INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

​​​​​A consortium led by Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, has been awarded an industrial research grant by the UK Government to look at the feasibility of introducing an air taxi service using electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The project is specifically looking at the possibility of introducing the new air taxi […]

Location intelligence can redefine passenger journeys in today’s COVID-19 world, writes Esri’s global transportation industry director, Terry Bills. Air travel in the best of times has always had its unique challenges, stresses and unknowns for both the occasional as well as the business traveller. Between guessing the travel time to the airport, finding parking and […]

The new terminal at Bermuda’s LF Wade International Airport certainly has the ‘wow’ factor based on the early feedback from passengers and staff. “Really beautiful”, “Fabulous and spacious”, “Absolutely awesome” and “It looks like a world class airport” were just some of the comments given by passengers on the new terminal’s opening day last month. […]

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport has launched a pilot programme that uses innovative technology to provide social distancing information and assessment for customers at security checkpoints. The project uses Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology and sophisticated software from partner CrowdVision to monitor, analyse and report on physical distancing at the airport’s B security checkpoint. […]

Vienna Airport is optimistic that its passenger numbers will enjoy a “strong upswing” in the second half of the year as the vaccination drive to combat COVID-19 begins to have a positive impact on air travel. Like most other airports, the Austrian gateway experienced a grim 2020 with the pandemic causing traffic levels to decline […]

Global ground handler and air services provider, dnata, has opened a new state-of-the-art cargo complex at Manchester Airport in the UK. The new £30 million dnata City North facility covers 150,000 sqft and will allow the company to significantly expand and consolidate its Manchester operations. Well-situated for ease of airfield access, the purpose-built on-airport facility […]

Templemere PR’s Clare Williams Fannin takes a look at what airports can do to respond to changing passenger demands for retail, F&B and lounge services across their terminals. Non-aeronautical revenues have long been an important line in the airport budget. Closed shops and empty restaurants are clearly not good news for any airport operator. But […]

AGS Airports, which owns and manages Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports, is to lead a consortium that will develop and trial the use of drones to distribute medical supplies. If ongoing trials are successful, it will become the UK’s first national drone distribution network to use drones to transport essential medicines, blood, organs and other […]

The world’s biggest airport group comprising gateways operated by France’s Groupe ADP and Turkey’s TAV Airports have signed an ‘Airports for Trust’ charter, announcing their shared ambition to build an even more sustainable and responsible airport industry. The airports span the world and range from hubs like Paris CDG in Europe to Queen Alia in […]

Design changes at airports can support and speed up the safe return of air travel, writes Populous Americas’ aviation market leader and principal, Geoffrey Ax. Whether it’s to see family, clients or simply treat cabin fever with a change of scenery, one thing is clear, people want to travel again. Scratching this itch requires some […]

The Emirates Group today rolled out a COVID-19 vaccination programme for its substantial UAE based workforce in co-ordination with the Dubai Health Authority and the Ministry of Health and Prevention. The inoculation drive began this morning, with priority being placed on its frontline aviation workforce, including cabin crew, flight deck and other operationally focused roles. […]

ICAO has revealed that airline seating capacity fell by around 50% in 2020 as the number of passengers boarding flights dropped from 4.5 billion in 2019 to just 1.8 billion passengers last year. That adds up to a staggering financial loss to the industry of around $370 billion, says ICAO, which noted that airports and air […]

We shine the spotlight on a handful of technology driven initiatives designed to improve the operational efficiency of airports and hasten their recovery from the global pandemic. Reinventing the management of airfields Jacobs has developed a new proprietary cloud-based platform designed to enable the effective asset management of airfields. Indeed, based on the success of […]

Atkins’ future borders technical lead, John Drever, explains how data modelling can reduce queuing times at airports. As transit infrastructure like airports, train stations and borders become busier and more complex, our approach to designing public spaces with security in mind takes on another dimension. However, advances in technology can make these spaces easier to […]

Bahrain International Airport today announced that its long awaited new $1.1 billion terminal will open for business on January 28. According to Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), moving operations to the new state-of-the-art facility is a major step towards achieving the Kingdom’s ambitious Economic Vision 2030. The vision is based on diversification and sustainability goals and […]

Eight of Norway’s biggest airports will soon boast new customer experience feedback technology provided by HappyorNot. Its  Smiley Touch touchscreen terminals will help airport operator, Avinor, collect customer feedback at security checkpoints at the gateways, which include Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. According to HappyorNot, with this in-moment, actionable customer experience feedback data, “Avinor’s management and […]

Most frequent fliers are already familiar with the concept of offsetting the climate emissions caused by their travel, writes, Eron Bloomgarden. At checkout, you are offered the opportunity to balance your portion of the flight’s emissions by supporting some sort of emission reduction programme, like tree planting. Such programmes are voluntary and have proved popular […]

Brisbane Airport’s efforts to combat COVID-19 and ensure that it is a safe environment for passengers and staff have led to it being accredited in ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) programme. The ACI AHA is a global benchmark, independently assessing an airport’s alignment with ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery Guidelines, the International Civil Aviation […]

Nashville International Airport’s new Concourse D has achieved LEED Silver certification, which Fentress Architects notes highlights the project’s sustainable, wellness-oriented design and construction process. This distinction makes Concourse D one of only five newly constructed airport facilities in the United States, and one of nine airport facilities worldwide, to earn LEED Silver under the US […]

Cork Airport, Ireland’s fastest-growing gateway in 2019, today revealed that it lost more than two million passengers in 2020 as a result of COVID-19. The 80% decline in passenger numbers meant that just 530,000 people used the country’s second-largest airport last year. Traffic declined across all the geographical markets served by Cork Airport. Passenger volumes […]

Rome’s Fiumicino and Ciampino airports have become the first in the world to successfully complete the new Airport Health Measures Audit Programme. Developed by ACI and Bureau Veritas, the programme is designed to support the airport industry’s recovery from COVID-19 by addressing specific risks and reassuring passengers through an on-site audit. Fiumicino and Ciampino – […]

Miami International Airport (MIA) experienced its busiest day since the pandemic began when it handled 90,000 passengers on January 3. The total helped ensure that the Florida gateway welcomed more than 1.1 million passengers during the 17-day winter holiday travel period from Monday, December 21 to Wednesday, January 6, 2021. In December, MIA averaged 278 […]

German air navigation service provider, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH, today revealed it handled less than half the traffic it normally does in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. It recorded a total of 1.46 million take-offs, landings and overflights across German airspace in 2020 under instrument flight rules, and warns that it is […]

Airport World editor, Joe Bates, turns the spotlight on some innovative and pioneering IT projects across the globe. Denmark’s capital city gateway, Copenhagen Airport (CPH), is to form its own IT company to sell digital services to airports worldwide. Operator, Copenhagen Airports, has joined forces with Netcompany to form Smarter Airports A/S, which it says […]

Saudi Arabia’s planned new Red Sea airport is to be managed by daa international, the international business subsidiary of the operator of Ireland’s Dublin and Cork airports. The Red Sea Project is a major development being built over 28,000 square kilometres on Saudi Arabia’s west coast to create a new luxury tourism destination. The first […]

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and exceeding its expectations, Orlando International Airport (MCO) has started 2021 as the busiest airport in the US for departures. TSA traffic figures show that for eight straight days, from Sunday, December 27, until Sunday, January 3, MCO enjoyed more passenger departures than any other airport in the […]

New analysis from EUROCONTROL reveals that COVID-19 led to a staggering €56.2 billion in net losses for Europe’s airlines, airports and air service navigation in 2020. The losses are a result of 1.7 billon fewer passengers and 6.1 million less flights than in 2019, with traffic between Europe and the rest of the world down […]

Dubai Airports is gearing up for an upsurge in the number of passengers expected to pass through Dubai International (DXB) over the next few days. It is estimated that 545,000 passengers will use DXB between January 1-7, with throughput peaking on January the 2nd and 3rd when more than 78,000 travellers are expected to depart […]

Dublin Airport will end a difficult year on a high after attaining carbon neutral status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. The gateway is the first airport in Ireland to achieve carbon neutral status and has done so following an extensive programme of activities to reduce and offset its carbon emissions in recent years. The […]

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 […]

Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport, which opened its “new and improved” Terminal C at the start of 2020, has ended a difficult but eventful year by inaugurating its newly reconstructed Runway-1. The runway has two new high-speed-exit taxiways, which according to the Russian gateway, ensure that it has the terminal facilities and airfield capacity to handle […]

Andrew O’Brian, president and CEO of Corporación Quiport, tells Joe Bates about an eventful and challenging year for Quito International Airport. While 2020 has been a tough year for Quito International Airport and operator, Corporación Quiport, a string of firsts for Latin America and breaking ground on a new cargo complex means that it has […]

VIEW THE ISSUE HERE Theme: Information Technology Airport report: Quito Special report: The retail/F&B challenge Plus: Airport Design, People Matters & WBP News Better times ahead Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on a traumatic year for the world and the important role IT will play in aviation’s recovery from the pandemic. After the year […]

Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) will hand over the operation of its lounges, fast track and meet and assist services to Plaza Premium Group on January 1, 2021. Under the terms of the concession, Plaza Premium Group has agreed to invest in a series of enhancements and service and facility upgrades at the airport […]

Global airport operator, Fraport, is to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to assess market interest in the construction of a sports/multi-functional hall on a vacant plot of land at Frankfurt Airport. The project is part of a larger urban development initiative with the 30,000sqm plot of land earmarked for the project centrally located behind […]

London City Airport (LCY) is celebrating the completion of the construction of a full-length parallel taxiway and eight new stands capable of handling larger and more fuel-efficient aircraft. The new additions were the key projects of its City Airport Development Programme (CADP) and ensure that the airfield infrastructure at LCY has undergone a significant transformation […]

ACI Europe’s latest traffic analysis shows that 6,000 air routes previously operated from Europe’s airports have been lost to the COVID-19 crisis. The routes, which have been axed by the airlines this year and not resumed, expose “the systemic collapse of the aviation network and air connectivity due to the COVID-19 crisis,” according to ACI […]

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport’s environmental efforts include becoming a carbon neutral airport by 2030 and now turning used cooking oil from its F&B outlets into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). DFW recently set the ambitious goal of reducing its carbon emissions to net zero by 2030. To achieve this, the Texas gateway looked at its waste […]

Whether it ever happens or not is another matter, but a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport is now potentially back on the agenda following the Supreme Court ruling that the government’s decision to approve its expansion was lawful. Today’s ruling overturns a decision by three leading judges earlier this year that former Transport Secretary, Chris […]

London Gatwick Airport is expecting to see a significant increase in passengers travelling over the Christmas period, with up to 200 flights a day forecast to operate to and from the gateway, with top destinations including Dublin, Geneva and Tenerife. While typically Gatwick would normally see more than 700 flights a day during this time, […]

The travel industry has experienced unprecedented setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic, with US airlines reporting a 65% year-over-year reduction in scheduled service passengers in September, writes Ramsey Nuwar. For airports, this means a steep reduction in non-aeronautical revenues usually generated by passenger dining, shopping and parking. While the industry is seeing promising improvements in passenger […]

India’s planned new Delhi Noida International Airport will boast a passenger terminal designed by architects Grimshaw, Nordic – Office of Architecture, Haptic and Indian practice STUP. The team was selected from a shortlist of three by Zurich Airport International for “demonstrating a proficiency in balancing passenger comfort with sustainability, and timeless design with flexibility for […]

Swedish airport operator, Swedavia, has secured a €49 million loan from the Nordic Investment Bank to help it through COVID-19. The seven-year SEK 500 million loan agreement is a COVID-19 response loan aimed at facilitating financing for industries heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. “The loan helps to further strengthen our liquidity at a time […]

Brisbane Airport (BNE) is set to welcome more than 30,000 daily passengers tomorrow for the first time since March 16, declaring the milestone a clear sign that domestic travel is recovering. Specifically, on Friday, the airport’s Domestic Terminal will see more than 16,000 arrivals and 14,000 departing passengers from a total of 309 flights. Off the back of interstate borders re-opening, […]

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 […]

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), which is owned and operated by the Port of Seattle, is one of the fastest-growing large hub airports in North America where over the past five years, passenger traffic has grown 41%. Indeed, in 2019, SEA was the eighth busiest airport in the US serving 51.8 million passengers a year and […]

Aviation provides huge benefits to society, but the industry has recognised the importance of reducing carbon emissions and together have agreed a number of low carbon goals, writes Gigi Yuen, Air bp’s global carbon neutral leader. These include carbon neutral growth from 2020, and halving total carbon emissions by 2050, relative to 2005 levels. There […]

London City Airport today published its new master plan which sets out the long-term vision for how it can grow in a sustainable and responsible way, supporting London’s recovery from COVID-19. The publication of the master plan follows a 16-week consultation carried out in summer 2019. All comments received from local residents, stakeholders and passengers […]

Alitalia and Rome airport operator, Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), have announced that from Tuesday, all passengers travelling on one of the three weekly flights to and from New York must present a certification proving that they have tested negative for COVID-19, carried out 48 hours before the flight, or take the antigen test directly at […]

US firm Surfacedesign has won an award for its landscape architecture and urban planning for Auckland International Airport in New Zealand. “Because 75% of New Zealand’s visitors land in Auckland, airport management wanted to highlight the country’s historic land-use practices at and around the terminal,” says the San Francisco based company’s co-founding partner and Auckland […]

SITA’s vice president for border management, Jeremy Springall, explains how technology will play a key role in aviation’s recovery from COVID-19 by helping protect ‘travel bubbles’ from popping. In 2020, new vocabulary has seeped into the global consciousness. From ‘new normal’ to the more practical, yet equally disliked, ‘social distancing’, the additions to this year’s […]

The opposition to quarantine measures and other travel restrictions appears to be gathering pace with ACI Europe and a number of other international aviation associations today urging European governments to abolish them. The calls follow new Recommendations published by EASA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control (ECDC), which unequivocally rejects their use […]

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has introduced a cloud based data sharing platform for cargo customers that it is confident will ensure “seamless transactions across the supply chain”. Over time, says the Texas gateway, this will include freight forwarders, shippers, ground handling agents, 3PLs, airlines, US Customs and Border Protection, and trucking companies – empowering […]

Helsinki Airport’s COVID-19 sniffer dogs, on duty daily to help prevent the spread of the pandemic, have received Special Hero Dog Awards from the Finnish Kennel Club. Trained to do their jobs by Wise Nose, to date the four enthusiastic new members of airport have sniffed samples taken from more than 2,000 passengers. And on Wednesday, […]

London City Airport (LCY) today announced TIPA as the winners of its Sustainable Security Bag Challenge. According to the airport, TIPA were able to provide it with a product made from fully transparent materials, aligned to regulatory standards, and can be composted at home by London City passengers or disposed as food waste at the […]

Atkins has been working on a major facelift to Terminal 1 at Dublin Airport under plans that have been lodged this month with Fingal County Council. The design will replace the core façade and roof with a new modern, energy efficient envelope that will completely transform the external appearance of the terminal, giving it a […]

Cambodia’s Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanouk airports have been accredited in ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation programme. The gateways are key assets of VINCI Airports and their accreditation is in line with its strategy of demonstrating that all the airports in its global network are fully aligned with industry best practices designed to protect the […]

People sustainability Terri Morrissey and Richard Plenty share their thoughts on sustainability and how building a sustainable future for airports requires investment in people. Sustainability has been defined by the Brundland Commission as the “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. In […]

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has become the first airport in India to deploy Internet of Things (IoT) enabled smart baggage trolleys that allow operator, GHIAL, to track them in real-time and ensure that there is always enough available to meet demand. The airport has deployed a LoRa (Long Range) IOT platform for its entire […]

Copenhagen Airport’s operator today revealed that 380 staff are to begin sharing jobs in a bid to reduce further redundancies as a result of the downturn in traffic caused by COVID-19. With traffic currently at less than 10% of normal levels, Copenhagen Airports has just completed negotiations for its second cost-cutting round in only three […]

Rome Fiumicino is set to become the first airport in Europe to activate ‘COVID-tested’ safe air corridors on flights coming from the US, ending the need for passengers to quarantine on arrival, according to operator Aeroporti di Roma (ADR). ADR, which believes that “it is necessary to assess and implement new and additional control systems […]

The latest news from ACI’s World Business Partners. Time to build? Carrie Shaeffer, Swinerton’s vice president and national director of aviation considers the challenge of building up aviation’s built environment in North America. Consumer confidence is paramount to the long-term financial sustainability of airlines and airports. After all, there is no silver bullet when it […]

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 […]

Christchurch Airport has taken a major step forward in its commitment to fight against climate change, becoming the first airport in the Asia-Pacific region and in the world to reach Level 4 Transformation status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. The New Zealand gateway believes that the high achievement is evidence of its continued efforts […]

Etihad Airways is trialling the the use of facial biometrics to check in cabin crew at its Crew Briefing Centre at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The trial will use facial recognition technology provided by SITA to identify and authenticate crew members, allowing them to complete check-in procedures and mandatory pre-flight safety and security questions digitally […]

According to booking platform Omio, Madrid Barajas is Europe’s most “passenger friendly” capital city airport based on a study of 30 gateways across the continent. The study ranked Madrid Barajas (MAD) top for its level of comfort and passenger-friendliness after assessing each individual airport’s facilities that included shops, restaurants and other F&B outlets. Omio states […]

A handful of architects and consulting companies consider how COVID-19 will impact on the use and future design of airport terminals. Architect: Ricondo Risk, resilience and flexibility Airport operators are looking to the industry for guidance on how future best practices will evolve to promote increased passenger safety, maintain operational efficiency and capacity, and accommodate […]

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 […]

It will cost money to use, but London Gatwick and ExpressTest today announced the opening of a brand-new COVID-19 screening centre at the airport. The site, located within the airport’s Long Stay Car Park at the South Terminal, will offer a fast and accurate and lab-analysed PCR swab test. It will be available for both […]

AMPAP administrator Pierre Coutu, reflects on the launch, history and success of ACI-ICAO’s flagship airport management training programme. The Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme (AMPAP) is a joint ACI-ICAO initiative that offers a unique executive development curriculum to airport management professionals and stakeholders. The programme covers all the functional areas of the airport business, promotes […]

ACI World’s senior director for sustainability, environmental protection and legal affairs, Juliana Scavuzzi, explains why sustainability and environmental protection must remain a priority despite today’s challenges. The aviation sector is currently facing two major challenges: to navigate and survive the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 in the short-term; and, to keep its long-term commitments regarding climate […]

It’s not all doom and gloom out there as LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP) has announced the opening of the eagerly awaited state-of-the-art water feature in the brand new Arrivals and Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B. LGP is the private entity managing and redeveloping the new terminal. The Arrivals and Departures Hall opened earlier […]

Star Alliance has completed development of what it calls “an interoperable biometric identity and identification platform” that it says will significantly improve the travel experience for its frequent flyers. According to the airline group, the Star Alliance Biometrics platform advances the ability of member airlines to deliver a seamless customer journey, while strengthening loyalty value […]

ACI Europe president, Jost Lammers, has acknowledged that emerging news of an effective vaccine gives reason for hope. However, this cautious optimism was delivered with a caveat – that airports along with the rest of the aviation sector cannot simply wait out the inevitable time challenges of safety confirmation and herd immunity. Delivering his keynote […]

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has introduced biometric boarding for all passengers on departing international flights. According to the Florida gateway, its new system delivers a touchless boarding experience whilst complying with US Customs & Border Protection Agency (CBP) requirements for all international travellers to biometrically validate they have departed the country. Developed in partnership with […]

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 […]

Airport World shines the spotlight on a handful of pioneering sustainability initiatives in the UK, US and Germany. In the UK, AGS Airports is trialling the use of oxo-biodegradable 100ml security bags at Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports and believes the move could remove more than two million single-use plastic bags annually across the group. […]

Abu Dhabi International Airport is trialling a new enhanced ‘Smart Travel’ system, which it is confident will “shorten queues and streamline processes throughout the airport to deliver a smoother and more seamless passenger experience”. Developed by airport operator, Abu Dhabi Airports, in partnership with ConvergentAI and powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), the new system is […]

ACI World has issued a resolution at is World Annual General Assembly declaring that airport slot allocation policies should support the recovery of air transport. Airport connectivity, it notes, is essential for the recovery of air transport, and will be a key driver of the wider global economic recovery, which is why it is urging […]

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has held a topping out ceremony to celebrate the securing of the final beam for Phase 1 of its $1.86 billion Sky Way transformation project to modernise, upgrade and connect he Tom Bradley International Terminal with terminals 2 and 3. “LAX is a central pillar of our economic strength — […]

Global airport operator, Fraport, today confirmed that COVID-19 continues to badly hit traffic figures at airports across its network. Just 1.1 million passengers passed through Frankfurt Airport (FRA) In October 2020, for example, a significant 83.4% down on the same month a year ago. The total means that FRA’s cumulative traffic during the January-to-October 2020 […]

ACI World’s economics director, Patrick Lucas, considers the financial challenges facing airports and the policy levers needed to support aviation’s recovery amidst the pandemic. Airports are an integral part of the aviation ecosystem, but they currently face a crisis that they are not financially set-up to experience: a sudden and prolonged collapse in traffic levels. […]

The three global airline alliances, oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance, have joined ACI World in announcing their support for ICAO’s second-phase Council on Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) report. The airline groups are urging governments to implement the report guidelines for passenger testing protocols, as well as the adoption of digital health pass technology, so […]

ACI Asia-Pacific welcomes the implementation of a quarantine-free air travel bubble between Hong Kong SAR and Singapore. It claims that the arrangement, open to all types of travellers, is a much-needed progressive step towards recovery of the sector. “This first-of-a-kind arrangement is a leading example of a risk-based approach that balances the risk of virus […]

What lessons in responsiveness and resilience can airports, airlines and architects draw from the current crisis? Robert Chicas, HOK’s senior principal and director of aviation + transportation, investigates. It’s impossible to overstate the impact COVID-19 has had on the aviation industry. At the time of writing, the virus has resulted in the cancellation of 7.5 […]

Munich Airport subsidiary, AeroGround, has become the biggest ground handler at Germany’s new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). The addition of the Lufthansa Group and Eurowings as clients means that AeroGround Berlin GmbH is the dominant ground handling company at the newly opened gateway. Simon Batt-Nauerz, managing director of AeroGround Berlin GmbH, says: “We are all looking […]

The Adani Group has officially taken over responsibility for operating three Airports Authority of India (AAI) managed airports. The company, which harbours ambitions to become a key player in the Indian market, added Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPI Airport) to its airport network at the weekend. The move follows the addition of Mangaluru […]

The Canadian government has revealed that it is developing a package of assistance to help the nation’s airlines, airports and aerospace sector through the COVID-19 crisis. “A strong and competitive air transport industry is vital for Canada’s economy and the wellbeing of Canadians,” reads a statement issued by Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, […]

Glasgow Airport has scooped the International Safety Award from the British Safety Council in recognition of its commitment to keeping its workers and workplace healthy and safe. The airport is one of 87 organisations to win a Distinction in the 2020 International Safety Awards, which are health and safety’s most prestigious scheme. They recognise organisations […]

Amadeus Airport IT’s senior vice president for strategy and marketing, Iyad Hindiyeh, explains why he believes we should be preparing for the ‘uberization’ of airport services. Over the past decade the way we communicate, shop, get around and are entertained has arguably been transformed by a handful companies such as Uber, Amazon, Facebook and Netflix. […]

Dublin Airport’s Terminal 1 is to undergo a major facelift under plans that have been lodged with Fingal County Council. The core façade and the roof of the terminal are to be replaced with a new modern, energy efficient structure that will completely transform the external appearance of Terminal 1 and give it a new […]

The COVID-19 pandemic is without doubt the worst crisis the aviation industry has ever faced and could permanently change the way we travel, writes Armando Brunini, CEO and general manager of SEA Milan Airports. Like other airport operators, SEA Milan Airports, responded to the pandemic by implementing a number of measures aimed at safeguarding the […]

Airport director, Jesus Saenz, tells Joe Bates why he believes that it is only a matter of time before growth is back on the agenda at San Antonio International Airport. With such a strong military presence all around it, it should come as no surprise to learn that San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is determined […]

Santo Domingo’s Las Américas International Airport in the Dominican Republic has opened its new cargo terminal. The new €14 million complex is a key component of VINCI Airports modernisation plan for the airport, which it has been responsible for operating and developing since 2016, along with five other gateways in the Dominican Republic. It notes […]

Europe gained a new airport at the weekend when Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt (BER) finally opened for business. The new €6 billion airport is expected to take travelling to Berlin to another level, albeit it nine-and-a-half years later than originally planned. Its opening will mean the closure of Berlin Tegel, which is scheduled to […]

ACI World urges the world’s governments to back COVID-19 testing as an alternative to quarantine measures, writes external relations manager, Bojana Jeremic. The airport sector, as an integral part of the global aviation ecosystem, has been among the industries most heavily affected by the global pandemic. Airports around the world are adjusting to the complexities […]

Lagardère Travel Retail has opened eight Luxury Beauty & Fashion stores in China’s Shanghai Hongqiao and Shenzhen Bao’an airports. In Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, Terminal T2, Lagardère Travel Retail has opened six stores: Chanel Beauty and Accessories; Parfums Christian Diorl Givenchy; Shiseido; Gucci Watches & Jewelry;  and Sandro. In Shenzhen Bao’an, Terminal T3, Lagardère Travel Retail […]

Tulsa International Airport, Oklahoma’s gateway to the world, today unveiled its newly renovated Schwab Hall. Construction on Schwab Hall, the area adjacent to the security checkpoint and rental car counters, began in December 2019 and took nearly eleven months to complete. The project relocated walls, art installations, and utility infrastructure in order to provide an […]

Philadelphia International Airport has become the first US gateway to offer a new product collaboration between two leading in-airport contactless food services, Grab and AtYourGate. According to the airport, the Grab Airport app with delivery powered by AtYourGate aims to ease the airport concessions experience for travellers by offering contactless meal ordering and delivery capabilities […]

ACI World director general, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, reflects on planning for a sustainable recovery of the world’s airports. The airport sector, as an integral part of the global aviation ecosystem, has been among the industries most heavily affected by the global pandemic. The world is changing fast and, and while COVID-19’s impact on the […]

ACI Europe today warned that 193 of the continent’s airports face insolvency in the coming months if passenger traffic does not start to recover by the year end. These airports are estimated to support 277,000 jobs and €12.4 billion of Europe’s GDP. According to ACI Europe, unless governments step up and provide support now, Europe […]

Salt Lake City International Airport opened its new Concourse B today meaning that all airlines serving the Utah gateway now operate out of new facilities. The new 21 gate concourse B will house Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United and its opening signals the end of passengers being handled in concourses C, F […]

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has become the first airport in India to introduce e-gates for passengers boarding international flights. The gateway was the first to introduce paper e-boarding on domestic flights, and began trialling its new digital solution for international services – developed in-house by operator GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), this month. […]

VIEW THE ISSUE HERE In the spotlight: Sustainability Airport report: San Antonio Special report: AMPAP review Plus: ACI news, People matters & WBP innovation Year of living dangerously Editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the significant economic, operational and environmental challenges facing airports in this ‘sustainability’ themed issue of Airport World. Aviation leaders speaking at the […]

Cambodia’s three international airports have once again demonstrated their green credentials by upgrading their status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme to Level 2 – Reduction. Launched in 2009, the independently administered and verified programme has four levels of certification – Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation and Neutrality, the latter being the ultimate goal for Phnom Penh, […]

In normal times, Louisville’s airports are responsible for some 82,723 jobs across the region and have an annual economic impact of around $10.4 billion, according to their latest economic impact survey. Key drivers of the local economy, the Kentucky city’s airports – Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) and Bowman Field (LOU) – also usually […]

The island nation of Dominica, geographically part of the Windward Islands chain in the Caribbean Sea, is making progress on plans to  build a new international airport, according to Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit. He says that the government has acquired around 411 acres of land required for the new airport and that “rapid progress” is […]

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 […]

Dublin Airport ‘s efforts to ensure the safety of its passengers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic have been formally recognised by ACI World’s Airport Health Accreditation programme. The airport health accreditation programme provides airports with an independent assessment of the new health measures and procedures that have been introduced as a result of the […]

Global operator, TAV Airports, today revealed that three of its airports have been certified under ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation programme and that they will soon be joined by another eight. Ankara Esenboğa in Turkey, Skopje in Macedonia and Zagreb in Croatia have already received their certification. While Izmir Adnan Menderes, Gazipasa-Alanya and Milas-Bodrum in Turkey; […]

Cork Airport’s managing director, Niall MacCarthy, has admitted that Ryanair’s decision to close its base at the airport this winter is a major blow for the Irish gateway. “The team here at Cork Airport is really devastated to hear of Ryanair’s decision to close its base at Cork with the loss of so many direct […]

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) has introduced touchless technology that allows passengers to record their satisfaction levels at the world’s busiest gateway without the need to press any buttons or screens. The new technology from Avius has also been launched at LEGOLAND Florida as the operators of the airport and the theme park search for […]

Portland International Airport (PDX) is 80 years old today, and it has chosen the milestone to share a sneak peek of what its new $1.5 billion main terminal will look like when it opens in 2025. PDX operator, the Port of Portland, has no doubt that the new terminal and other planned projects will ensure […]

Digital solutions provider, AOE, has announced the launch of a new e-commerce model for airlines ahead of its planned acquisition of onboard sales and supply chain specialist SHIFTEO. The agreement includes SHIFTEO’s In-flight ePOS, Supply Chain Management and Back Office for Catering Management solutions. According to AOE, the enhanced capabilities of its new integrated platform […]

Cambodia’s Sihanouk International Airport is today celebrating the completion of the extension and renovation of its runway, an upgrade that will effectively allow it to handle direct long-haul flights operated by bigger aircraft. The airport, which serves as the gateway to the country’s main seaside resort, now boasts a 3,300m long runway, which has been […]

Munich Airport International (MAI), the international management and consulting arm of Munich Airport, is to expand its influence to Central America by developing and operating a new cargo terminal at San Salvador’s El Salvador International Airport. MAI, part of the SOF Connect consortium which this summer signed finalised the concession agreement to operate and develop […]

The latest news from ACI’s World Business Partners. Zoeftig unveils new social distancing barrier UK-based Zoeftig has launched a new social distancing barrier, iZolate, in bid to help combat the spread of COVID-19. The solution is an adaptable and flexible system that can be retrofitted onto a wide range of seating types in a breadth […]

Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is to form its own IT company to sell digital services to airports worldwide. Operator, Copenhagen Airports, has joined forces with Netcompany to form Smarter Airports A/S, which it says will be 100% dedicated to developing a new, market-leading digital platform for the efficient and sustainable operation of the airports of the […]

Washington DC airport operator, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, is implementing a new sustainability plan designed to improve its facilities environmentally, operationally and financially. Developed in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, it reveals that the plan is the result of a year long effort to interview stakeholders and analyse operations at Washington National, […]

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 […]

Doha’s gateway to the world has become the first in the world to achieve independent verification from BSI (British Standards Institution) for its implementation of ICAO’s COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocols. The verification for Hamad International Airport (HIA) was conducted following its successful audit for compliance of measures outlined by the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery […]

Quito International Airport’s ambition to have the most modern import air cargo terminal in Latin American took a huge step forward yesterday with the groundbreaking ceremony for a $2 million cargo logistics centre. Expected to be completed in mid-2021, the Tabacarcen cargo logistics centre will become the new import cargo distribution centre for Quito International […]

The votes are in and The Green Gateway – a zero-emission, highly sustainable multimodal hub – has been named as the winner of the 2020 version of the Fentress Global Challenge (FGC) design competition. Launched by Fentress Architects in 2011, the annual global student design competition represents a key part of the firm’s commitment to advancing […]

It won’t prove to be a popular move with passengers, but Gatwick Airport today revealed that it will start charging for vehicle drop offs outside its terminals, using the money to help it offset some of its COVID-19 losses. Surprisingly it won’t be the only UK airport to do this when the £5 fee is […]

Sustainable design must be high on the agenda of the world’s airports post COVID-19 to enable the industry to build back better, writes Roger Swinbourne, Arup’s sustainability leader for the Australasia region. Sustainability is a concept that aims to optimise outcomes for human and natural environments, both now and with a view to the long-term […]

Virgin Atlantic has become the first UK airline to introduce COVID-19 pre-flight testing at its Heathrow base for its cabin crew and pilots. Launched on the September 30 on flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong, the airline plans to extend the trial to Barbados and select services later in October, before a wider roll out […]

Terri Morrissey and Richard Plenty share their thoughts on the importance of restoring passengers’ confidence in the aviation industry. How quickly times change! If you’d asked people what they thought about flying at the start of 2020, the vast majority of answers would probably have revolved around ticket prices and the enjoyment, and hassle factor, […]

Up to 46 million aviation related jobs around the world will be lost due to the severe downturn in air traffic caused by COVID-19, followed by a slow recovery, according to new industry figures released today. Under normal circumstances, aviation and the tourism facilitates support 87.7 million jobs worldwide. Over 11 million jobs are within […]

Traffic volumes might be down across the world, but it hasn’t stopped some airports from adding much needed infrastructure, and this certainly applies to Fraport, which today began construction of a new truck parking lot at Frankfurt Airport’s CargoCity South. The roughly 14,500-square-metre lot is located within the airport’s operational area near Airport Gate 32 […]

Joe Bates finds out more about Amsterdam Schiphol’s plans for a Hyperloop link and a cargo version of the technology that its inventors believe can provide super-fast transport links to airports. Amsterdam Schiphol has confirmed that it is still looking at introducing a revolutionary ‘Hyperloop’ ground transport link in the future. The new transport system […]

In new analysis released today, the aviation sector details how it can meet its climate goal of cutting CO2 emissions in half by 2050, compared with 2005. It also highlights that net-zero emissions from air transport across the global could be achieved a decade or so afterwards. The plan will rely on a significant shift […]

Doha’s Hamad International Airport is trialling new check-in kiosks that use infra-red technology to detect passengers’ fingerprints and therefore eliminate the need for them to touch any screens. The kiosks, which utilise happyhover and SITA Mobile Solution technology, are being trialled for contactless self-check-in and baggage drop. The introduction of these advanced smart solutions is […]

Quito International Airport continues its recovery from the worst of COVID-19, welcoming back a significant number of international and domestic flights since resuming operations this summer. Between them Avianca, LATAM and Aeroregional have resumed services to eight domestic destinations – Guayaquil, Cuenca, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Manta, Loja, El Coca and Santa Rosa. While its international route […]

Airport World takes a closer look at two very different new airports that are expected to be built over the next five years – Delhi Noida in India and Mirage in Saudi Arabia. Delhi Noida International Airport It may still be a few years away from becoming reality, but a second Delhi airport is now […]

Now is the time to step up the industry’s efforts against cyber-crime, writes Dominic Nessi, vice president of strategic engagement for the Aviation Information Sharing & Analysis Center (Aviation-ISAC). A series of successful cyber-attacks on airports in late 2018 helped focus the industry’s attention on the need to up its game in the battle against […]

Montréal-Trudeau has followed up its Airport Health Accreditation award by becoming the first Canadian airport, as well as the first facility in Québec, to earn GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation from The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC). GBAC is a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, and GBAC STAR is an international accreditation focused […]

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 […]

Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton have become the first airports in the UK to trial a new Oxo-Biodegradable 100ml security bag. All three are operated by AGS Airports Ltd, which believes that the new, free, bags will now remove more than two million single-use plastic bags each year across the group. The technology involved ensures the […]

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has announced the implementation of a Clean Construction Program, which it claims is one of the most ambitious programmes of its kind among US transportation agencies as it is designed to reduce carbon emissions throughout the design and construction processes. This important measure ensures that […]

MXD’s Chris LeTourneur explores growth opportunities for e-commerce, health and food logistics in the wake of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has had devasting impacts on every aspect of how we live, work, play, socialise and move around, with aviation being one of the hardest hit sectors as passenger numbers have plummeted. The decline has led […]

Stockholm Aranda Airport has received a delivery of 210 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from fuel products supplier, Air bp. Purchased by Swedish airport operator, Swedavia, and its partners SOS Alarm, Systembolaget and the 2030 Secretariat, the fuel is part of an initiative to promote the large-scale production of SAF and its use as […]

Operator, GHIAL, has announced that Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has achieved Airport Health Accreditation (AHA). The accreditation recognises the airport’s efforts to make it a safe environment for passengers and staff in line with ACI’s Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) Recommendations along with industry best […]

Marshall Retail Group (MRG), a WHSmith Group company, has opened its newest airport store in Terminal at New York LaGuardia (LGA). Called the DEAN inside LaGuardia Airport (LGA), the 5,000-square-foot retail space is said to be specifically designed to “the needs of the modern LGA passenger”. According to MRG, it offers a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, […]

Chicago Rockford International Airport proves secondary airports can be pandemic heroes and economic juggernauts, writes executive director, Mike Dunn. While Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) may never be a hub, it is one of the top 20 cargo airports in the United States and cranks out cargo like one. The seismic shift – almost overnight […]

