Airports Council President and CEO Kevin Burke Announces Plans to Retire at End of 2026

March 31, 2026

WASHINGTON — Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today announced that President and CEO Kevin M. Burke has informed the ACI-NA Board of Directors of his intention to retire later in 2026, concluding more than a decade of leadership on behalf of the association and a distinguished career in trade associations and government relations.

“Kevin’s leadership has fundamentally strengthened both ACI-NA and the airport industry,” said Cindy Nichol, ACI-NA Chair and Director of Airports for Sacramento County. “From securing critical relief for airports during the pandemic to advancing long-term infrastructure investment and building strong partnerships across the U.S. and Canadian governments and industry, Kevin has positioned our organization and our members for continued success. His impact will be felt for years to come.”

Burke, who joined ACI-NA in January 2014, has led the organization through a period of significant growth and impact, strengthening its role as the leading voice for commercial service airports across the United States and Canada. During Burke’s tenure, ACI-NA expanded its advocacy presence, helped secure $20 billion in federal relief funding for U.S. airports during the COVID-19 pandemic, and played a leading role in securing more than $20 billion for major infrastructure investments. He also oversaw significant organizational growth while strengthening the association’s financial reserves and expanding member programs and services.

“I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together since 2014,” said Burke. “ACI-NA’s success is a direct reflection of the strength of our members and the dedication of our incredible staff. It has been an honor to serve this industry and to advocate on behalf of airports and the communities they support. I look forward to continuing this important work through the end of 2026 and ensuring a smooth transition for the organization.”

Burke will remain in his role while the ACI-NA Board of Directors undertakes a search for the association’s next President and CEO.

A downloadable headshot of Kevin M. Burke is available here.

###

 

About ACI-NA

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity – or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 405,000 jobs and contribute C$35 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.