Airports mean business

Airports and airlines must work together to improve the customer experience and harmonise standards, writes Robert Aaronson, director general of the Airports Council International

When the average traveller is asked about air transport today, his first response may be to recount an annoying travel experience - a slow passage through security checkpoints, an overbooking, a missed connection, a delayed arrival, a lost bag - and soon enough it may be his tale of having a one-litre bottle of duty-free spirits bought in Asia confiscated at a security checkpoint when he transfers to a connecting flight.

The industry must work together to fast-track approvals for new capacity

That is why airports and airlines must multiply initiatives where we can work together as natural allies in improving the customer experience. When the process is not as smooth as we might like, we have every reason to co-operate in finding the agreed solutions that can make the difference. And that is what we are doing in many areas.

Security has been claiming the spotlight in aviation news ever since the UK authorities halted a terrorist plot to make air transport its prime target once again. The regional associations of airports and airlines worked quickly and efficiently to plead in favour of standardisation of security measures across the European Union. Hand baggage restrictions included liquids and gels, computers, and the size of carry-on luggage, and these were formulated to align closely with the Transportation Security Administration standards for Canada and the USA.

But although European and North American authorities will recognise each others' standards, it is still unclear whether the duty-free provisions are harmonised. Without worldwide harmonisation, which airlines and airports must continue to promote loudly and clearly, this could be a recipe for complete confusion for the passenger and for aviation personnel responsible for its implementation.

At the same time, we need to raise some fundamental questions: is this trend inevitable, have we gone too far, do we need to revise our approach - and how do we achieve harmonisation worldwide? What does the passenger think, and how will this shape his travel choices? How will airports be affected in terms of process and non-aeronautical revenue? What does this mean for the future of duty-free? This is of great concern to airports and we are analysing, in co-operation with retail associations worldwide, the impact on sales and on airport non-aeronautical revenue, which has direct implications for user charges and passenger satisfaction.

Airports have worked closely with airlines in recent years to streamline passenger travel. Most of us are accustomed to online reservations, kiosk check-in and printing out our own baggage tags, if not everywhere at least in a fast-increasing number of locations. This has resulted from a successful partnership, including the industry suppliers of technology and equipment, and again the full success of this modernisation process will depend on harmonisation of standards across the industry.

On a global level, the airports sector is also promoting a better understanding of airport business parameters and the development of long-term solutions to handle future growth. Responding to ACI's survey last year, airports forecast that over 7 billion passengers will use the world's airports by 2020. When asked about available or new capacity to handle this surge in demand, they estimated that regulatory, political and environmental barriers would result in a global capacity shortfall of 1 billion.

Governments, airport operators, airlines and other industry stakeholders must work together to fast-track approvals for new capacity. Expensive, time-consuming bureaucratic hurdles to airport development deter airports operators from their core mission to serve the community and deliver services for airport users in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Acting locally

We encourage airports and airline managers who understand local and regional constraints to sit down together and realistically discuss future capacity development, pooling their knowledge and understanding of local conditions in the process. Airport infrastructure expansion can take well over a decade to plan and implement.  For greenfield airports, particularly in mature markets such as North America and Europe, the cycle can be even longer. The airport development needs are urgent, and we encourage a partnership approach from the outset so that costs can be understood and choices made judiciously.

Airport operators from around the globe met last month (see page 53) on the theme "Airports mean business". It is a statement of purpose and of recognition for the many challenges we face locally, regionally and internationally. Our greatest task will be to work effectively with our partners to set common priorities as we continue to re-engineer the business, pursue liberalisation of ownership and investment, and make investments in technology and environmental protection.

We need to get back to business with our airline customers, a new paradigm that will strengthen the industry.

Source: Airline Business