First Flight

In this episode, Matt Round discusses how the passenger experience will be redefined in years to come, what the next technological advancement for in-flight entertainment looks like and why good design is the first point of impact for customers.

Round joined Tangerine in 1996 and now as Chief Creative Officer, he is responsible for creative direction and strategy for the studios’ wide-ranging projects, including Finnair’s award-winning new long-haul cabin interiors, JAL’s A350 fleet renewal, Gulf Air’s 2021 cabin interior redesign, and most recently, new cabin interior programs at Southwest and LOT Polish Airlines. Round was also central in the design team responsible for introducing the world’s first fully flat bed in business class for British Airways in 1998.

First Flight is a production of FlightGlobal, an award-winning aviation media company, and is hosted and executive produced by Amber Elias.

In this episode, Rami El-Dahshan discusses how airport lounges are at the forefront of excellent customer service, what luxury looks like to passengers now, and how airport experiences will develop in the future. 

Rami El-Dahshan joined Virgin Atlantic over six years ago from British Airways and has weathered one of the most disruptive periods for airlines and airports; the COVID-19 pandemic. Now as Virgin Atlantic passengers are almost back to their pre-pandemic levels, El-Dahshan has turned his focus to revamping the lounges and customer experiences, including adding more sustainable suppliers and even picking the fresh produce on the farm himself. 

First Flight is a production of FlightGlobal, an award-winning aviation media company, and is hosted and executive produced by Amber Elias.

In this episode, Stephanie Wear, Vice President of Aviation Development at London Gatwick discusses the airports expansion plans for the North runway, the new routes on offer in 2024 and how slot reform is still a priority.

Stephanie Wear joined London Gatwick in 2021 from Philadelphia International Airport, after a career in foreign trade and tourism. London Gatwick is the UK’s second-busiest airport, serving over 40 million passengers in 2023 and with an ambitious target to be a net zero airport by 2030, it is focused on rebuilding and growing sustainably.

First Flight is a production of FlightGlobal, an award-winning aviation media company, and is hosted and executive produced by Amber Elias.

In this episode, Candace McGraw discusses how airports and governments can work together to achieve sustainable targets, the impact of new technology to shape the airports of the future, and the importance of recruiting employees from the ground up to shape the workforce for decades to come.  

Candace McGraw began her two-year term as the new chair of ACI World in January 2024, and she now chairs the ACI World Governing Board that consists of 28 leading airport CEOs. McGraw is also the chief executive officer of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. 

First Flight is a production of FlightGlobal, an award-winning aviation media company, and is hosted and executive produced by Amber Elias.

In this episode, Catherine Jestin discusses how Airbus has been using AI for over 20 years, what the future of digital technology looks like in aviation, and the lessons she learnt from her career in mining (hint: it includes autonomous vehicles).

Catherine Jestin has been at Airbus since 2013, and before aviation held senior roles at Rio Tinto and Accenture. Airbus is the largest aeronautics and space company in Europe and is a leader in commercial aircraft, helicopters, advanced technologies, and employs over one hundred and thirty thousand people.