Name: John Selden
Title: Airport general manager
Company, city: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Number of employees: 700 in the Department of Aviation; 63,000 employees throughout the airport
Recent project: The canopy on the south side of the airport will be finished by mid-September.
First job: I started a lawn mowing business with my friend when I was 14 years old on Long Island. Later, I attended flight training with the U.S. Navy in Pensacola, Florida.
Little-known fact about you: I’m left-handed and enjoy wake boarding.
Your Business
What innovations/initiatives do you foresee in the industry over the next years? The aviation market is constantly evolving, and innovation remains essential. Time is a critical resource for travelers, so improving speed and convenience across the entire airport journey is a priority. Our objective is to create a seamless passenger experience from check-in to concessions. We are pursuing biometric integration across checkpoints, concessions and parking to streamline processes, reduce friction and accelerate the movement of people through the facility.
Best career advice you’ve received: Identify what you want to do early enough to plan a focused career path. Setting goals and making deliberate choices while you are still young gives you a competitive advantage, helps you build relevant skills and increases your chances of landing your ideal role.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the field? Be persistent and disciplined. Aviation careers are cumulative: experience and knowledge build over time, so take the time to learn processes thoroughly. Be willing to be mobile and to relocate when necessary — the best opportunities and training often require geographical flexibility.
John Selden as a Traveler
Favorite travel memory or story: During Operation Desert Storm our unit had some downtime in Dubai. It was mid-summer and unbearably hot; we couldn’t find open restaurants until the evening when businesses reopened as temperatures cooled. It was an eye-opening introduction to the local culture. For leisure travel, Santorini remains one of my favorite destinations — its scenery and atmosphere are unforgettable.
One travel tip you cannot live without: Use programs like Global Entry and CLEAR whenever possible. These tools significantly enhance the customer experience by reducing wait times and making travel more predictable and stress-free.
Best advice for business travelers: Travel light and pack only what you need to avoid checked baggage. Staying loyal to a single airline can also pay off over time with status and perks that make frequent travel more comfortable and efficient.
About Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Tell our readers more about the ATL Rewards program. What other programs and apps are available to make travel through the airport easier for passengers?
ATL Rewards is designed to recognize and reward frequent travelers with benefits across services and concessions at and around the airport. Business travelers in particular can accumulate points through repeated use and redeem those points for a range of perks that improve their travel experience.
The iFLYATL app helps travelers find available parking lots, locate terminals and dining options, and navigate the airport campus. It is a practical tool for planning arrivals, departures and wayfinding within the complex.
ATL is actively involved in community outreach. Tell us more.
Being a good neighbor is central to our mission. We engage with local stakeholders through Aerotropolis planning and support regional development initiatives. The airport partners with the Chamber of Commerce, nearby colleges and community organizations, and offers internships and workforce development opportunities to prepare local talent for aviation careers.
For 20 years ATL ranked as the world’s busiest airport. What will the ATL of the future look like?
The future ATL will emphasize growth and capacity. Plans under discussion include a sixth runway and additional terminal space to meet rising demand. Improving access to and from the airport is also crucial as the metropolitan area continues to expand in all directions. We aim to remain the economic engine of the region, accommodating growth in both passenger traffic and cargo — particularly as e-commerce drives greater demand for air freight. With approximately 2,700 daily flights today and the ability to reach 80 percent of the U.S. within two hours, ATL offers strong appeal for businesses considering relocation. Continued investment in infrastructure and service innovations will help us maintain and expand that role.