Airports Council International (ACI) World published last week a policy brief outlining guidance for the industry’s COVID-19 pandemic recovery.
The Policy brief – COVID-19: Relief Measures to Ensure the Survival of the Airport Industry – examines measures providing policy-makers with a comprehensive toolkit of solutions ensuring sustainability foundation recovery elements.
The recovery initiatives focus on the protection of airport charges and revenues; tax relief; concession fee waivers; temporary suspension of slot usage requirements; continuity of air cargo operations; and comprehensive financial relief.
“Airports are important engines of economic growth, wealth creation and employment and the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the industry and broader economy has halted the airport industry at global level,” ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said. “Passenger traffic has collapsed, but many airports are open for some scheduled operations, humanitarian and repatriation flights, and cargo operations, and these activities continue to induce costs for airports.”
Gittens said millions of jobs provided by airport operators must be preserved, and essential operations must be sustained to allow for operations to continue the foundation to be laid for a rapid recovery.
Per the ACI, passenger traffic is expected to decline by almost 40 percent and revenue is expected to contract by $77 billion this year.