INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

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 […]

London Gatwick is joining the fight against the coronavirus by providing use of its long-stay car park as a drive-through testing centre for invited doctors, nurses and other key workers. Initially for use by National Health System (NHS) staff and invited key workers, the site opened today and be available between 09:00 – 17:00 daily, […]

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 […]

Swedish airport operator, Swedavia, has unveiled a strategy for electric aviation, the goal of which is to equip all ten of its gateways to handle electric aircraft and handle the first commercial electrified flight by 2025. At Åre Östersund Airport, a testing venue for electric aircraft is planned to be put into operation during the autumn. […]

Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund has today pledged £40,000 to support four local sustainability-themed projects. To celebrate 10 years of the FlightPath, the Fund’s committee is urging local groups, charities and organisations to submit applications to support sustainability-themed projects aimed at improving the environment in the communities neighbouring Glasgow Airport and beyond. A £10,000 award grant […]

Four of the world’s most Instagrammed pieces of street art have been recreated at Heathrow to provide passengers with the perfect ‘post’ moment when starting their journey at Heathrow. The artwork aims to make Heathrow the most Instagrammed airport in the world this year and follows research revealing that ‘Instagrammability’ is now one of the […]

Terri Morrissey and Richard Plenty provide their thoughts on how changing attitudes to climate change might affect airports. We felt privileged, honoured and trusted to be asked to facilitate the first Global Summit on Psychology and Climate Change, which took place in Lisbon, in mid-November, 2019. The Summit was attended by 44 leaders of Psychological […]

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) will open its new $6.3 million outdoor observation deck, the SkyTerrace, on Friday. Located pre-security in Terminal 2, the SkyTerrace is open to the general public and offers 180-degree views of the busiest section of SFO, where all four runways intersect. “We are very excited to open an outdoor observation […]

Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) has announced its best ever year for both cargo and passenger traffic. More than 2.3 billion pounds of cargo were handled at the Illionos gateway in 2019, meaning that its cargo volumes have trebled in the last five years. The airport is home to the second largest UPS hub in […]

New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, has announced an agreement between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), and the operator of Terminal 4, and Delta Air Lines for a $3.8 billion redevelopment project to expand T4 and consolidate all Delta operations at JFK within the terminal. He noted that the agreement is […]

OTG and Starbucks today announced a new partnership with a focus on new experiential concepts and innovative technology to better serve travellers at airports across the US. OTG is known for its innovative, often IT embracing approach to dining and retail in airports that include Newark-Liberty, LaGuardia, New York JFK, Philadelphia and George Bush Intercontinental Airport. […]

Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) has become the latest gateway to launch a pet therapy project to help relieve the ‘travel stress’ of passengers.  According to the Canadian gateway, the eight-week initiative is designed to comfort travellers who may be feeling anxious or stressed before flying while allowing students to gain experience in […]

What does an electric-powered surfboard, intelligent office lighting and plastic-free gingerbread packaging have in common? All three are innovations by Bavarian start-ups that can be seen, along with other innovations, in the ‘MCBW START UP’ exhibition at Munich Airport. The exhibition has been unveiled during Munich Creative Business Week and will remain on Level 04 of the […]

Key industry partners have announced the launch of the MRO Blockchain Alliance, the air transport’s first industry-wide investigation into the use of blockchain to track, trace and record aircraft parts. The new alliance comprises leading organisations covering every aspect of the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) chain, from part manufacture and repairs to logistics and […]

Stockholm Arlanda has opened a new hotel, the 500-room Comfort Hotel Arlanda Airport, within a few minutes’ walk of its terminals. Operator, Swedavia, notes that the new hotel boasts BREAM certification in line with its desire for it to built and operate to a high enviromental standard. Clarion Hotel Arlanda Airport, Radisson Blu Airport Terminal Hotel […]

Miami International Airport (MIA) served 45.9 million passengers in 2019, a yearly upturn of nearly one million passengers. Contributing to MIA’s growth was the addition of five new international passenger routes to London (Norwegian), Casablanca (Royal Air Maroc), Warsaw (LOT Polish Airlines), Cordoba (American Airlines) and Paris (Corsair). And more new service is already on […]

John Newbury, product manager at Ramtech Electronics, looks at how advances in wireless technology and cloud-based data can deliver multiple benefits to airside operations. Airport security conjures up images of metal detectors, scanners and long queues at check-in. Of course, it’s far broader than that, much of it unseen, and involves monitoring and securing the […]

Dubai International Airport (DXB) handled 86.4 million passengers in 2019 to retain its status as the world’s busiest international airport. The total secured its sixth successive year as the world’s busiest international gateway, ahead of long-time record holder London Heathrow, which handled 76 million passengers on international flights in 2019 as it welcomed a record […]

Scott Macpherson considers the infrastructure challenges facing US airports and how best practices can help control their construction costs. The aftermath of another hectic holiday travel season provides a great opportunity for a reality-check regarding the state of American airports. Of the 32 million fliers who took to the skies during Thanksgiving 2019, many encountered […]

GHIAL, the operator of Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has signed a concession agreement with the Indian government to develop commercial operations at Bidar Airport. GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) has agreed to “Commission, Operationalise and Maintain the Civilian Enclave at the Bidar Airport” in North Karnataka, which up until now has served purely […]

Newcastle Airport in Australia claims that the creation of the “world’s most uplifting defence and aerospace precinct”, Astra Aerolab, has taken another significant step forward this month, with the appointment of Daracon as lead contractor for the stage one civil works. Airport CEO, Dr Peter Cock, says the realisation of the globally significant hub will […]

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

Reducing its carbon footprint appears to be top of the agenda for the UK today with the government announcing plans to ban the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars from 2035 and members of the country’s Sustainable Aviation coalition announcing that they aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.  The latter ambition […]

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) celebrated its busiest year ever in 2019 with more than 4.2 million passengers passing through its facilities. The total beat the previous all-time record by nearly 300,000 more travellers. “Our momentum over the past 12 months, along with the community’s support, has been phenomenal,” said Dan Mann, executive director […]

Work will commence on the expansion and renovation of Singapore Changi’s Terminal 2 next month as operator, Changi Airport Group (CAG) strives to make the airport bigger and better to cope with growing demand. The work marks the beginning of a multi-year expansion project which will increase T2’s handling capacity, as well as to replace […]

London Southend Airport has revealed that almost half of its passengers use the train to get to and from the Essex gateway. According to an airport survey, 47% of its passengers used trains to travel to the airport between December 3, 2019, and January 6 2020.  This was up significantly from a third (33%), taken from […]

Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) is investing £5 million this summer in a programme of upgrades and customer service initiatives to enhance passenger experience. The programme of works includes improvements to washrooms and airport lounges providing a greater level of comfort for travellers. Reorientation of the security hall and behind the scenes upgrades to baggage systems […]

Dublin Airport welcomed a total of 32.9 million passengers during 2019, setting a new record for traffic at the airport. About 30.7 million people started and ended their journey at Dublin Airport last year, while almost 2.2 million passengers used the airport as a hub. The gateway is celebrating its eightieth birthday this year and […]

Nova was the videoly that we all wanted to read in the Sixties because every issue brought something new and relevant to our lives: extraordinary fashion by Molly Parkin; innovative layouts and photographs by Harri Peccinotti; articles about the Pill and our new sexual freedom and a different take on beauty, fashion and celebrity – for one incredibly complicated story, we revamped the Queen. Our editor, Dennis Hackett, always thought outside the box a

As the Unmanned Aircraft Bill goes before parliament for a second reading, the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) says new European research backs its concerns that the number of drone flights in controlled airspace is being underestimated. The research by Eurocontrol involved comprehensive monitoring of airspace around the Latvian airport of Riga. Latvian airspace has similar […]

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has unveiled a new brand identity and a series of improvements including new community-focused experiences, new digital tools, and new customer services in what it claims to be the launch of a new era of customer-centred travel.  According to operator, the Port of Seattle, the travelling public will begin seeing new […]

Nova was the videoly that we all wanted to read in the Sixties because every issue brought something new and relevant to our lives: extraordinary fashion by Molly Parkin; innovative layouts and photographs by Harri Peccinotti; articles about the Pill and our new sexual freedom and a different take on beauty, fashion and celebrity – for one incredibly complicated story, we revamped the Queen. Our editor, Dennis Hackett, always thought outside the box a

Airport World provides a snapshot of the latest route development news from Stockholm Arlanda, Milan Malpensa, Budapest and Ireland’s Cork and Dublin airports.1.0.0.20 Tokyo back on Stockholm Arlanda’s flight schedule Stockholm Arlanda will reconnect with Tokyo for the first time in 30 years when All Nippon Airways (ANA) launches a non-stop service to Haneda Airport […]

Nova was the videoly that we all wanted to read in the Sixties because every issue brought something new and relevant to our lives: extraordinary fashion by Molly Parkin; innovative layouts and photographs by Harri Peccinotti; articles about the Pill and our new sexual freedom and a different take on beauty, fashion and celebrity – for one incredibly complicated story, we revamped the Queen. Our editor, Dennis Hackett, always thought outside the box a

Karl Lyndon, global aviation sector leader at integrated engineering consultancy, BuroHappold, explores the growing focus on greening airport terminal buildings. The aviation sector has been attracting a lot of attention recently – and not all of it for the right reasons. The new trend of ‘flight shaming’ in a bid to discourage air travel and […]

Construction work has begun on a £30 million extension to the departure lounge at Birmingham Airport in the UK. It is the biggest development project at the gateway in a decade and UK Aviation Minister, Paul Maynard, and local MP, Saqib Bhatti, were on hand to celebrate the occasion with airport CEO, Nick Barton. The project will […]

