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Our magazine spoke to Dr Ralf Gaffal, MD of Munich Airport International (MAI), which is bringing expertise from Bavaria to airports all around the globe.

Peter Hellmonds is the founder and owner of the public affairs management consultancy Arete Publica Associates. He advises the top management of companies on how to improve their relations with their key stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, business and trade associations, and also towards civil society organizations.

Across the globe, passengers are demanding higher levels of service. Likewise, regulators are paying closer attention to airport service provision and quality of service delivery. Competition among airports has reached new heights as structural and ownership changes bring new stakeholders and business models into the industry.

China opened Beijing Daxing Airport on September 25, the second international airport in the capital city. The new mega-airport hub is expected to handle up to 45 million passengers per year by 2021 and reach an outstanding 100 million in the future.

Airports are nowadays experience centres where you are immersed in a wonderful world of relaxation, culture, culinary delights and shopping pleasure.

Most countries consider their airports as a way to impress the world. Trendsetting achitects like Zaha Hadid and Santiago Calatrava reinvent the traditional terminal and take the design of airports to a higher altitude. We selected the 10 most beautiful airports in the world where you actually enjoy a long layover.

On the occasion of the UN Global Climate Action Summit which took place in New York 23 September 2019, the trade association for Europe’s airports, ACI EUROPE provided an update on the industry’s response to the Climate Emergency. In June of this year, ACI EUROPE announced a landmark resolution committing its 500 members to reach net zero by 2050 for the carbon emissions under their control. As of today, that commitment has been undersigned by over 200 airports.

In the not too distant future, you could walk into the international terminal of almost any airport and board a plane without showing anyone your passport. This automated future is already a reality in different international airports. Biometric identification is booming in the aviation industry. Time to take a closer look at the technology and get an update on the market. We had an interview with Miguel Leitmann, co-founder of Vision-Box, an important player in biometric identification, about the benefits and challenges of identity related technology solutions.

Can IATA’s Crowd Sourcing Tool Help Airlines Avoid Turbulence? Avionics International stated that the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) is a few months away from transitioning from the initial pilot phase for its Turbulence Aware platform — a cloud database collecting real time turbulence reports from participating airlines — to full operational deployment, available to airlines beginning in January.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) has awarded deep location company Pointr a six-figure contract to provide indoor location GPS for Washington Dulles International and Ronald Reagan Washington National airports.

Santa Clara, CA-based Hitachi Vantara has unveiled a new solution powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technology to reduce airport delays.

British Airways (BA) has initiated the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure the timely departure of flights at London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5.

Dubai Technology Partners (DTP) recently announced the successful deployment of its tNexus message hub system and Dassault Systèmes’ DELMIA Quintiq fixed resource planning application at Dubai International (DXB).

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has announced that the solar initiative due to be installed at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), NY, has been awarded to SunPower Corporation and Goldman Sachs Renewable Power Group.

Independent environmental auditors have again found Munich Airport (MUC) in Germany to be in full compliance with the EMAS and ISO 14001 standards and praised its strong environmental stewardship.

Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport (PHX), AZ, has been named top large airport in the US by The Wall Street Journal.

Manchester Airport Group (MAG) has opened PremiAir, a private terminal for commercial airlines at Manchester Airport (MAN) in the UK.

Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) in Moscow, Russia, has received approval from Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency to open its renovated Terminal C in January 2020.

In October, Brussels Airport in Belgium welcomed more than 2.3 million passengers, representing an increase of 6.4% compared to October 2018.

In Australia, Melbourne Airport (MEL) has determined that a third runway, built in a north-south orientation, would provide the greatest benefits to the airport and to the state.

Istanbul Airport (IST) in Turkey has recently signed agreements with international airports in China and South Korea.

Passenger traffic at Dubai World Central (DWC) reached nearly 1.3 million for the first nine months of 2019 despite a seasonal contraction in traffic volumes during Q3.

Shell has announced that it will support SkyNRG to develop Europe’s first dedicated sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production plant.

ACI EUROPE has released its latest air traffic report for September and Q3 2019 which shows that, on average, the growth in passenger traffic across the European airports stood at 2.2% in September, down from 3.4% in August 2019.

