Aena is the world’s largest airport operator, with a network of 46 airports and two heliports in Spain. It also operates London Luton Airport and 17 airports in Brazil, including Congonhas, the second-busiest airport in the country. In total, Aena already manages 20% of Brazilian air traffic. It also participates in the management of another 15 airports in different countries in the Americas.

It is a leading company in the management of airport services due to its experience, capacity and professional team, which offers a comprehensive service of the highest quality. Its airports are among the most modern and functional in the world, with the latest technologies and a varied commercial and catering offer, full accessibility and an internationally recognised service for people with reduced mobility.

Aena is a responsible company, with an important role as an economic engine in the areas of influence of the airports, and with a firm commitment to development and sustainability. Its purpose is to manage the safest, most efficient, sustainable and welcoming airports in the world, catalysing the economy and tourism and generating value for shareholders, customers and society.

International leader in food & beverage and travel retail. With presence in 11 countries, the company manages more than 1,900 restaurants and stores in Europe and America.

With a team of 20,000 people and locations in the main transport hubs around the world (airports, train stations, travel plazas in highways), as well as leisure parks, Areas provides service to more than 350 million customers every year.

Founded in 1968 in Barcelona, Areas is committed to offering high-quality services to travellers. Since then, the company has become a global benchmark operator in the industry, with a deep knowledge of travellers’ needs and the widest range of restaurant concepts in the market.

To read more about how Areas is revitalising the travel hospitality experience, visit the website: www.areas.com. 

Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR), a subsidiary of the renowned Emirates Group, manages a diverse portfolio of restaurants, cafés and bars across the Middle East, USA, Australasia, Southeast Asia and East Africa. With over 300 outlets, including 100+ in over 21 airports, the food & beverage retail operator excels in delighting customers through its focus on curating outstanding guest experiences and operational excellence. 

ELR has a vision to delight every customer with its passion for quality and service. It has the structure, capability and ambition to grow in existing markets and regions, creating value for all stakeholders in travel retail, including airports, developers, master concessionaires, brands, local economies and small business owners.

The company is proud to partner with some of the world’s most beloved and renowned international brands, bringing customers the best products and unparalleled customer experiences. The ELR portfolio includes globally recognised names, such as Costa Coffee, Pret A Manger, Giraffe and The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, alongside bespoke homegrown concepts ZOMA, Hudson’s Coffee and Harbor Grill among others. 

ELR supports local businesses bringing their concepts to airports through sustainable partnerships, sourcing local products where possible, without compromising on quality. Its focus is on sustainable practices, reducing environmental impact and giving back to communities. 

The company emphasises its people first by creating a positive and supportive work environment where everyone feels valued and respected. It is proud to invest in its people to ensure that Emirates Leisure Retail is a great place to work and offers exciting career and learning opportunities. 

For more information about the company, visit www.emiratesleisureretail.com/. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Lagardère Travel Retail is a pioneering global travel retail leader, committed to creating memorable and more responsible retail and dining experiences for passengers, and delivering bespoke, value-creating partnerships for landlords.

Cumulating more than 170 years of experience in travel retail, Lagardère Travel Retail empowers mobility in all forms across airports, railway stations and other concessions in 51 countries worldwide. Operating over 4,970 stores across travel essentials, duty free and fashion and foodservice, the group generated €7.6bn in sales in 2024.

Lagardère Travel Retail considers food & beverage an integral part of the holistic customer journey. In 2024, it accounted for 23% of total sales revenue and has become an increasingly important driver of overall performance. The network included more than 1,600 F&B outlets across 30 countries as part of a portfolio encompassing local and global partner brands, internal concepts and bespoke brands, providing a comprehensive selection of food options. 

Lagardère Travel Retail has positioned sustainability into its business model to safeguard the durability of activities and expertise. Its dedicated CSR strategy is aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

​As a company, it is committed to continuously enhance landlord assets and revenue, while ensuring travel remains a shared space where people and ideas meet, where everyone can broaden their horizons or enjoy the comfort of authentic human experiences.

Featuring over 200 retail and dining outlets, Qatar Duty Free (QDF) is creating a new airport experience while reinventing airport shopping and dining for a new generation of travellers. The company offers diverse eating and shopping opportunities and unique ways to enjoy Hamad International Airport, as well as being the launching pad for experiences that cannot be found anywhere else.

QDF sits within a unique, wider eco-system that also includes Qatar Airways (its parent company) and Hamad International Airport. This ‘trinity’ model of airport, retailer and airline creates a world-class airport retail experience for passengers. Together, it provides its shared customer base with a five-star experience, including innovative retail products, global brand firsts, exclusives and exceptional dining opportunities.

QDF recently scooped seven titles at the Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Awards 2024, including Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year for its second consecutive year. The award-winning travel retailer also received the top prize of Airport Retailer of the Year at the 2023 Frontier Awards, along with the Best New Shop Opening and Outstanding Contribution titles.

Hamad International Airport recently won World’s Best Airport for Shopping at the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2024 for the second year in a row, attributed to QDF’s retail and F&B strategy to offer the best experience for passengers at the airport.

In addition, QDF was named the World’s Leading Airport Duty Free Operator 2022 and Middle East’s Leading Airport Duty Free Operator 2022 in the World Travel Awards, and won the 2022 Best Customer Experience Airport Retailer at Global Brands Magazine Awards.

SSP Group is a global leading operator of food & beverage outlets in travel locations employing around 49,000 colleagues in over 3,000 units across 37 countries. The company specialises in designing, creating and operating a diverse range of food and drink outlets in airports, train stations and other travel hubs across six formats: sit-down and quick-service restaurants, bars, cafés, lounges, and food-led convenience stores. Its extensive portfolio of brands features a mix of international, national and local brands, tailored to meet the diverse needs of travellers.

SSP’s purpose is to be the best part of the journey, and the F&B operator is committed to delivering leading brands and innovative concepts to its clients and customers around the world, focusing on exceptional taste, value, quality and service. With sustainability a crucial part of the company’s long-term success, it aims to deliver positive impacts for the business while uniting stakeholders to promote a sustainable food travel sector.

www.foodtravelexperts.com

Chili’s is one of the world’s leading casual-dining restaurant companies and the flagship brand of Brinker International. Having opened its first restaurant in 1975 in Dallas, Texas, Chili’s now owns, operates and franchises more than 1,600 restaurants in 33 countries. This includes 37 restaurants in airports across the USA, Canada and Mexico, where the company has franchised with international leading airport developers and operated for 30 years.

Known for its Big Mouth Burgers, hand-battered Chicken Crispers, Sizzling Fajitas and hand-shaken Margaritas, Chili’s offerings infuse its Texan roots and Southwest-American style. The restaurant takes food seriously – “but not ourselves” – because dining out should feel like a celebration even if there is nothing to celebrate. 

Chili’s is proud of its rich history of community involvement and hosts local Give Back events to support children, education and hunger, raising more than US$100 million for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. This culture permeates throughout the global franchise family.  

The company is looking for strategic partners who share the same vision, passion and drive to grow in airports across the world, as the company has its sights set on continuing to spread a culture of making people feel special, saturating the globe with #ChilisLove.