The Future of Airports Is Being Rewritten: Inside the AIR Conference 2026 on Resilience, Sustainability and Innovation
PASCALL+WATSON, HEADLINE SPONSORS OF AIR CONFERENCE, EXCEL LONDON
As Headline Sponsors, we were proud to play a leading role in the conversations shaping the next generation of airports, from exceptional passenger experiences to lower-carbon infrastructure.
Our team brought expertise, project insights and ambition to the programme:
Director Matthew Butters joined a keynote-stage discussion on passenger experience, exploring a defining priority for the future of aviation.
Matthew and Associate Sustainability Nimit Raval chaired “Lounge to Boarding: The Next Generation of Piers and Satellites”, bringing together built environment specialists and airport operators for an open, cross-industry conversation about designing and delivering future airside infrastructure.
Nimit and John Hedderman from London Gatwick Airport presented “Sustainable Innovation at Gatwick’s Pier 6 Extension”, showcasing the UK’s first structural timber airport project and a compelling example of genuine carbon reduction in practice.
How can airport infrastructure deliver meaningful carbon reductions while meeting the demands of a live operational airfield?
At AIR UK Conference, Pascall+Watson’s Nimit Raval joined John H. of London Gatwick Airport to share the story of extending Gatwick’s Pier 6, the UK’s first structural timber airport project. London Gatwick is currently halfway through our second Decade of Change sustainability programme, and recently became the world’s first airport to achieve PAS 2080 certification, the globally recognised standard for managing and reducing carbon across the design, construction and operation of infrastructure projects.
Their presentation explored how low-carbon design and innovative construction methods can overcome buildability constraints while maintaining aviation safety standards and meeting tight timelines. Key takeaways included:
• Reducing embodied carbon through low-carbon design and construction.
• Delivering a positive passenger experience.
• Adapting construction methods to minimise disruption and improve efficiency within live airfields.
Reflecting on the event, Nimit said:
“It was a pleasure to present alongside John Hedderman, Gatwick and share the story of Gatwick’s Pier 6, the UK’s first structural timber airport project and a compelling case study in delivering genuine carbon reduction. Presenting within a programme of carbon-reduction discussions, led by experts from across the industry, was encouraging. There is clearly a great deal of knowledge and experience to draw on as we work towards net zero.”
John added: “I was pleased to present the project’s story to attendees, showcasing our adoption of carbon reduction principles and targets and illustrating how they contribute to London Gatwick’s strategy for responsible growth.”
How are airports reshaping passenger experience, ensuring smoother, more efficient and more intuitive journeys?
Pascall+Watson Director and Vice Chair of British Aviation Group Matthew Butters joined Experience Foundation’s Adam Scott, WSP’s Mark Wolfe, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)’s Angela Wong, Foster + Partners’ Jose Rodríguez González, KPF’s Sam Cooke, and WW+P’s Samantha Dean for a panel discussion on passenger experience, exploring a defining priority for the future of aviation.
Reflecting on the event, Matthew said “I really enjoyed contributing to Adam’s deep dive into the issues shaping the passenger experience at airports. In a world of growing complexity, rising expectations, and obvious contradictions, it was a welcome chance to spotlight opportunities to make airports more welcoming and human-centric. A big thank you to Adam and the panel—wishing them all the best as they work to make every airport a better place.”
Building Future Partnerships
Pascall+Watson’s Matthew Butters and Nimit Raval hosted ‘Lounge to Boarding: The Next Generation of Piers and Satellites’, a roundtable that brought together a range of experts from the built environment and airport operators including Pascall+Watson’s Harshada Purohit, Buro Happold’s Lewis Williams, Hoare Lea’s Gavin Blakemore, WSP’s Andy Mansell, MAG (Airports Group)’s Mike Hardaker, Buro Happold’s Andrew Tabern, Portland Design’s Neil Isles, Engine’s David Pinder, Mace’s Rosa Lopez, HAL’s William Li, Buro Happold’s Alexander Matthams, Mott MacDonald’s Scott Edgar, Mima | Certified B Corp™’s Adam Parkes, Taylor Woodrow’s Dan Anderson, GIA Surveyors’ Chris Harley, PhD, CEng and Paul Toyne for a candid cross-industry conversation on the decisions shaping the future of airside infrastructure.
The roundtable questioned how passengers are best moved from terminal to aircraft, weighed the trade-offs between Day 1 capacity, flexibility and commercial ambition, and confronted the practical realities of building satellites within live operational airfields, from airside logistics and safety to programme and phasing. It was an honest, wide-ranging discussion on designing and delivering the next generation of resilient, adaptable and passenger-focused airport infrastructure.
Reflecting on the event, Nimit said:
“A valuable part of the roundtable was the honesty about what recent projects have taught us, and how those lessons can shape the next generation of airport piers and satellites. The discussion around human factors during construction was particularly thought-provoking.”