Nova was the videoly that we all wanted to read in the Sixties because every issue brought something new and relevant to our lives: extraordinary fashion by Molly Parkin; innovative layouts and photographs by Harri Peccinotti; articles about the Pill and our new sexual freedom and a different take on beauty, fashion and celebrity – for one incredibly complicated story, we revamped the Queen. Our editor, Dennis Hackett, always thought outside the box a

With sustainability and the climate emergency firmly established at the very top of its priorities, ACI Europe today hosted its first Aviation Sustainability Summit in Brussels. The event, which is held under the patronage of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and István Ujhelyi MEP, brings together key stakeholders from the […]

Flying helps connect businesses and families alike: we don’t need to rehearse the benefits. But the aviation industry, and this applies particularly to airlines, has a major problem. It has to reduce its carbon footprint. Engine and fuel technology are making incremental improvements but with IATA predicting a doubling in passenger numbers by 2037, nibbling at […]

Nova was the videoly that we all wanted to read in the Sixties because every issue brought something new and relevant to our lives: extraordinary fashion by Molly Parkin; innovative layouts and photographs by Harri Peccinotti; articles about the Pill and our new sexual freedom and a different take on beauty, fashion and celebrity – for one incredibly complicated story, we revamped the Queen. Our editor, Dennis Hackett, always thought outside the box a

Two women are blazing a trail at London Stansted after becoming the first female firefighters to join the ranks of the airport’s fire and rescue service. Hannah Inggs and Amber Popham, join Finn Edwards and Charlie Fry as the first intake of London Stansted’s newly created firefighter apprentice scheme. They will now begin a 22-week […]

A little taste of Mexico has come to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) with the opening of Cantina taqueria and tequila bar. Located in Concourse C, the new Cantina taqueria and tequila bar is said to be reminiscent of a local street side Mexican taqueria. According to concessionaire, Fraport Cleveland, the “warm and inviting 2,700-square-foot […]

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has launched a new initiative aimed at incentivising proactive efforts by large commercial airlines to fly as quietly as possible at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) The Fly Quieter program will evaluate airlines annually based on scoring from a variety of criteria, including compliance with LAX noise abatement procedures, the […]

Landbrum & Brown’s managing consultant, Prakash Dikshit, provides his thoughts on how operational improvements and new technology can help raise the capacity of US airports. According to ACI-NA, North American airports served 1.96 billion passengers (+5%) in 2018, and while demand has steadily increased, much of our infrastructure has aged and struggles to accommodate current demand. […]

Cambodia’s airports enjoyed a good 2019, with passenger numbers up by 10.2% at the country’s three main gateways – Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. A total of 11.6 million passengers passed through the airports last year as Phnom Penh handled a record six million passengers (+11.2%) and Sihanoukville 1.6 million (+158%), although traffic at […]

Today is super Sunday for Dublin Airport as it celebrates its 80th birthday. About 580 million passengers have been welcomed at Dublin Airport since the first commercial flight, an Aer Lingus Lockheed 14 aircraft, departed for Liverpool’s Speke Airport at 9am on Friday, January 19, 1940.  The flght was the only one handled at the […]

According to the UK’s Airport Operators Association (AOA), a 5% improvement in average journey times to and from UK airports could deliver a 2.7% increase in passenger numbers.  With delays increasing the risk of both reputational and commercial damage, carefully considering passengers’ route to and through the airport has become essential to ensuring that their experience is […]

Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming, USA, has committed to offsetting all employee commuter miles along with mileage from the gateway’s operational vehicles. As a result of the decision taken yesterday, all airport board member vehicle and employee commuting miles will now be carbon neutral by purchasing offsets through the Good Traveler Program. The Good Traveler […]

Russia’s Deputy Transport Minister, Aleksandr Yurchik, was among the guests of honour at today’s official opening of Moscow Sheremetyevo’s new Terminal C. According to the Moscow gateway, the first phase of its “new and improved” Terminal C ensures that it is equipped to handle international flights. The revamped terminal has a total floor area of […]

Airport World turns the spotlight on a handful of the US’s leading airport architectural firms and some of the pioneering projects they are working on or have recently completed. Architect: Fentress Architects Project: Solving the capacity capacity crunch in Nashville  In 2018, Nashville International Airport (BNA) welcomed a record 14.9 million passengers, setting an all-time […]

Hong Kong International Airport’s new 200 metre long pedestrian bridge between Terminal 1 and the North Satellite Concourse is a step closer to reality this morning as its main prefabricated section is in place after arriving by ship from China. Being billed as the world’s longest airside bridge, Sky Bridge is also close to 30 metres high […]

Cork Airport continues to be a key economic engine for the city and the region, generating €904 million for the Irish economy in 2019, according to findings in an economic impact study released today. The report, conducted by global management consulting firm InterVISTAS Consulting, reveals that Cork Airport also contributed to the employment of 12,180 people in Ireland, […]

Airport security queues could be slashed and screening for weapons could become much more effective after Queen’s University Belfast researchers have been awarded £1 million to develop a ground-breaking solution. Dr Okan Yurduseven from the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology at Queen’s has been awarded a Leverhulme Research Leadership Award to develop technology […]

The company behind a new autonomous dolly being tested at Heathrow Terminal 5 has launched its second new product for the aviation sector. Aurrigo’s technical engineers have successfully developed a new Transport Safety System (TSS) that can be used to reduce the number of incidents involving baggage and cargo containers falling from towed dollies due […]

Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) in the UK is submitting fresh plans to build a state-of-the-art terminal.  It claims that the plans will dramatically improve passenger experience, deliver one of the UK’s most environmentally efficient airport buildings, and support greater economic prosperity for the Leeds City Region, Yorkshire and the North. The new plans, to be […]

London Heathrow has deployed a bespoke anti-drone system to protect the UK’s busiest airfield from drones and the type of disruption they caused at London Gatwick in December 2018. The new technology, provided by Operational Solutions, has been deployed at Heathrow as part of the airport’s end-to-end counter drone measures to help to keep its […]

ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, reflects on how the eco-design of terminals and other facilities is becoming increasingly important for the world’s airports.1.0.0.20 With the number of infrastructure projects that will be needed to accommodate growth in air service demand, airports and their stakeholders must continue to consider the crucial issues of environment and […]

Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) is to start providing annual civil aviation security training to all Ministry of Interior (MOI) staff based at the airport, including the new police and customs officers that will be required for the new terminal. BAC announced the news today following the signing of an agreement with Gulf Aviation Academy (GAA), […]

A record 80.9 million passengers (+1%) passed through London Heathrow in 2019 to cement its status among the top ten busiest airports in the world, while Munich enjoyed a healthy 4% rise in throughput when handling 47.9 million passengers. The upturn at Heathrow, which represented the airport’s ninth consecutive year of growth, was driven by […]

Airports across the globe are beginning to announce their traffic figures for 2019, with most reporting an upturn in passenger numbers and some record throughput levels.  They include Moscow-Sheremetyevo, which accommodated a record 49.9 million passengers (+8.9%); Athens, which welcomed a best ever 25.5 million (+6%); and Milan Bergamo, which handled an all-time high of 13.8 […]

ACI-NA president and CEO, Kevin Burke, outlines the infrastructure development challenges facing US airports over the next five years and beyond.1.0.0.20 Fresh off a chaotic holiday travel season and the busiest summer season on record, 2019 has marked another impressive year in passenger and cargo traffic at America’s airports. US airports remain some of the […]

Myanmar’s Yangon International Airport has turned to technology in a bid to boost its operational efficiency and passenger handling capability. The airport has introduced SITA’s Airport Management solution, which enables the gateweay and its stakeholders, including airlines and ground handlers, to collaborate around the same real-time information and make fully-informed decisions on resources. According to […]

A record 2.8 million passengers used the 390ft long pedestrian bridge between San Diego and Tijuana International Airport last year to cross between the US and Mexico. The total was 28.1% up on the previous year with 30% of travellers using it to catch flights to more than 30 domestic destinations in Mexico served from […]

Shell Aviation and World Energy have today announced a collaboration to develop a scalable supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The agreement is intended to be a multi-year collaboration, with both companies acknowledging that the path to lower carbon emissions in aviation requires long-term commitment and collaboration. As part of the collaboration, Shell Aviation and […]

Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport has a new man in the hot seat following Nicolas Claude’s appointment as CEO of operator, Airport International Group (AIG). Claude, AIG’s former chief operations officer, succeeds Kjeld Binger, who will continue to act as a senior advisor to the Board. Leveraging a longstanding 28-year career within the global airport […]

It will be all systems go for Indonesia’s new Yogyakarta International Airport in 2020 when it fully opens its facilities, writes Joe Bates. Built to replace the old and outdated Adisutjipto International Airport (JOG), Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) is Indonesia’s newest gateway, although it won’t really come into its own until its infrastructure fully opens […]

A record 38.7 milion passengers (+12%) passed through Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Qatar last year. The Doha gateway attributes the upturn to a number of new routes and increased frequency on existing ones. New destinations included Davao (Philippines), Rabat (Morocco), Izmir (Turkey), Gaborone (Botswana), Langkawi (Malaysia), Mogadishu (Somalia), Valetta (Malta) and Lisbon (Portugal). Three new cargo destinations were […]

Salvador Bahia Airport in Brazil has started construction of a solar plant that will help power to its terminal building. According to concessionaire, VINCI Airports, the project is a first for Brazil and one that demonstrates its commitment to the gateway’s sustainable development. It notes that when fully operational, the solar plant will supply more than […]

