Airports Council International (ACI) World Chair Bongani Maseko today delivered an address for the opening ceremony of the 2018 World Aviation Conference and called on governments and the aviation industry worldwide to adequately prepare for the growth in air service demand. The event – held under the theme “Future Airport – New Growth Engine of the Global Aviation Industry” – provides the opportunity for the global aviation industry to explore how it should respond to the huge growth in demand for air services and develop the appropriate actions and solutions to ensure a sustainable future for aviation and plan the next generation of airports.
The airports’ sector welcomes future growth prospects but, in many cases, the investment needed to meet this demand outpaces the investment planned.
“Airports are vital economic generators providing gateways to their cities, states, regions and countries,” said Bongani Maseko.
“Grasping innovation in processes and leveraging technology is crucial for airports to continue to power growth in the global aviation sector. In today’s digital world there is no escaping the power of data, so harnessing its benefits is key.
“But airports also need flexibility and consistency in regulatory frameworks to better serve their communities, invest in infrastructure and service improvement, and meet future demand. In many cases around the world, private investment in airports has been successful in providing new or improved infrastructure, better facilities, and a positive influence on passenger experience.
“Now is the time to address the challenges, develop mitigation strategies and plans to better cope with traffic growth in the short-term.”
Projects such as developing best practices for Digital Transformation, Airport Community Recommended Information Services (ACRIS), Smart Security, research into Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Vehicles, our Cyber Security tools and the joint ACI IATA NEXTT initiative are all working towards leveraging technology to solve business problems and shape the airport of the future.
ACI continues to work with industry partners and governments globally on a full range of optimization projects that will contribute to build the next generation of airports.
The conference is held in Seoul, South Korea, by ACI Member Incheon International Airport, an exemplar airport which was the first airport inducted into the ACI World Directors’ Roll of Excellence for consistent performance in delivering an excellent experience for the airline passengers travelling through the airport.
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