Like many other industries across the globe, with the pandemic still in full swing, airports around the world continue to add enhanced layers of protection to ensure the safety and wellbeing of passengers, and optimising the ventilation systems in terminals to improve the air quality is one of them. Here are some ways airports are […]

Over 20 travel and tourism bodies as well as unions across Europe united today in an unprecedented call for European Commission leadership to replace quarantine restrictions with an EU Testing Protocol for Travel in a bid to save the livelihoods of more than 27 million Europeans who work in the sector. In an open letter […]

A new 10 MW solar energy farm is taking shape at Melbourne Airport, which is set to produce enough clean energy to provide power to all four passenger terminals. The renewable solar farm will generate 16.8 GWh of electricity every year, which is almost 15% of the airport’s annual consumption needs. Once live in January […]

Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport today inaugurated its new hangar and maintenance complex for aircraft operated by the Aeroflot Group. According to the Russian gateway, construction of the hangar complex was completed in 12 months, a record time for the construction of such “complex technical facilities”. The first facility of this kind in Russia, airport operator, […]

Communicating confidence through digital platforms such as omnichannel retail can help drive aviation’s recovery from the COVID crisis, writes Kian Gould, CEO of AOE. Developing a clear picture of the post-lockdown passenger journey will be crucial in establishing passenger confidence as the launch pad for recovery. The urgent sharing of information across so many locations, […]

Today at 4am local time, Salt Lake City Department of Airports (SLCDA) turned the key and opened the first phase of The New SLC Airport. As the lights dimmed on the existing airport, the lights brightened on a new parking garage, gateway centre, central terminal and Concourse A-west. Delta Air Lines will occupy the 25 […]

Miami (MIA) and Hong Hong (HKG) have become the latest airports to become accredited under ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation programme. The initiative recognises the high hygiene standards and procedures in place at both airports, with accreditation seen as an important first step that will help aviation’s recovery from COVID-19. “From the onset of the pandemic, […]

Stuttgart becomes the first airport in Germany to embrace Amadeus’ cloud computing technology for passenger services. More than 200 check-in counters and gates, as well as 30 self-service kiosks have transitioned to to the new technology, which Amadeus says ensures a smoother check-in experience. Thanks to this technology, the migration was handled largely remotely, with […]

Since the arrival of COVID-19, industry commentators have shared a common theme – businesses need to be more tech-smart and flexible, to face the challenging times ahead. For airports, this is nothing new. The digitisation of operations has long been on the radar for all but the smallest. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has often been advertised […]

What can we expect from Berlin Brandenburg Airport when the long awaited new gateway opens to traffic later this year? Joe Bates investigates. There will be a mix of emotions when the German capital’s new €6 billion gateway, Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), opens for business on October 31 this year. Pride and relief will certainly […]

Fraport owned Lima Airport Partners (LAP) has signed a $450 million financing agreement for an airside development programme at Peru’s Jorge Chávez International Airport. Four international banks – comprising KfW IPEX-Bank, the Bank of Nova Scotia, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria – are providing the loan. Fraport’s and LAP´s finance […]

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 […]

LaGuardia Terminal B gives the airport and New York a world class facility that it deserves, writes Vantage Airport Group’s chair and CEO, George Casey. One of the few industry highlights of 2020 has to be the completion of the spectacular new Arrivals & Departures Hall at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B, a key moment in […]

Aviation has many benefits for our world. Arguably, no other industry has done more globally to connect people, power economies, and enable progress than aviation. For each new generation thus far, aviation has opened new frontiers and created new opportunities for connecting people and ideas. Right now, the aviation industry is working to recover from […]

It is time to take a look at the possible airports of tomorrow courtesy of Fentress Architects’ 2020 Fentress Global Challenge (FGC). Fentress today announced the 22 entries that have been shortlisted in its annual airport design competition, which this year garnered more than 100 entries from students in over 15 countries. This year’s competition […]

Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) in the UK has released some new CGI images of the proposed new terminal it hopes to shortly receive the green light to build. The new images show what the new look check in hall, departures lounge and arrivals gate could look like if the complex is approved. Large glass fronted […]

Despite the boost of the end of summer holiday traffic, only 650,000 passengers passed through Swedavia’s 10 Swedish airports in August – 83% down on the corresponding month a year ago. Swedavia, which reveals that 3.7 million passengers used its gateways in August 2019, notes that last month’s air traffic recovery “slowed somewhat in late […]

Technology will play a key role in ensuring that aviation security is equipped for a COVID-19 environment and beyond, writes Smiths Detection’s global aviation director, Richard Thompson. Though the COVID pandemic continues to unfold, airlines and airports around the globe are slowly restarting their operations as domestic and international travel begins to pick-up once again. […]

San Antonio International Airport (SAT) has become first airport in the world to purchase and deploy the Xenex LightStrike robot to help it combat COVID-19. The Texas gateway is confident that the locally made machine’s ultraviolet (UV) room disinfection technology will eliminate SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19. “The health and safety of our […]

Vienna Airport’s Julian Jäger talks to Joe Bates about the ongoing transformation of Terminal 2, surviving COVID-19 and what the future might hold for Austria’s gateway to the world. Julian Jäger is the type of boss that is always upbeat and positive, and despite today’s difficult operating conditions, he has plenty to be optimistic about […]

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 […]

Egis and local subsidiary, Projacs, has signed a contract to deliver project management consultancy services for airside projects at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (KKIA). KKIA is managed and operated by Riyadh Airports, which is currently working on upgrading the airside infrastructure at Saudi Arabia’s capital city airport, adding new services and facilities that it […]

UK pilots union, the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), today called on the government to listen to IAG CEO, Willie Walsh, and use effective Covid testing as an alternative to punitive quarantine measures. BALPA, which freely admits that it is one of Walsh’s biggest critics, supports his call to end  the constantly changing and travel […]

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 […]

Quito International Airport continues to lead the way in Latin America by becoming one of the first airports in the region to be accredited under ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) programme. The ACI Airport Health Accreditation is based on the recommendations of ICAO to establish common sanitary measures and is aligned with the best practices […]

Ontario International Airport (ONT) “experienced significant growth” in commercial air freight shipments in the first five months of 2020 as consumers and businesses increasingly relied on e-commerce sources for household goods and personal protective equipment as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. The assessment from Fitch Ratings notes that ONT and Alaska’s Ted Stevens Anchorage International […]

The Emirates Group today marked Emirati Women’s Day, which celebrates the achievements of women who are making a positive difference to the nation in their diverse roles, particularly amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group’s executive vice president for human resources, Abdulaziz Al Ali, says: “Women play a vital role in supporting the […]

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has won ACI-NA’s Environmental Achievement Award for Environmental Improvement with Limited Resources for the airport’s updated Master Plan. The updated plan was released in November 2019 after a two year public consultation and stakeholder engagement programme and focuses on areas such as infrastructure requirements, activity forecasting, environmental initiatives and future planning. […]

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is moving forward a runway improvement project by two years to take advantage of the current reduced flight activity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The gateway has decided to act now and complete the project in October 2020 instead of 2022 as originally planned as it believes that it will […]

Munich Airport (MUC) has introduced a A CO2-neutral passenger bus with an innovative drive concept as it strives to reduce its carbon emissions and become an ACI NETZERO gateway by 2050. The bus has been fitted with a generator-electric drive, developed by Rohrbach-based start-up CM Fluids, that has allowed it to be converted so that […]

In an exclusive first interview, new director general, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, talks to Joe Bates about today’s challenging operating environment and his goals and ambitions for ACI World. Replacing a popular predecessor is never easy in the best of times, throw in COVID-19 and its decimating global impact on aviation, and it quickly becomes […]

Miami International Airport (MIA) today unveiled a new online service designed to help passengers beat checkpoint queues and better manage their journeys through its facilities. According to the Florida gateway, its passengers now have a personal travel assistant available around the clock, ready to tell them the fastest checkpoint for their flight and how to […]

VIEW THE ISSUE HERE Theme: Planning & Design In the spotlight: Vienna Airport Special report: Berlin Brandenburg Plus: Cybersecurity, Cargo and Omnichannel communication The next step ACI World is under new management for the first time in 12 years, with Luis Felipe de Oliveira officially succeeding Angela Gittens as the new director general of the […]

Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport reports that it handled 11.2 million passengers in the first seven months of 2020, including nearly 1.5 million in July. It reveals that the bulk of passenger traffic travelled on Aeroflot, Nordwind Airlines, Rossiya, Ikar, Royal Flight and Air France flights as the airport accommodated 112,998 aircraft movements in the first […]

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, […]

New biometric technology can ensure a completely contactless experience for passengers passing through Beijing Capital International Airport. The human-free journey is possible as the airport has completely automated the entire passenger journey using SITA technology – from check-in and bag drop through to immigration, security, and finally boarding. As a result, passengers only need to […]

One of the most exciting sources of growth in the travel industry today is the increased use of travel Application Programming Interface (API). 

APIs enable business agility and inter-connectedness and are integral to improving customer experiences as well as internal operations. However, according to Mohamed Amin, head of data and APIs at SITA, the aviation […]

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) has opened a new $5.6 million Central Receiving and Distribution Center (CRDC) to improve the security screening – and enhance the health and safety – of all goods entering the airport. Operated by Bradford Airport Logistics, the new 22,000sqft facility will receive goods for delivery to the existing airport […]

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) today announced that its relief package for the airport community will extend for another two months to end of October 2020 in view of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic and continuing political unrest in Hong Kong has had a huge impact on traffic at Hong […]

Leaving Washington Dulles International Airport by road is about to get a whole lot easier with the August 18 opening of a newly constructed passenger pick-up kerb built to more efficiently accommodate app-based ride services. The kerb, located on the ground level outside of baggage claim, was built to better accommodate transportation network company (TNC) […]

London City Airport has decided to temporarily pause its Capital Development Programme (CADP) at the end of the year upon completion of new aircraft stands, a full-length parallel taxiway and new passenger facilities. Since recommencing commercial flights on June 21, the airport has welcomed back four airlines, including its home-based carrier, BA City Flyer, and […]

Munich Airport (MUC) continues to slowly grow its route network, with the gateway currently served by 45 airlines operating services to 140 destinations. The combination of returning airlines and routes meant that the airport handled around 1,100 take-offs a week in early August. The German airport believes that the upturn in traffic reflects the desire […]

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 […]

San Francisco International Airport’s on-site hotel, the Grand Hyatt at SFO, has won a Project/Team Award in the ‘Commercial/Office’ category in the Design-Build Institute of America”s 2020 National Awards. It will now compete for a National Award of Excellence and Project of the Year to be announced at DBIA’s Design-Build Conference and Expo Awards Ceremony […]

With the UK starting to head towards the new abnormal and travel resuming, many industry voices, including Heathrow and Gatwick airports, are calling for measures, such as COVID-19 testing, to encourage the reinvigoration of international tourism. Questions are, however, being raised around the benefits and drawbacks of collecting and processing large quantities of sensitive data. […]

Miami International Airport began August with a triple shot of new air services, when it welcomed back three more airlines – each of which is serving international routes. Volaris began serving Guadalajara again on August 2 with two weekly flights, Air Europa resumed weekly service from Madrid on August 3, and SWISS returned on August […]

Professor Zhiqiang Chen, chairman, president and CEO of NUCTECH, gives his thoughts on aviation’s battle against COVID-19 and the new technologies and solutions that will ensure that airports are safe environments for passengers and staff. How do you think passenger journeys and the airport security process will be impacted/changed by COVID-19? I believe COVID-19 will […]

Worldwide Flight Services’ (WFS) investment in state-of-the-art facilities as part of its long-term commitment to Brussels Airport has earned it a new five-year contract with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo. Under the terms of the agreement, which commences this month, WFS will provide a total handling solution including cargo, mail and truck handling, and services […]

Saskatchewan’s Moose Jaw Municipal Airport is to receive a C$2.1 million cash injection from the Canadian province and federal government to enhance its airfield and help its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The money will pay for the rehabilitation and expansion of the existing runway and taxiway, ultimately allowing the gateway to accommodate larger planes, […]

Terri Morrissey and Richard Plenty share their thoughts on some of the early lessons learned from COVID-19. In our last ‘People Matters’ column, we focused on how to build and sustain resilience in a crisis situation. Crises occur suddenly, require immediate responses, and are generally of short duration. Not so this one. This crisis has […]

Copenhagen Airports (CPH), arguably one of the world’s best run airport operators, today revealed that its COVID-19 survival plan includes potentially making a quarter of its staff redundant. CPH notes that to “secure its long-term competitive strength”, it will align its organisation to the lower level of activity which the aviation industry is currently experiencing […]

