ACI WORLD NEWS
World in motion
ACI World reflects on the recent ICAO organised Air Transport Conference in Montréal .
From March 18-22 , ACI World Governing Board ’ s vice president , Rick Piccolo , and other senior airport executives converged at the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation ( ICAO ) in Montréal for the once-a-decade Air Transport Conference .
The five-day conference , which is only the sixth such event since ICAO was formed in 1944 , sought to address and resolve economic policy issues in favour of a future that includes an economically viable and sustainable air transport sector .
Attended by over 1,000 delegates from more than 200 states and international organisations , over 100 working papers were presented , including seven from Airports Council International .
The papers presented at the conference sought the development of ICAO policy on aviation economics , liberalisation , fair competition , taxation and charges , and consumer protection .
Speaking on the Freedom to do Business Panel at the pre-Conference Symposium on Sunday March 17 , Piccolo stated that the regulatory environment was very different at the time of the last Air Transport Conference in 2003 .
Today , regulators needed to allow market forces to work for airports in the same fashion that was made possible for airlines . ACI supported the principles of effective market access , transparency , non-discrimination and fair competition .
He said that the market could be harsh , and airports took risks investing in new infrastructure since there was no guarantee that airlines would utilise this infrastructure in the long-term .
On the Symposium Panel discussing Consumer Protection , Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid – ACI World Governing Board member , managing director of Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad and chair of ACI-Asia Pacific – observed that passenger expectations were increasingly demanding and that handling their many needs was challenging , but for the most part service provided to those passengers by airports and airlines was very high .
Problems generally arose when things went wrong , and it was important for industry to work together to develop common procedures , and here ICAO could provide a suitable forum .
He warned that if industry did not act there was a risk that government regulations would be introduced which could be out of step with industry ’ s capabilities .
Speaking on the symposium ’ s panel on taxation , Robert Deillon , CEO of Geneva Airport and ACI Europe Board member , noted the need for light touch regulation as the increased competitiveness of airports meant that concepts such as ‘ single till ’ were outdated , and that competition and contestability meant that detailed regulation could impede infrastructure development and improvements to customer service .
ACI director general , Angela Gittens , said that ACI was consolidating its international representation role as the voice of the world ’ s airports . Indeed , the level of engagement that ACI was able to muster is testament to the increased stature and importance of airports in shaping the international aviation policy agenda .
In addition to the speakers at the Pre-Conference Symposium , airports were represented by the chair of ACI-North America , David Edwards , executive director of Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and its president , Greg Principato , and the director of the Asia-Pacific Region , Patti Chau .
During the conference , ACI presented working papers on Market Liberalisation , Slots and Night Curfews , Passenger Protection , Airport Competition and Economics of Airports , and jointly presented papers with CANSO and IATA on taxation and modernising air traffic management .
Woman of the Year
ACI director general , Angela Gittens , has been named as Woman of the Year by Air Transport News ( ATN ).
Gittens , who has spearheaded the organisation since 2008 , received the honour at ATN ’ s annual awards ceremony , held in Montréal on the eve of ICAO ’ s Sixth Worldwide Air Transport Conference .
ATN states that the awards celebrate the companies and key players who make outstanding contributions to the air transport industry , and whose vision and determination positively impact the industry , and the countless individuals and communities touched by the economic and social spin-offs of aviation .
Gittens enthused : “ I am thrilled to receive this inaugural Woman of the Year award from Air Transport News . I share this award with all the other women in aviation who represent this dynamic industry and who work day-in and day-out to ensure its safety and sustainability .
“ It is particularly gratifying to share the stage with my colleague , Raymond Benjamin , who has been named Leader of the Year in the ATN Awards , and I assure you that ACI will continue to work alongside ICAO and our other aviation stakeholders to attain the benefits that commercial aviation brings to the world ’ s communities .”
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AIRPORT WORLD / APRIL-MAY 2013