Greenland’s Kangerlussuaq Airport is set to end civilian flights within five years due to climate change, as the melting of permafrost is cracking the runway.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) in Canada reported its financial and operating results for the three- and nine-month periods ended 30 September 2019

With the arrival of both LCCs and leading Middle East airlines running lean business models, and with increasing competition from bare-bones airports running at out-of-city locations, today’s airports have to investigate and analyse every aspect of their operations to ensure efficiency. The upside is that with smart management and increased efficiency, a by-product in the form of increased sustainability comes free – in both business and environmental terms. An efficient airport is a sustainable airport.1

Munich Airport has been recognized for its effective climate change efforts by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an international organization that supports companies and cities with the disclosure of environmental data

Brussels Airport has just secured a successful renewal at the highest currently available level of carbon management within Airport Carbon Accreditation - Level 3+ Neutrality.

We’re constantly hearing airports say, ‘My terminal was designed for 10 million passengers, now I’m at 15 million, we’re growing 10% each year and we’re struggling to cope!’ The same challenge of operating beyond capacity affects tiny and massive airports alike.

Liège Airport (LGG) in Belgium has entered a partnership with Alibaba Cloud to leverage the Chinese tech company’s ‘Aviation Brain’ AI platforms across airport operations and ground handling procedures.

Airlines and airports in China are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to provide a personalised self-service experience, according to IT specialist SITA’s ‘2019 China IT Insights’.

Changi Airport Group (CAG) in Singapore has announced that it will commit SGD 10 million to a two-year initiative that will work to up-skill its 2,000 employees in the face of the company’s digital transformation.

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has integrated new scanning software into its smartphone ground-handling Application to improve the efficiency of its workforce.

The much-delayed Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in Germany is to open on 31 October 2020, its supervisory and management boards have confirmed.

Airport Authority Hong Kong announced the opening on 29 November 2019 of the extension to Terminal 1 (T1) at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).

On 6 December 2019, the new south parallel runway at Kempegowda International Airport, in Bengaluru, India that began its construction work in mid-2018, opened for scheduled flight operations.

A new connections centre at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) in Canada was scheduled to commence first phase operations on 11 December 2019.

Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) welcomed a total of 722,792 passengers during October 2019, marking an impressive 10.4% increase in comparison to the same month last year.

Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte (OMA) has reported that terminal passenger traffic at its 13 airports increased by 6.4% in November 2019, as compared to November 2018.

Airport Carbon Accreditation has released the annual results of the collective carbon management delivered by accredited airports in its 10th consecutive year.

While serving almost 17 million passengers, Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), TX, has continued to work with ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme, with the goal to reach carbon neutrality in 2020.

The Green Aviation Research and Development Network (GARDN), SkyNRG, Waterfall Group, and Vancouver Airport Authority, BC, in Canada recently announced the launch of BioPortYVR, an industry-led project to increase the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Nearly 196 million passengers travelled through airports in Turkey in the first 11 months of 2019, according to DHMI, the country’s airport authority.

The Philippines’ Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) Terminal 2 has won an award at the World Architecture Festival, beating transport stations in other countries.

AP Insights had an interview with Niclas Svedberg, Advisor of Airport Performance Services with ADB SAFEGATE and member of the NEXTT Workshop Group. He tells us more about the NEXTT initiative and shares his view on the airport of the future.

Siemens Logistics has developed a new software solution that enables airports to combine and compare data from a range of functions

From 1 January 2020, Future Stewart Partners, a joint venture (JV) of AvPorts and Groupe ADP, will operate and maintain the terminal, landside and airfield at New York Stewart International Airport (SWF).

Indonesia’s State airport operator, PT Angkasa Pura II, plans to develop Kualanamu International Airport (KNO) compounds in North Sumatra Province into an aerocity and hub for passengers and freight in the western parts of Indonesia.

British Airways has announced plans to test AI-powered autonomous robots at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) Terminal 5 (T5) to further enhance punctuality for passengers.

Japan’s NEC Corporation has developed a waiting time forecast system for the international passenger terminal at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), Japan.

The expansion plan for London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in the UK will be delayed by more than a year, and the third runway now will probably be completed between early 2028 and late 2029, the airport said.

Beginning in 2025, Geneva Airport (GVA) in Switzerland will cool and heat its buildings with water from Lake Geneva.

Carbon emissions per passenger have more than halved since 1990 thanks to improvements in fuel efficiency, according to an IATA report.

Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) has said that it will invest MXN 24 billion (USD 1.27 billion) to expand 12 Mexican airports over the next five years.

