Bongani Maseko, Airports Council International (ACI) world chairman, recently called for the aviation industry and governments worldwide to adequately prepare for growth in air service demand.
Speaking at the 2018 World Aviation Conference in Seoul, South Korea, Maseko said harnessing data’s benefits is crucial and that airports must leverage technology and innovation to fuel growth.
“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,” Maseko said. “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.
The theme of this year’s conference was Future Airport – New Growth Engine of the Global Aviation Industry. The global aviation industry is challenged to plan the next generation of airports, develop the actions and solutions for a sustainable future and to explore how the industry should respond to the huge growth in demand for air services.
The industry is faced with demand outpacing planned investments.
ACI is committed to working with governments and industry partners to develop optimization projects such as cybersecurity tools and research into autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence.