ACI NEWS

Global passenger traffic is projected to rise by 10% in 2024 to reach 9.5 billion by the end of the year, according to ACI World’s new Annual World Airport Traffic Report. Drawing data from over 2,700 airports across more than 180 countries and territories, the report offers the most comprehensive overview of the global airport […]

The latest news stories from ACI World, ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, and ACI Latin America and Caribbean show that the focus is clearly on the sustainable growth and development of the world’s airports. Working to support aviation’s decarbonisation efforts ACI World and Airbus have signed a co-operation agreement to support the industry’s efforts to […]

ACI World and Airbus have signed a cooperation agreement to support the industry’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of aviation. This partnership leverages the strengths of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer and the largest and most important international association of airports to make significant progress in both decarbonising aviation and mitigating aircraft noise impact. […]

Key new appointments at ACI World, WAGA resolutions and a new training MoU plus ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East’s new connectivity study and ACI Africa looks forward to its annual regional conference in Johannesburg. All change at the top for ACI World It will soon be all change at the top for ACI World with […]

ACI World will this week welcome top airport experts from around the world for the inaugural ACI World Committee Forum focused on strengthening global aviation collaboration. The forum, which is being held at the Doubletree by Hilton in Montréal brings together over 300 committee members from all six ACI World Standing Committees and their sub-groups. […]

The world’s busiest airports in 2023, Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer experience excellence, and a call for greater funding to help Europe’s airports decarbonise. ACI World news: The top 10 busiest airports on the planet in 2023 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) maintained its status as the world’s busiest airport in 2023, the 104.6 million passengers that […]

Three foundational Resolutions aimed at ensuring a safe and sustainable aviation system as demand for air travel continues to rise were unanimously adopted by airport members today at ACI World’s Annual General Assembly in Riyadh. ACI World director general and CEO, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, noted: “Global passenger traffic is poised to soar, with projections […]

ACI World today revealed the best airports on the planet for customer experience chosen by passengers in its Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programme. The ASQ award winners include Casablanca and Marrakech in Africa; Incheon International Airport, Singapore Changi and Shenzhen Bao’an in Asia-Pacific; Rome Fiumicino and Barcelona in Europe; Quito and Los Cabos in Latin […]

We report on milestone appointments for ACI World and ACI Latin America & Caribbean, the end of year departure of Luis Felipe de Oliveira, the strengthening of ties with China’s airports and a round-table discussion in India. Candace McGraw becomes first female chair of ACI World Governing Board Candace McGraw, CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International […]

The latest Airport Industry Outlook, released by ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID), presents a positive trend in the recovery of passenger traffic and airport finances. However, macroeconomic factors continue to pose challenges to the overall recovery of the sector. The Airport Industry Outlook, developed in partnership with Mott MacDonald, reveals the […]

ACI World’s newly released annual World Airport Traffic Forecasts (WATF) 2023­–2052 dataset shows that global passenger traffic is set to double over next 20 years, by which time China will have replaced the US as the world’s biggest aviation market. The latest WATF extends its horizon by an impressive 10 years, offering a comprehensive 30-year […]

Candace McGraw, CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), has become the first female chair of ACI World. McGraw will head the ACI World Governing Board  (WGB) that consists of  28 leading airport CEOs nominated by the regional ACI Boards, plus the Immediate past chair. The ACI WGB directs the organisation through strategic discussions on […]

We report on the release of the newest edition of ACI World’s ASQ 2023 Global Traveller Survey, ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East’s commitment to the sustainable growth of aviation, and ACI EUROPE’s defence of airport charges. ACI World news: Global Traveller Survey Unveiled at the Airports Innovate Conference conference in Oman, the latest edition of […]

ACI World today reiterates its support for cleaner energy sources at the Global Sustainable Aviation Forum, a critical side-event of COP28, organised by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) that reunites key speakers across the aviation sector. Director general, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, said: “Airports are identifying new opportunities and roles they can play in […]

ACI World director general, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, has announced his decision to step down from his role at the end of 2024. His departure is driven by family reasons, as de Oliveira expresses his desire to return to Europe with his family after four impactful years at the helm of ACI World. Taking on […]

We report on the latest traffic statistics for ACI World, the release of ACI Asia-Pacific’s new Airport Connectivity Report, and ACI EUROPE’s green skies commitment. ACI WORLD news: Global traffic figures close to full recovery ACI World has published its latest quarterly air travel outlook revealing global passenger traffic expected to recover in early 2024 […]

ACI World is to work with global aviation consultancies Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO) and To70 on the creation of a global standardised framework for improved airport environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) reporting. The association notes that airports “face the ongoing challenge of investing in infrastructure to meet future air travel demand, while also ensuring […]

We report on the latest news from ACI World, including key resolutions announced at WAGA, and ACI EUROPE. Riyadh to host WAGA 2024 Riyadh Airports Company will host the ACI Asia-Pacific/ACI World Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition (WAGA) in Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from May 21-23, 2024. ACI World director general, […]

ACI Asia-Pacific, a trade association representing 623 airports from 47 countries/territories, has been rebranded as ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East (ACI APAC & MID) following the launch of its new office in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. This shift aims to reflect the regions the association serves and cater to the growing Middle Eastern and Asian […]

The ACI Customer Experience Global Summit, the airport industry’s annual event dedicated to enhancing the customer and employee experience, got underway in Incheon, South Korea, today. As usual for an event in South Korea, the numbers are good, with more than 500 international delegates, including government officials, airport and aviation executives, and customer experience experts, […]

We report on the latest news, views and developments from ACI World, ACI Asia-Pacific and ACI EUROPE. ACI World news: New Sustainability Expansion Plan for Montréal ACI World has partnered with the Canadian Government, Government of Québec and City of Montréal on a new Sustainability Expansion Plan for Montréal, which will be funded by Montréal […]

ACI World and the World Economic Forum today launched the Airports of Tomorrow initiative aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of the aviation industry. The announcement was made to over 800 aviation delegates at the ACI EUROPE/ACI WORLD Annual General Assembly, Conference, and Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain. Airports of Tomorrow will bring public and private stakeholders […]

ACI World has today published its latest quarterly airport traffic outlook showing strong air travel demand will continue to improve into the northern hemisphere summer season. Highlights from ACI World’s 13th Advisory Bulletin on the impact of COVID-19 on the airport business—and the path to recovery include: • The easing of inflation and rising consumer […]

ACI World has welcomed the launch of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Net Zero Roadmaps and calls for continued collaboration of aviation stakeholders in building a sustainable aviation industry. ACI and airports have been leaders in the decarbonisation transformation, being the first to commit to a long-term environmental goal of net zero carbon emissions […]

ACI World has partnered with the Canadian Government, Government of Québec and City of Montréal on a new Sustainability Expansion Plan for Montréal, which will be funded by Montréal International. The plan sees continued investment in Montréal, the world capital of civil aviation, and in the sustainability of airports as essential enablers of economic growth […]

ACI World and ICAO today announce SITA’s renewed and long-standing support of the leading training and leadership programme for airport executives, the Airport Management Professional Accreditation Program (AMPAP). Since its launch in 2007, AMPAP has become the globally recognised and respected curriculum for career development and excellence for airport executives, benefitting over 1,200 participants to […]

The latest 2022 Airport IT Insights Survey reveals that airports are ramping up their investment in technology to digitalise their operations and streamline the passenger journey through more self-service options. The report – produced annually by ACI World and SITA – notes that with the quicker than expected recovery of air travel demand, chief information […]

ACI World has today published its 2023 edition of the Airport Economics Report and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), presenting a comprehensive view of the airport industry’s financial performance for the 2021 year. The annual Airport Economics Report presents an in-depth global analysis of airport industry revenues by source, costs, and related trends across the globe […]

Airports big and small across the world were today recognised for their customer service excellence throughout 2022 in ACI’s annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) awards. Winners ranged from the big hubs of Istanbul and Rome-Fiumicino in Europe; Dallas/Fort Worth and San Francisco in the US; and Singapore Changi and Shenzhen Bao’an in Asia-Pacific to some […]

The 2022 ACI Africa/World Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition (WAGA) is underway in Marrakech, Morocco. More than 500 delegates are in attendance at this year’s event, hosted by Morrocco’s Office National Des Aéroports (ONDA), under the theme of the ‘Sky’s the limit: Discovering opportunities within change’. During the opening ceremony, delegates were welcomed by the Minister […]

On the eve of the 41st ICAO Triennial Assembly, Airports Council International (ACI) is calling on States to adopt an ambitious environmental agreement. ACI World director general, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, said: “The adoption of an ambitious environmental agreement at the ICAO 41st Triennial Assembly fully aligned with the Paris Agreement and the aviation industry’s […]

Seoul’s Incheon International Airport (ICN) has became the first airport in the world to achieve the new Level 5 status in ACI’s Airport Customer Experience Accreditation programme. The announcement was made today at the ACI Customer Experience Global Summit in Kraków. Incheon dominated ACI World’s annual customer service excellence awards the early years, being named the […]