Following its efforts to create a more sustainable future, London City Airport (LCY) in the UK has accomplished a significant achievement after being officially recognised by ACI World’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme for its operations being carbon neutral.

WHEN: 22 January 2020 14:30-18:15 - WHERE: TownHall Europe TreeSquare, 5-6 Square de Meeus, 1000 Brussels

Airports Council International’s comprehensive 12th Annual Airport Economics & Finance Conference & Exhibition and the 6th ACI-World Bank Annual Aviation Symposium will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday, 24 – Thursday, 26 March 2020.

Tuesday 21 April - Thursday 23 April- Cubex Centre Prague, Czech Republic. Join 400 representatives from airports, travel retail operators, brands and other business partners focused on non-aeronautical revenues in the capital of Czech Republic.

The 4th Annual A4E Aviation Summit 3 March 2020 | Brussels Bringing together Europe’s leading airline CEOs and global aviation leaders Europe’s aviation industry is facing many challenges: From socio-economic, to regulatory and environmental - the sector continues to adapt and evolve to overcome them, striving for a safer, more sustainable and more integrated Europe. The A4E Aviation Summit, in association with FlightGlobal, provides the perfect opportunity to take part in the discussion

Aerospace Big Data Series APAC | Americas | EMEA - These events bring together the MRO ecosystem including OEM’s, data and IT experts to discuss advancements in predictive maintenance strategies and how airlines can best utilise data and emerging technologies to maximise the benefits of predictive maintenance.

ARE RUNWAY STATUS LIGHTS THE SOLUTION TO REDUCING RUNWAY ACCIDENTS? Aviation is one of the most regulated industries, behind nuclear, to ensure operations are safe because of how unforgiving the results of mistakes can be. This has resulted in huge reductions in aviation accidents over time; however, more improvements can always be made. James Lewis, ATM Consultant of Think Research Ltd, investigated whether runway status lights could reduce the likelihood of high severity runway incursions.

Users of the Pocketalk device speak into it, then the translation of their words is played through a speaker or displayed on screen.

In Australia, ground handler Dnata and logistics company Toll Group have signed a partnership to collaborate with Western Sydney Airport (SWZ) on the design of the freight precinct at the new Western Sydney International Airport.

ACI EUROPE has set out its recommendations for a comprehensive overhaul of the EU Airport Slot Regulation - calling for vital and overdue change in the way airport slot allocation is governed.

Flight delays, re-bookings due to missed flights, and extreme weather conditions are some of the many factors that can disrupt a flight schedule, and Lufthansa Group has therefore chosen Google Cloud as a strategic partner to further improve its operational performance.

The Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur Group has announced a series of measures to completely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by the three airports it operates: Nice Côte d’Azur, Cannes Mandelieu and Golfe de Saint-Tropez.

With sustainability and the climate emergency firmly established at the very top of its priorities, ACI EUROPE held its first Aviation Sustainability Summit in Brussels, Belgium on 22 January 2020.

CEETRA Chairman and Board have been successfully re-elected. The Central and Eastern European Travel Retail Association announced its next Travel Retail Forum to be held on 28 May 2020 at Bratislava Airport, which is also open to non-members, and will focus yet again on regulatory topics as well as industry news and best practice in travel retail.

New research has found that 97 out of 100 of the world’s major airports have security risks related to vulnerable web and mobile apps, mis-configured public cloud, dark web exposure or code repositories leaks.

The system will help airlines to ensure seamless arrival and departure processes at the airport.

Airports Council International (ACI) World has published new guidance for airports collecting data to improve passenger satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Volunteers, who will be required to put airport processes to the test, can register via the website ber-testen.de. The first trial operation is a station evacuation on 29 April 2020. Further testing will take place between 23 June and 15 October. Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, CEO of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg, said: “The trial operation is an internationally established standard that will help us to open the airport as smoothly as possible. All major users will test the airport systems and core processes. We would be delighted if many Berliners and Brandenburgers were to attend the final rehearsal, help us make improvements and get to know the airport before the opening.”

Following preventive safety measures by some of the world’s major and busiest international airports to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after its outbreak in Wuhan, China, many other airports have initiated similar steps.

The newly announced commitment is based on a review of the opportunities to cut aviation emissions and forms a central pillar of a new ‘Decarbonisation Road-Map: A Path to Net Zero’ published by Sustainable Aviation.

For the third consecutive year, MUC has achieved ‘Leadership Level’ and earned an A rating in the Climate Change category.

