The Latest from ACI-NA

Airports Council Honors Kent George: 2024 Downes Award Recipient Celebrating a Lifetime of Aviation Excellence and Transformative Leadership

In a career spanning more than four decades, Kent George has made a profound impact on the aviation industry, guiding multiple airports to growth, resilience, and strategic excellence. This year, […]

Are you leaving money on the table?

By Carly Shannon, LEED AP BD+C, ENV SP, TRUE Advisor Airports in the US have seen a flurry of sustainability and resilience grants over the past few years and have […]

Airports Council Recognizes Emerging Professionals through ‘Reclaiming the Sky’ Essay Contest

Even 23 years later, the stories of esteemed aviation leaders and their response to the September 11, 2001, terror attacks continue to provide learning opportunities for the benefit of future […]

The Scoop on Scope 3 Emissions: Why they Matter and How to Address them

By Corey Johnson and Sarah Owens, C&S Introduction Airports across the country are working towards Net Zero Emissions by 2050. Airports, like any organization, have a carbon footprint, and their […]

Revolutionizing Airport Operations: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Aviation

By Arpit Malaviya, CEO and Co-Founder of ProDIGIQ, Inc Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are revolutionizing airports with remarkable advancements. By optimizing flight schedules, enhancing air traffic management, […]

Enhancing Airport Operations: The Power of MARS Gates

By Peter Aarons, Senior Vice President and Aviation Sector Leader,  Americas for TYLin As a leader in the aviation industry, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the transformative potential of […]

A Seamless Journey: The Latest Mapping Trends for The Connected Airport

By Yuval Kossovsky, MappedIn Airports are not only gateways for travelers but also significant technology practitioners for streamlined operations, increased revenue, and improved passenger experiences. With an increasing need to […]

A Blueprint to leverage AI that delivers operational, safety and business excellence.

By Wayne Arvidson, CTO, Verticals, AI & Computer Vision, Dell Technologies Anyone who has been tracking the progress of artificial intelligence (AI) knows that the past year has seen the […]

Navigating the Skies: Balancing Airport Upgrades with Electrification and Green Technologies

By Tam Osentowski, Global VP of Transportation, Schneider Electric Airports stand at a crossroads, facing the pressing need to invest in electrification, green technologies, and operational efficiency while also addressing […]

The Remediation of PFAS Chemicals: Destroy Them in Place

Dan Griffiths, Parsons’ Emerging Contaminants Practice Director For many years, airports worldwide were required to use aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) for fire suppression. While effective in extinguishing fires, AFFF contains […]

2024 “Reclaiming the Sky” Resiliency Project Winners Announced

The stories of 9/11’s aviation’s heroes continue to prove that today’s young aviation managers – tomorrow’s leaders – can learn lessons and apply them to meet challenges in their personal […]

FAA VALE and ZEV Grants

John R. Trendowski, P.E. and Mia Held, ENV SP, C&S Engineers, Inc. Looking for funding for emission reduction projects at your airport? FAA’s Voluntary Airport Low Emission (VALE) program and Zero […]

A Young Professional’s View on Air Cargo

Liliana Bustos,  Chicago Department of Aviation As a new employee in the air cargo industry, every day is a thrilling look into the world of global logistics. Air cargo operations […]

Review Grants and PFC Collections to Maximize Capital Funding

Brian Drake, Assistant Vice President, Unison Consulting, Inc. Consider how periodic reviews of grants and PFC funding with your capital program can generate out-of-the-box thinking and stimulate new approaches to […]

Teaching the Next Generation Resiliency Lessons from 9/11’s Aviation Heroes

By Tom Murphy, Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University Today’s young employees at airports and students studying aviation will be tomorrow’s leaders. Undoubtedly, they will face challenges. The Human Resiliency Institute […]

Our 10 Year Journey to a More Sustainable Industry

Journeys and airports go hand-in-hand.  As we mark as another Earth Day, today is a good opportunity to reflect on our industry’s own journey of creating and fostering  a more […]

Airports Soar with New Technology for Safety and Operational Excellence

Michael Bettua CEO and Co-founder, Volan Technology One thing I’m hearing a lot about from airport operators is the stress around ensuring compliance with the FAA’s Safety Management System rule […]

Leveraging digitalization for a top-down approach to improving airport sustainability

By John Kasuda  Across North America, airports – as gateways to the world – stand at the forefront of decarbonization commitments and strategic initiatives. Today, 75 North American airports have […]

