The Airports Council International (ACI) World is urging airports to consider the potential impact of climate change on infrastructure and operations.
ACI officials generated a policy brief urging airports to conduct risk assessments, consider various adaptation measures, and develop mitigation measures as a means of acknowledging the potential repercussions.
“Improving operational resilience and adapting to the predicted effects of climate change has been a priority for airports around the world for quite some time, but recent events have brought this into even sharper focus,” Angela Gittens, director general of ACI World, said.
Gittens said it is understood climate change could have far-reaching effects and airports are not immune.
“The aim of this policy brief is to provide airports with practical information, advice and real-life examples that they can use to examine their own practices,” she said. “Each airport can then make decisions on how they may introduce, improve, or adapt their own procedures and resilience plans that best suit their infrastructure and local conditions.”
ACI officials said the brief includes case studies from airports in Norway, Australia, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Amsterdam, and Singapore. Additionally, the brief contains recommendations and a comprehensive rundown of potential climate stressors, their related potential impacts on infrastructure and operations, and a list of airports already working on resilience and adaptation to climate change.