Kansai International Airport in Japan has become the latest gateway to introduce e-gates supplied by Vision-Box. The Osaka located airport has opened five banks of 12 pre-security gates (GT11) at Terminal 1 as it strives to ensure a ‘Fast Travel’ experience for passengers. By automating the boarding pass confirmation procedure at the departure gate, the self-scan […]

As air traffic across the US recovers from the severe and sudden drop in demand as a result of COVID-19, Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT) – a well-established and growing aviation consultancy – wanted to get a clearer picture of what is happening at airports across the country. Using information from the Transportation Security Administration […]

Canberra Airport has installed a new security screening system with technology from Smiths Detection to further improve the screening of passengers and their carry-on luggage. Head of aviation, Michael Thomson, notes that the new machines will provide even better screening of passengers and safer flying at his gateway. “Canberra Airport is open for business with […]

Aviad Amalgor reports on the use of one of Boston Dynamics’ autonomous robot dogs during the ongoing revamp of Denver International Airport’s Great Hall. Performing construction work in an operating airport is a complex and challenging project. Doing so in one of the busiest airports in the world is even more demanding and requires an […]

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has agreed to extend its deal with Kennedy International Airport Cogeneration (KIAC) Partners to operate, maintain and upgrade the on-airport heating and cooling facility serving the Central Terminal Area at New York JFK. “The Port Authority is thrilled to continue our partnership with KIAC to bring […]

LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP) today announced that it will officially open the first seven gates of the Western Concourse of the new state-of-the-art Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport on August 5, 2020. With the opening of these seven gates, Terminal B is one step closer to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s vision of a 21st century LaGuardia […]

Salvador Bahia Airport’s sustainability success has led to the Brazilian gateway becoming a case study for students taking sustainable air transport management courses at the ITAéria Business School in Spain. The airport was recognised as the most sustainable airport in Brazil in 2019 by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and the accolade brought it […]

Anaerobic digestion can help airports become more environmentally friendly and reduce their carbon footprint, writes the World Biogas Association’s Jocelyne Bia. As countries prepare for a post COVID-19 recovery, aviation will resume, and the industry will once again be questioned about its impact on the environment and called upon to reduce its carbon footprint. Many […]

According to a new consumer insights report, there are positive signals for the industry regarding global travellers’ planned shopping trends, but significant behavioural changes across all shopper segments are to be expected. The report, published by industry research agency m1nd-set, is the latest in a series of studies focusing on how travellers from all world […]

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 […]

Sofia Airport will shortly be under new management after the SOF Connect consortium signed the concessionaire agreement for the gateway with the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport. Yesterday’s signing ceremony means that the project has now entered a new phase and SOF Connect partners Meridiam, Strabag and Munich Airport say that they are “looking forward to […]

The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) is urging governments to ease what it claims are “unduly onerous restrictions on international air travel” to re-establish global connectivity with evidence-based measures to safeguard public health. More than six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asia Pacific air transport industry notes that it is taking initial steps […]

Amsterdam Schiphol is a vital cargo gateway for the Netherlands and has helped keep essential cargo moving across Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic, writes Justin Burns. Cargo is a vitally important part of the business for Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), which is the main hub for freight into the Netherlands and a key gateway for Europe. […]

NEC Corporation and SITA have agreed to form a global partnership to develop market-leading solutions to make the dream of a secure walk-through travel experience at airports a reality. The partnership comes as airports and airlines increasingly look to low-touch and automated passenger processing in order to comply with new hygiene requirements following the global […]

Quito International Airport has been given the green light for air traffic to return to 50% of its pre-COVID-19 levels from August 1 after successfully proving the effectiveness of its coronavirus prevention measures to Ecuador’s National Emergency Operations Committee (COE). The airport has had permission to handle up to 30% of its usual airline frequencies […]

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 […]

Plaza Premium Lounge has announced that it has begun to resume operations across the globe with its facilities in Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad and Vancouver among the first to reopen. Between them they serve over 100 airlines, which include American Airlines, Air China, British Airways, Cathay […]

The development of airport cities can help future-proof airports post COVID-19, according to a white paper issued today by consultants, NACO. The white paper reports that, with almost 90% of airports revenues being passenger-related, there is a clear need for airports to diversify their revenue streams in order to reduce both revenue volatility and the […]

Dr Richard Plenty and Terri Morrissey consider the importance of strong leadership and the management qualities that will be needed to help airports survive and bounce back in these uncertain times. Despite the fact that a global pandemic had been widely anticipated and predicted for many years, the world has been caught completely unprepared for […]

Nashville International Airport’s new Concourse D will handle its first flights today, with Southwest Airlines operating the first services from the six new gates at the complex. “On behalf of the Board of Commissioners and everyone associated with Nashville International Airport [BNA], I wish to express our excitement with this excellent addition to our airport […]

S&P Global Ratings today lowered the ratings on four European airports/associated companies (and a further two CreditWatch revisions) as the rating agency anticipates a slower recovery in passenger traffic than first anticipated. The four downgrades are: • Royal Schiphol Group NV (Schiphol). Ratings to ‘A’ from ‘A+’ • Flughafen Zurich AG. Ratings to ‘A’ from […]

Heathrow today revealed that it has rolled out a “raft of anti-viral measures at key touchpoints to protect passengers, reducing the risk of transmission when travelling”. The measures include the introduction of UV cleaning robots, anti-viral disinfecting wraps and sealants, and 100 hygiene-technicians as the airport ramps up its response to COVD-19 and the UK […]

Lufthansa Consulting’s Catrin Drawer and Andreas Jahnke consider what the impact of COVID-19 is likely to be on the investment appeal of airports across the globe. Does COVID-19 mean that airports have finally lost their mantra of being a safe, long-term investment opportunity for investors? The short answer is ‘no’, because airport investments have never […]

Edmonton International Airport (EIA) is welcoming a new large-scale investment that it claims will create the largest airport-based solar farm in the world. According to the Canadian gateway, Airport City Solar will dramatically transform the west-side of EIA’s lands, create jobs and bring in a potential new power source for airport operations and the Edmonton […]

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, […]

Houston Airports is looking to purchase $3 million in new art for George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and William P. Hobby (HOU) Airports. The airport operator already boasts one of Texas’ largest public art collections and its decision to boost its collection, in co-ordination with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA), will be welcomed by […]

London City Airport today became the latest gateway to resume international flights as the UK government’s ‘Travel Corridors’ policy come into effect. And, possibly to the surprise of many, the return of flights to popular European holiday destinations from London City Airport (LCY) has been met with massive demand from travellers. According to the airport, […]

Today marked another milestone day in Dubai International Airport’s recovery from the COVID-19 as the UAE gateway welcomed the resumption of scheduled operations by foreign carriers. A total of 13 international airlines resumed scheduled flights this week as Dubai, and Dubai International Airport (DXB), effectively opened for business to overseas tourists from July 7. Airlines […]

Duty free operator Gebr Heinemann has announced that chief commercial officer, Kay Spanger, is retiring after more than 40 years with the Hamburg-based company. Spanger, who will work as an advisor to the company from September until the end of the year, is to be replaced on the Executive Board of Gebr Heinemann by Dr […]

Airports are leaders in the use of new technology, which will make touchless travel possible and hasten aviation’s recovery from COVID-19, writes Collins Aerospace’s Tony Chapman. There was a time not long ago when commercial airline passengers arrived early at airports to shop at high-end boutiques, eat at nice restaurants and enjoy a cocktail before […]

Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans for a new airport to serve what has been described as a new “ultra-luxury destination” on its Red Sea coast. The new destination is called AMAALA and the airport, which is slated for completion in 2023, will boast a design that that is said to have been inspired by the […]

Virgin Australia will be the first airline to depart on Brisbane’s new runway when it officially opens on Sunday. After eight years of construction and five decades of planning, the new and efficient runway system will provide Brisbane Airport with the greatest runway capacity of any capital city airport in the country. The A$1.1 billion […]

Budapest Airport claims that LOT Polish Airines has shown an “unwavering commitment” to the Hungarian market by launching its 12th and 13th route from Budapest Airport. Increasing the number of new destinations on the airport’s own route map, the Polish airline has commenced weekly services to Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Varna (Bulgaria). Budapest Airport (BUD) notes […]

Norwegian airport operator, Avinor, is rolling out an ambitious end-to-end touchless travel programme to tackle the impact of COVID-19 and help restore traveller confidence ahead of Norway’s summer season. Passengers travelling from any of Avinor’s airports can soon begin to check-in, drop their bags, pass through security, and board the aircraft without interpersonal contact, or […]

Salt Lake City has been one of the Midwest’s key transportation centres for over 150 years, firstly due the railroad and in more recent times because of its airport, and current executive director, Bill Wyatt, has no doubt that this lofty status will be cemented and strengthened by the opening of effectively a new gateway […]

DepARTures, an all-new, art-immersed store has opened for business at San Francisco International Airport’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1. Purpose built for SFO, DepARTures is said to replicate the character and mood of the local art community by “blending artisan merchandise sourced from San Francisco neighbourhoods with newsstand necessities and new technology to celebrate the modern […]

Los Angeles International Airport is trialling the use of virtual help desks at its information booths as US airports step up their fight against COVID-19. The technology connects users with a remotely located member of LAX’s guest experience team via a two-way video monitor, and is currently being trialled in Terminal 2. Los Angeles World […]

Orlando International Airport (MCO) has installed new vending machines that give the travelling public easy access to a variety of face masks, hand sanitisers and other personal protective equipment (PPE). “It is our top priority to make travellers and employees feel safe within our world-class airport,” explains Phil Brown, CEO of  the Greater Orlando Aviation […]

Singapore Changi today announced that it has begun “transforming the passenger experience with new contactless and cleaning innovations for a safer, but yet seamless, airport journey”. It notes that the measures, which include touchless technology and autonomous cleaning robots, will be rolled out airport-wide in preparation for when air travel into and out of Singapore […]

Airport World provides a global snapshot of how airports have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and are planning for a brighter future. While passenger traffic has almost ground to a halt across the world, air cargo volumes have soared at many airports in the first four months of 2020 as they handled vital goods and […]

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 […]

In 2020 new vocabulary has seeped into global consciousness. From ‘new normal’ to the more practical yet equally disliked ‘social distancing’, the additions to this year’s dictionary paint a bleak, dystopian picture, writes SITA’s Jeremy Springall. But in the last few weeks, fresh terms are being met with interest from wanderlust-stricken travellers and cautious optimism […]

Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport has turned to Amadeus to transform check-in and flight management operations with the deployment of its Altéa Departure Control for Ground Handlers solution. According to Amadeus, the solution paves the way for new services to provide passengers with a tailored experience, key to restoring traveller confidence in today’s changed travel environment. […]

Edmonton International Airport’s Airport City continues to grow with the news that manufacturing company, Plant Plus, will shortly become its newest tenant. The company specialises in making plant fibre polymer tech (PFP tech) products such as cups, straws and mobile phone cases that are recyclable and compostable alternatives to plastic or paper. According to Edmonton […]

Collaboration and co-operation will prove key to overcoming COVID-19 although aviation potentially faces a long road to recovery, writes Inderjit Singh. Aviation is one of the most important pillars of the global economy as the sector provides millions of jobs across the world and contributes heavily to its GDP. It is also a survivor, as […]

VIEW THE ISSUE HERE In the spotlight: Leadership and COVID-19 Airport report: Salt Lake City Cargo hub: Amsterdam Schiphol Plus: Anaerobic digestion, robots & investing in airports Leading the way Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the ‘leadership’ theme of this issue, the traffic decimating impact of COVID-19 on aviation, and the industry’s efforts […]

Edinburgh Airport is to add antimicrobial technology to the security tray return systems at its security checkpoints. It notes that implementation of antimicrobial technology from Leidos complements other measures it is taking to minimise the spread of bacteria in the airport. This is Leidos’ first order of the antimicrobial security tray technology introduced to mitigate […]

DHL Express Germany has signed an agreement to construct a new cargo building at Munich Airport. The new €70 million complex will be built on the site currently occupied by the car parks P80 and P80 West and will have a gross floor area of more than 8,000 square metres. For the first time, the […]

Etihad Airways is to launch a COVID-19 risk-assessment tool that it claims will empower passengers to make informed decisions about travelling. Powered by technology from Austrian-based healthcare technology company Medicus AI, the risk-assessment tool will supposedly guide Etihad’s passengers in evaluating the probability of having contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus by responding to a set of […]

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 […]