SMF’s Recipe for Success: A Fresh Take on Airport Food + Beverage

By: Stephen Clark, C.M., Deputy Director, Airport Commercial Development When the concessions team at the Sacramento International Airport (SMF) sat down to look at the opportunity to recreate their food […]

Dolliole and Miller Launch Airport Minority Leadership Initiative

Last month at the 2024 ACI-NA/AAAE Washington Legislative Conference, ACI-NA Chair Kevin Dolliole and AAAE Chair Perry Miller announced a new initiative called Soaring Scholars: Airport Minority Leadership Initiative, which […]

Understanding how AI will impact Passenger Support and the Overall Traveling Experience

By Alfredo Vaamonde, CEO & Founder of WingMates In an era where efficiency and customer satisfaction are paramount, airports globally are turning to innovative solutions to enhance the passenger experience. […]

U of Memphis Aviation Students Learn Resiliency from 9/11’s Aviation Heroes – Explore Lessons at Workshop at MEM

Today’s aviation students will be tomorrow’s aviation leaders – no doubt they will face challenges in an ever-evolving world. The Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University is partnering with Airports […]

Airport EV Charging: Meeting the Coming Demand

By Tami Timperio, VP Marketing, NovaCHARGE Whether it’s sustainability efforts or increases in EV adoption, more and more airports, both international and regional, are beginning to consider installing EV charging stations. […]

Learnings from Attending ACI-NA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition

By Tyler Subasic, US Airport Lead, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Prior to working at AWS, Tyler led airport affairs for Amazon Air, where he increased network destinations by 500% and […]

A Layover Outside the Comfort Zone: My First Airport Conference

By Ted Sullivan Nothing grows or takes off in a comfort zone. After 29 years of working with global destinations, I got comfy. When it comes to destinations, I am […]

Customizing Common Use at Boston Logan International

By Colleen Hamilton, Principal, Art of Context Colleen Hamilton is a principal with Art of Context, a Boston-based technology firm helping airports improve passenger experience through innovative technology solutions that […]

U.S. Airports Turning to Executive Program Management as Capital Programs Move into High Gear

By R. Clay Paslay Clay Paslay is Managing Partner and CEO of the Paslay Group, the premiere, full-service airport consultancy providing Executive Program Management, Business Advisory, and Development services for […]

‘Reclaiming the Sky’ Resiliency Project Winners Announced on Sept. 11 Anniversary

Even 22 years later, the stories of esteemed aviation leaders and their response to the September 11, 2001, terror attacks continue to provide learning opportunities for the benefit of future […]

It’s Time for Airports to Evolve Beyond Traditional Data Sources

By Mark Summers, General Manager/Airports at Zartico We are in the midst of a data renaissance — one that has the potential to be as disruptive to the aviation industry […]

Overcoming the Challenges of Airport Marketing: Embracing Innovation for Success

By Steve Romme, Co-founder of Airport One, LLC As a marketer specializing in helping airports grow, I understand the significant challenges airport marketers face. Through this blog post, I will […]

Airport 5G Update: Leveraging CBRS for Smart Operations

By Stephanie Czaplicki, Boingo Wireless Vice President of Account Management The next generation of airport wireless is here, improving the passenger experience and accelerating innovation. From biometric ticketing to digital […]

Airports Council International – North America Airport Insights Report

By Isaac Pato, Data Analyst; Jon Jager, Solutions Engineer; and Loretta Manning, Digital Marketing at Cirium.   Airports Council International – North America regularly provides industry intelligence: research, reports and […]

Meeting Sustainability Goals with Innovative Financing Models

By Ramsey Nuwar, Johnson Controls Airports across North America and on a global scale have committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, but securing the funding to achieve […]

Passive Optical Network offers high-speed, future-proof and energy-efficient connectivity at Orlando International Airport’s new terminal

By John Hoover, Marketing Director, Tellabs Orlando International Airport’s new Terminal C had an initial opening in September 2022, greater fanfare in the December 2022 time frame and has been […]

FIDS Reimagined – Leveraging FIDS Screens to Improve Passenger Experience

By Colleen Hamilton, Principal, Art of Context Maximizing resource use and improving the passenger experience are at the top of any airport’s priority list. FIDS has long been a key […]

Innovating with QR Codes

By Neil Chatwood, Transportation Lead, Omnivex Corporation QR codes are not a new concept. They have been around for close to 30 years. However, the Covid-19 pandemic caused a resurgence […]

5 Major Changes Outlined in the USDOT’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – How Your Airport Can Be Better Prepared

