FEATURES

The Golden Arches of McDonald’s Australia are ready to rise for the first time at Brisbane Airport’s Domestic Terminal this summer. It’s one of 10 new food and beverage destinations opening in the coming months as part of the airport’s terminal redevelopment. Last year, 16 million passengers passed through the transport hub, which is the […]

Nakhon Si Thammarat International Airport in southern Thailand is set to open its new $40 million international terminal next month. The new eight-gate facility covers 30,000sqm and is said to boast state-of-the-art facilities that will boost the airport’s capacity to four million passengers per annum. Three airlines – Nok Air, Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion […]

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) operator, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), has signed an agreement with the Dongguan Port Group to establish a joint venture to develop HKIA Dongguan Logistics Park in Mainland China. The new facility will handle sea-air cargo transhipments being transported between Hong Kong and Dongguan. When completed, cargo security screening, palletisation […]

ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East today announced the findings of its market research on airport concession business models and non-aeronautical revenues on the opening day of the The Trinity Forum 2023 in Hong Kong. Based on survey feedback from airport operators across the region, the research reveals that airports are giving “noteworthy consideration” to new […]

BVLGARI, the Roman jeweller and master of coloured gems, is celebrating the opening of the boutique in Changi T2, in partnership with Valiram. As you would expect, the store front has an elegant grand antique black marble portal which features the brands Roman lettered iconic logo, and the show windows are set in a decorative […]

Heinemann Australia has relaunched its Heinemann & Me Loyalty Programme in its Sydney Airport international and forthcoming domestic airport stores, The initiative enables personalised customer experiences and offers experience that rewards customers for their loyalty and repeat business. It notes that passengers now have access to over 500 luxury and premium brands covering everything from […]

SSP Group is to open seven new Point stores at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, offering passengers a range of food options en route to their departure gates. Six of the new stores are compact units, while a larger unit will also serve as a kitchen to serve the other outlets. All will be located across various […]

Abu Dhabi International Airport’s long awaited new state-of-the-art terminal will officially open for business in early November. Known as the Midfield Terminal Building during the construction phase but now known as Terminal A, its opening will mark a significant milestone for the emirate as it has the potential to transform the local aviation ecosystem. Operator, […]

Passenger numbers continue to grow at Hong Kong International Airport, rising by 14.9% in July on the same month a year ago as a total of 3.8 million travellers passed through the gateway. According to operator, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), the daily passenger average in July exceeded 120,000, recovering to 60% of the pre-pandemic […]

Changi Airports International (CAI) has signed two agreements with Cairo Airport Company to jointly develop Cairo International Airport, one of the busiest airports in Africa and the largest airport in Egypt by passenger and cargo traffic. The first consultancy agreement is passenger focused and seeks to implement impactful solutions to improve passenger experience at Cairo […]

The 18th ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly, Conference and Exhibition in Kobe, Japan, marked a strong return for ACI Asia-Pacific’s annual event, writes Sunil Subbaiah and Yuman Lau. The 18th ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly, Conference and Exhibition provided the perfect opportunity for us to reconnect with our members and industry colleagues, and it didn’t disappoint. Indeed, […]

SITA has been awarded a landmark deal by the Airports Authority of India to provide technology to 43 of India’s biggest airports. India’s Civil Aviation is among the fastest-growing aviation markets globally and will be a major growth engine to make India a $5 trillion economy by 2024. The deal will see improvements over 2,700 […]

Hong Kong International Airport’s Sky Bridge has its own cocktail bar after today’s opening of ‘Intervals’ by the Plaza Premium Group. PPG boldly promises that the first-of-its-kind concept will offer “an unparalleled world-class cocktail and dining experience”. Indeed, it describes as Intervals as being a destination in its own right, offering “a creative concept that […]

Noida International Airport (NIA) has signed an agreement with Amadeus for the provision of a “world-class” passenger processing system (PPS) including common use check-in, boarding, baggage reconciliation, and DigiYatra-enabled biometric capabilities. Under the agreement, Amadeus will design, supply, commission, operate, and maintain the cloud-hosted end-to-end PPS for Noida International Airport. In line with the terms […]

