negligence. How do you create a culture of openness amid the high-pressure environment of the apron? And what safety lessons are ground handlers losing out on by adopting a zero-tolerance approach to operatives who inadvertently damage GSE/aircraft or themselves during pushback and turnaround.