By: Erin Westerman, Marketing Manager, B2Gnow   The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) will help improve and modernize Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) and Disadvantaged […]

’60 Minutes’ Correspondent Scott Pelley: Aviation is a Miracle

During the 2022 ACI-NA Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Alessio Olivetti caught up with Scott Pelley, the 60 Minutes correspondent and 2022 annual conference keynote, who shared his experience as tireless […]

Airports Invest in Efforts to Strengthen Airport Industry Workforce

Like so many other industries in our economy, airports have not been immune to the workforce challenges as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and the booming summer travel season […]

Airports Council Associate Member Involvement Drives Collaboration and Learning

ACI-NA’s mission is to serve as the Voice of Airports® in Washington and Ottawa and be a fierce advocate for airport industry priorities.  We owe our success to the many […]

Airports Council Establishes DEI Working Group to Drive Association Efforts

Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today announced the formation of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion […]

Celebrating April as U.S. Airport Professional Appreciation Month

  As U.S. Airport Professional Appreciation Month comes to a close, we have been so excited to celebrate the airport industry professionals who are demonstrating their commitment to industry excellence […]

Houston Airport System Showcases Edge4Vets “Success Vets”

By Tom Murphy, Director, Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University. As airports strive to rebuild their workforces after the pandemic, there is no better employee than a military veteran. However, […]

Edge4Vets and ACI-NA Expand Online Training to Accelerate Veterans into Airport Workforce

By Tom Murphy, Director, Human Resiliency Institute, Fordham University Edge4Vets will expand its veteran employment training program offered in partnership with ACI-NA in the spring of 2022 to give a […]

Marking 20 Years of Our Partnership with TSA

By Kevin M. Burke, President and CEO, ACI-NA Collaboration has long been the hallmark of our industry.  No matter if we’re in a season of joy or a time of […]

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) Celebrating 15th Anniversary with Allegiant Air!

By Tom Jewsbury, Airport Director, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) Fifteen years has flown by, literally, with Allegiant! In September 2006, PIE announced a new airline was coming to town […]

Integrating Health Requirements into the Travel Ecosystem

By Sherry Stein, Head of Technology Strategy, SITA Many countries require landing cards or declaration forms as part of the customs and immigration process; most are distributed as paper forms […]

How to Build a Post-COVID Customer Experience Action Plan

By Liliana Petrova, Founder and CEO, The Petrova Experience As we welcome the new wave of travelers, ensuring safe, seamless experiences is make-or-break for airports in the next 6 months. […]

ACI-NA Joins Collaboration to Honor Aviation Heroes of 9/11

By Tom Murphy, Director, Human Resiliency Institute, Fordham University The airport industry is no stranger to adversity. We have faced many challenges over the years, though none can stand against […]

Best Practices Can Help Airports Mitigate Growing Vendor and Third-Party Cybersecurity Risk

By Michael Corcione, Partner, HKA Global, Inc. In recent years, cyber-attackers have preyed upon the weaknesses of vendors and third parties to access computer systems at hospitals, banks, financial services […]

Leveraging Brand Values to Win back Customer Confidence

By Roel Huinink, President & CEO, JFKIAT At JFKIAT our T4 is MORE culture is driven by our greatest asset, our people and community. However, as an air terminal with […]

Looking Forward One Year In

By Kevin M. Burke, President and CEO, ACI-NA Now at the one-year milestone of widespread travel and local restrictions to help stop the spread of COVID-19, we are reminded that […]

The Importance of Employee Resilience

By Roel Huinink, President & CEO, JFKIAT This past year has disrupted and accelerated the pace of change in people, processes, place and technology across all aspects of the aviation […]

ACI-NA Remembers Late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Her Contribution to the Airport Industry

Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a champion of women’s rights and a leader in creating a more equitable system of justice in the United States. Her sharp intellect and […]

Mask Over Matter: Communicating in the Age of the Mask

By Lise D’Andrea, CXE So, here we are, facing our new reality behind a mask. Since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the use of cloth […]

Americans Are Starting to Fly Again

States around the country are taking their first steps to safely reopen our economy and to start rebuilding a sense of normal life. This Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial [...]