ACI World’s vice president for economics, Patrick Lucas, considers the impact COVID has had on the finances of the world’s airports and the economic challenges ahead. Every couple of years ACI World, and its industry partners under the umbrella of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), release the Aviation: Benefits Beyond Borders report, a publication […]

Airport World reviews some of the highlights of the recent ACI-LAC/World Annual General Assembly, Conference & Exhibition in Cancún. Aviation leaders from across the globe gathered in Cancún in November for the ACI-LAC/World Annual General Assembly, Conference & Exhibition, and for the more than 300 delegates lucky enough to be in Mexico, it provided the […]

The 2021 ACI World/Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition has officially begun in Cancún, Mexico. More than 300 aviation leaders from around world were welcomed by the Subsecretary of Transport of Mexico, Carlos Alfonso Morán Moguel; secretary general of ICAO Juan Carlos Salazar Gómez; ACI World chair and CEO […]

Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) in China continues to hold off Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) in the US for the title of busiest passenger airport on the planet, according to the latest traffic figures from ACI World. Indeed, Chinese airports accounted for seven of the top ten busiest airports in the world for passenger traffic in the first […]

ACI World has launched comprehensive guidance to help airport executives incorporate sustainability at the core of their strategies as they work towards long-term recovery. The ACI World Sustainable Recovery Best Practice highlights the advantages of incorporating sustainability in recovery plans including access to funding through government relief packages and sustainability-linked bonds, as well as further […]

It might not seem like a priority right now, but ACI World today revealed that more than $2.4 trillion will have to be spent on enhancing the infrastructure of the world’s airports by 2040 in order to meet future demand. The size of the task ahead, which will include modernising existing facilities as well as […]

ACI World has announced that its industry-leading Customer Experience Global Summit will return in September 2021 to be hosted as a hybrid event in Montréal, Canada. The third edition of ACI World’s Customer Experience Global Summit will be held at Montreal’s Palais des Congres on September 8 and 9, exploring the theme Gateway to the […]

Working together to safeguard and rebuild the millions of aviation jobs threatened by the global pandemic will play a key role in the aviation industry’s recovery from COVID-19, ACI World director general, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, reiterated yesterday. Addressing the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit,  in Cancun, Oliveira said air transport remains a […]

ACI World today released the COVID-19 impacted world traffic rankings for 2020, the global pandemic ensuring that it has a very different look to normal, with Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) in China replacing Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) as the busiest gateway on the planet. Guangzhou Baiyun took top spot by handling 43.7 million passengers in 2020, just […]

ACI today announced that its world airport COVID-19 health measures data will now be displayed in Apple Maps, making it possible for travellers to more easily access airport health guidance and help prevent the spread of the pandemic. Now iPhone, iPad, and Mac users can simply search for an airport in Apple Maps and find […]

New analysis from ACI World shows that despite some positive signs for recovery emerging, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on airport revenues will still be deeply felt in 2021. According to its Advisory Bulletin: The impact of COVID-19 on the airport business and path to recovery published today, 4.7 billion fewer passengers or 47.5% […]

ACI World has today published new guidance for airports to help them prepare for restart and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their operations. As the trajectory of recovery has been affected by new variants of COVID-19 and the new restrictions introduced by governments in response, the second edition of ACI World’s […]

ACI World today revealed the results of its annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer excellence survey, with 33 airports picking up ‘hygiene’ awards in the programme which was modified for 2020 to take into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the airport industry’s response to it. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, […]

ACI World director general, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, reflects on new technologies and revolutionising the airport experience after COVID-19. Despite the current challenges, airports are examining all aspects of their operations as they seek to recover from the impact of the current crisis, foster confidence in air travel, and reassure passengers that health and safety […]

ACI World has published its fifth COVID-19 economic impact analysis revealing the devastating effect on the airport industry and the prospects for recovery. The Advisory Bulletin, The impact of COVID-19 on the airport business, reveals the global airport industry will record a reduction of more than six billion passengers by the end of 2020 compared […]

ACI World has signed an exclusive partnership with Routes that is designed to help airports recover from the most challenging period the aviation industry. It is hoped that the formal agreement between the two organisations will provide platforms and guidance for airports at a world level, recognising the vital role they will play in driving […]

The ACI Online Learning Centre (OLC) has launched a new Security for Airport Executives course for executives and managers who require an awareness and understanding of airport security and have a shared responsibility for creating an effective security culture at their airport. The OLC is one of the world’s leading aviation online training providers supporting […]

ACI World today issued a timely reminder that sustainability should be at the core of the recovery plan for aviation, noting that climate change is a global challenge that requires worldwide collaboration and action. A resolution issued by the ACI World Annual General Assembly emphasises that climate change, adaptation, and resilience should be included in […]

The ACI Online Learning Centre (OLC) is offering a special promotion to help ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its customers by offering a 20% discount on all online courses. “We are trying to soften the impact of these difficult times and make our training more accessible to our airport partners worldwide”, says […]

ACI World has published a policy brief calling for an end to the “economically inefficient and discriminatory taxation of aviation”, which it believes is hampering the industry’s recovery from COVID-19. The new publication, Policy Brief: Taxation of international air transport and airports – Economic benefits and costs, explores, and provides potential remedies to, the imbalance […]

ACI World has today reinforced industry calls for the widespread deployment of COVID-19 testing of international passengers before travel as an alternative to restrictive quarantine measures. As a result of the pandemic, ACI recently revealed that the airport industry is anticipating global passenger numbers to decrease by 5.6 billion with an unprecedented $104.5 billion reduction […]

Toronto Pearson International Airport has become the first Canadian airport to be accredited under ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation programme. Deborah Flint, president and CEO of operator, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), believes that the award shows how seriously Toronto Pearson is taking COVID-19 and reflects the airport community’s efforts to prioritise the health and wellbeing […]

ACI World is to introduce a new ‘Hygiene’ award category to its Airport Service Quality (ASQ) awards this year to reflect the changing landscape in customer experience introduced in response to COVID-19. The impact and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought the global airport industry to a standstill with an estimated reduction in passenger […]

Preparing for the new normal: ACI launches Airport Health Accreditation programme to assess airport health measures, writes external relations and special events manager, Bojana Jeremic. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global crisis, bringing airports, airlines, and the entire aviation community around the world to a virtual standstill. As the aviation industry begins to […]

ACI World has today announced that Thomas Romig, currently head of operations control and development at Geneva Airport, will succeed ACI stalwart David Gamper as director of safety, operations and technical affairs. Gamper’s retirement will mark the end of an era for ACI World as he has been with the organisation since 1992. For Romig, […]

ACI World and ACI Europe today revealed that Istanbul Airport is the first airport to be accredited through its new Airport Health Accreditation programme. ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation programme assists airports by assessing new health measures and procedures introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with ICAO Council Aviation Restart Task Force […]

We shine the spotlight on a handful of initiatives designed to help airports safely resume operations after the global COVID-19 lockdown ends and air travel is back on the agenda. Boosting airport operations Amorph Systems and VANTIQ have announced a strategic partnership to create a new application that will help airports worldwide address real-time operational […]

ACI World has today launched the Airport Health Accreditation programme to assist airports by assessing new health measures and procedures introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic against global standards. As airports around the world begin to restart and then prepare to sustain continuing operations they are, of course, focused on the health and […]

ACI World’s World Airport Traffic Report Dataset covering passenger traffic, cargo volumes, and aircraft movements for 2019 provides a timely reminder of why the world needs a healthy aviation industry. In 2019, the world’s airports accommodated 9.1 billion passengers, 120 million metric tonnes of cargo and more than 102 million aircraft movements while the industry […]

ACI World’s external relations manager, Bojana Jeremic, reports on ACI and IATA’s roadmap for the recovery of the aviation industry post COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought airports around the world to a virtual standstill and continues to have a dramatic impact on the wider aviation ecosystem. Most airports are operating at vastly reduced capacity, […]

ACI World today released its Smart Security Vision 2040 , which it is confident sets the foundation for achieving a seamless airport security screening experience in a post-COVID-19 operational reality. It is part of the Smart Security programme, which promotes concepts and solutions that take a risk-based approach, increase efficiency, and enhance the passenger experience, […]

Aviation leaders pay tribute to outgoing ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, by sharing their personal memories of working with her during her 12-year tenure at the helm of the ‘voice of the world’s airports’. It is fair to say that ACI World reached new heights under the leadership of Angela Gittens, who oversaw the […]

Outgoing ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, reflects on the growth and development of Airports Council International over the past 12 years and highlights the importance of some ongoing initiatives. After twelve years of leading ACI World, I will step down as director general on June 30, 2020, and hand the reins over to Luis […]

ACI World has welcomed the publication of the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force Report. As airports and the wider aviation industry prepares to restart amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of new measures, processes, and procedures are already being considered or introduced around the world. ICAO, member states, and representatives of the industry – […]

ACI World has today published comprehensive guidance for airports as they prepare to restart operations to assist them in sustaining a business recovery in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The association estimates that the coronavirus crisis will cost airports more than 4.6 billion passengers and around $97 billion in revenue in 2020. The publication […]