Plaza Premium Group (PPG) has announced the opening of a new lounge in international departures at Adelaide Airport (ADL). The airport’s first and only international lounge, it spans 532sqm and can accommodate up to 137 guests. According to PPG, its bespoke design “incorporates beautiful features of natural stone, marble, granite and travertine, timber, a raked render […]

The latest 2022 Airport IT Insights Survey reveals that airports are ramping up their investment in technology to digitalise their operations and streamline the passenger journey through more self-service options. The report – produced annually by ACI World and SITA – notes that with the quicker than expected recovery of air travel demand, chief information […]

VPorts has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Airport to build and operate a first vertiport in RAK designed to establish the UAE as a world-class global AAM hub. ‘‘With the support of the Department of Civil Aviation of Ras Al Khaimah, we are excited to build […]

Ever Rich Duty Free has partnered with William Grant and Tasa Meng on a Glenfiddich Perpetual Collection promotion at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport. To support the launch, the brand’s ground-breaking immersive Perpetual Collection pop-up concept has been installed in Terminal 2 and will be onsite until February 28. “This collection is Glenfiddich’s biggest launch in […]

David Whitely from FTI Consulting explains why environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues should be a top priority for the region’s airports and aviation leaders. As we see a greater focus on the role of business in confronting broader societal issues, there is now a stronger imperative for airports to develop and adopt a more […]

John Brash, founder of global branding agency, Brash, explains why he believes that the rebranding of Abu Dhabi Airports is an ode to the future of aviation. It’s no secret that the aviation sector has been beset by challenges since the outbreak of the global pandemic. However, as with any challenge, comes great opportunity. This […]

We shine the spotlight on a handful of exciting ongoing or recently announced development projects across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. NEW RIYADH MEGA HUB AND AEROTROPOLIS Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans for a new mega hub for Riyadh which will be called King Salman International Airport. According to the master plan, King Salman International […]

Sydney Airport’s new luxury precinct is now home to Louis Vuitton’s first retail travel store in the southern hemisphere, as well as Gentle Monster’s first store in the region. The brand’s largest stand-alone travel retail store in the world offers a broad selection of premium women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, shoes, leather goods, accessories, watches, jewellery […]

Port Hedland International Airport, based in a remote area of Western Australia and in the midst of a terminal redevelopment programme, has become one of the first regional airports in the Antipodes to embrace the cloud for common-use check-in and boarding systems. The airport expects that turning to the cloud will give it an edge […]

Hamad International Airport (HIA) continues to host a number of exciting activations and events for passengers travelling through the airport and beyond during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The events at Doha’s gateway to the world include match day themed performances, a mosaic photo wall, a number of kids’ zones, fan zones and viewing […]

In collaboration with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA), Emirates airline is now offering international travellers the opportunity to speed up their airport experience by consenting to the use of biometric data. The first agreement of its kind globally, the strategic partnership between GDRFA and Emirates is a co-operative effort […]

Despite being less than a decade old, Hamad International Airport today officially unveiled its airport expansion project to the world. The Qatari gateway believes the expansion, which includes what it calls a “masterpiece garden at the centre of the airport”, will enrich the passenger experience and transform the airport into an “extraordinary destination where any […]

Hong Kong International Airport’s impressive Sky Bridge opened today, allowing passengers to conveniently travel between Terminal 1 and its Satellite Concourse (T1S). The latest addition to the airport’s infrastructure is 200-metres long and 28-metres high and equipped with escalators and automated walkways. Spanning a taxiway at the airport, Sky Bridge is the world’s longest airside […]

Asia-Pacific Airports takes a closer look at a handful of key infrastructure development projects making headlines across the region. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport’s new Terminal 3B Construction of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport’s $3.5 billion Terminal 3B and fourth runway are said to be going well, with the new terminal seemingly on target to be completed […]