HAS Continues to Prepare Veterans for Airport Jobs During Coronavirus Crisis

While airport terminals remain quiet because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) health pandemic, airports remain open and operational as essential and critical infrastructure.  Airports might not be welcoming as many passengers […]

Presidential Candidates Biden and Klobuchar Express Support for a PFC Increase at ACI-NA-Hosted Infrastructure Forum

This month, ACI-NA had the pleasure of co-hosting the first ever presidential candidate forum focused on infrastructure, offering candidates a platform to address key infrastructure issues that impact every American […]

Members of Congress Announce Framework for Infrastructure Bill That Includes a PFC Increase

Last week, ACI-NA welcomed the news of an infrastructure investment framework – called the “Moving Forward Framework” – which was announced by a group of Members of Congress, led by […]

Houston Airports Strengthen Veterans Community

As community partners, airports are continually embracing opportunities that recognize the immense contributions veterans make to our communities and empower them as they move beyond their military service. Houston Airport […]

The Countdown Begins: REAL ID Will Be Required for Air Travel in Exactly One Year

Earlier today, Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) President and CEO Kevin Burke teamed up with travel industry leaders and government officials to urge the traveling public to obtain REAL ID […]

Building Up a Collection: Airport Trading Cards

By Jeff Lea, St. Louis Lambert International Airport Whatever combination you arrange, three letters can carry a lot of prestige, economic power, a region’s reputation, and even better, generations of […]

Celebrating – and Growing – the Airport Industry Workforce

For some, Labor Day (or Labour Day for our readers in Canada) is a much needed long weekend culminating with a festive backyard cookout.  For others – our industry included […]

Restroom Cleanliness is Key to Passenger Experience

To your passengers, the cleanliness of your restrooms says a lot about the overall state of the airport. It’s often the first and last facility they visit before their departure. […]

GSP Leads Efforts to Hire South Carolina Veterans

Independence Day is more than fireworks and cookouts.  It’s a special day we celebrate liberty and those who have helped secure the freedom we cherish today. Honoring our veterans is […]

LAX CEO: We Need to Bring the Passenger Facility Charge Back to its Original Buying Power

Last week, Los Angeles World Airports Chief Executive Officer Deborah Flint addressed the Washington Aero Club at a lunch event in Washington, D.C. In her speech, Flint described Los Angeles […]

LAWA Serves Veterans Through Edge4Vets Successes

Over the last few years, ACI-NA has been proud to partner with Edge4Vets to help connect veterans with airports across North America to place them in careers that utilize the […]

Infrastructure Week 2019: 20th Century Airports in a 21st Century World

Today marks the official start to Infrastructure Week 2019, the long-celebrated week each year when the infrastructure community comes together and engages in a broad conversation about the importance of […]

Air Service Development Success

BLENDING SMART TECHNIQUES WITH SEXY APPROACHES By Nicole Nelson The new carrier. The new city. The new growth. In the language of air service development, all of the above translate […]

drone flying through orange sky

Protecting Airport Airspace

AIRPORTS CONFRONT DRONES WITH SAFETY AND SECURITY TOP OF MIND By Sandy Smith One of the last things a pilot on approach to a busy airport wants to worry about […]

Canada’s Airport Capital Assistance Program Needs Reform – Urgently

By Chris Phelan, Vice President, Industry and Government Affairs, Canadian Airports Council The Canadian Airports Council has joined with several other Canadian associations that represent local and regional airports to […]

Concessions – Tailored and Transformed

DIGITAL AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES ENHANCE TRAVELERS’ EXPERIENCES, MAXIMIZE REVENUE By Sheryl Jackson While technology plays a large role in many different aspects of the airport industry from operations and security […]

SLC – Designing for the Future

By Bill Wyatt, Executive Director, Salt Lake City International Airport I’m often asked why, after a week of retiring from the Port of Portland (PDX), I decided to accept an […]

Airports Council Supports Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen CBP Staffing

Maintaining the safety and security of the traveling public is a top priority for airports. With more than 1.7 billion passengers traveling through a U.S. airport in 2017, airports continually […]

Checked Facts: Airports Are Not Taxpayer Funded

Benjamin Franklin said there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes.  If there’s one more thing we can be certain of on April 15, it’s the airlines continuing […]

SFO enhances passenger experience with new outdoor terrace

Improving the customer experience is top of mind for airports of all sizes across North America. As passenger needs change, airports are beginning to phase our unnecessary, under-utilized or redundant […]

Philadelphia International Airport Offers a Helping Hand to Federal Employees

The 35-day government shutdown impacted thousands of federal employees across the country, leaving many without the resources to properly care for their families. Individuals, organizations and airports sprung into action […]

Cheers to 2018: ACI-NA’s Year in Review

  Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) strives to advocate for policies and provide services that strengthen the ability of commercial airports to serve their passengers, customers and communities. […]

Airports Gobble Up More of the National GDP

  Every year, Thanksgiving brings an opportunity for American’s to celebrate and give thanks for what is most valuable to them. ACI-NA has always maintained that airports are valuable economic […]

Communities Left Behind and Airline Industry Consolidation: The Promise of Airline Deregulation Has Only Partially Been Fulfilled

To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the enactment of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, championed by Dr. Alfred E. Kahn while serving as Chair of the Civil Aeronautics Board […]

Will Technology Solve the Capacity Crisis?