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

Joe Bates takes a closer look at the design and development of China’s new mega hub, Beijing Daxing International Airport. The world’s newest major airport, Beijing Daxing, opened for business in late September as China marked another major milestone in the modernisation and expansion of its aviation infrastructure. The new $12.9 billion gateway is one of the […]

New York’s Stewart International Airport will be under new management on January 1 when a joint venture between Groupe ADP and AvPorts assumes responsibility for the operating, maintaining and developing the gateway for at least the next 10 years.  Future Stewart Partners will operate and maintain the airport’s terminal, landside and airfield and will also manage […]

The latest global news from ACI’s World Business Partners. MAI and ADB SAFEGATE The international business arm of Munich Airport – Munich Airport International (MAI) – has signed a co-operation agreement with ADB SAFEGATE. The collaboration combines MAI’s worldwide expertise in airport development, management and operations with ADB SAFEGATE’s global presence and insight into airfield, […]

Eight new F&B outlets have opened at Mactan Cebu International Airport in the Philippines. Master concessionaire, SSP, unveiled seven new outlets in July as part of its plans to transform the gateway’s F&B offerings through the introduction of 27 new food and beverage units at the airport. Those outlets included The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, […]

CEO, Brian Ryks, tells Joe Bates more about an exciting year of growth and development at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport. With the US’s high profile hubs grabbing most of the headlines, it is perhaps easy to overlook the country’s growing list of successful mid-size gateways and the key role they play in the nation’s air […]

A new beer is on tap at San Diego International Airport, and sales should be soaring at it has been brewed with purified condesate collected through the gateway’s water conservation programme! Called SAN Test Pilot and created in conjunctiion with local brewery, Ballast Point, and industrial water purification specialists, Water Works Inc, the beverage can […]

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), San Antonio International Airport and US-based CAG Holdings have all made key new appointments to help take their respective companies forward in 2020. Nompumelelo (Mpumi) Mpofu will become ACSA’s new CEO on February 1, 2020, and according to a statement issued by the company, joins it at a time “when […]

Moscow–Sheremetyevo International Airport is listed among the best employers in Russia by Forbes magazine, which rated the airport number 33 among Russia’s top 50. The Forbes rating is based on a global survey of the corporate culture and practices of the largest Russian companies. The survey encompassed 150 nominees and revealed that Russian companies are investing in benefits, working conditions and activities that make […]

Over the next 30 years, every assumption and norm underpinning the need for airports and the way that these facilities function will be open to disruption, writes Thornton Tomasetti’s senior resilience consultant, Richard Look. The very concept of airports and how we interact with them will change. Despite this era of uncertainty, we need our airports […]

VIEW THE ISSUE HERE In the spotlight: Master planning & design Airport report: Minneapolis St-Paul Special report: Innovation labs Plus: Route development & People matters Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the infrastructure challenges facing US airports in this ‘master planning and design’ themed issue and looks forward to 2020. Planning for the future The seemingly never ending need for […]

Someone must really love smoking as a passenger has just spent €379,000 on a unique humidor and some Cuban cigars at the Exqusite boutique at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. More specifically they have paid the money for a unique Cohiba 50 Aniversario Humidor and its accompanying cigars after a visit to the high end spirits and cigar boutique […]

Congratulations are in order to London City Airport (LCY), which today reveals that it has become the latest gateway to achieve carbon neutrality status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. The respected international programme has awarded London’s most central airport ‘Level 3+ (Neutrality)’ status – its highest accreditation– in recognition of its exceptional work in managing, […]

Brussels Airport has declared its intention to pamper its passengers this holiday season after decking its halls with Christmas trees, festive animations and fairy-tale lighting. Also on the agenda is live music, children’s entertainment and special Christmas settings for the best Instagram photos and selfies! The airport promises that its shops will also offer the perfect […]

Icelandic airport operator, Isavia, has appointed international construction and consultancy company, Mace, as the programme manager for Keflavik International Airport’s Major Development Plan (MDP). Iceland’s gateway to the world handled close to ten million passengers last year and Isavia believes that it has the potential to become “the major North Atlantic hub for air traffic” […]

Prague’s Václav Havel Airport broke the 17 million passengers per annum milestone for the first time on Friday after another solid year of traffic growth. Passenger numbers have been soaring at the Czech gateway since 2016 when it handled just over 13 million passengers. The airport attributes this year’s upturn in traffic to a number […]

Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff, talks to Joe Bates about the hugely ambitious development plans that tempted him back to the Queensland gateway. It says something about the appeal of Brisbane Airport and its ambitious development plans that CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff, admits that he knew he would be leaving New York and […]

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has awarded Fraport USA a five-year contract to manage the retail concessions space of Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).  Fraport USA will provide retail management services (including foodcourt and common areas) and manage the loading dock/storage facilities at Terminal B from February […]

Dublin Airport has launched a new digital shopping wall offering passengers an opportunity to shop at the gate. The digital shopping wall, which is located in the 100 gates boarding area, offers a range of products from The Loop. Items on the shopping wall are linked to a QR code that can be scanned into […]

London Luton Airport held a Christmas party for its 12 police dogs today, with the most popular tune with the canines apparently being ‘Bark, the Herald Angels’ sing! To thank them for their work this year the six spaniels (Chip, Milo, Laser, Peper, Poppy and Sparky) and six Labradors (Hunter, Quirky, Toby, Charley, Ned and […]

The Port of Seattle, which operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, claims to have became the first port in the US to adopt principles to ensure that implementation of public-facing facial recognition technology is “clearly justified, equitable, and transparent”. Commissioners created a working group, which by March 31, 2020 will develop these principles into policies that can […]

Tunisia’s Enfidah-Hammamet Airport turned ten this week and the country’s Minister of Transport and Handicrafts, René Trabelsi, made a flying visit to the gateway to celebrate the occasion. Opened in December 2009 and operated by TAV Airports subsidiary TAV Tunisie, the airport is expected to handle close to 1.5 million passengers this year. Trabelsi was […]

Airports are incredibly complex, interconnected ecosystems, whose performance is highly dependent upon hundreds of stakeholders aligning and operating in unison, writes Shell Aviation’s Thomas de Boer. On the apron, where safety requirements are some of the most stringent in the world, orchestrating seamless operations and safely moving hundreds of refuelling trucks across the globe in […]

An innovative cross border arrival management system, known as XMAN, has gone into operation at Gatwick Airport following a successful SESAR trial run by NATS and partners across Europe. The airport believes that it further enhance its operational efficiency and ‘green’ crendtials as it has demonstrated multiple benefits, including a saving in fuel and CO2 emissions, […]

In just over three weeks’ time, plastic cutlery, drinking straws, take-away food packaging and polythene bags will start to disappear from cafés, restaurants and shops at Dubai International Airport (DXB). The reason for this is Dubai Airports’ pledge in June 2019 to ban all single-use plastic from January 1, 2020. Over 90 million passengers per […]

Two famous Dutch brands, Heineken and KLM, have partnered to bring a new bar experience to passengers using the airline’s stylish new ‘Non-Schengen Crown Lounge’ at Amsterdam Schiphol. Located between concourses E and F, and set over two floors, the new 6,800sqm addition to the airport’s facilities is also believed to be largest airline lounge in […]

The Loop at Dublin Airport is opening a new store to showcase the best of Ireland’s design and crafts to consumers travelling all over the world. The new Design Ireland store at Terminal 2 features a specially selected collection of work by 24 Irish design and craft brands, showcasing the best of Irish creativity to […]

Airports across the US are making big changes to handle growing congestion at the kerb with Boston Logan becoming the latest gateway to relocate Lyft and Uber drivers from roads around the terminals to a parking garage, writes Justin Rees. It joins the likes of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco Interrnational Airport […]

Ottawa International Airport marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities by announcing that it has received an Accessibility Certified Gold rating under the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) programme. RHFAC is the first programme to rate meaningful access, based upon the holistic user experience of people with varying disabilities affecting their mobility, vision and hearing. The […]

Van Don International Airport in northeast Vietnam has been named ‘World’s Leading New Airport 2019’ at the 26th annual World Travel Awards (WTA). This is only the second year WTA has presented an award for this category, which assesses a new airport’s performance based on the overall design, service quality and passengers’ satisfaction, and how the complete […]

Following the launch of the impressive new Ever Rich retail space at Taoyuan International Airport, The Design Solution’s Nick Taylor explains how commercial planning and design are driving the new customer experience and creating a unique sense of Taiwan across the radically updated main store. Working in close co-operation with the airport’s operator, Taoyuan International […]

Perth Airport is turning to technology to help it enhance the passenger experience and better equip it to handle traffic growth. The gateway is committed to an extensive upgrade of its passenger handling systems, underpinned by a fully integrated suite of solutions from Amadeus and subsidiary, ICM Technics. The extensive agreement sees Perth build on […]

Rafael Echevarne, the current CEO of Sangster International Airport in Jamaica, will be the new director general of ACI-LAC. He is to replace Javier Martinez, who has successfully led the organisation since 2010, on February 1, 2020. Echevarne is, of course, no stranger to ACI having worked as the economics director of ACI World before […]

Airlines and airports in China are embracing artificial intelligence and automation to provide the hyper-personalised self-service experience their passengers are demanding, a new report reveals. According to the SITA 2019 China IT Insights, shared today, China’s airlines and airports are using these technologies to expand mobile services and automating the journey with self-service every step […]

APT Pranoto Airport is set to become Indonesia’s first gateway to utilise solar powered energy after signing a deal to have photovoltaic panels installed on rooftops across the airport site. The airport, located in Samarinda, capital of East Kalimantan province, will work with Total Solar Distributed Generation on the project. According to Total Solar DG, the 600 kilowatts-peak (kWp) […]

Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has pulled off a major coup by agreeing a deal with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) CEO, Deborah Flint, to become its president and CEO from April 2020. Flint, who has served LAWA and overseen the growth and development of Los Angeles International Airport for the last four years, will […]

Vancouver Airport Authority has begun the search for a new president and CEO following the announcement that Craig Richmond is to retire in June, 2020, after seven years in the role. “Craig has led YVR through a period of unprecedented growth all while ensuring that we delivered on our mandate, as a not-for-profit community-based organization, […]

Terri Morrissey and Richard Plenty provide their thoughts on artificial intelligence and robots in the workplace.1.0.0.20 This column is called ‘People Matters’ for a good reason. People remain the key element in organisational success, even in an increasingly technological world. As Mark Littlewood pointed out in The Times (September 8, 2019), ‘Robots are on the […]

Christchurch Airport’s new NZ$80 million Novotel hotel officially welcomed its first guests last night with a special charity event. The 4.5 star hotel opens to the public today, but more than 100 people enjoyed a sneak preview of the hotel on Sunday night, as part of a charity fundraiser for Christchurch teenager, Maddie Collins, who […]

New York JFK’s new Terminal 1 is a step closer to reality this morning after The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s decision to enter into a lease agreement with the New Terminal One Team to design, construct, finance, operate and maintain the new facility. “The Port Authority’s board authorisation enables the delivery of a world-class terminal to […]

Over 40 airport chaplains from across the UK and Ireland gathered at London Luton Airport (LLA) this week for a one-day conference. The meeting of the British Isles and Ireland Airport Chaplains’ Network was organised by LLA’s chaplaincy team. This is the first time in 16 years that the airport has hosted the event. A […]

TIA, the operator of Albania’s Mother Teresa–Tirana International Airport, is looking for consultants to help it complete the next phase of the gateway’s infrastructure development programme. TIA is committed to undertaking a handful of key capital expenditure projects between 2020-2022 in order to ensure that Albania’s gateway to the world is equipped to meet future […]

Airports are turning to technology to improve the quality of the air we breathe in airport terminals, writes Tony Abate. The convenience and ease of air travel has made flying more popular than ever before and means that today’s airports are active, bustling places that often resemble a city within a city. The rise in […]

This year’s Thanksgiving will be the busiest ever for air traffic, according to Airlines for America (A4A), which today announced today that it expects a record 31.6 million passengers (+3.7%) to board US carriers worldwide during the 12-day travel period normally associated with the annual holiday. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, December 1, is poised to be the busiest […]

The holiday season is officially upon us as Munich Airport’s annual Christmas and Winter Market has opened for business! From now until December 29, Europe’s largest covered outdoor space – the Munich Airport Center Forum – will host the airport’s annual Christmas and Winter Market, which will be open daily from 11am until 9pm. This year […]

Moscow Sheremetyevo has received the green-light from Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency to open its renovated Terminal C in January, 2020. According to the Moscow gateway, the first phase of its “new and improved” Terminal C ensures that it is equipped to handle international flights. The revamped terminal has a total floor area of 127,374sqm and […]

A ground breaking ceremony has been held at Norwich Airport to officially mark the start of construction on the UK gateway’s new maintenance hangar and workshop. The new 54,000sqft hangar and 15,500sqft workshop will be capable of simultaneously accommmodating two Boeing 737 aircraft, and ensure the expansion of KLM UK engineering group at the Norfolk airport. […]

How do you create an innovative brand experience for growing airports? Big Vision’s founder and CEO, Joe Quinn, provides some thoughts and reflects on the successful rebranding of Orlando Sanford International Airport.1.0.0.20 Hailed as the safest way to travel, aviation continues to grow with ACI World expecting global passenger numbers to double by 2034 and […]

Niranjan Navaratnarajah, cargo industry director for Unisys Asia Pacific, argues that real-time data is fundamental to a connected cargo supply chain to reduce idle time and increase visibility, transparency and security.1.0.0.20 We need to securely modernise today’s mostly manual and fragmented cargo distribution processes by going digital. Let’s face it, most of the cargo industry […]

What new technologies are on the horizon and how many of these can we expect to find commonplace at airports in 10 to 15 years’ time? Arturo García-Alonso considers some options. When thinking about the future for airports, both as an industry and in the broad sense, it is wise to be pragmatic and try […]

Las Vegas–McCarran International Airport has become the latest US gateway to open a Shake Shack restaurant.  The modern day ‘roadside’ burger stand that got started in New York in 2001 and continues to build a devoted fan base all over the world, is now up and running in the Rotunda Area in Terminal 1 that […]

Dublin Airport celebrates its 80th birthday on January 19, 2020, and has produced a commemorative 2020 calendar to mark the occasion! The calendar has 12 iconic images including famous sports and political figures arriving at Dublin Airport during the past eight decades. It features famous historic moments such as President John F Kennedy’s visit, the […]

Shell has today announced that it will support SkyNRG to develop Europe’s first dedicated sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plant. The development of the DSL-01 production plant in Delfzijl, Netherlands, is led by SkyNRG, a global market leader for SAF and a long-term strategic partner of Shell Aviation. Shell notes that it will bring its […]

Parents rest assured, London Stansted has become one of the first airports in the UK to be certified as offering safe, child-friendly Wi-Fi to its passengers. The accreditation comes on the back of Stansted’s parent company, MAG, signing up to the UK government-initiated scheme. The move means that passengers at Stansted will now have the […]

Hong Kong International Airport’s largest independent cargo handler, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl), has broken its all-time record for the number of freighters handled in a 24-hour period. It revealed this week that it handled an impressive 104 freighter aircraft on November 3 – beating its previous record of 102, set almost exactly […]

The utilisation of geographic information system (GIS) mapping technology has helped Reno- Tahoe International Airport become an economically competitive hub, writes Esri’s Terry Bills. Airports play an increasingly important role in connecting economies, strengthening global supply chains, and driving regional development. Owned and operated by the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (RTAA), Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) currently […]

The new terminal at Bermuda’s LF Wade International Airport (BDA) will boast F&B outlets developed by SSP America. The new $274 million terminal is the key project of the gateway’s Airport Redevelopment Project (Bermuda Airport Project) being carried out by operator, Skyport. Airport boss, Skyport president, Aaron Adderley, says: “Creating interesting, high quality restaurants that will resonate with […]

Birmingham Airport has broadcast its green intentions to the world by announcing its commitment to become a net zero carbon airport by the year 2033. The UK gateway says it will achieve this goal by prioritising zero carbon airport operations and minimising carbon offsets. The Midlands airport has already cut its carbon emissions by 33% since […]

Mark Fosbrook of BakerHicks explains how Formula 1 techniques are being used to fast track better airport design.1.0.0.20 Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a technique best-known to Formula One racing teams, where it has superseded air tunnels in their search to gain maximum aerodynamics by modelling airflows. It has also been adopted by the aerospace, […]

London Luton Airport (LLA) has opened a second new taxiway and aircraft de-icing facility as part of its £160 million transformation programme.  The new taxiway (Foxtrot), which follows the early 2018 opening of Taxiway Bravo, will help the airport manage aircraft ground movements more efficiently and contribute to ongoing efforts to minimise delays. Foxtrot is […]

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is celebrating the official opening of its eagerly awaited new $1 billion North Terminal. The gateway’s new 35-gate terminal, which was seven years in the making in terms of the design and planning work by global architecture firms LEO A DALY and Atkins, will ensure that the US’s fifth […]

Airports and airlines continue to invest heavily on new technology, the latest industry report showing that in 2018 they spent a record $50 billion on IT to support improvements to the passenger journey. Figures published by SITA for the first time show that this investment has resulted in a significant improvement in both the satisfaction […]

Hong Kong International Airport has awarded one of the world’s leading geo-data specialist companies a land site investigation contract as part of its $18 billion (HK$141.5bn) Three-Runway System (3RS) expansion project. Fugro will perform geotechnical drilling and cone penetration tests on newly reclaimed land, and provide laboratory testing to acquire geotechnical data for the new passenger building and related infrastructure. […]

John Thompson, Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s associate director for IT, explains how Toronto Pearson is using new technology to streamline the flow of passengers and staff through its facilities. It takes a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes to keep airport operations running smoothly, and Toronto Pearson International Airport is no exception. In an […]

Ground handler, dnata, has significantly expanded its operations at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The company has invested $4 million on equipment and 125 new staff at Dulles after being awarded a three-year contract by the Lufthansa Group. As a result, it will provide ground and passenger handling services as well as aircraft cleaning and de-icing […]

Wellington Airport has unveiled the master plan that it believes will ensure that it is equipped for growth for the next 20 years. With its annual passenger traffic expected to double to in excess of 12mppa by 2040, the New Zealand gateway says that it needs to plan for the future now to avoid becoming […]

Miami International Airport (MIA) has begun work on its Central Base Modification and Expansion Project.  The project will upgrade 34.1 acres of asphalt and concrete pavement originally built in the 1960s that is now used for aircraft parking and movement near MIA’s Concourse D. The rehabilitated space, slated for completion by December 2022, will better […]

The latest global news from ACI’s World Business Partners. New F&B outlets open at Singapore Changi Asian high street favourite, Tai Cheong Bakery, and Archipelago Craft Brew are the latest new additions to Singapore Changi’s F&B offering. Introduced in partnership with the SSP Group and located landside in Terminal 3, Tai Cheong Bakery is one […]

