Last week, I delivered the closing keynote at Phoenix Sky Harbor’s 25-year Navigator Celebration. The timing felt symbolic. We were coming out of the most extended government shutdown in our nation’s history, which created significant uncertainty across the aviation industry. At the same time, airports everywhere are experiencing a decades-long digital transformation. Automation, apps, and new systems are reshaping how millions of people travel.
Yet being in that room reminded me of something I have seen throughout my life.
In times of uncertainty, disruption, and change, we continue to see the best of humanity.
Airports Hold Our Most Human Moments
Airports have always been emotional places for me. They have marked some of the most significant transitions in my life.
When I was sixteen, I left Ecuador with my family. I can still picture the Guayaquil airport. The humid air. The echoes of announcements. My cousins and uncles are layering hugs on top of each other. That day, our entire family wore Ecuador jerseys so we would look like one big unit walking through the terminal. I still have the photo.
It was one of the hardest goodbyes of my life.
But airports did not just hold my most challenging moments. They had some of my most beautiful ones. The reunions. The hugs. The moment when someone you love spots you from across the arrivals hall. It feels exactly like the ending of Love Actually, where the best of humanity is on display in a single place.
Airports remind us that when we are vulnerable, we often find the best in each other.
Technology Makes Travel Faster. People Make It Meaningful.
During my keynote, I spoke about the role of technology in the airport experience. Technology is not the enemy. When used well, it removes friction, helps us move more efficiently, and gives us space to be present.
Technology does not replace the human experience. It unlocks it.
And that is what makes human connection the premium experience in modern travel.
Which leads me to the people who inspired the heart of this keynote.
A Morning With the Navigators
About a month before the celebration, I spent a morning with several of Sky Harbor’s Navigators to film part of what we would later share on stage. But for me, this was more than a filming session.
It became a lesson in humanity.
I interviewed them not to learn what they do, but why they do it.
What inspires them to show up every day?
What gives them the enthusiasm to help strangers from around the world?
What keeps them going into the uncertainty of each day, never knowing who will need them or how.
Their answers stayed with me.
One Navigator told me:
“I do not travel much. But I travel through the people I help every day.”
Another said:
“I am excited to learn something new every single day I am here.”
These were not scripted answers. They were heartfelt truths.
They reminded me that service is not simply an action. It is an identity. It shapes who we become when we choose to show up with curiosity and care.
Each Navigator I met carried the same quiet pride. The kind that does not need applause. The kind you only notice when you choose to slow down and pay attention.
Why These Moments Matter Now
When industries face uncertainty
When systems shift quickly
When technology evolves faster than we can keep up
It is natural to wonder what gets lost.
But here is what I have seen again and again.
When the world feels uncertain, people rise.
Not always in dramatic moments.
Often in small ones.
A volunteer helping someone who looks overwhelmed.
A smile that reaches a traveler before they even ask for help.
A gentle moment of patience in a crowded terminal.
A desire to learn something new every day.
A sense of travel without ever leaving home.
These moments define an airport far more than any screen or system.
And this is why Phoenix Sky Harbor is known as America’s Friendliest Airport.
Not because it is the most efficient.
Because people choose to make it human.
Finding the Best of Humanity
We often assume the best of humanity shows up only in big acts.
But more often, it appears in small, sincere ones.
A family wearing matching jerseys to make goodbye a little easier.
A reunion after years apart.
A Navigator walks a traveler to the correct gate.
A volunteer choosing to see the world through the stories of others.
These moments remind us that humanity does not fade in the face of uncertainty.
It shines.
And sometimes, we find the best of humanity in the busiest places in the world.
Sometimes, it is right in front of us in a purple jacket.
If this reflection resonated with you, I invite you to join my newsletter where I share more insights on leadership, humanity and the future of the human experience. Let’s continue the conversation and build something meaningful together.