Kansai International Airport, operated since 2016 by VINCI Airports with its partner ORIX, has inaugurated a new domestic area in Terminal 1. According to the airport, the first completed stage of planned remodelling work is designed to improve the passenger experience due to the “introduction of more functional commercial spaces redesigned around new shops and […]

Christchurch Airport has become the latest gateway to embrace the Sunflower Lanyard scheme, a programme for people who would like a little more assistance without having to ask for it. The lanyards are used by people with a non-visible disability to indicate the wearer would like additional support, assistance or a little more time. Those […]

MXD Development Strategists’ Chris LeTourneur outlines what we can expect from Jeddah Airport City and explains why he believes it represents the potential future of airport centric development. Jeddah Airport City at King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) is arguably taking airport-centric development to a new level, enhancing the western gateway to the Kingdom of Saudi […]

Airport International Group’s Rula Dawood charts Queen Alia International Airport’s pioneering decarbonisation journey in ACI’s Airport CarbonAccreditation programme. A few years after being awarded the 25-year concession to manage the rehabilitation, expansion and operation of Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan, Airport International Group (AIG) commenced the airport’s decarbonisation journey. From the outset it was […]

Doha’s Hamad International Airport has opened a second airport hotel inside its terminal. The airport says that the Oryx Garden Hotel, which is located in the North Plaza, is “one of many new experiences” that are part of an airport expansion project due for completion ahead of Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup later this […]

TGI Fridays has launched its first airport branch in the Middle East at Bahrain International Airport (BIA). Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) CEO, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, attended the opening ceremony alongside other officials. Offering an open kitchen concept and contemporary décor, the restaurant can accommodate 118 guests at any one time. Alongside a wide selection […]

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) welcomed 401,000 passengers in July, 2022, a colossal 259.3% increase over the same period last year, although passenger volumes remain significantly down on pre-pandemic levels. Cargo throughput and air traffic movements recorded 17% and 3.1% year-on-year drops to 348,000 tonnes and 11,485 movements, respectively. The relaxation of inbound travel and […]

Carlos Kaduoka, SITA’s head of business strategy for airports, considers how new technology will play a key role in helping airports respond to the demands for a greener industry. The travel recovery is well underway. As the summer travel season approaches, airlines and airports have been caught off guard by the speed of recovery. Airports […]

Fluent Commerce’s senior vice president of global sales, Rob Shaw, suggests some potential solutions to create a seamless airport shopping experience. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the globe in ways that could not have been predicted – hitting the travel industry especially hard.  And it goes without saying that the lack of travellers has had a […]

As borders begin to re-open, is it time for APAC airports to reconsider how they will look and digitally interact with passengers in the future? Amadeus’ senior vice president of airport and airline operations for the region, Sarah Samuel, investigates. When the pandemic emerged in 2019, Asia-Pacific was the first to feel its impact. And […]

Dato’ Iskandar Mizal Mahmood, managing director of Malaysia Airports, talks to Joe Bates about his company’s customer service strategy, ASQ successes and recovering from the global pandemic. Anyone who has ever visited Malaysia, particularly those lucky enough to have been on holiday there, will know that they can expect a warm welcome and, more often […]

Singapore’s gateway to the world has stepped up the promotion of its Changi Precinct, which it hopes will prove a big hit with passengers wishing to explore and have fun as traffic numbers begin to rise again after the global pandemic. The new ‘Hello, Changi Precinct’ gallery in Terminal 3 is essentially designed to drive […]

Christchurch Airport has never lost sight of its sustainability goals and is now arguably the greenest gateway on the planet, writes Joe Bates. Christchurch Airport has set a new sustainability milestone by going beyond being carbon neutral and becoming climate positive. Its general manager for planning and sustainability, Nick Flack, believes the move is an […]

Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) has welcomed today’s announcement by Minister for Health Y’vette D’Ath that Queensland will end requirements for face masks to be worn within airports at all times. The decision comes after moves by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee to end the mandatory requirement. “The Queensland government’s decision to end the mask […]