Larnaca International Airport has opened the first phase of its new duty free area that it believes will bring a ‘best in class’ shopping experience for travellers. The opening marks the beginning of the ODG designed revamp of the airport’s retail offerings for Cyprus Airports Duty Free, an Aer Rianta International company, working in close partnership […]

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) directly accounts for over $10.6 billion in business revenues and supports more than 46,000 jobs at the airport, according to its latest economic impact study. The report, which summarises economic impact for the 2017-2018 Fiscal Year, also reveals that visitor spending resulting from air service at SFO contributed over $12.5 […]

Zaha Hadid Architects and Cox Architecture have won the international competition to design the new Western Sydney Airport (WSA). The ZHA/COX team, which will now act as Master Architect for the project, was selected from a broad field of forty national and international applicants that was narrowed to five selected design competitors. The Western Sydney International […]

The world’s airports are increasingly facing a “high wire balancing act” as they struggle to meet traffic demand at the same time as contending with issues outside of their control, such as the rise in protectionism, isolationism, and risks associated with climate change, says ACI World. Having reached 8.8 billion in 2018, global traffic is forecast […]

Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s stormwater management solution will help ensure its long-term growth and development, write HDR’s Ronald Geiger and Damian Gaiski-Weitz. With $2.5 billion in projects planned through 2035, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is in the middle of a massive expansion and renovation programme. Indeed, over the coming 15 years, passengers can expect […]

Baggage dollies, shuttle buses and even snow ploughs are among the ever-growing list of autonomous vehicles being trialled at airports across the world, writes Joe Bates. The interest in the potential use of autonomous vehicles at airports is growing with a host of individual trials taking place across the world as the industry seeks to […]

Passengers travelling through Dublin Airport’s T2 now have an even greater reason to check-in early as a major revamp of The Loop has just been completed. The final element of The Loop’s upgrade is a new beauty hall, which is Ireland’s largest, featuring an unrivalled range of perfume and cosmetics products. The store will have […]

Curtis Fentress, founder and principal in charge of design at Fentress Architects, considers the importance of building people friendly terminals that enhance passenger journeys. Much is written about the human need for connection and the resulting social, emotional, even economic benefits it affords. In fact, in 2018, the World Economic Forum published Why the Secret to […]

More than £20 million is being invested to improve transport access as part of ongoing development works at Edinburgh Airport. The first phase of the project will deliver a new East Terminus next summer (May 2020), which will house the airport’s licensed taxi operation (black cabs and private hire vehicles) for both pick-up and drop-off, […]

Airports have a reputation for caution when it comes to adopting cloud technology, but Baku in Azerbaijan is defying expectations, writes Yannick Beunardeau, Amadeus’ vice president for airport IT. In June this year, Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport did what no airport in history has done before and moved its entire operations to the cloud. […]

Travel Retail Domodedovo (TRD) has opened two shops at Strigino International Airport in Russia.  The shops are operated under the ‘Heinemann Duty Free and Travel Value’ brand, a joint venture between Gebr Heinemann and its local partner Greenway. “We are very proud to partner once again with ‘Airports of the Regions’ – the leading airport holding […]

Qatar’s Hamad International Airport, one of the world’s newest gateways having only opened in 2014, is to expand its concourses to raise its capacity to 60 million passengers per annum.  The expansion project will feature a spectacular 10,000sqm indoor tropical garden in a central concourse as well as a 268sqm water feature which will be […]

OPAIN CEO, Álavaro González, talks to Joe Bates about the future development plans for Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport. Bogotà’s El Dorado International Airport handled a record 32.7 million passengers in 2018 to cement its status as Colombia’s gateway to the world and the third busiest airport in Latin America. Indeed, it is a South American success […]

Dublin Airport enjoyed its busiest ever September, handling more than three milion passengers (+4%) during the month for the first time in its 79 year history. Passenger numbers to and from continental Europe increased by 6% as almost 1.7 million passengers travelled to and from European destinations during the month. Almost 828,000 passengers travelled to […]

Airports located in ACI’s Asia-Pacific region have once again dominated Sleeping in Airports’ annual survey for the best gateways to use, and take a nap in, in 2019, with Singapore Changi and Incheon taking the top spots. According to the most recent passenger poll on the website SleepingInAirports.net, Tokyo Narita, Osaka-Kansai, Taiwan Taoyuan and Hong Kong […]

Joe Bates looks back at some of the highlights of the recent SMART Airports & Regions Conference and Exhibition in El Paso. Airport leader panels moderated by CNN’s Nick Valencia helped draw a crowd of around 300 delegates to the opening sessions of the SMART Airports & Regions Conference and Exhibition in El Paso, Texas, […]

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has issued BBB+/Stable credit ratings on Guam International Airport Authority’s (GIAA) General Revenue Bonds. The move follows Moody’s Investors Service’s decision to assign a Baa2 ratings to the senior General Revenue Bonds 2019 Series A (AMT) ($20.01 million) and 2019 Series B (Taxable) ($20.6 million) that GIAA – the operator of […]

Ghana Airports Company Limited has signed a five year deal with  SITA to manage and support all airport passenger processing, baggage management, and airport operations systems across Kotoka International Airport’s newly commissioned Terminal 3. The agreement, an extension to the Accra’s gateway’s existing deal with the technology solutions provider, follows the successful deployment of SITA’s […]

ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, reflects on the topic of cybersecurity and the organisation’s efforts to develop products and services to help airports prepare for and mitigate cyber-attacks. Cyber security continues to be a real concern for the aviation sector, with threats expected to increase in number and impact for the foreseeable future. All […]

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

Ideas typically come from pain points. We all have them. I wish I could invent a device to fold my laundry, writes Winnipeg Richardson International Airport’s vice president for aviation marketing, Scott Marohn. Still haven’t made that machine yet. But that’s for another day. I am going to stick to air service development here. So, what was […]

Los Angeles International Airport is set to open LAX-it at the end of the month, a new “amenity rich” centralised area where departing passengers can pick-up taxis and ride app services.  It hopes that the new area will make for a better experience for passengers seeking a cab ride away from LAX and help ease […]

Miami International Airport yesterday unveiled its new state-of-the-art, fully automated baggage handling system to the world. The Florida gateway’s new $324-million system, funded in part by a $101.2-million grant from the TSA, doubles the speed and efficiency of baggage screening and delivery for flights in MIA’s Central and South terminals. “This innovative system is a huge step forward in MIA’s […]

Ed Balls, the UK’s former Shadow Chancellor, gave the keynote speech at Gatwick’s Transport Forum on Friday. The event is designed to create an integrated approach to transport provision across the region and around 150 transport service providers and manufacturers, local authority transport officers and community representatives attended. The audience received updates on major projects, […]

Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province in Vietnam has been named ‘Asia’s Leading New Airport 2019’ at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia & Oceania. Developed by the Sun Group, and completed in late 2018, Vietnam’s first privately built commerical gateway is the first airport in the country to receive the accolade. “This is a huge source of pride […]

VINCI today launched work to upgrade the runways and runway lighting system at Toulon Hyères Airport in France.  VINCI Airports began operating the airport in 2015 under a 25-year French government concession awarded by the Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC) and the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. As one of France’s three combined civil and […]

VIEW THE ISSUE HERE Theme: IT Innovation Airport report: Bogotá Special report: SMART Airports review Plus: People-friendly design & branding Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the enabling power of new technology at the same time as not forgetting the importance of the human touch in air travel. The IT crowd If I am being perfectly honest here, given the choice, I […]

A new White Paper shows that a customer-centric focus is driving change and innovation at US airports, write KONE’s Dan Brooks and Kevin Wigley. The average US airport is now over 40 years old and with makeovers not easy for many, more than a few of them are experiencing something akin to a midlife crisis. […]

With the the exception of a handful of airports in Greece and Bulgaria, the Fraport Group’s global airport portfolio have all registered an increase in passenger traffic in the first nine months of 2019. Fraport, which released its global year-to-date traffic figures today, reveals that 54.1 million passengers (+2.3%) passed through Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in […]

Meet, Pepper, Christchurch Airport’s new 120cm tall robot that can apparently recognise faces and basic human emotions, respond to requests made on the touch screen on its chest, and hold a conversation! According to the New Zealand gateway, Pepper – who has previously been on duty at Munich Airport in Germany and Oakland in the […]

The F&B offerings at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) just got a little better with the opening of three new concepts – local favourites ‘Franktuary’ and the ‘Melt Shop’ and the global success ‘Joe & The Juice’. “We have emphasised ‘creating a sense of place’ here at the airport by adding local brands to our concessions, […]

The latest global news from ACI’s World Business Partners. Pizza, anyone? Lightening fast pizza operator, Blaze Pizza, has opened an outlet at John Wayne Airport’s Terminal B/C courtesy of a new partnership between global restaurateur, HMSHost, and partner S&C Robinson Enterprise. The Californian gateway notes that the addition of Blaze Pizza expands the dining options […]

A 4.7% rise in transfer passengers, led by travellers from Poland, ensured that 2.8 million passengers (+0.4%) passed through Copenhagen Airport in September. The total meant that it was the busiest September on record for Denmark’s capital city gateway. “More passengers choosing to fly via Copenhagen rather than via Amsterdam, Frankfurt or London strengthens our […]

Terri Morrissey and Richard Plenty provide their thoughts on dealing with difficult customers. We travel a lot. Our experience is mixed. Most of the time our journeys go without incident, but there are times when adverse weather conditions, delayed and cancelled planes and long queues can make a simple trip less than a straightforward experience. Sometimes, though, […]

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has broken ground on new state-of-the-art complex for LAX’s police officers.  Located just north of the Central Terminal Area in Westchester, the new $220 million building will consolidate police operations at the airport by providing a central base for officers currently split between eight different locations. “The new consolidated LAWA […]

