Welcome to the March edition of Surbon Signal (Read time: 4 mins).

This month, we're sharing a short snapshot from the Passenger Terminal Expo, interesting links and upcoming events.

Airports and public transport

Last week I attended the Passenger Terminal Expo at ExCeL London in Docklands. It was my second time at this event. PTE brings together airport operators, terminal designers, commercial teams and technology providers from across the world — so an opportunity for great cross-sector thinking.

Given how volatile the operating environment feels at the moment, I wanted to share the themes that struck me most, and what I think they mean in practice.

Volatility is the new normal — and the most resilient organisations are built for it

This came up repeatedly across PTE, and it reframed something I hadn’t fully appreciated before: airports are not stable environments. Different terminals, operators, retailers and concessionaires are pulling in different directions at any given moment — and the organisations managing this best are those that have built genuine responsiveness into how they operate, not just their contingency plans.

There is a direct lesson for public transport here. There is a lot of talk in the sector about resilience, but our contracts, governance structures and operating cultures are often designed for stability rather than adaptability. The airport world is further along in thinking about how you build organisations that flex when the environment shifts.

The best presentation I’ve seen in a long time

After attending a lot of conferences, you develop a reliable sense for when a room is genuinely engaged. For me, the standout presentation at PTE came from Ontario International Airport , California — and it centred on a locally-brewed blonde ale called "Come Fly With Me."​

ONT had been named the fastest-growing airport in the US for five consecutive years, with over seven million passengers in 2024 — up 27% on pre-pandemic levels. Rather than simply listing an existing beer in their terminal, they worked with Brewery X to co-develop an airport-exclusive product. That exclusivity created souvenir logic: something you can only get at ONT, which is a powerful driver in a captive, dwell-time environment.

The genuinely clever move was what happened next. "Come Fly With Me" was distributed into Southern California restaurants, retail venues and community events — turning every stockist into an ONT brand touchpoint. And because Brewery X was already stocked in over 500 locations including Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Disneyland, travellers weren't taking a punt on something unknown. The brand was already part of their daily lives.

The presentation was candid about the challenges (including how to get the legal department to sign off), clear on how the partnership had been built, and specific about how a series of pop-up events had helped put them on the map commercially and culturally. They even brought the beer along for the panel.

The point is not really about beer. It is about what the approach demonstrates: a strong local partner, a genuine sense of place, and a willingness to do something unexpected can cut through in ways that polished corporate messaging simply cannot. For transport operators thinking about community engagement, place identity and how to build loyalty beyond the timetable, there are real lessons here.

Sustainability is no longer a side session

At PTE this year, sustainability had its own dedicated day — not a single panel slotted in between commercial strategy and terminal design, but a full programme of speakers exploring different approaches.

What I found particularly valuable was the focus on circular economy models and the way in which different approaches were categorised clearly. It sounds like a small detail, but in practice it makes a real difference. A clear taxonomy moves conversations away from vague aspiration towards something you can actually plan around and measure. For those working on sustainability strategies, social value submissions or net-zero commitments, this kind of structured thinking is exactly the discipline the sector needs more of.

A final thought

Public transport and airports serve very different markets, but they share the same fundamental challenge: moving large numbers of people through complex systems, efficiently, sustainably and reliably, in an environment that keeps changing beneath your feet. The best airports are investing seriously in thinking about what that demands — and there is a great deal we can learn from watching them work through it.

Useful reading

🚂The future of Heathrow Express after 2028 — With the current track access agreement expiring in 2028, there are three possible scenarios: renewal, cessation with no replacement, or cessation with enhanced Elizabeth line provision. Over four million passengers annually use the service, and whatever is decided will have significant implications for airport rail connectivity. Read here​

🛥️Damen introduces electric ferry for urban waterways — Dutch shipbuilder Damen has unveiled the Waterbus 2907, a fully electric ferry designed for high-frequency urban passenger services. With zero emissions in operation and a focus on quiet, efficient running, it represents a significant step forward for sustainable water-based public transport. Read here​

🚁Joby Aviation launches nationwide US air taxi tour — Joby Aviation has begun a cross-country demonstration tour of its electric air taxi in the US, bringing the technology to new cities as it works towards commercial certification. For those tracking the longer-term future of urban mobility, this is worth watching. Read here​

🚌Aberdeen’s hydrogen bus fleet scrapped in favour of electric vehicles — Aberdeen City Council has abandoned its flagship hydrogen double-decker bus programme — once billed as a world first — after the 25-vehicle fleet was taken out of service in September 2024 due to fuelling station failures. The council will now transition fully to electric vehicles, following a reassessment with commercial partner BP. A timely reminder that technology choices made today need to be stress-tested against a fast-moving market. Read here​

3. Upcoming events

14 April — UIC Passenger Week, Paris — The inaugural UIC Passenger Week takes place at UIC Headquarters in Paris. The Open Day on Tuesday 14th April is open to all stakeholders, with a focus on multimodal ticketing and innovation. I’ll be attending — do get in touch if you’ll be there too. More information​

Mid-June — UITP: Setting Up and Managing a Public Transport Authority (Online) — I’ll be speaking at this UITP Academy training course in June. The programme is designed to help participants establish and develop empowered transport authorities — covering governance structures, legal and financial frameworks, funding models, and how to bring municipalities, operators and institutions together effectively. It is delivered online and is well suited to professionals from authorities, operators and policy bodies at all levels of experience. More information​

Surbon Consulting helps public transport operators, authorities and suppliers win contracts and deliver social value — with 18 years of experience and over 40 bids across the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Want to know more? Book a call or explore articles and resources including the new Social Value Quiz.

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