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport has introduced a new first for India, AI-driven, assistance robots designed enhance passenger experience. Currently at the trial stage, 10 robots have been deployed to help guide passengers through the airport and answer basic queries. It notes that the robot count will be increased in a “calibrated manner” and will be […]

Changi Airport Group today announced that operations in Terminal 2 will resume on 29 May 2022, the first phase of the terminal’s re-opening as the gateway prepares to meet the expected increase in passenger traffic in the months ahead. Closed for an upgrade since May 2020, T2’s phased re-opening will augment Changi’s capacity. When completed […]

Construction of Changi’s planned Terminal 5 is set to resume in two or three years’ time, ensuring that it is operational by the mid-2030s, according to Singapore’s Transport Minister, S. Iswaran. Work on the project was halted in May 2020 when the global COVID-19 pandemic began to bite in Singapore, and passenger numbers at the […]

Perth Airport says that returning passengers will notice ‘some changes’ in its International terminal that it believes will further enhance the passenger experience. “To streamline passenger check-in, an exciting new addition is the conversion of 16 check-in counters at T1 International into automated bag drops and 36 new self-check-in kiosks in what was the queuing […]

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has announced a Harmonising Air Travel policy, which it says will make international travel to the Kingdom “simpler, easier and more enjoyable by removing the confusion over travel requirements currently discouraging millions of people from booking flights”. Designed in co-operation with the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organisation […]

Plaza Premium Group (PPG) has entered into a joint venture agreement with fellow airport hospitality brand, marhaba, to expand their international offering. The partnership brings together two major hospitality brands to combine knowledge and resources, which according to the partners, “will take airport hospitality to the next level through excellent and innovative airport concierge and […]

Airport Authority Hong Kong is determined to take the lead in integrating carbon management, sustainable best practices and green design across the airport campus, writes general manager for sustainability, Peter Lee. Climate change has become one of the most pressing global issues in recent years and there has been increasing public concern over the aviation […]

Sho Kataoka, manager of NAA’s Airport Sustainability Office, explains why Tokyo Narita has introduced an even more focused and ambitious sustainability plan. The global COVID-19 pandemic has led to extremely tough times for Narita International Airport, with significant suspension and reduction of passenger flights due to travel restrictions for the last two years.  In addition, the […]

Being one of the world’s most environment friendly and sustainable gateways is a top priority for Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, writes CEO, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar. Airports have always been in the spotlight when it comes to their impact on the environment and the steps taken by them to operate in a sustainable manner, and […]

Hamad International Airport’s chief operating officer, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, tells Joe Bates more about the latest traffic trends, IT innovation and expansion plans of Qatar’s gateway to the world. DOHA’S ANNUAL THROUGHPUT SOARED FROM 12.3 MILLION PASSENGERS IN 2008 TO 38.7 MILLION IN 2019 MAKING IT ONE OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING AIRPORTS. WHAT […]

Malaysia Airports (MAHB) has revealed that its international airports are “getting ready to receive the influx of international passengers into the country” once its borders reopen on April 1, 2022. It notes that it has been continuously working with the Malaysian authorities, including the Ministry of Health (MOH), to improve the process flow at its […]

Lagardère Travel Retail opened two new stores at Melbourne Airport this week – a LEGO store and Tech2Go outlet. Located in Terminal 4, the new LEGO store is expected to prove popular with both kids and their parents, while the Tech2Go  is said to be the “go-to place for customers seeking out new and exciting […]

For the second year in a row, Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport has been recognised in ACI Worlds ‘Voice of the Customer’ initiative. The initiative acknowledges airports that continued to prioritise passengers and remained committed to ensuring their voice was heard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. To qualify for this recognition, which is separate […]

Plaza Premium Group (PPG) is anticipating a major travel surge during the Lunar New Year festive period, as families travel to reunite for the Spring Festival. To bring luck to travellers in the Year of the Tiger, the Group is presenting Lunar New Year offers across Plaza Premium Lounges, Aerotels and the Smart Traveller loyalty […]