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) officially has a new boss today following the appointment of Justin Erbacci as the CEO of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) on a permanent basis. Erbacci, who joined LAWA in 2016 and has served as Interim CEO since predecessor Deborah Flint left for Great Toronto Airports Authority, was nominated for […]

COVID-19 is massively affecting airfields around the world and of every size, from the mega-hub airports to tiny airfields on Scottish islands and (potentially even) urban air mobility terminals. Demand for passenger aviation had been growing consistently year-on-year, but passenger numbers are currently reduced by over 90%. This year the situation is likely to remain […]

ACI World has today called for urgent government assistance and relief for airports to underpin the operational restart of the aviation industry and sustain their long-term industry recovery. It notes that the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the industry and broader economy has halted the airport industry at global level, potentially losing them 4.6 billion passengers […]

CAA International (CAAi), the technical co-operation arm of the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, has completed the first milestone of a major aviation oversight programme to help Kazakhstan adopt a new aviation oversight framework based on the UK system. Over the past nine months, regulatory experts from CAAi have reviewed Kazakhstan’s Primary Aviation Legislation and recommended […]

GMR Airports Ltd (GAL) today confirmed that that one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries has signed an agreement with the government of Andhra Pradesh to build and develop a new greenfield  airport at Bhogapuram. The airport will be designed, financed, built and operated by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Limited (GVIAL) in exchange for a 40 year […]

Swedish airport operator, Swedavia, has received a SEK3.15 billion cash injection from the government to help it survive the COVID-19 crisis. Swedavia says that the “contribution” from its shareholder, which amounts to around €300,000, will secure the “financial position” of the state owned company. “We welcome our owner’s support in a very difficult situation. Society […]

Based on the latest flight data from Flightradar24, here are some end of week aviation recovery highlights courtesy of ICF. The Chinese domestic flights continue to recover gradually (now at -20% vs last year, compared to -40% a month ago). However, signs of nascent recovery in Chinese international flights has stalled at around -70% compared […]

It appears as if aviation has another new facility to be proud of as San Francisco International Airport’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1 has become the first airport terminal in the world to achieve Fitwel certification, a building rating system that provides guidelines on how to design and operate healthier buildings. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) was […]

Amsterdam Schiphol today confirmed that it is still looking at introducing a revolutionary ‘Hyperloop’ ground transport link in the future. The new transport system essentially involves pods capable of holding people, freight and cars being transported at super high speeds inside sealed tubes, that theoretically make it possible to travel hundreds of kilometre distances in […]

Frankfurt Airport is set to turn to wind power to provide the bulk of its electricity as part of its ongoing commitment to meeting its climate protection targets. Operator, Fraport AG, has revealed that it intends to agree upon an annual minimum purchase quantity with the operator of an offshore wind farm from no later […]

Despite IATA’s warning that passenger demand will not fully recover until 2024, flight data consolidator OAG is reporting green shoots of recovery, writes Veovo’s marketing manager, Siobhan Boyle. Travel lockdowns are easing in many regions, with over sixty airlines relaunching services in June. As air traffic ramps up, airports face daunting capacity planning challenges. Pre […]

ACI Europe reports that Europe’s airports continued to be at an almost complete stand-still during the month of May, with passenger traffic an alarming 98% down on the same period last year. As a result, only 4.3 million passengers travelled through the European network of 500+ airports in May, compared to 216.8 million last year. […]

The Supreme Administrative Court of Bulgaria has ended almost a year of legal wrangling by confirming that Meridiam and its partner, Munich Airport subsidiary Munich Airport International (MAI), has won the concession to operate and development Sofia Airport. The companies make up the SOF Connect consortium awarded the concession by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport in […]

Richard Plenty and Terri Morrissey provide their thoughts on adversity and crisis management. The COVID-19 crisis has profound implications which require global, collective and personal responses. We live in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world, and when we hit a crisis like this it can test us all to the limit. Can we […]

Irish airport operator, daa, today revealed that it is currently losing €1 million per day and has lost an estimated €160 million in turnover so far this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It notes that it has operations in 16 countries and that the global pandemic has affected all of its businesses, “which […]

The Airport Consultants Council (ACC) claims to have identified more than $31 billion in rehabilitation and maintenance projects at 46 US airports, based on responses to one of its surveys conducted earlier this year. In February, it released an updated report providing an overview of more than 100 airports’ upcoming capital development spending needs through […]

Airport World turns the spotlight on the green initiatives of three North American airports – Québec City Jean Lesage (YQB), San Diego (SAN) and Vancouver (YVR). YVR’s ambitious new Environmental Management Plan Vancouver International Airport’s 2020-2024 Environmental Management Plan (EMP) outlines the gateway’s commitment to become carbon neutral in 2020 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions […]

Despite the imminent introduction of a mandatory 14-day period of self isolation for all passengers arriving in the UK, London City Airport today announced plans to restart commercial operations from the end of June. With more details to be announced alongside airline partners shortly, it is expected that domestic services to key UK cities and […]

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 – […]

Canberra Airport has announced that passengers are now able to fly without restrictions to Sydney and Melbourne. Head of aviation, Michael Thomson, said that his gateway is open for business, and passengers are safe and secure to fly to and from Melbourne and Sydney for business and leisure. “We are very excited people can now […]

Cambodia’s Sihanouk International Airport has unveiled a new master plan to accommodate its projected traffic growth for the next 20 years. Construction of a second passenger terminal between now and 2030, extending the airport’s runway by 800 metres to 3,300 metres, a new taxiway and additional aircraft stands are the key projects of Phase 1 […]

Six of the best Plaza Premium Group now boasts six Plaza Premium Lounges in the Middle East following the opening of a new 1,260sqm facility in Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3. “Dubai International connects travellers to more than 220 destinations across the globe including the US and Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Taiwan, Europe […]

COVID-19 has disrupted the world in a way rarely seen before, with aviation as one of the hardest hit sectors. But as the industry looks beyond the immediate response phase and thoughts turn to recovery, we find ourselves with the unique chance to think differently. Just-in-time (JIT) production has been a core principle of the […]

Istanbul’s new $10.2 billion airport has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the US Green Build Council (USGBC). The award recognises the sustainability efforts that went into designing and constructing the airport’s terminal, which becomes the largest LEED certified building in the world. Commentating on award, Kadri Samsunlu, CEO and director general at İGA Airport […]

Bristol Airport in the UK has invested in a new drone management system to combat the threat of unauthorised drones at the West Country gateway. The airport has agreed a three-year contract with telent and its technology partner Digital Global Systems (DGS) to install the latter’s CLEARSKY Drone Threat Management system. Its implementation at Bristol […]

Airport security screening and passenger flow expert, Cameron Mann, looks back at how security has evolved over the last 10 years and considers what the coming decade might bring for airports and passengers. In a rapidly evolving threat environment, it is worth pausing at the new decade to reflect on the changes in aviation security […]

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 […]

According to a recent poll by Tourism Australia and Newcastle Airport, locals have a much stronger willingness to return to air travel in the short to medium term than their compatriots across the nation. Hunter residents have indicated they are twice as likely to travel for leisure than the rest of the country in the […]

Lagardère Travel Retail Pacific has begun to re-open some of its stores across the region, starting with a handful of outlets in the domestic terminals at Auckland, Brisbane, Christchurch, Perth and Melbourne this week. According to the travel retailer, the small selection of stores will be used as test cases with restricted trading hours, with […]

The innovative, efficient and sustainable design of airport terminals is nothing new to the Asia-Pacific region, writes Terence Seah, director of Benoy Singapore. Asia-Pacific (APAC) is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world, with passenger numbers more than quadrupling over the last 15 years and both ACI and IATA forecasting that the region […]

The impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry has been unprecedented, with ACI recently reporting that air travel is down by 95% from a year ago as a result of the travel ban and lockdowns in many countries. They have also estimated that passenger numbers for 2020 could drop by 40%, representing a significant decline […]

The FAA has awarded Jacobs Engineering Group an architect and engineering design services contract to help it modernise and sustain more than 13,000 facilities that support US’s National Air Space (NAS). The FAA estimates the nationwide, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) to be worth around $166 million over the next nine years. “We’ve stood firmly […]

Emirates believes that it has set industry-leading safety standards for its passengers with the introduction of complimentary hygiene kits that include masks, gloves, antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser. It states that the new hygiene kits, launched for today’s resumption of services to nine destinations from Dubai International Airport (DXB), show the care being taken at […]

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 […]

Passengers are being tested for COVID-19 at Quito International Airport as the Ecuadorian gateway steps up its response to the coronavirus crisis. The airport has installed 10 temporary testing stations to assess all passengers entering the country on international repatriation flights in a new initiative organised by Ecuador’s National Emergency Operations Committee (COE in Spanish). […]

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 […]

According to a new survey by the country’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), Salvador Bahia Airport is the most sustainable gateway in Brazil. Salvador Bahia, part of the VINCI Airports’ network of airports, has been recognised by ANAC for its waste management; energy efficiency; solid waste management; and efforts to protect local wildlife and flora […]

Open architecture, often referred to as ‘open interfaces’ or ‘open platform’, is an emerging trend in the aviation industry, writes Smiths Detection’s global aviation director, Richard Thompson. Open architecture supports the interfacing of equipment, software and algorithms from multiple suppliers to deliver a single integrated solution. For aviation security systems, open architecture can be applied […]

Qatar Airways will resume services to Brisbane Airport this week, the first of three weekly scheduled services from Doha touching down at the Queensland gateway on Thursday. The services will operate under existing bilateral rights until June 30, 2020, with the airline carrying both commercial passengers and freight, providing a critical cargo channel for Australian […]

Exploring and developing ways of sharing technology will make airport operations more efficient and cost effective and help transform the passenger journey, writes Sarah Samuel, Amadeus’ head of airport IT for Asia-Pacific. Modern technology is playing an ever-increasing role in ensuring airports can meet the challenges faced today by the industry globally. Whether it’s the […]

The €500 million expansion of Vienna Airport continues, with the gateway’s joint CEO, Julian Jäger, recently sharing a post on social media showing the ongoing transformation of Terminal 2. The facelift is part of the Austrian airport’s ambitious development programme, which will see also see it add a 70,000sqm extension to Terminal 3 by the […]

Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) in the UK has submitted its planning application to build a new, state-of-the-art replacement terminal by 2023. The proposal aims to dramatically improve passenger experience, deliver one of the UK’s most environmentally efficient airport buildings, and support the region’s economic prosperity. Submitted to Leeds City Council, the plans, first announced in […]

Smiths Detection has announced the launch of its new ultraviolet (UVC) light kits, which it states are capable of destroying up to 99.9% of microorganisms present on baggage trays at the security checkpoint. It notes that demonstrating heightened hygiene standards will be important as airports seek to restore the confidence of travellers and staff during […]

Dubai International Airport (DXB) handled 17.8 million passengers in the COVID-19 hit first quarter of 2020, 20% down on the corresponding period a year ago. Compared to other airports, DXB fared quite well, and with Emirates announcing yesterday that it will resume operations to nine major cities on May 21 (Chicago, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Melbourne, […]

Aerotropolis concept leader, Dr John Kasarda, provides an update of airport city and aerotropolis developments in the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and considers the implications of the coronavirus pandemic on aviation and future developments. Last issue, I described how the Asia-Pacific region leads airport city and aerotropolis development. Other world regions are […]

ACI Europe today warned that the continent’s airports are “on their knees” and facing irreversible consequences unless air travel can restart, in a COVID-19 safe way, this summer. The warning follows a 98.6% drop in passenger numbers in April, when just 2.8 million people passed through Europe’s 500+ airports. “Europe’s airports are on their knees. […]

Heathrow Airport is urging the UK government to outline its strategy for exiting the about to be imposed 14-day quarantine period for the bulk of passengers arriving in the country. The airport believes that a clear exit strategy is vital to assist the UK’s ailing aviation industry, which has seen British Airways, Ryanair and Virgin […]

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 […]

Global airport operator, TAV Airports, has agreed a $450 million fee to buy Almaty Airport in Kazakhstan. The main gateway to Kazakhstan is an important junction in the modern ‘Silk road’ and will become the 15th airport in TAV’s global network. TAV confirms that the deal will see it and investment partner, VPE Capital, purchase […]

Cast your mind back to February and a typical busy airport scene – the packed check-ins; passengers sitting shoulder-to-shoulder at gate lounges; jostling crowds at baggage carousels; hugs and handshakes at arrival halls. So much has changed in such a short time. With the rapid spread of COVID-19, airport terminals have gone from bustling hubs […]