With the Testlab, situated at the heart of the airport terminal, LabCampus is creating opportunities for customers to present their new products and solutions to tens of thousands of travellers every day while conducting live testing.

Under the terms of the agreement, for a period of 21 years Groupe ADP will purchase the electricity production of three new photovoltaic solar parks, to be built by Urbasolar. GazelEnergie will ensure the integration of these new renewable watt-hours into Groupe ADP’s consumption for the first three years.

Paper assists in planning to expand capacity and optimizing available capacity Montreal, 13 February 2020 – Airports Council International (ACI) World has today published guidance for airports to assist them in making the most of existing capacity while also planning to expand to meet growing global demand.

Swedavia launches electric aviation strategy – Åre Östersund ready for first electric aircraft in autumn 2020. Swedavia has adopted a strategy for electric aviation. The goal is to enable all ten Swedavia airports to handle electric aircraft and to be able to place the first commercial electrified route in service by around 2025. At Åre Östersund Airport, a testing venue for electric aircraft is planned to be put into operation during the autumn.

Moscow's Sheremetyevo Duty Free opens luxury market place in new Terminal C. In the new Terminal C of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, Sheremetyevo Duty Free – a joint venture between the airport, Gebr. Heinemann and Greenway – launched its luxury market place. Once all the stores are open, the new luxury FAWJ market place will have a total sales area of approx. 1,160 sqm.

Passngr has become the standard app for flights and airports in Germany in recent years. In the next step, the developers want to conquer the European market.

Entry Point North, with its headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, is a leading ATS academy training air traffic controllers and other aviation specialists coming from 150 customers in nearly 50 countries. CEO Anne Kathrine Jensen tells us more about the fascinating world of ATC Training and the challenges they face.

If you take a look around the world, you can see a number of examples of how airports have created architectural masterpieces in order to WOW their passengers. However, to create an unforgettable WOW factor, you do not necessarily need to spend obscene amounts of money on a fancy architecture. There is much more to it than that.

According to a statement from BAC, the advanced system is designed to deliver real-time connectivity that enhances passengers’ travel experience and the efficiency of operations for the airport’s partners and meets demand for high volumes of data.

LRM’s exclusive sensing technology is capable of identifying airport bottlenecks and enabling a smoother travel experience.

Presented on a user-friendly interface, GroupBC’s common data environment is a turnkey construction solution which drives efficiency across the design, construction and operational phases.

GMR Airports has a portfolio of seven airports in three countries: India, the Philippines and Greece.

The concessions were signed with concessionaires Adani Ahmedabad International Airport, Adani Lucknow International Airport and Adani Mangaluru International Airport, respectively.

The report cited the operator as saying it looks to complete the deal in H1 2020. IGA also cited strong interest from China and the Gulf region as well as banks from Europe. Around half of the new borrowing could come from the Chinese banks led by the ICBC.

In recognition of its commitment towards promoting service excellence and improving customer experience, Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) in Amman, Jordan, has been awarded Level 1 of the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Customer Experience Accreditation.

Following investment of more than GBP 100 million in improving Heathrow’s energy efficiency and generating and purchasing renewable energy, the airport has reduced carbon emissions from airport buildings and infrastructure by 93% compared to 1990.

Airport Council International (ACI Europe) has announced the latest certification of Munich Airport under its Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme.

This partnership calls for Clean Energy to provide AUS with its Redeem™ brand of renewable natural gas (RNG), the first commercially available vehicle fuel made entirely from 100% organic waste.

Amsterdam, 27 February 2020 – The Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) and Airports Council International (ACI) World have partnered to launch new guidance material for reducing aviation noise and emissions.

Awards recognize the largest number of winning airports ever this year. Results based on ACI World’s industry-leading Airport Service Quality programme

Passengers at Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport can now benefit from the advantages of the international "Heinemann & Me" customer loyalty programme.

This article aims to briefly highlight the various challenges facing the travel retail industry in 2020 and provide some insight into the issues from the travel retail perspective.

DIVA, which stands for digital, innovation, ventures and analytics, is intended to help CAG develop, experiment and introduce new digital products and services, from concept to market launch.

Its researchers discovered that 13 airports had data leaks or exposure at a critical risk level, which the company defines as a “recent leak of highly confidential data (e.g. PII, PHI, IDs, financial records, plaintext passwords for production systems, etc.).