World in motion: ACI News

We report on the latest ACI news, views and developments from across the globe.

New ACI World ASQ Global Traveller Survey

ACI World has launched the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) 2024 Global Traveller Survey (GTS) report, revealing shifts in passenger expectations amidst a stabilising travel landscape and an increasing demand for traveller wellbeing and premium experiences.

For the fifth year, ACI World’s ASQ expertise in customer experience market research has been leveraged for the 2024 GTS report to capture insights from over 4,125 travellers across 30 countries who have travelled by air at least once in the past 12 months.

The survey found that despite economic pressures, enthusiasm for travel remains steady. Travellers are now planning trips further in advance and show growing confidence in long-term travel arrangements, reflecting a post-COVID return of industry confidence.

With the increasing importance of consumer wellbeing, travellers are expecting an enjoyable experience that will keep their stress and anxiety levels at their lowest. Two-thirds of respondents report feeling positive about their next airport journey, yet a significant portion (one-third) highlight a clear demand for wellness-focused environments to enhance their overall travel experience.

In terms of the overall experience throughout the journey, the survey found that the most stressful touchpoints for travellers occur during the pre-boarding phase, with stress levels decreasing once these processes are completed.

Key consumer trends reshaping traveller preferences and setting new airport standards include the desire for seamless, automated journeys;

Information sharing; a growing demand for premium services and personalisation; and conscious consumerism, with travellers increasingly drawn to brands with ethical and eco-friendly practices, impacting their airport retail choices.

The GTS report provides key insights into the evolution of traveller behaviours and expectations and contributes to the advancement of airport experience excellence by exploring current and emerging travel trends. It also looks at the potential impact of external events on the air travel industry.

Completion of the 2024 GTS report was made possible through the support of IDEMIA as the Platinum Advisory Partner; and NACO and Plaza Premium Group as Premium Sponsors.

Scholarship for Women in Aviation

ACI World has created a new ACI Fund scholarship for Women in Aviation. ACI and Dr Luigi (Joe) Sulmona will serve as the award originators and financial co-contributors for this prestigious scholarship initiative.

The new scholarship aims to provide targeted support to women in aviation who hail from countries designated by the United Nations as Least Developed Countries (LDC), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), or Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC) – all nations that are supported by the ACI Fund.

The one-time scholarship will recognise five outstanding women who have demonstrated exceptional achievements while participating in the ACI – ICAO Airport Management Professional Accreditation Program (AMPAP) Global Air Mobility System (GAMS) course, or, in their AMPAP application portfolio.

Each recipient will be awarded a grant of $10,000 to assist with their professional development in ACI aviation training courses.

The scholarship is part of the ACI Fund’s broader mission to advance airport safety, security, management, economics, environmental sustainability, and service excellence through targeted assistance and human resources development at member airports in developing nations.

Through this scholarship, the ACI Fund seeks to open doors to career development for women in aviation while enhancing capacity building and professional standards within the global aviation community.

“This scholarship is a significant step forward in our commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion in aviation,” said ACI World director general, Justin Erbacci.

ACI World announces Technology Innovation Award Winners

Dallas Love Field (DAL), Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Aeroporti di Roma’s Emanuele Calà and Gerald Ford International Airport (GRR) were named as the winners of the prestigious ACI World/Amadeus Technology Innovation Awards during the recent Airports Innovate conference and exhibition in Rome, Italy.

The Awards celebrate the outstanding airport technology initiatives and leadership that are shaping the future of air transport.

For the fourth year, ACI World and Amadeus invited airports globally to submit innovative technology projects and examples of leadership that enhance the passenger journey, drive operational efficiency, or improve processes for employees, travellers, and other stakeholders.

Past winners have showcased themes such as big data, biometrics, artificial intelligence, and automation.

The Best Innovation in Airport Passenger Related Processes went to DAL for its 3D LED Holographic Signage Fan Displays.

YYZ scooped the Best Innovation in Airport Operations and Installations Management Award for Optimizing Turnaround Operations using AI at Pearson.

ADR’s senior vice president for transformation and technology, Calà, was awarded the Best Airport Innovation Leader (individual) accolade. And GRR won the Best Small and Emerging Airport Innovation Award for its Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship (FLITE).

ACI World director general, Justin Erbacci, stated: “The groundbreaking solutions of the Technology Innovation Awards highlight the pivotal role technology plays in transforming our industry.

“This year’s edition attracted an unprecedented number of candidates, showcasing the unwavering global commitment of airports to innovation and ACI World’s relentless drive to empower it.

“As we embrace these advancements, technology becomes essential for boosting operational efficiency, creating seamless travel experiences and gaining a competitive edge.”

ACI EUROPE/ICAO Green Airports Seminar

Over 130 delegates attended the Seminar on Green Airports organised by ACI EUROPE and ICAO’s European and North Atlantic (ICAO EUR/NAT) Office in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Hosted by the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support of Almaty International Airport JSC and Groupe ADP, the event was designed to support and advance climate action by airports in the Central Asian region.

Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI EUROPE, said: “Environmental sustainability and, in particular climate action, has been at the forefront of our priorities for many years at ACI EUROPE, so we are delighted to engage with all relevant stakeholders together with ICAO in Central Asia.

“It is crucial that we all align and progress towards our shared objective of net zero emissions by 2050, as per the Long Term Aspirational Goal adopted by ICAO”.

ACI-LAC recognises sustainability and customer experience

ACI Latin America & Caribbean (ACI-LAC) celebrated airport innovation in terms of decarbonisation and the use of technology to improve the passenger experience at its 2024 Annual Assembly, Conference and Exhibition in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Nathane Ana Rosa Negri, a civil engineer and airport planning specialist at Recife Airport, operated by Aena Brasil, won ACI-LAC’s Young Professional Award for his submission on applying AI in airport processes to enhance efficiency and the customer experience.

While a host of airports and airport operators were recognised by ACI-LAC in its Green Airport Recognition for 2024. The programme aims to promote initiatives in airports in Latin America and the Caribbean in various areas of airport environmental management, such as waste management, energy efficiency, carbon emissions management, adaptation to climate change, among others.

In 2024, 21 circular economy projects that met the criteria established by ACI-LAC were recognised in Green Airport Recognition programme and will be included in a best practices document.

They include three projects that gained special recognition – OPAIN’s ‘circular connection’; ECOGAL’s ‘implementation of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) in runway repair’; and Amazon Airports Concessionaire’s ‘circular economy of water resources at Manaus airport’.

Rafael Echevarne, director general of ACI-LAC, said: “Sustainability and passenger experience are essential pillars of the airport industry.

“ACI-LAC is committed, at a sectoral level, to the goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and the projects recognised by Green Airport Recognition are aligned with this objective.

“In relation to the passenger experience throughout their journey, we believe that the better it is, the more satisfied the passenger will be, the higher the non-aeronautical revenues will be and the stronger the image of the airports will be.”

ACI Africa addresses the SAF challenge

ACI Africa’s director of strategy and business development, Romesh Bhoyroo, represented the continent’s airports when he took part in sustainability focused panel at the African Airlines Association’s 56th Annual General Assembly & Summit in Cairo.

The panel discussed how the aviation industry can accelerate the journey to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at the same time as meeting growing traffic demand across Africa and staying on track to meet the industry’s Net Zero 2050 targets.

Fellow panelists included CANSO’s director of African affairs, Thabani Myeza; Embraer’s airline marketing manager for EMEA, Claire Bensahmoun; and Dr Ada Allogo Raissa from the African Union Commission.

Bhoyroo believes the important session once again highlighted aviation’s collective commitment to a sustainable future in aviation.

Concern about rising airfares in Asia-Pacific & Middle East

The topic of rising airfares was one of the focal points of discussions among airport leaders during the Board Meeting of the ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

An airfare study, undertaken by ACI APAC & MID, in partnership with Flare Aviation Consulting, examined airfare trends across approximately 60,000 routes in 19 countries from 2019 to 2024, providing a detailed view of post-pandemic air travel recovery in the region.

It discovered that while international air traffic is rebounding, with seat capacity expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year, airfares remain more than 10% higher in several markets.

The study showed a sharp rise in domestic airfares during the first half of 2024 compared to 2019 levels. Notable increases were seen in key domestic markets such as India (+43%), Vietnam (+63%), Malaysia (+36%), Thailand (+26%), and Australia (+21%), all of which heavily rely on domestic air travel.

Despite the anticipated recovery in international seat supply in these countries, airfares remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. In India and Vietnam, international fares rose by 16%, Malaysia by 21%, Australia by 14%, and Thailand by 7%, with low-cost carriers (LCCs) contributing to the sharpest increases.

The study also notes that LCCs in the Asia-Pacific region have demonstrated greater resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing their market share and bargaining power, further influencing airfare trends.

Stefano Baronci, director general, ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, noted: “While passenger numbers in Asia-Pacific are returning to pre-pandemic levels this year, many travellers are paying significantly more, especially on domestic routes.

“This indicates that the demand for air travel is likely higher than in 2019. We must ensure that rising airfares do not become a barrier for potential customers. Passengers deserve transparency about these costs.”

ACI-NA’s Ted Bushelman Legacy Award for Creativity and Excellence

ACI-NA has named Justin Meyer, deputy director of aviation for marketing and air service development at Kansas City Aviation Department, as the 2024 recipient of the Ted Bushelman Legacy Award for Creativity and Excellence.

The Bushelman Award recognises the accomplishments and contributions of airport marketing, communications, and customer experience professionals “Justin Meyer’s continuous commitment to advancing airport marketing, communications, and customer experience has significantly raised the bar and set a new standard for our industry,” said ACI-NA president and CEO, Kevin Burke.

“From successfully leading the launch of a new terminal to sharing his counsel and expertise with countless peers, Justin embraces each opportunity with integrity, energy, confidence, reliability, and a collaborative spirit. We are honoured to recognise his achievements and look forward to witnessing his impact for years to come.”

The award is named after its first recipient, Ted Bushelman, who served as senior director of communications at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport for 40 years.