A passion for aviation

In early 2025, French airport security firm Securitas Aviation underwent a strategic transformation into the WO Group after being divested from Swedish security multinational Securitas. Overseeing the transition was Xavier Gondaud, who first joined Securitas in 1999 and, for two decades, held the title of CEO of Securitas Transport Aviation Security.

It may be a new name on the French airport scene but, as Gondaud, who now heads up WO Group as its CEO and Chairman, explains, it continues to be one of the most experienced airport security services businesses in the country, supporting major clients like Groupe ADP, Vinci Airports and Air France-KLM.

“For over 30 years, leading names in the industry have placed their trust in us,” Gondaud tells The CEO Magazine.

Image: Bruno Cohen

As a specialist in airport security services, WO Group has a strong focus on people-related professions, ranging from safety and security to fire prevention, hospitality, customer experience, training and consulting across its three business divisions: WatchOver, WelcomeOne and WorkOut. The Group has 2,800 employees spread across 10 major airports in France: Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (PCDG), Orly, Nice Côte d’Azur, Cannes, Perpignan, Marseille-Provence, Strasbourg, Brest, Rennes and Lille.

“All our clients are strategic accounts, facing particularly strong transformation challenges, whether in terms of competitiveness, security or corporate social responsibility,” he reveals.

“Our mission has always been to bring our clients’ strategies to life by offering tailor-made solutions that meet their specific needs and implementing them with efficiency and excellence.”

The importance of innovation

Innovation is an integral part of the Group’s DNA, and Gondaud points to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris as an example of how technology is transforming the airport environment.

“We supported Groupe ADP during the Paris Olympics by deploying our teams dedicated to anti-drone operations,” he explains.

Image: Bruno Cohen

Today, the Group is investing in a data platform that supports what he describes as the true technological revolution in the sector: 3D security screening (explosive detection systems) for cabin luggage scanners.

“This innovation paves the way for more efficient, smoother and more consistent security for all passengers,” he says.

Of course, 4.0 technology calls for 4.0-ready people and operational tools.

“Innovation also means upskilling and training our agents in new technologies,” he says, adding that it’s a domain where the Group’s WorkOut training center plays a key role.

A trio of transitions

Gondaud sees the airport of the future as a true city: multimodal, intelligent and fully integrated. For WO Group, this means preparing for three major transitions, particularly in the context of projects like CDG 2035, Groupe ADP’s strategic vision and development plan for PCDG.

“First, there’s the human and organizational transition,” he explains. “We train our teams and develop new roles around hospitality, security and mobility, in order to support travelers in an increasingly digital and interconnected environment.”

Secondly, there’s the technological transition. The Group is investing in data and flow-prediction solutions to optimize planning and enhance the customer experience.

“Our goal is for every agent to be empowered by technology, increasing efficiency while keeping humans at the heart of the passenger experience,” he says.

Image: Bruno Cohen

Finally, the environmental transition, where the strategy is to align its practices with the CDG 2035/2050 road map by supporting the integration of low-carbon energy, clean mobility and decarbonization innovations.

“This involves rethinking our field operations, reducing the carbon footprint of our activities and actively contributing to major projects led by Groupe ADP and Air France,” he says.

“WO Group is positioning itself as a pivotal player in this transformation. At the crossroads of operations, innovation and sustainability, we are ready to support PCDG’s evolution into a reference model for airport-cities in Europe.”

A key link in the chain

As Gondaud knows from first-hand experience, airports have always been environments of rapid and massive transformation and every change represents both a challenge and an opportunity.

It’s exactly this that continues to motivate and inspire him not only in his day-to-day life, but also as he looks to the future of aviation services.

“What excites me most is working on projects like ‘CDG&Vous’,” he says, referencing the public consultation launched by Groupe ADP to gather opinions and ideas about the future of PCDG.

Image: Bruno Cohen

“It’s an environment defined by performance and competition, where people and collaboration are essential. Every role within the platform is a link in a long chain that contributes to collective performance.

“The partnership between the public and private sectors plays a central role in this dynamic, and it is this interaction – the ability to create value together – that continues to motivate and inspire me about the future of airport services.”