ACI director general, Angela Gittens, reflects on the key role information technology will play during the COVID-19 crisis and some of the challenges airports face in managing their IT systems. Information technology (IT) infrastructure has become a key enabler for airport management and operations. It underpins all systems and services critical to not only the […]

ACI World and the IATA have called on governments to ensure that any new measures introduced for airports and airlines in the wake of COVID-19 are supported by scientific evidence and are consistent across the world. The aviation sector has been brought to a standstill and a balanced and effective restart and recovery depends on […]

Asia-Pacific airports once again lead the way in ACI’s 2019 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer excellence awards, writes Joe Bates. The rising customer service standards at airports across the globe was reflected by the 140 awards given to 84 different gateways in the 2019 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer excellence programme. Asia-Pacific airports continue to […]

ACI World calls for more financial assistance and support for airports to help them overcome the coronavirus pandemic and safeguard jobs, writes communications manager, Sabrina Guerrieri. Aviation continues to be highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and, while airport operators remain first and foremost concerned with protecting the health and welfare of travellers and staff, […]

The associations of the world’s airports and airlines today joined forces to urge governments to act swiftly with financial grants to help keep their members survive the coronavirus crisis. ACI World and IATA believe that financial aid is vital to assist airport operators and airlines during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, and support the essential connectivity […]

ACI World has provided a timely reminder about the importance of aviation to the global economy by revealing that the industry generated close to $180 billion in revenue in 2018. The significant sum will, of course, be in stark contrast to this year, with the association predicting that airport revenues could fall by up to […]

ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, provides her thoughts on some of the economic, operational and infrastructural challenges and opportunities facing airports. According to the January 2020 edition of the World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects a global growth rise from an estimate 2.9% in 2019 to 3.3% in 2020. Market sentiment […]

ACI World has today issued guidance on best practices to airports to help them adapt their airfield operations in response to the effects and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a survey of the members of the ACI World Safety and Technical Standing Committee, around half of respondents had experienced a 90% or greater […]

ACI World has issued its loudest warning yet about the COVID-19 pandemic, fearing that it could wipe out two-fifths of passenger traffic and almost half of revenues for airports in 2020. In an economic bulletin published today, ACI World predicts that global passenger traffic close to two-fifths (38.1%) will be lost as compared to the […]

ACI World’s communications manager, Sabrina Guerrieri, reports on the update of the airport networks policy brief and the launch of two new reports on autonomous vehicles and systems. ACI World has published an updated policy brief – Airport Networks and the Sustainability of Small Airports – which measures the significance of this management model at world level and […]

Luis Felipe de Oliveira will become the new director general of ACI World in June, replacing the long serving Angela Gittens who is retiring after 12 years in the role. He is the current executive director and CEO of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA). “Felipe is an aviation leader with decades […]

ACI World’s communications manager, Sabrina Guerrieri, reports on ACI’s hugely successful participation at ICAO’s 2019 Assembly, the launch of several publications and a new appointment. Every three years the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) brings together over 2,000 delegates from up to 193 countries and international observer organisations to review the work of the past […]

ACI World’s communications manager, Sabrina Guerrieri, reports on the latest traffic trends, the relaunch of the Smart Security programme and ACI’s Vision 2040 for air transport security. ACI World has released the latest World Airport Traffic Report showing passenger growth resilience despite global uncertainty. Passenger numbers are estimated to have reached 8.8 billion in 2018, […]

ACI advocates for the reliable and effective transmission of data across all airport role players, writes ACI World’s communications manager, Sabrina Guerrieri. The reliable and effective transmission of data across all airport role players is crucial to improving operational efficiency and the passenger experience. Speaking at the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) Global ATM […]

ACI World’s communications manager, Sabrina Guerrieri, reports on strengthening partnerships on slots, aircraft noise management and celebrating the customer experience. The aviation industry is up against many challenges and under a lot of pressure to accommodate future growth while being safe, secure and sustainable, both environmentally and economically, and while delivering a satisfying customer experience. […]

New resolutions demonstrate ACI’s commitment to facilitating safe and comfortable travel for all passengers, regardless of ability, writes ACI World’s communications manager, Sabrina Guerrieri. The ACI Asia-Pacific/World Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition, which took place in Hong Kong from April 2–4, was a great success with an attendance of over 900 delegates from around […]

Sabrina Guerrieri reports on the decision to enhance ACI’s market leading Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programme to make it even better and more relevant. ACI has announced an evolution of its world-leading Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards programme, which it is confident reflects the increasingly dynamic airports industry. ASQ is the world’s leading airport passenger service and benchmarking […]