CAA International (CAAi) has been awarded a new consultancy project to help the Kazakhstan aviation regulator adopt a new aviation oversight model, based on that used in the UK. The new regulatory system will support Kazakhstan’s air transport sector growth and provide a foundation for Kazakhstan’s aviation industry to become a world player. The project […]

Glasgow today become the first UK airport to introduce a fleet of zero-emission electric buses to its car park operation. The three-strong fleet of all-electric battery buses, which were built in Scotland by Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), will replace the current diesel fleet used to shuttle passengers between the terminal and the airport’s Long-Stay Car […]

Small GA gateways such as Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport can become economic development engines for their surrounding communities, writes Ty Sander, project manager for Crawford, Murphy & Tilly. A municipally-owned, general aviation airport can be a curious thing for residents who don’t fly. It can easily be perceived as a major expense that serves only corporate […]

Copenhagen Airports CEO, Thomas Woldbye; Fraport Greece CEO, Alexander Zinell; and LabCampus/Munich Airport’s vice president for innovation and creation, Sarah Wittlieb, took centre stage this morning at the opening of the SMART Airports Europe Conference in Munich.  Today is ‘SMART Aviation & Economic Development’ day at the event, which runs alongside inter airport Europe 2019, the […]

Ville Levaniemi, HappyOrNot’s co-founder and executive vice president of new business tells us more about the potential benefits of using customer service feedback technology at airports. A small-town in the Nordics may not seem like the most obvious inspiration point for a burgeoning technology start-up, but it certainly helped shape ours. My co-founder, Heikki, was a […]

Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) is to partner with NAV CANADA and QinetiQ Canada (QinetiQ) to trial the company’s ant-drone technology at the gateway. The unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology set to be trialled at the Canadian airport is called Obsidian Counter. According to the findings of an interim report by Canada’s Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) […]

China’s new Beijing Daxing International Airport boasts its own in-terminal hotel, Aerotel, operated by the Plaza Premium Group. Located in the Northeast pier of the new airport, the two-storey hotel has 215 guest rooms spread across 9,000sqm. “We created Aerotel to take care of travellers needing a space to rest right at the terminal with no […]

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

S&P Global Ratings today claimed that the demise of Thomas Cook was a “manageable blow” for Gatwck that was likely to have a limited impact on the gateway. S&P points out that the airline provided just 3.8% of Gatwick’s total passenger numbers.  It says: “Given the timings of the slots, we expect they will be […]

Over 15,000 dnata employees around the world teamed up and took part in the company’s unique fundraising activity, ‘dnata runs the world’, to make a positive difference to the lives of others. Across the continents, from Sydney to San Francisco, teams from 26 countries joined the challenge to run the combined distance of the circumference […]

Passengers at Frankfurt Airport were recently introduced to a member of staff with a difference – YAPE the robot! In a recent trial, self-driving guide robot YAPE moved through Frankfurt Airport, accompanying passengers to their gates and helping them to transport their small luggage. YAPE is an AI-based transport and delivery robot developed by Yape Srl […]

Airport World reviews a handful of the technology-driven initiatives driving passenger facilitation improvements at airports across the globe. World’s first passport-free pilot project between two countries Passengers travelling between Amsterdam Schiphol and Toronto Pearson and Montréal-Trudeau airports on Air Canada and KLM flights will be able to enjoy paperless travel from 2020 following the launch […]

Ireland West Airport (Knock) has officially opened its new runway following a €11 million refurbishment designed and project managed by Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group. The 2,400m runway – which is the third longest in the country – handles all flights at Ireland West Airport and is central to the airport’s vision to […]

Celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, paid a flying visit to Jamie’s Deli at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport this week, to the delight of excited staff. The renowned chef took time out to speak with colleagues about their work and hear about the latest developments at the outlet. Jamie’s Deli at Schiphol Airport is a partnership between THE […]

Alex Avery, Pragma’s managing director for airports, travel and commercial spaces, discusses how food and beverage is transforming airport retail. Whilst the challenges of delivering growth in retail are well documented, F&B continues to be the star performer for many airports. Pragma has seen annual growth in spend per passenger of up to 15% in […]

London City Airport’s appeal with the local population is growing, with new data showing that more people living within a three mile radius of the gateway used it in 2018 than ever before.New analysis by the airport of 2017, and 2018 Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) postcode data, has found that in 2018, 143,000 departing passengers […]

Aviation’s leaders today produced a timely reminder to the world’s governments about the economic and social importance of aviation and the industry’s commitment to its sustainable development. Presenting a joint industry working paper to the 40th session of the ICAO Assembly in Montréal, Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) executive director, Michael Gill, said: “In addition to the 65.5 […]

The world’s newest major airport, Beijing Daxing, opened for business today as China marked another major milestone in the modernisation and expansion of its aviation infrastructure. The new $12.9 billion gateway is one of the key developments in the modernisation and expansion of its airport infrastructure as China prepares to replace the US as the […]

Ambient scenting is one of the newest initiatives being embraced by airports as they look to enhance the passenger experience, writes Prolitec’s Roger Bensinger. Clearly airports are succeeding in finding ways to enhance their customers’ experience as passenger satisfaction levels are growing globally and are at a record high in Canada and the US, according […]

Society needs to pull together to deliver a world class service to travellers with reduced mobility, writes OmniServ’s head of innovation and regulatory compliance, Samantha Saunders. The number of people with disabilities travelling by air is increasing faster than the overall growth in air travel. In the UK, for example, while passenger traffic through its […]

On the occasion of the UN Global Climate Action Summit taking place in New York today, ACI Europe, provided an update on the industry’s response to the Climate Emergency. In June of this year, ACI Europe announced a landmark resolution committing its 500 members to reach net zero by 2050 for the carbon emissions under […]

Tourists from all over the world will descend on Munich over the next 16 days to celebate the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, and for many the fun will start and end at Munich Airport! Indeed, the German gateway promises that the sights, sounds and tastes of Oktoberfest can be enjoyed at Munich Airport. Numerous […]

Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) and London Heathrow (LHR) remain among the world’s best connected mega hubs, according to OAG’s Megahubs Index 2019. The analysis reveals the Top 50 most internationally connected airports in the world and the Top 25 most domestically connected airports in the US. Chicago O’Hare (Connectivity Index: 459) leads North America […]

Budapest Airport has been declared the Overall Winner of the World Routes 2019 Marketing Awards in Adelaide, Australia. The Hungarian gateway beat off strong rivalry, not only in the highly competitive ‘4-20 million passengers’ category, but also from airports around the world to take the highest accolade at the event. On hearing the news of […]

US Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao, today announced that the Department will award $986 million in airport infrastructure grants to 354 airports in 44 states and Puerto Rico and Micronesia. This is the fifth allotment of the total $3.18 billion in Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) Airport Improvement Program(AIP) funding for airports across the United States. “Infrastructure projects funded by […]

What are the prerequisites to delivering exceptional customer experience along all touchpoints of the passenger journey? Redwater Consulting Group’s management consultant, Kateryna Hess, investigates. Customer experience (CX) has become a buzz word in today’s service industries from telecommunications, financial institutions and travel organisations to infrastructure providers. Consumers have become more connected and well informed about prices and […]

Moscow Sheremetyevo handled 33.8 million passengers in the first eight months of the 2019 –a healthy 13% rise on the corresponding period a year ago. The Russian gateway has one of the best on-time performance records in the world and claims that this was maintained in August with 93.8% of flights departing on time, according […]

Dublin Airport’s new North Runway will become a step closer to reality in the next 10 days with the pouring of the first concrete paving on its 3.1 kilometre long site. The start of construction of pavement quality concrete, which is the top layer of the new runway, is a key milestone for the €320 […]

The human touch can make the difference for airports in today’s highly competitive digital age, writes Exambela Consulting’s David Feldman. The true impact of the digital revolution on the airport business is only now starting to become apparent. Digitising and automating a wide range of airport processes makes life smoother and faster for the passenger […]

New passenger processing technology will play a key role in raising customer satisfaction levels at airports, writes SITA’s president for air travel solutions, Matthys Serfontein. With IATA predicting that airlines will carry 8.2 billion passengers by 2037, just about double today’s numbers, the pressure really is on airports to enhance their capacity to enable them […]

According to ACI’s latest World Airport Traffic Report, passenger numbers are estimated to have reached 8.8 billion in 2018, an increase of +6.4% compared to the previous year. In addition, the world’s airports accommodated 122.7 million metric tonnes of cargo and almost 100 million aircraft movements. While growth moderated slightly compared to 2017, ACI says […]

Faik Fahmi, president director of Indonesian airport operator, Angkasa Pura 1, explains why customer service excellence is a priority at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport. Why do you take the provision of good customer service so seriously? Because Ngurah Rai International Airport is the first and last impressions most people have of Bali, and we […]

ACI World’s Valerie St James and Sevda Fevzi consider how the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Arrivals Survey can help airports create the best customer experience for their passengers. Are departing passengers more satisfied with an airport’s services than arriving passengers, or vice versa? Are there any specific groups of passengers particularly influenced or less satisfied […]

Sydney Airport has unveiled a new departures experience at the T1 International terminal including a refreshed farewell point for travellers and their family and friends. The farewell point features a curved wall incorporating more than 10,000 lineal metres of Tasmanian Oak weighing 9,000kg, as well as 25-metres of digital screen displaying vibrant images of Sydney, […]

Despite the enforced 45-day closure of one of its two runways for refurbishment work, Dubai International Airport (DXB) welcomed 41.3 million passengers in the first half of 2019 to maintain its status as the world’s busiest international airport by traffic volumes. The closure of its southern runway meant that passenger traffic at the airport was […]

