Although airports were hit hard by travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. airports have now exceeded pre-pandemic passenger numbers to become the busiest airports on earth. The unique industrial, commercial, and hospitality development that occurs at and around airports has equally rebounded and was bolstered by the rapid growth of e-commerce and supply chain logistics. Airports have also become living laboratories for future-looking initiatives in sustainable energy, decarbonization, electrification, advanced mobility, and technologies ranging from artificial intelligence and digital twinning to simulation and autonomous mobility. Our panel will explore the unique characteristics of airport development and how it is acting as a stimulus for economic growth and urban evolution.