Let’s Bring People Together

Airports are in the business of bringing people together. To make that happen, those of us in the aviation industry also must come together, forging connections that can help uplift us all.

To that end, the beachside city of Long Beach—home to Long Beach Airport (LGB)—is inviting aviation professionals to visit sunny Southern California for the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) 2023 Annual Conference, Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center.

Cynthia Guidry, director of Long Beach Airport, has overseen operations at the oldest airport in California since 2019. With a background in civil engineering and project management, she has more than 25 years of experience working in government and airport management.

Long Beach Airport is proud to be the host airport for this major industry conference that will attract thousands of attendees from around the country. It’s a unique opportunity, and especially important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, for us to network and learn from one another.

Going beyond ACI-NA, we know many of you will also attend the Future Travel Experience (FTE) Global 2023 here in Long Beach, hosted by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). That event is taking place Sept. 19 to 21, also at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center.

Combined, the two fall conferences will attract thousands of visitors from around the world, and I know both events are going to inspire aviation professionals to aim higher.

Part of what I love most about aviation is that it’s constantly evolving, challenging us to innovate as we head to destination tomorrow.

Few airports have seen as much change as the pioneering Long Beach Airport. It’s the oldest airport in California, celebrating its 100th anniversary, and—if you haven’t already visited us—we hope you’ll come see for yourself that it’s also one of the coolest airports in America.

LGB’s early origins took flight with fabric-covered biplanes taking off and landing on the beach in the early 1900s, inspiring greats such as Amelia Earhart to catch the flying bug. Later, Long Beach—a hub for aviation manufacturing—also would serve a vital role in World War II, as women took jobs to produce and ferry military aircraft.

Our rich aviation history is intertwined with the demands of today and tomorrow’s travelers: from the storied days when Charles Lindbergh praised the airport for having paved runways and the country’s first illuminated airfield to now, with operations that include state-of-the-art modernizations for the 21st century.

Long Beach Airport is in the final stages of a major pre-security terminal area improvement project, which included the completion of a consolidated Baggage Claim facility this spring. A new Ticketing Lobby and Checked Baggage Inspection System were unveiled last summer. The projects have beautified and streamlined the travel experience in a more sustainable way from curb to gate, while also complementing and preserving the airport’s unique history and original architecture, including the iconic Streamline Moderne Historic Terminal. 

Today, the city-owned and operated airport—well situated between Orange and Los Angeles counties—serves as a tourism gateway for Southern California’s many beaches and world-renowned attractions.

And, as we mark 100 years of pioneering history in aviation, Long Beach is also the quintessential location for a couple of major aviation conferences that will inspire us all to reach for the clouds.