Mactan Cebu International Airport has a new area for passengers to escape the hustle and bustle of the terminal following the opening of a Plaza Premium Lounge in Domestic Arrivals. The T1 located lounge joins Plaza Premium’s existing facility in the International Terminal. “Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines and […]

Dr Michael Kerkloh reflects on close to 17 years in the hot seat at Munich Airport and is confident that he will leave a gateway and a global airport operator on the up when he retires from his position at the end of the year, writes Joe Bates. The recent announcement that Jost Lammers will […]

Krabi International Airport in Thailand is to install self-service technology provided by SITA in line with its ambitions to become a regional aviation hub. The airport, operated by Thailand’s Department of Airports, is investing in SITA’s common-use passenger processing (CUPPS) platform, along with self-service check-in kiosks at both domestic and international terminals. Airport director, Attaporn Nuang-udom, says: […]

Airbräu, the Munich Airport restaurant with its own on-site brewery, celebrates its 20th anniversary today. According to the gateway, the world’s only airport brewery was born from the idea of offering passengers and visitors a unique, Bavarian-themed dining experience. Airbräu, which features Europe’s largest covered beer garden, quickly became a popular spot for not only […]

Gebr Heinemann is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launch of its airport duty free business, which began at Cologne Bonn Airport in Germany. It all began with a small kiosk with a service counter at Cologne Bonn, where the Hamburg family business is still the retail concessionaire today, although the operation has grown to […]

VIEW THE ISSUE HERE In the spotlight: Customer service Airport report: Munich Special report: Passenger facilitation Plus: F&B innovation & Industry news Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on how the aviation industry’s attitudes towards customer service and the airport experience have changed over the years. Never ending journey Arguably one of the easiest ways of showing how airport attitudes towards customer service […]

Kraków John Paul II International Airport has appointed London-based design specialists The Design Solution (TDS) to transform the commercial spaces in its terminal. Over the past decade the airport has been one of the fastest-growing regional airports in Europe and has developed an ambitious Master Plan for its long-term development. The blueprint for the future includes […]

People expect airports to smoothly manage incidents, ensure universal passenger safety and offer a high level of convenience to customers regardless of their flight plans. Tall orders, all. Today’s airports simultaneously face familiar, evolving and brand new challenges that complicate operations and directly impact travel experiences. ‘Black swan’ events like Gatwick’s recent run-in with drones continue to make the […]

Interbrand strategy consultant, Jan Glanzmann, considers the value and transformative power of a strong brand, which he believes have grown from nice-to-have to must have assets. I am often asked what I consider to be a company’s biggest single asset, and in many cases, it is the brand. The brand value of one of the world’s […]

The demands of the growing number of tech-savvy travellers will have the biggest impact on the digital plans of airports and airlines over the next six years to 2025, according to industry executives. The findings are revealed today in a new report published today by IT provider SITA. The report, 2025: Air Travel for a Digital Age, […]

In a first for New Zealand, Dunedin Airport has signed a memorandum of understanding with Queenstown Airport Corporation and Invercargill Airport Limited to work together to make a “positive contribution” to the Lower South. The purpose of the co-operative agreement is to foster a collaborative working relationship across the airports of the Lower South for […]

A report released today by a cross-party group of backbench MPs has urged the UK government to slash Air Passenger Duty if it wants the economy to flourish after Brexit. The report, the release of which was timed ahead of the UK’s scheduled departure from the European Union, was the culmination of a months-long evidence […]

Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) has announced that it plans to help create an ecological park to the north of the Montréal Trudeau (YUL) site in the Saint-Laurent borough. The news follows discussions with Canada’s Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, who supports changing the land’s vocation to an ecological park. As a result, a […]

According to Ookla, the Wi-Fi speeds at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) continue to grow and its average download speeds are among the best in the US and Canada. Internet speed test company Ookla, shows that Wi-Fi speeds on LAX free network now top 70.6Mbps – an increase of 541% since 2016, when the average download […]

Although rising global traffic figures show that air travel has never been so popular, there is no denying that the selfish action of some passengers onboard flights can make journeys a little stressful, and today we reveal a few of these annoying habits. According to a new survey by flight-search website, Alternative Airlines, the public’s pet […]

Channel Islands based  investment vehicle, NR Investments Ltd, has effectively completed the purchase of the operator of Moldova’s Chisinau International Airport. It now owns Cyprus-incorporated Komaksavia Airport Invest Ltd, which holds a 95% stake in Chisinau International Airport concessionaire and operator, Avia Invest SRL. According to NR Investments, the deal marks a significant next step in […]

Gatwick Airport has formally started the process to bring its existing Northern Runway into routine use by submitting a notice to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) of its intention to prepare an application for development consent. This action establishes the ‘Gatwick Airport Northern Runway’ project on the PINS website and is the first step in the […]

Richard Plenty and Terri Morrissey provide their thoughts on how to encourage entrepreneurial spirt. Back in 2012, we delivered a keynote address at ACI Europe’s Regional Airports Conference in Ljubljana on ‘Building an entrepreneurial mindset’. At the time, many airports were facing economic challenges which could not be met by simply providing ‘more of the […]

Quito has become the first international airport in Latin America and the Caribbean to achieve carbon neutral status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. The milestone cements Mariscal Sucre International Airport’s status as an environmental pioneer. Operator Corporación Quiport joined the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme in 2015 and has achieved the lofty status in double quick time. “Corporación […]

Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) in Barbados now boasts 48 biometric-enabled kiosks provided by Innovative Travel Solutions, the independent business unit of Vancouver International Airport (YVR). ITS’ industry-leading self-service global border control solution, BorderXpress, is designed to enhance security, speed of service and improve the overall passenger experience. “As air travel continues to experience remarkable […]

The latest global news from ACI’s World Business Partners. Amadeus completes acquisition of ICM Amadeus has completed the acquisition of ICM Airport Technics (ICM), a global leader in passenger automation and self-service bag drop solutions for airports and airlines, for an undisclosed sum. Thanks to this deal, Amadeus is now able to design, configure, implement, […]

Bengaluru–Kempegowda International Airport operator, BIAL, has selected Unisys to integrate and manage all IT and non-IT systems for Phase 1 of its new Terminal 2. India’s third busiest airport and among the fastest growing in the world, Kempegowda handled 33.3 million passengers in FY2018/19. BIAL’s second terminal project is designed to add capacity to efficiently […]

The largest airport digital billboard in the southern hemisphere has gone live at Brisbane Airport. The 400sqm ‘Big Morety’ greets arriving passengers into Brisbane Airport, which was voted the best in Australia by SkyTrax and accommodates nearly 23.8 million passengers a year. Located on Moreton Drive and affectionally titled Big Morety, it will complement a […]

Collins Aerospace’s Tony Chapman explains how new technology will help airports meet growing passenger expectations and boost their bottom lines. High-end boutiques, five-star restaurants, cinemas, golf courses, even indoor parks and waterfalls … no longer the sole domain of luxury destinations, these are just a few of the amenities you’ll find in modern airports around the world. […]

London Luton Airport is certainly doing something right as 82.8% of passengers passing through its facilities rated their experience “good” or “excellent”, according to the CAA’s latest Departing Passenger Survey.  The CAA figures are collected over the course of 12 months and involve a qualitative interview with one in every thousand passengers passing through the airport, split […]

David Gammie, CIO at Edinburgh Airport, explains how smart networks help to meet increasing passenger demands for connectivity while delivering 24/7 business critical operations. The data network is undoubtedly a key asset in any airport. It underpins everything from crucial day-to-day operations such as managing bag drops and security queues, to improving passenger experience, with […]

Private investors are set to transform Airglades International Airport in Florida from a general aviation airfield into a cargo airport. Owner, Hendry Country in South Florida, and current operator Airglades International, LLC (AIA) want to turn the airport into a new cargo and logistics hub for freight shipments between the US and Latin America and […]

Guernsey based property development vehicle, NR Investments Ltd, has agreed to acquire a 95% stake in Avia Invest, operator of Moldova’s Chisinau International Airport. Chisinau is the largest and sole international airport in Moldova.  Agreement was ratified between representatives of Avia Invest LLC (Avia Invest) and NR Investments’ sole beneficiary, Nat Rothschild, today.   The operations and […]

Asian high street favourite, Tai Cheong Bakery, and Archipelago Craft Brew are the latest new F&B additions to Singapore Changi Airport. Introduced in partnership with the SSP Group, the new Tai Cheong Bakery is located landside at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3. Established in 1954, Tai Cheong Bakery is one of Hong Kong’s most popular traditional […]

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

Spotlight on LAX’s handling of aviation’s most eco-friendly commercial flight, Gatwick reducing its noise footprint and the recycling efforts of Detroit Metropolitan. LAX makes history on World Environment Day Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) claims to have welcomed the most eco-friendly commercial flight in aviation history on World Environment Day. Operator, Los Angeles World Airports […]

Visitors from around the world to LA won’t have to leave Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to enjoy hot deals on signature Los Angeles cuisine this month as the gateway had decided to take part in dineLA Restaurant Week for the first time. The event helps showcase Los Angeles as a premier dining destination while […]

New state-of-the-art Terminal 3 to raise the airport’s capacity to in excess of 90 million passengers per annum. Project details Location: Frankfurt, Germany Important developments: New Terminal 3 Scheduled completion: 2023 Principal companies involved: Fraport AG; Fraport Ausbau Süd GmbH; Christoph Mäckler Architects Total investment: Up to €4 billion Frankfurt Airport has laid the cornerstone for its new Terminal 3, […]

