Airports Council International (ACI) Director General Angela Gittens addressed the association's global membership at their 18th General Assembly on 22 September, calling on them to energetically defend common airport interests in all aviation priority areas. Gittens exhorted her colleagues to take a more active role with stakeholders locally, regionally and worldwide. Based on her recent experience at two major conferences organized by the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, she stressed the need for airports to create a better balance with airline demands in this key international forum.“We need to unleash the power we have in the airport sector by communicating with our stakeholders, by collaborating with the each other and by coordinating our actions within and across the ACI regions. The international airline association IATA calls for layer upon layer of regulation, instead of recognizing that the most productive approach is for airports and airlines to work together locally on charges and planning issues, in order to seek mutually acceptable solutions for which we can jointly advocate.”
She highlighted examples in the areas of airport economics, air traffic management modernization, revenues and environment. Announcing the release of the new ACI Global Traffic Forecast Report 2008-2027 (www.aci.aero), she said many airports must anticipate a slowdown over the next two years, but that the long term demand worldwide is expected to rise as of 2010, with passenger volumes surpassing the 5 billion mark by 2009 and 11 billion - or 30 million passengers per day - by 2027.
ACI members unanimously approved two resolutions at the session, on the topics of airport economics and security. The first resolution reaffirms global airport industry commitment to providing infrastructure for the future, and the need to retain a long term focus despite the current complex economic and financial environment. It highlights the need to safeguard airports’ financial autonomy, strength and flexibility, rejecting superficial or short term measures that fail to recognize the complexity of airport business or that try to impose a "one size fits all" solution.
The second resolution on security urges regulatory authorities to expedite a more sustainable risk management solution and to permit the relaxation of security restrictions on the carriage by passengers of liquids, aerosols and gels, committing to the introduction of alternative measures by 2009.
Gittens concluded, “Airports are the community’s infrastructure and economic engine, no matter who owns or operates the facilities. That is powerful. I pledge to work with you to unleash that power to create a sustainable future.”
Vicky Karantzavelou - Wednesday, September 24, 2008