EVENTS: ACI WORLD ASSEMBLY
Turkish delight
Joe Bates reports on some of the highlights of the recent ACI Europe/ World Annual Congress & Exhibition in Istanbul.
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he election of a new ACI World chairman for 2014, ACI Africa joining the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme, discussions about evolving business models, and warnings of the challenges ahead, ensured that this year’s annual conference and exhibition was a lively affair. Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority’s president and CEO, Fredrick Piccolo, was elected the new chairman of ACI World, succeeding Athens International Airport’s CEO, Dr Yiannis Paraschis, who completes his two-year stint in the hot seat at the end of the year. Additionally, former ACI Europe president Declan Collier, chief executive of London City Airport, was elected vice-chair. “We welcome two very qualified airport leaders whose industry expertise and knowledge will help further guide and steer ACI to provide its members with the tools, services and strategies to continue achieving operational excellence,” said ACI World’s director general, Angela Gittens. Commenting on his future role, Piccolo enthused: “I will do my utmost to help ACI further grow its relationships with ICAO, IATA, CANSO, IFALPA and other stakeholder groups to ensure that it continues to be in a position to help airports further strengthen their operations and enhance the standing of airports on the world aviation stage.” The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Dynamic, airport business transformation’, so it was no surprise that in his opening address, TAV Airports CEO, Sani Sener, reflected on the rapid development of his company and Turkey’s airport system over the past decade. “Between 1990 and 2000, Turkey was a little bit complacent in terms of coping with the growth of the global economy, and coalition governments made it difficult to cope with the new era of economic globalisation,” he admitted. “But after 2000, with the single party government, things changed and Turkey was very successful in the privatisation of infrastructure assets. “TAV was established after the Istanbul [Atatürk] airport tender, and in our first year in 2000, the airport handled 10 million passengers. Last year we achieved 45 million passengers, and together with our other airports in North Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans and the Caucasus, we handled 75 million passengers. “Last year we also sold some of our shares to Aéroports de Paris, which currently handles around 130 million passengers yearly around the world. So, together with ADP, we have established one of the biggest airport platforms in the world. “Between us, we now operate a total of 37 airports handling 200 million passengers. We will use this extra information and knowledge to develop and grow the company.”
Europe’s challenges
ACI Europe director general, Olivier Jankovec, reflected on changing times for the aviation industry during the opening session of this year’s event.
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AIRPORT WORLD/AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013