Millennials are one of the most travel-savvy demographics, with many having been well-seasoned travellers since childhood, writes Andy Besant. In fact, 61% of 25 to 34 year olds first flew by the age of 10, according to research from airport lounge provider, Club Aspire. Coupled with an ever-expanding list of destinations and increasingly affordable flights, […]

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) welcomed more than 6.9 million passengers in July, up 0.8% on the corresponding month a year ago. The total means that 2.6% more passengers have passed through the gateway in the first seven months of 2019 than the same period last year. Aircraft movements in July 2019 climbed by 1% to 47,125 take-off and […]

EasyJet is to base a fifth aircraft at Glasgow Airport, a move that is expected to create around 50 new jobs. The new A320 aircraft will remain based in Glasgow throughout the year, providing 340,000 more seats for passengers travelling to and from Glasgow. It joins two 156-seat Airbus A319 and two 186-seat A320 aircraft […]

Prague Airport’s digital signage is now available in six different languages to provide extra special assistance for passengers that speak Arabiic, Chinese, Czech, English, Korean and Russian. Located at the entrance to pier B in Terminal 1, the smart signage offers information displayed on eight digital screens and reflects the current traffic and passenger flow […]

Passengers using London Stansted this summer will benefit from a new and improved check-in area thanks to the completion of the latest terminal upgrade as part of the airport’s ongoing transformation project. Eight new check-in desks opened at 5am yesterday with passengers travelling with TUI to Heraklion in Crete the first to use them. London […]

Airport World reviews some of the latest airport parking stories from across Europe and North America. London’s Gatwick Airport has signed a framework contract with Stanley Robotics that will see it become the first UK airport to trial robots to valet park passengers’ cars. The trial will run from the second half of 2019 to […]

Copenhagen Airport came close to breaking its monthy record for July when 3.1 million passengers passed through the Danish gateway. The airport also reports that 87% of passengers questioned about their airport experience were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the levels of service they received. A total of 3,109,498 travellers passed through the airport in […]

Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) celebrates its 60th anniversary on Sunday.  Built as the main airdrome of the Soviet Air Force, it was later transformed into a civil airport, and handled its first commercial flight – a Tupolev 104 service from Leningrad – on August 11, 1959. Today, the airport handles more than 150,000 passengers daily […]

Irish airport operator, daa, has business interests across the globe courtesy of its wholly owned subsidiaries, writes daa International CEO, Nick Cole. The daa Group is made up of four distinct businesses; Dublin Airport, Cork Airport, daa International and Aer Rianta International. My company, daa International, is a wholly owned subsidiary of daa plc, whose […]

ACI Europe today revealed that passenger traffic continued its upward trajectory across the continent’s airports in the first half of 2019, rising 4.3% despite a “range of economic, geopolitical and industry specific challenges”. The rate of growth has slowed, however, compared to the same period in 2018 and ACI Europe believes air transport in Europe […]

Gatwick has unveiled its new five-year Capital Investment Programme (CIP) which highlights more investment in automation and technology as an enabler of sustainable growth.  According to the UK gateway, new initiatives include robotic parking and automated boarding technology, which will speed up boarding and give passengers more choice about how they spend their time. Gatwick’s […]

What have TV host Jimmy Kimmel, LA Dodgers player Justin Turner, Los Angeles Philharmonic director, Gustavo Dudamel, and LA based chef, author and TV personality, Susan Feniger, all got in common? Well, they are among the first celebrities to record new greeting messages for passengers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). And they will soon be […]

Lufthansa and low-cost subsidiary Eurowings continues to expand its tourist-oriented long-haul programme from its Frankfurt and Munich hubs. Beginning with the launch of the 2020 summer schedules, leisure travellers in particular will benefit from new destinations in North America as Lufthansa expands its services to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Anchorage, Seattle and Detroit. The majority of the flights, which […]

Strong growth on leisure routes including Mykonos, Skiathos and Florence helped tip London City Airport to its busiest-ever month in July 2019. A total of 490,819 passengers chose London’s most central airport, 4% up (+19,300) compared to July 2018, which previously held the 32-year record. It means the airport is on track to welcome over […]

Shannon International Airport is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the launch of its US Preclearance service. Established at the airport on August Bank Holiday weekend 2009, Shannon was the first airport in Europe and the Middle East to offer this service, which allows passengers bound for the US to preclear agriculture, customs and immigration controls […]

Some of the biggest airport seating companies in the world provide their thoughts on the importance of seating, the latest trends and the challenges of changing passenger dynamics. Paul Williams, CEO of the Zoeftig Group Why should airports care about seating? The passenger experience is coming more into focus and the provision of seating in […]

Just in time for the big summer getaway, London Gatwick has opened a new Arrivals facility which it is confident will ensure a faster and more convenient airport experience for domestic travellers from other parts of the UK and Republic of Ireland. As a result of a £24 million investment, passengers arriving from the UK […]

London Luton Airport (LLA) has begun a new trial which will see drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) benefit from reduced drop-off and pick-up charges. The trial forms part of the airport’s efforts to encourage the use of sustainable methods of transport. It will run from August 1 until September 30, 2019, and the reduced rate […]

Boston Logan operator, Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), has launched a communication plan to inform passengers, employees and tenants about an upcoming series of construction projects at the New England gateway. According to Massport, the projects will have “major impacts to the travelling public” over the next five years, and include roadway detours starting this autumn. Massport insists […]

Investing in hotel accommodation is a strategic move that more airports could be capitalising on to boost revenues and customer satisfaction levels, writes ICF’s Stephen Freibrun. The buzz around airport hotels has taken off in recent months – from May’s opening of the hotly anticipated TWA Hotel at New York’s John F Kennedy Airport (pictured […]

Is this what airports will look like in 2075? The vision of the future above is the winning design submitted by North Carolina State University student, Daoru Wang, in Fentress Architects’ annual Airport of the Future competition. Wang’s vision, called ‘Infinity Airport’, earned him $10,000 and the opportunity to receive the award from Curt Fentress at […]

Budapest Airport CEO, Jost Lammers, is to replace Dr Michael Kerkloh as the managing director of the Flughafen München GmbH (FMG) Group on January 1, 2020. He will also become the future chairman of FMG’s management board when Kerkloh steps down at the end of 2019 after more than seventeen years with the airport.  Minister of State and […]

ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, reflects on the importance of catering to customer needs in today’s ‘phygital’ world. Digital transformation is happening in all industries. For airports, it involves transforming established processes and services to improve their operations to deliver a better experience to all passengers and customers. With the extensive use of smartphones, […]

Airport World provides a snapshot of the latest route development news from Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Miami, Munich, Göteborg Landvetter and Stockholm Arlanda airports. Belgium Day in Moscow Moscow-Sheremetyevo International Airport held its own ‘Belgium Day’ on June 2 complete with waffles and, of course, a Smurf as the gateway celebrated the launch of Brussels Airlines’ new service […]

Airport World takes a closer look at Ilan and Asaf Ramon Airport, Israel’s new $470 million gateway to Eilat. Israel has opened its first commercial greenfield gateway, Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport (Ramon-Eilat), located in the Timna Valley, about 18 kilometres north of the Red Sea resort city of Eilat. Commissioned by the Israel Airports Authority […]

Airport World finds out more about Singapore’s new mega retail, hospitality and leisure development, Jewel Changi Airport. The eagerly awaited opening of Singapore Changi’s mega retail and lifestyle development, Jewel Changi Airport, has arguably taken non-aviation related activities at an airport to a new level and provided one of the world’s biggest hubs with a […]

Embracing the latest trends and seizing the opportunities created by a constantly evolving retail market will allow airports to sustain and grow non-aeronautical revenues, writes Chris LeTourneur. Airport retailing has always been a critical element of the passenger experience, not only to serve basic convenience and dining needs but to generate non-aeronautical revenues. For international […]

VIEW THE ISSUE HERE In the spotlight: New revenue streams Airport report: El Paso Build & design: Israel’s new airport Plus: Airport seating, Brands and Frankfurt’s Terminal 3 Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the importance of income earned from non-aviation related activity in this ‘new revenue streams’ themed issue. Big business It seems hard to believe, but the […]

Passenger numbers at El Paso International Airport hit an all-time high in 2018, and although it may still be one of the smaller regional airports in Texas and the USA, it is not to be underestimated, writes Joe Bates. Unlike some of its bigger neighbours to the east, El Paso isn’t connected to the world […]

The battle to win the concession to operate Bulgaria’s Sofia Airport has been won by the SOF Connect consortium, comprising 100% owned Munich Airport subsidiary, Munich Airport International (MAI), and asset manager, Meridiam. The news is a bitter blow to a consortium led by Groupe ADP ­– which offered the highest concession fee – and […]

ACI Europe has reacted with dismay today to the call by an environmental group for the closure of all small regional airports across Europe unable to achieve profitability within a five-year period. Transport & Environment (T&E) made what ACI Europe has labelled “the shocking policy recommendation” as part of an ‘analysis’ of State aid to […]

Operator, VINCI Airports, today launched its blueprint for the expansion of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, in the presence of the presidents of France and Serbia.  French President, Emmanuel Macron, and Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, were joined at the launch of the project by Xavier Huillard, chairman and CEO of VINCI and Nicolas Notebaert, president of VINCI […]

What have intelligent refrigerators, sunglasses that fight jet lag and streetlights that measure air pollution all got in common? They are all currently featured in a smart solutions exhibition at Munich Airport that highlights the very best in Bavarian design. Located in Munich Airport’s Terminal 2, the exhibition in partnership with bayern design, is called ‘Well […]