Avalon Airport is set to become the first gateway in Australia to introduce touchless, self-service technology for passengers. The airport – located between the cities of Melbourne and Geelong – states that the pioneering initiative, courtesy of its partnership with Elenium Automation will ensure both world-class safety and a top passenger experience when the airport […]

Melvin Broekaart ponders whether it is time for airports to reconsider their retail business models to successfully compete with online shopping and remain exciting and relevant for decades to come. Whether we like it or not, there is an impactful and irreversible change of reality taking shape in travel retail. The new reality seems to […]

Heathrow CEO, John Holland-Kaye, has told the UK’s House of Commons Transport Committee that COVID-19 detection trials are to start at his gateway as beleaguered Britain steps up its battle against the coronavirus. According to the airport, a key motivation is the desire to drive forward the development of a Common International Standard by trialling […]

Vienna Airport (VIE) has begun offering COVID-19 tests to passengers as part of a series of initiatives designed to make it safer and easier to visit the Austrian capital. Passengers and employees are already required to wear protective face masks throughout the entire terminal area, which remains open to handle scheduled flights between Vienna and […]

Leidos has completed the $1 billion acquisition of L3Harris Technologies’ Security Detection and Automation businesses. The acquired businesses provide airport and critical infrastructure screening products, automated tray return systems and other industrial automation products. They will operate within the Leidos Civil Group, led by president, Jim Moos. Combined with Leidos’ existing cargo and baggage screening […]

Quito Airport has announced that it is working with the airlines and airport community to resume operations on June 1 if given the green light to do so by the Ecuadorian government. The airport, which notes that it has remained open and operational for cargo and repatriation flights for Ecuadorians and foreign nationals throughout the […]

Canberra Airport has become the first major Australian airport to introduce body temperature scanning at security as an additional safety measure against COVID-19. The initiative, according to head of aviation, Michael Thomson, shows that Canberra Airport is open for business and a safe and secure place for passengers to use. “Passengers departing Canberra arrive at […]

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, […]

Hamad International Airport (HIA) has become the latest gateway to report an upturn in cargo volumes, Qatar’s hub handling 530,000 tonnes of freight (+4.7%) during the first quarter of 2020. The increase in cargo is partly attributed to Qatar Airways’ and HIA’s continued efforts to provide freighter services in response to the increased demand for […]

Hong Kong International Airport has become one of the first major gateways in the world to apply the latest disinfection technologies, including disinfection channels, antimicrobial coating and autonomous cleaning robots to protect passengers and staff from COVID-19 infection. The airport has effectively become the test bed for CLeanTech, a full-body disinfection channel facility, which is […]

Dublin Airport’s managing director, Vincent Harrison, talks to Joe Bates about a record breaking 2019, a long-awaited new runway, his gateway’s 80th birthday and returning to full operations after COVID-19. Aviation, the global economy and life maybe very much on hold for now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is no doubting that when […]

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 […]

Brisbane Airport (BNE) and construction partner Skyway are today celebrating the practical completion of the gateway’s new runway. Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff, recognised the milestone event, but noted that while today marked the end of the project, its was just the beginning for BNE and operator, Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC). “In many respects this […]

Swedish airport operator, Swedavia, has furloughed 2,100 staff and is reviewing its investment programme in response to the dramatic fall in passenger traffic since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. It notes that although 6.6 million passengers passed through its airports in Q1 2020, traffic has come to a virtual standstill since the second half of […]

VIEW THE ISSUE HERE In the spotlight: Dublin Airport Special report: Aerotropolis update Going green: Sustainable design & green initiatives Plus: ASQ winners, Retail & Security Uncharted territory Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the toughest start to a year the aviation industry has experienced in peace time and the need for some positivity in an uncertain […]

ACI Europe has today called for full EU co-ordination and alignment on how current restrictions to air travel should be lifted. The call comes as a number of European states have begun to work on the progressive lifting of confinement measures. EU transport Ministers are also due to meet tomorrow to address the challenge of restoring […]

Rethinking performance Richard Plenty and Terri Morrissey provide their thoughts on performance benchmarking. Arguably the world’s greatest sporting event, the Olympic Games, is due to take place again this summer when Japan hosts Tokyo 2020. The Games are a wonderful experience for spectators and participants alike. It is now almost eight years since we had […]

According to a survey by Swiss research agency, M1nd-set, over 60% of international travellers will fly again within the first three months of COVID-19 travel restrictions being lifted. The report, based on feedback from 1,500 consumers in the first half of April, aims to find out how passengers have been affected by COVID-19 and when […]

Though COVID-19 has severely crippled global air travel, the industry will rebound, write HOK director of aviation and transportation, Robert Chicas, and regional aviation and transportation leader, Matt Needham. Past epidemics and pandemics such as SARS, swine flu, MERS, Ebola and Zika virus disrupted global air travel to different degrees. But the severity of COVID-19 […]

The contract is in the bag – Vanderlande has been formally selected as Heathrow Airport’s strategic baggage partner for the next ten years. The recently signed ‘pan-airport’ agreement, will encompass the design, build, operate and maintain programmes across the Terminals, as well as the baggage control room operations. The partnership will see both organisations further […]

Amsterdam Schiphol and its partners have begun what it is calling a sustainable aircraft taxiing trial using a vehicle known as a ‘taxibot’. Belonging to Smart Airport Systems and one of only ten in the world, Schiphol’s taxibot is powered by a hybrid combination of electric and diesel engines that is expected to reduce airline […]

Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) handled 73,000 tons of cargo and 11.5 thousand tons of mail in the first quarter of 2020, increases of 9.3% and 6% respectively over the same period in 2019. The combined average growth for mail and cargo was 8.8%, ensuring that SVO becomes the latest airport to report an upturn in cargo […]

Honeywell’s growth sales leader for airports, Gert Taeymans, explains how adopting an operating expenditure (OPEX) business model and new technology can help airports optimise operational efficiency. Today’s airports face a number of new business dilemmas, one of which is to improve the airport experience for passengers at the same time as handling more traffic than […]

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 […]

NACO’s Vivek Sindhamani and Peter Vorage discuss the growing threat of flooding to airports and how some major hubs are planning ahead to increase their resilience to rising water levels. During the past five years, over twenty major, and many more small-island airports, have flooded due to extreme rainfall events or storm surges in combination […]

Beijing Capital International Airport has appointed a UK based airport design consultancy to help it redevelop the commercial planning and design of the international departure lounge in Terminal 3. The world’s biggest terminal building when it opened in 2008, Terminal 3 – known locally as the Dragon terminal –  has arguably been an iconic symbol of […]

It might not be needed just now, but Istanbul Airport hopes to get the green light to officially open its fifth runway this summer. The new $10.2 billion gateway wants to open its third independent parallel runway on June 18 to ensure that it is even better equipped to handle daily operations when aviation returns […]

ACI Asia-Pacific believes that passenger numbers across the region have hit “rock bottom” based on new traffic figures that show a 95% decrease in throughput at 18 of the region’s busiest airports. The year-on-year traffic figures are for airports in the major aviation markets of Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. According to ACI Asia-Pacific, initial […]

Heinemann extends Sydney concession Heinemann Australia has celebrated five years at Sydney Airport by extending its duty free concession at the gateway until 2029. The news is a major coup for the company, which has operated a Heinemann Tax & Duty Free store at the airport since 2015. “I’m delighted that we have attained this […]

Miami International Airport (MIA) is to receive $207 million in funding from the federal government to help it get through the coronavirus crisis. The payment, the biggest in Florida to date under the US government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Airport Grant Program – will be used to support the airport’s ongoing […]

London Stansted Airport is to use the unprecedented grounding of aircraft across the globe as a unique opportunity to move planned overnight runway maintenance works to daytime hours. Stansted’s 3,048 metre runway undergoes full re-surfacing work every 10 to 15 years but, as with other busy airports, regular heavy maintenance also takes place twice a […]

Rich Stinson tells us more about San Antonio International Airport’s multi-layered approach to customer service and how it is using technology to enhance the visitor experience. Like many airports throughout the world, San Antonio International Airport (SAT) wanted to provide a sense of place for passengers when travelling to or from San Antonio. To accomplish […]

London City Airport (LCY) has once again shown its commitment to being a good neighbour to its surrounding communities by pledging to donate £50,000 to help nine local foodbanks. The foodbanks are all located across the London boroughs of Newham, Greenwich, Tower Hamlets & Barking & Dagenham. In 2019, the airport, which is based in […]

Ontario International Airport (ONT) in southern California has become the latest gateway to report a huge rise in cargo volumes since the start of the coronavirus crisis. The airport admits that while its terminals have been quiet for much of last month, air cargo shipments into and out of ONT soared by 22% in March, […]

Etihad Airways has provided an update on its current and planned operations as COVID-19 travel restrictions remain in place around the world. Subject to UAE government imposed travel restrictions being lifted on passenger travel, Etihad plans to operate a reduced network of scheduled passenger services from May 1 to June 3, with the aim of gradually returning to a fuller schedule as and when the global situation improves.   The […]

Air Navigation Service Providers across Europe will share a £1.1 billion support package to maintain services, as the fall in air traffic has led to a dramatic reduction in their income. The UK, along with other European states, has supported EUROCONTROL, which manages charging for air navigation services across Europe, in securing a loan of […]

Laurent Dubois has been appointed CEO of Intelligent integration solutions provider, ADB SAFEGATE. The company admits that he joins it “at a time of unprecedented challenges for all organisations connected with air travel”. But it adds that the likely impact of the COVID-19 pandemic makes it more important than ever for ADB SAFEGATE to move […]

Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in China has begun handling commercial flights again and Lagardère Travel Retail has responded by re-opening its stores at the gateway, ending a 76-day lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The travel retailer notes that “stringent hygiene and security measures remain in place to protect staff and travellers”. For the first […]

Joe Bates find out more about the ambitions, business philosophies and development plans of 28 operators with a global portfolio of airports. Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) World Headquarters: Johannesburg, South Africa. Airports 100% owned and operated: Johannesburg-OR Tambo, Cape Town, Durban–King Shaka, Upington, East London, George, Kimberley, Port Elizabeth and Bram Fischer (Bloemfontein) airports […]

The aviation industry has certainly felt the hit of COVID-19 – turning the green numbers into red in a matter of weeks or even days. With that said, this pandemic also reminds us of moments in history like 9/11, SARS, or financial recessions, when aviation took a hard hit, but returned from crisis and recovered […]

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 […]

AviaDev Europe’s managing director, Juraj Toth, discusses the economics of route development and the global value of aviation. In the past few months, the aviation industry has become an easy target in the global fight against climate change. People all around the world, but especially in Europe, have been pointing fingers at air transport as […]

Seven regional airports have announced their “shock” that Airways NZ, the national air traffic management organisation, wants to discuss the removal of air traffic control at their facilities in the wake of COVID-19. Napier, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Invercargill Airports, and the flight information service at Kapiti Coast and Milford Sound Airports, are reeling […]

Fred Lam, the CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has agreed to take a voluntary 20% pay cut for six months as part of the latest measures to help Hong Kong International Airport get through the coronavirus crisis. “The entire aviation industry is facing unprecedented difficulties because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” explained Lam. “The […]

Dubai International Airport (DXB) has moved quickly to facilitate an increase in the number of cargo operations to increase the volume of perishables and pharmaceuticals. During March 2020, the volume of fruit and vegetables handled at DXB increased by 88.5% (18,164 tonnes) year-on-year, while the volume of pharmaceuticals also increased by 49.4% (12,500 tonnes), driven […]

How are the world’s airport city/aerotropolis developments faring? Some hugely ambitious projects in the Asia-Pacific region come under the microscope in the first of a two-part global review by Dr John Kasarda. Today’s airports are powerful business magnets and metropolitan region economic accelerators. Functioning much like central train stations of our urban past, they increasingly […]

Brisbane Airport (BNE) has issued a message stating that it remains open for business, but with a heavily reduced capacity. The Queensland gateway is currently serving arriving and departing passenger flights across both the Domestic and International Terminals, freight traffic, and emergency services. Gert-Jan de Graaff, CEO of airport operator Brisbane Airport Corporation (BC), said […]

Global airport operator, Corporación América Airports (CAAP) has announced that it experienced a 14.6% drop in EBITDA in 2019 and outlined a number of business measures designed to guide it through the coronavirus crisis. Fiscal highlights in 2019 are said to include a year-on-year rise of 9.3% in consolidated revenues to $1.5 billion, while passenger […]

Singapore Changi has become the latest airport to announce plans to downsize its operations during the coronavirus crisis, closing Terminal 2 from May 1. Operator, Changi Airport Group (CAG), says that move is in response to “the steep decline in passenger traffic and the likelihood that air travel demand will not return to pre-Covid-19 levels […]

