Airports Council Welcomes Extension of REAL ID Implementation

December 5, 2022

WASHINGTON – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) President and CEO Kevin M. Burke today welcomed the announcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extending the REAL ID enforcement deadline until May 7, 2025. ACI-NA is the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada.

“We welcome the DHS announcement postponing the implementation of REAL ID requirements for individuals boarding commercial aircraft,” Burke said. “Despite previous extensions to REAL ID implementation, the saturation of REAL ID compliant licenses and identification cards remains low. This extension will allow individuals more time to obtain compliant identification, helping to prevent undue travel disruptions and preserving the health of the aviation system as we continue to navigate the pandemic’s impacts on global air travel. Today’s announcement is encouraging, and we remain committed to working with our federal partners to ensure REAL ID is implemented at the appropriate time.”

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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.