Passenger numbers are expected to double by 2035. IoT queue measurement technology enables airports to keep waiting times from growing. By Marc Rauch, Xovis The airport industry stays on the […]

BNA Is Ever-Expanding

By Douglas E. Kreulen, A.A.E., President and CEO, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Nashville is on fire – there really is no other way to describe it. Always a great place […]

Pay It Forward: The Life and Legacy of Sue Baer

By Mimi Ryals Sue was an exceptional airport leader who garnered respect and admiration among her colleagues,” remembers Candace McGraw, Chief Executive Officer of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and Chair of […]

What’s On Trend for 2019?

By Sandy Smith As airports continue to focus on an improved customer experience, they are looking beyond and outside of the box to pinpoint areas that could use improvement – […]

Airports Seek New Efficiencies to Go with the Flow

By Sandra Arnoult Anyone who frequents an airport doesn’t need to be told they are usually a work in progress. Airports, their airline and tenant partners, and their terminal designers […]

Airplane takes off in front of airport at sunset

Finding a Seat at the Slots Table

Airports Align to Amplify Visibility, Voice in Worldwide Slots Guidelines Process   By Nicole Nelson Imagine a dozen members of your extended family showing up unannounced at the front door of […]

Crowd listening to a speaker at ACI-NA’s 2017 Annual Conference

Cheers to 70 Years: The Best Is Yet to Come

By: Kevin M. Burke, President and CEO, ACI-NA 2018 represents a great milestone for Airports Council International-North America as we celebrate our seventieth anniversary as the Voice of Airports in […]

Meet the Member: Rep. Jeff Denham

ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke recently caught up with Rep. Jeff Denham, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to talk about prospects for an infrastructure [...]

Meet the Member: Rep. Sam Graves

ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke recent caught up with Rep. Sam Graves, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to talk about his love of aviation [...]

ACI-NA Celebrates 2018 Infrastructure Week at TPA

Infrastructure Week, a week-long celebration of the vast network that supports – and moves – the U.S. economy, is taking place this week. ACI-NA’s Airport Infrastructure Needs Study details that [...]

Inspiring “Island” Travel

By Doug Newson, CEO, Charlottetown Airport Authority Operated by the Charlottetown Airport Authority Inc. (CAA), the Charlottetown Airport (YYG) is located in Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island (PEI), or […]

Global Trends in E-Commerce

By Ricondo & Associates Inc. The increasing use of electronic commerce (e-commerce) has changed the landscape of global retailing and is affecting activity at airports. The development of e-commerce includes […]

Big Data: The Airport Cleaning Management Revolution

By Jimy Baynum The idea of a “smart airport” may seem unobtainable. Occasionally, massive crowds, delays and various other touchpoints from check-in to the gate can affect airport visitors’ experiences […]

Ground Transportation’s New Normal

Airports Navigate the (R)Evolutionary Shift oF TNCs By Nicole Nelson Just beyond the busy holiday season, Eva Cheong recounted San Francisco International Airport’s particularly “rough Thanksgiving” in terms of bottlenecks […]

IDENT

The CBP has determined that facial recognition biometric exit technology is a viable solution to managing the entrance and exit of travelers coming through U.S. airports. The technology is provided […]

IATA Eyes a Future with One ID

Imagine a day when a passenger could present a single form of ID that would ensure a smooth path through the airport at the very start of his or her […]

Facing the Future: New Biometric Technology Programs Being Tested Nationwide

By Sandra Arnoult Sweeping changes may come over the next four years as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection rolls out the installation of new biometric technology in U.S. airports […]

An Ace in the Hole

Ryan Lynch knew that he wanted to be a pilot at age 5 and started flying at age 14. “When I was in high school and college, there weren’t any […]

Silver Tsunami: Will Your Airport Sink or Swim?

By Sandy Smith All it takes is one look around anywhere employees are gathered to see it: the unmistakable sea of silver hair. The workforce in airports – as in […]