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 […]

Simon Morris, vice president at ICF International, reviews some of the major airport transactions of last year and speculates what deals could be in store for 2020. Last year confounded the airport transaction pessimists with a high volume of good quality assets sold at healthy prices. And, although secondary sales predominated, there were nonetheless some […]

International transport and information logistics provider, cargo-partner, has become one of the first tenants of the recently completed BUD Cargo City at Budapest Airport. The company moved into its newly built office and warehouse at the Hungarian gateway on March 30. The new storage location offers pallet slots for temporary rack storage in a 1,200sqm warehouse, […]

Brussels South Charleroi Airport has unveiled plans to partially resume commercial operations on Sunday, May 3. The airport suspended commercial operations on March 24 meaning that it is currently only handling health, government and maintenance flights. The Belgian airport states: “The aviation industry is going through an unprecedented crisis that has forced many airlines to […]

China’s Chengdu Tianfu and Beijing Capital airports have chosen Cavotec to provide them with €3 millon worth of new ground support equipment (GSE) and fuelling orders. For Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, Cavotec will supply a range of fuelling and electrical power connection systems including valve access covers, boarding bridge cable coilers, 400Hz output power cables, […]

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has sent aviation industry into a nosedive. With project revenue losses for airlines in 2020 estimated to be around $252 billion, for some the future of the industry may look bleak, writes Aviation Solution’s Gediminas Ziemelis. The novel coronavirus has shaken up airlines’ schedules all around the globe. Lufthansa Group […]

HOK’s Carl Galioto and William Kenworthey outline the vision to transform Newark Liberty into an airport city connected to rail, commerce and community. HOK recently collaborated with the New York Building Congress on a report outlining ambitious enhancements to transform Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) into an airport city. Recognising the potential for airports to offer the speed, […]

London Gatwick is to temporarily close its North Terminal and consolidate operations in its South Terminal, with flights only operating between 2pm and 10pm, from next month. The airport believes that the move is the best way to protect staff, passengers and the business from the impact of COVID-19. The emergency measures will be in place […]

ACI World has repeated its call for governments to do more to support aviation during the coronavirus crisis, today urging for financial assistance to safeguard millions of airport jobs. ACI data shows that airports employ – either directly or indirectly – more than 6.1 million people globally which makes up 60% of all employment in […]

Glasgow Airport owner and operator, AGS Airports, today pledged to give £40,000 to support some of the most vulnerable people in society during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The offer is in response to the #GiveHope appeal launched by homeless charity, Simon Community Scotland. The funding will be used to support the purchase of hotel accommodation for […]

The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) says talks are ongoing with airlines and the Uk government to look at how best to support the aviation industry though the current coronavirus crisis. BALPA says that widely reported claims that the government is not going to support the industry are misleading and that discussions about unique measures […]

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 […]

Dubai’s new food court of the future, Australia’s first working brewery inside an airport and Irish food and drink taking centre stage at Dublin Airport are on the menu in our global retail/F&B round-up. HMSHost International claims to have opened the food court of the future with the unveiling of its 170sqm Food Village at […]

Construction work has recommenced on Denver International Airport’s Great Hall Project, where global design firm, Stantec, has been appointed lead designer. The work will include a renovation of DEN’s Jeppesen Terminal to create an airport for the future with enhanced safety and security, a more intuitive passenger flow, and increased capacity to accommodate continued growth. […]

With support from the government, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) today launched a new round of HK$1 billion relief package for the airport community in view of the continuing impact brought by the COVID-19 outbreak. The relief package is put together with a government waiver of HK$670 million Air Traffic Control Charges to the AA […]

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has announced that the opening of the next phase of Harvey Milk Terminal 1 will be postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis. The airport remains open, but the next phase of the new terminal will not be activated for public use for at least four weeks. The gateway will not […]

Research clearly shows that in businesses like ours, one of the first steps to delivering enhanced customer experience is to engage employees and energise them by recognising and sharing examples of great service delivery and positive customer feedback, writes ABM Aviation’s David Wheeler. A 2017 report from CX experts the Medallia Institute highlighted the importance […]

The bleak news continues today with S&P Global Ratings agency stating that the coronavirus pandemic is likely to have an unprecedented impact on global air travel, forecasting a 20% to 30% decline in global passengers in 2020. It also warns that recovering from the pandemic seems to be a more challenging prospect than in the case […]

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to unfold, ACI World has today called for the alleviation of airport slot usage requirements. Recognising the ripple effects of pursuing disparate approaches across different countries and airports, ACI World urges a harmonised approach through a global temporary suspension of airport slot usage requirements until 30 June 2020. ACI favours […]

Copenhagen Airport is to put its investment plans on hold as part of a cost cutting programme designed to help it see out the coronavirus crisis. The airport, which reveals that the move is in response to falling passenger numbers and the decision by SAS and other airlines to sharply reduce their services in and […]

The Airport Operators Association (AOA) in the UK is urging the government to support the industry as without backing it fears that some airports will shut down within weeks. Its appeal to the government follows the news that British Airways, easyJet, Rynair and Virgin Atlantic plan to drastically reduce their operations in the face of […]

Following the US ban on travel from most of Europe and the escalating coronavirus situation, Norwegian has decided to ground 40% of its long-haul fleet and cancel up to 25% of its short-haul flights until the end of May. The changes apply to the company’s entire route network. Jacob Schram, CEO of Norwegian said: “This […]

Airports across the globe continue to report significant downturns in 2020 passenger numbers due to the impact of the coronavirus – Copenhagen (-0.4%), Frankfurt Airport (-4%), and London Heathrow (-4.8%) being among the latest to announce February declines. Although Copenhagen’s passenger numbers held up quite well, it felt the pinch on seven of its 10 […]

SITA and trade association, ULD Care, hope to bring new efficiency to the air cargo industry by exploring the use of blockchain to digitally track and record change of custody of airline cargo containers or Unit Load Devices (ULDs) across their journey. According to SITA, by eliminating inefficiency, embedding always-on tracking of ULDs and abandoning […]

ACI Europe today admitted that the continent’s airports are now facing a full blown crisis as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. It says that while the impact of the coronavirus was initially marginal and limited to those airports with air services to affected countries in Asia, its extension into Europe is resulting in airports across […]

Asia-Pacific airports have once again excelled in AC’s annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer excellence awards, enjoying a clean sweep in all the global categories in the 2019 Departures Survey while Bengaluru-Kempegowda once again won the Arrivals Award. Mumbai–Chhatrapati Shivaji, Delhi–Indira Gandhi, Shanghai Pudong and Singapore Changi shared top spot in Asia-Pacific’s Best Airport by […]

While it is still early days, the unprecedented impact of coronavirus is already causing massive challenges to people, business and supply chains, writes Shakespeare Martineau’s insolvency partner, Michael Mulligan. With Flybe’s collapse the fourth significant UK airline failure since 2017 – and coronavirus heralded as the final nail in its coffin – this could signify […]

Boryspil International Airport in the Ukraine has opened a new duty free shop in its revamped Terminal F in conjunction with travel retailer Gebr Heinemann and its local partner, BF Group. Heinemann has signed a five year contract to run the new 191 square metre shop, which is located just behind passport control in Terminal […]

The F&B offering at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) just got a little better with the opening of three new outlets. The new restaurants, introduced in conjunction with SSP America a part of the gateway’s $590 million Terminal 3 Modernization Program, are all local-based brands with deep, longstanding ties to the Valley of the […]

Dubai Airports’ chairman, His Highness, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, today inaugurated Dubai International Airport’s new nerve centre – its state-of-the-art AOCC. The AOCC, which stands for Airport Operations Control Centre, enables a collaborative approach to managing airport operations by providing information and analyses based on data collated from more than 50 systems fed by […]

Southampton Airport in the UK has achieved Level 2 ‘Reduction’ status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. It inisists that it has been working to minimise its carbon footprint for years and the award reflects its efforts. The gateway notes that Level 2 certification requires the development of a detailed carbon emissions inventory and establishment […]

Copenhagen Airport pulled no punches in its annual report issued today, admitting that it is under pressure, with recent investments of around DKK2 billion a year being “substantially higher” than its earnings. As a result, its profit before tax fell by 8.7% in 2019 to almost DKK1.3 billion. The Danish gateway says it enjoyed a […]

As part of the UK government’s Airspace Modernisation Programme, London Stansted has begun the process of re-designing the network of corridors and flightpaths that aircraft use when travelling to and from the airport. The government has requested that all UK airports review how new technology can best be used to make the airspace that they […]

A record 36.7 million passengers passed through Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) last year – a healthy year-on-year rise of 4.3%. The US gateway notes that the annual upturn, which amounts to 1.5 million passengers more than the previous year, was primarily due to a number of new routes. Operator, Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA), is […]

VIEW THE ISSUE HERE In the spotlight: Economics & Finance Special report: A-Z of Global Airport Operators Customer service king: San Antonio Plus: Flood prevention, IT & People matters   Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the susceptibility of aviation to outside events and the ‘economics and finance’ theme of this issue. Welcome to the new decade The […]

Over 2,000 runners today competed in the first ever fun run at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. Organised by airport operator GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), runners either competed in five or ten kilometre races on courses that started and ended near the gateway’s Novotel hotel. According to GMR, the maiden ‘Hyderabad Airport Run’ was […]

There’s no denying that air travel has changed the way the world works, but our ability to fly pretty much wherever and whenever we like comes at an environmental cost, with aviation accounting for around 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions today, writes Air BP’s Tom Parsons. The sector is taking action though; in the UK, […]

New smart gate technology has been introduced at Fortaleza (FOR) and Porto Alegre (POA) airports in Brazil. The new technology, supplied by SITA, provides passengers with automated entry to the security checking area with a simple scan of their boarding pass. SITA claims this will reduce queues and make the process four times as efficient. Andreea […]

The impact of the coronavirus is beginning to bite in Asia-Pacific, with Q1 passenger numbers expected to be significantly down in China and at airports across the region, warns ACI Asia-Pacific. The downturn, means Asia-Pacific and Middle East airport revenues are under tremendous pressure two months into 2020 amidst the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, […]

Heathrow’s third runway is off, for now anyway, following the Court of Appeal’s decision that the government’s greenliight for the project was unlawful. However, while anti-third runway groups celebrate and the government admits that it won’t appeal against the judgement, it is far from the end of the matter with the judges stating that a […]

A familiar and sometimes iconic site at airports across the globe, the air traffic control tower, celebrates its 100th birthday today. The world’s first air traffic control tower was commissioned by the UK government at London’s Croydon Airport in a move that helped usher in the age of mass air travel. At the time, Croydon was […]

Groupe ADP has signed a €1.36 billion deal to acquire a 49% stake in India’s GMR Airports Limited (GAL). GAL operates Hyderabad–Rajiv Gandhi and Delhi-Indira Gandhi airports in India courtesy of 63% and 64% shareholdings respectively in operators GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) and Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL). And in partnership with local company Megawide […]

Malta International Airport has launched the most radical programme of development and innovation in its history to help achieve its vision to create the best airport passenger experience in Europe. Planned to address the airport’s continuing traffic growth, the transformational plan for the terminal includes a major expansion of floorspace from 18,000sqm to 31,200sqm, particularly […]

Houston’s Willliam P Hobby Airport believes that wait times at its US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspection checkpoints will be cut by nearly half after the introduction of facial comparison technology this Friday. Hobby Airport will become the first gateway in Texas to have full biometric entry and exit for passengers travelling on international flights. “Hobby Airport […]

The Clark County Board of Commissioners has approved a seven-year, $1.5 billion extension to HMSHost’s F&B contract at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport. In return HMSHost, which now has a contract at McCarran until at least 2035, will invest in opening new and remodelled restaurant locations throughout the airport. As a result, it claims that Las Vegas travellers will […]

London’s Heathrow Airport has broken its annual apprenticeship record with nearly 1,100 apprentices starting their career journeys at the UK hub last year. Following a record 2019, employers across Team Heathrow – including Dixons, Bradford Swissport, Omniserv, Travelex, Morgan Sindall, Balfour Beatty and World Duty Free – have kicked off the next decade by pledging […]

Lagardère Travel Retail has opened a new Icons store in the Domestic Terminal of Cairns Airport. Icons Cairns is said to showcase the best of local Tropical North Queensland produce and gifting courtesy of outlets such as Hemingway’s Brewery, Mt Uncle Distillery, Wolf Lane Distillery, FNQ Spirits, Gallo Dairyland and Baked on Red Hill. As […]