In this IR Open Mic snip-it, Curtis asks Juan José Salmón, Chief Executive Officer of Lima Airport Partners (LAP), the private operator and developer of Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru to share his craziest story from from his varied and intriguing career 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.

In this IR Open Mic snip-it, Curtis asks Juan José Salmón, Chief Executive Officer of Lima Airport Partners (LAP), the private operator and developer of Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru to share his craziest story from his varied and intriguing 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 Juan José Salmón, Chief Executive Officer of Lima Airport Partners (LAP), the private operator and developer of Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru. Together, Curtis and Juan José explore the extraordinary journey behind the airport’s new terminal and the broader role of private sector investment in transforming aviation infrastructure across Latin America.

They dive into:
✈️ The multi-year effort to plan, design, and deliver Lima’s new airport terminal—including navigating COVID-19 disruptions and redesigning the project mid-stream.
🏗️ The operational challenge of closing the old airport and moving an entire operation—including aircraft, equipment, and personnel—to a new terminal in less than 24 hours.
📈 The remarkable growth story of Lima Airport, expanding from just a few million passengers at the start of the concession to nearly 26 million today.
🌎 Why Latin America has become the most privatized airport region in the world—and what that means for infrastructure investment and connectivity.
🚀 The future of aviation in the region, including open skies, increased connectivity, and emerging airport technologies.

Timestamps:
1:25 The story behind Lima’s new airport terminal
3:00 The operational challenge of moving an airport in 24 hours
8:50 Lima Airport’s extraordinary passenger growth
11:14 Public vs private airport management models
14:20 From maritime logistics to aviation leadership
21:48 Crazy aviation story: shutting down the airport during COVID
27:53 The future of aviation connectivity in Latin America
34:37 Magic Mirror: Rapid-fire questions with Juan José

🎧 Tune in for insider perspectives from airport and aviation thought leaders.
🔔 Subscribe for future episodes.
💬 Like and Comment: What lessons can other regions learn from Latin America’s airport privatization model?

🌐 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 invites Karen Ellis, Assistant General Manager of Customer Experience at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to peer into the Magic Mirror and reflect on the things that make her tick!

🌐 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 asks Karen Ellis, Assistant General Manager of Customer Experience at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to share her craziest story from from his varied and intriguing career 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 Karen Ellis, Assistant General Manager of Customer Experience at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). Together, Curtis and Karen discuss customer experience leadership at scale, balancing technology with human connection and how intentional CX design drives satisfaction, resilience and revenue at the world’s busiest airport.

Curtis and Karen dive into:
✈️ Karen’s full-circle aviation career—from starting at ATL in 1997 to leadership roles in Houston and San Antonio, and returning home to Atlanta.
🌏 Building award-winning customer experience programs at medium and large hub airports, including ACI ASQ recognition and Hall of Fame honours.
🤝 Why customer experience must be embedded in airport design, operations, and commercial strategy from day one—not retrofitted after the fact.
💡 The evolving balance between technology and human interaction, from self-service tools to conflict resolution, accessibility, and de-escalation training.

Timestamps:
1:45 Wearing many hats at San Antonio International Airport
10:15 Rebuilding and rebranding customer experience at ATL
12:30 Training, staffing and creating a shared CX culture
16:45 Crazy aviation story: Monkey on the loose!
24:30 Understanding airport personas
32:35 A career full of accolades
35:45 Magic Mirror: Rapid-fire questions with Karen

🎧 Tune in for insider perspectives from airport and aviation thought leaders.
🔔 Subscribe for future episodes.
💬 Like and Comment: How can large hub airports maintain a human-centered customer experience at scale?

🌐 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 challenges Piervittorio Farabbi, Chief Operating Officer of Tirana Int'l Airport in Tirana, Albania with a random selection of fun and frivolous rapid-fire "Magic Mirror" questions.

🌐 Visit https://airportir.com/open-mic to hear this full-length interview with Piervittorio, as well as future IR Open Mic Podcast episodes.

In this IR Open Mic snip-it, Curtis asks Piervittorio Farabbi, Chief Operating Officer of Tirana Int'l Airport in Tirana, Albania to share his craziest story from from his varied and intriguing career the airport sector.

🌐 Visit hhttps://airportir.com/open-mic to hear this full-length interview with Piervittorio, as well as future IR Open Mic Podcast episodes.