Lagardère Travel Retail has joined forces with Four Pillars to bring a pop-up gin shop to Terminal 1 at Melbourne Airport. Open now, the one-stop gin shop offers a selection of Four Pillars gins, including core and limited releases. A select range of ‘Made from Gin’ products is also available to purchase, including Breakfast Negroni, […]

Almaty Airport, which was closed to flights for security reasons on the evening of January 5 during the events in Kazakhstan, reopened for flights today. The gateway is part of TAV Airports’ global airport network. TAV Airports president and CEO, Sani Şener, said: “Kazakhstan has a special importance for us due to our historical and […]

Kansai Airports is renovating Kansai International Airport’s existing facilities and introducing new technology to enhance the passenger experience. Kansai Airports  – a consortium created by VINCI Airports and ORIX in 2015 – has launched the largest airport renovation project in the region for 50 years to boost the airport’s appeal and support Japan’s post-pandemic recovery.  […]

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is 100% operational again with all terminals, concourses, lounges, restaurants and retail outlets open for business following the reopening of the final phase of Terminal 3’s Concourse A. Terminal 3 is expected to serve more than 1.6 million passengers in the second half of December during the month’s peak seasonal travel […]

Honeywell and Riyadh Airports Company (RAC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the use of Honeywell technologies that enable integration and automation at King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) to increase efficiency, predictability and safety in its airport operations while also minimising environmental impact. The MoU between RAC and Honeywell outlines the implementation, […]

Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport has renewed its Level 2 Airport Customer Experience Accreditation (ACEA) issued by ACI World until November 2022. The Jordanian gateway, operated by the Airport International Group (AIG), initially obtained this accreditation in 2020 in acknowledgement of its efforts to promote service excellence and customer satisfaction, becoming one of only five […]

Brisbane Airport is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for its largest non-aviation project undertaken to date, BNE Auto Mall. The EOI is calling for reputable businesses and groups with experience and capability in managing exemplar entertainment, hospitality, events, and track facilities to become the Track and Event Operator. BNE Auto Mall will be located […]

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) has become the first gateway in South Asia to commission a Rosenbauer Tactical Simulator, an addition it says further strengthens its firefighting capabilities. With this simulator, firefighters can train in a realistic environment, master the tactical use of Rosenbauer Panther crash fire tenders (CFTs) as well as operate High Reach […]

Dubai Airports today revealed that passenger traffic through Dubai International Airport (DXB) has grown by almost 20% in the last four weeks to reach 20.7 million in the year to date to October. It notes that the upturn in traffic is down to the changes in travel restrictions in key global markets in recent months […]

Sydney Airport is set to be sold for a colossal A$23.6 billion ($17.5 billion) after the board unanimously voted to accept an offer from an infrastructure investment group. The offer from Sydney Aviation Alliance (SAA) has been on the table for over a month and the deal, should it go through, will make it one […]

It might not seem like a priority right now, but ACI World has revealed that more than $2.4 trillion will have to be spent on enhancing the infrastructure of the world’s airports by 2040 in order to meet future demand. The size of the task ahead – which will include modernising existing facilities as well […]

Brisbane Airport operator, Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC), today issued the following statement in response to the announcement of a roadmap to easing travel restrictions in Queensland. The statement, in full, reads: “We’re pleased to see a roadmap to the reopening of Queensland. However, there are elements of it that are of great concern in relation […]

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has unveiled its roadmap to net zero carbon emissions, which it claims balances innovative approaches with practical actions that will see the gateway’s operations become net zero by 2030. Earlier this year, YVR was the first airport in Canada to commit to net zero emissions by 2030, accelerating its original climate commitment by […]

Dubai International Airport (DXB) today launched the region’s first mobile F&B and retail ordering service without the need to download an app. From today, all hungry passengers have to do is reach for their mobile to order food and drinks from DXB’s F&B outlets and have it delivered directly to them. And the ability to […]

Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) has welcomed the announcement of the framework to safely re-open Australia to the world in the coming months. “This is the best news we’ve had in more than a year,” enthused BAC CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff. “We stand ready to work with Commonwealth agencies and the Queensland Government to facilitate the […]

Dufry has extended its duty-free concession at Cambodia’s three international airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville or five and a half years. The airports handled a total of 11.6 million international travellers in 2019, although these kind of figures are not expected to return for a while as COVID continues to restrict global […]

Queenstown Airport today questioned the need for a new Central Otago Airport in New Zealand. The new airport is being proposed by Christchurch Airport on the basis of a preliminary aeronautical assessment of its proposed location in Tarras. The assessment suggests that the site is able to support an airfield with a single runway of […]

Perth Airport today reassured the travelling public that it continues to roll out new COVID-safe initiatives and practices through its car parks and terminals to keep passengers and workers safe. According to the airport’s chief commercial officer, Kate Holsgrove, the Australian gateway has “reimagined the traveller journey from carpark to forecourt, to terminal, to security, to […]

Clark International Airport (CRK) in the Philippines has selected a suite of Collins Aerospace ARINC airport solutions to help provide a seamless passenger experience for the increased number of travellers expected to pass through the airport following its 2021 expansion. The gateway has selected ARINC’s passenger processing and airport operation solutions to move passenger flow […]

Accredify, a Singapore-based firm that creates and issues verifiable documents, today announced that it has signed an agreement with the IATA to issue COVID-19 Test Credentials that will be accepted for IATA Travel Pass. This collaboration will make Accredify one of the first lab and clinic aggregators in the Asia-Pacific region to participate in the […]

A new study by ACI World shows that Asia-Pacific and Middle East airports will have to develop new greenfield airports and invest in modernising and expanding their existing airport infrastructure to meed demand over the next 20 years. According to The Global Outlook of Airport Capital Expenditure,at least $1.3 trillion needs to be invested on […]

Emirates and flydubai expect to serve 168 destinations from Dubai by the end of May, a route network that they believe delivers on their customer promise to reintroduce more convenience, choice and seamless connectivity for travellers. Since the revival of their strategic codeshare partnership in early September 2020, close to 500,000 passengers have flown on […]

Qatar’s Hamad International Airport continues to be recognised for its sustainability efforts, this week having its Asset Management System (AMS) ISO 55001:2014 certification from the British Standards Institution (BSI) renewed for another three years. The Doha gateway believes that the recertification endorses its approach to delivering efficient and effective asset management across the airport’s infrastructure. […]

Bahrain Airport Company CEO, Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah, tells Joe Bates more about what passengers can expect from the airport’s new state-of-the-art terminal. Bahrain International Airport (BIA) celebrated a major milestone on January 28 when its eagerly awaited new terminal opened for business. The new state-of-the-art facility is the crowning jewel of a massive and comprehensive […]

Airports in Australia and New Zealand have been celebrating the reopening of quarantine free trans-Tasman travel for the first time in 12 months. In Brisbane, Brisbane Airport opened 16 ‘Green Lane’ services yesterday to accommodate Air New Zealand and Qantas flights between BNE and Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. The airport reports that all eight arrivals […]

China Duty Free Group (CDFG) and The Design Solution today provided a sneak preview of their design scheme for the 4,000sqm airside commercial area at Chengdu’s new Tianfu International Airport (TFU). The airport is due to open in mid 2021, ready for the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Chengdu 2021 Summer World University Games in […]

Dubai-based marhaba, dnata’s airport hospitality brand, has unveiled a brand-new design and experience at one of its flagship Dubai International Airport (DXB) lounges after an extensive renovation. As a result, it boasts that travellers can expect an entirely new lounge experience at Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3. A highly-anticipated, bespoke feature for the Dubai market […]

SITA has announced a five-year contract with Sydney Airport for the provision of common-use services at both Terminal 1 (international) and Terminal 2 (domestic). The project went live on March 1, 2021, featuring SITA Flex, an advanced common-use platform, and SITA Bag Message, which eliminates the need for multiple baggage system interfaces between airlines and […]

The first Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) APAC Dialogue webinar on March 17, 2021, was a hotspot gathering for the industry with over 600 delegates joining from across the globe. APTRA executive director, Christina Oliver, comments. “APTRA’s ambition in this new series of webinars is to maintain inclusive dialogue, to share and learn from […]

Abu Dhabi International Airport has opened a rapid testing lab for COVID-19 in a bid to facilitate the resumption of air travel and assist with quarantine tracking procedures. The new facility, opened by Abu Dhabi Airports in partnership with Pure Health and Tamouh Healthcare, is believed to be the region’s first PCR testing laboratory within […]

Infrastructure Australia (IA), the nation’s independent infrastructure advisor, has today announced that Newcastle Airport’s proposed upgrade has been added to its 2021 Priority List. The associated Williamtown Special Activation Precinct, which surrounds the airport and was recently announced by the NSW Government, has also been included. In response, Newcastle Airport CEO, Dr Peter Cock, said […]

GMR Kannur Duty Free Services Ltd today launched its first duty free outlet amid much fanfare and enthusiasm at the Kannur International Airport. Located at International Arrivals, the new outlet offers an assortment of some of the world’s most popular brands across liquor, perfume, confectionery, tobacco, travel essentials and authentic handpicked souvenirs. Rajesh Arora, CEO […]

Hong Kong International Airport is to launch COVID-19 testing schemes for airport staff who are subject to the requirements stipulated in the government’s compulsory testing notice issued today. The Hong Kong Government’s notice requires that everyone employed at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) or providing a hired service in the airport area between now and […]

Asia-Pacific Airports takes a closer look at the development of a solar energy farm at Melbourne Airport. A new 10 MW solar energy farm is taking shape at Melbourne Airport, which is set to produce enough clean energy to provide power to all four passenger terminals. The renewable solar farm will generate 16.8 GWh of […]

The Plaza Premium Group has opened its newly refurbished lounge in the Domestic departures area at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. The new and improved facility is spread over an area of 773 square metres, can accommodate over 200 passengers and boasts facilities ranging from work stations, a dining area and private seating zone for […]

In this exclusive Q&A, Hamad International Airport’s senior vice president for technology and innovation, Suhail Kadri, discusses his gateway’s IT strategy. What is the philosophy/strategy of Hamad International Airport (HIA) when it comes to new technology? Our goal is to be the best airport in the world and this ambition ensures that we have harnessed […]

Bahrain International Airport today announced that its long awaited new $1.1 billion terminal will open for business on January 28. According to Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), moving operations to the new state-of-the-art facility is a major step towards achieving the Kingdom’s ambitious Economic Vision 2030. The vision is based on diversification and sustainability goals and […]

Saudi Arabia’s planned new Red Sea airport is to be managed by daa international, the international business subsidiary of the operator of Ireland’s Dublin and Cork airports. The Red Sea Project is a major development being built over 28,000 square kilometres on Saudi Arabia’s west coast to create a new luxury tourism destination. The first […]

Plaza Premium Group and marbaba have formed a strategic partnership to enhance their offering of airport lounges and meet and greet services around the world. The partnership will see both companies expand market presence by consolidating service distribution and customer engagement through integrated cross-selling capabilities. It will initially cover major airports in strategic markets across […]

Delhi Noida International Airport will boast a passenger terminal designed by architects Grimshaw, Nordic – Office of Architecture, Haptic and Indian practice STUP. The team was selected from a shortlist of three by Zurich Airport International for “demonstrating a proficiency in balancing passenger comfort with sustainability, and timeless design with flexibility for future needs”. The […]

AIG has announced that Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) has received ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation in recognition of its efforts to deliver a safe airport experience to passengers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As both QAIA and the aviation industry at large remain considerably impacted by the unprecedented global health crisis, the […]

Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) has become the first airport in the Middle East to install Smiths Detection’s HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX machines, which utilises Computed Tomography (CT) technology to X-ray screen carry-on baggage at security checkpoints. The new additions are expected to help expedite the security screening process by allowing passengers to keep electronic devices […]

Hyderabad-Rajiv Gandhi International Airport’s duty free operator, Hyderabad Duty Free (HDF), has launched a WhatsApp Virtual Assistant Chat-bot service that allows it communicate with passengers on international flights and answer any queries. Leveraging the massive global WhatsApp user base of over 2.7 billion users, the airport believes that the new Chat-bot service is a “convenient […]

Christchurch Airport has become the first airport in the the world to reach Level 4 Transformation status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. The New Zealand gateway believes that the high achievement is evidence of its continued efforts to align its carbon management strategy with the global climate goals. It also follows ACI’s recent announcement […]

The Design Solution is to work with the China Duty Free Group (CDFG) as the retail giant accelerates its growth in China and the extended region. It joins a select group of retail design agency partners that will work with CDFG on a range of projects to support it in bids for new space and […]

Abu Dhabi International Airport is trialling a new enhanced ‘Smart Travel’ system, which it is confident will “shorten queues and streamline processes throughout the airport to deliver a smoother and more seamless passenger experience”. Developed by airport operator, Abu Dhabi Airports, in partnership with ConvergentAI and powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), the new system is […]

The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association’s call for governments to implement standardised COVID-19 testing on passengers is beginning gain some traction, with 10 states across the region responding “positively” to the campaign. Across the aviation, travel and tourism industries, a wide range of stakeholders are increasingly aligned in calling for increased testing as a key […]

Muscat International Airport in Oman has become the first airport in the Middle East to be accredited under ACIs Airport Health Accreditation programme. “We spared no initiative to ensure our passengers feel secure going through our airports,” said Oman Airports CEO, Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni. “Planning and implementing the highest international standards of […]

Hamad International Airport has become the first gateway in the world to achieve independent verification from BSI (British Standards Institution) for its implementation of ICAO’s COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocols. The verification for Hamad International Airport (HIA) was conducted following its successful audit for compliance of measures outlined by the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce […]

Emirates has introduced self check-in and bag drop kiosks for what it hopes will ensure a “more seamless airport experience” in Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport. The service is now available to customers travelling to all destinations except to the US, Canada, China, India and Hong Kong due to additional requirements from these destinations. […]

The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) has launched a campaign to over 45 individual governments across the region with a proposal for regional alignment on quarantine rules and testing on arrival and departure at airports, in a move that would safeguard public health and promote industry recovery. Reflecting the views of many of its […]

Operator, GHIAL, has announced that Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has achieved Airport Health Accreditation (AHA). The accreditation recognises the airport’s efforts to make it a safe environment for passengers and staff in line with ACI’s Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines and ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) Recommendations along with industry best […]

Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) has successfully renewed and extended its Level 3+ ‘Neutrality’ status in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme. As the sole airport to have attained the ACA Level 3+ ‘Neutrality’ in the region, QAIA insists that it continuously deploys best environmental practices and periodically updates its energy conservation procedures. Actions, it […]

ACI Asia-Pacific today announced that Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, has become the first airport in the region to be accredited under the ACI Airport Health Accreditation programme. ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation programme assists airports by assessing new health measures and procedures introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with ICAO Council […]

ACI Asia-Pacific is urging governments to replace quarantine requirements with testing and contact tracing protocols to ensure the sector’s survival amid a worsening situation for airports in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The latest preliminary forecast figures show that Asia-Pacific and Middle East airports will lose 55% and 60% passenger volume by the end of […]

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) today announced that its relief package for the airport community will extend for another two months to end of October 2020 in view of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic and continuing political unrest in Hong Kong has had a huge impact on traffic at Hong […]

Mainland China has fully embraced the aerotropolis concept with over 100 hugely ambitious  projects now underway across the country, writes Dr John Kasarda. Asia leads the way in airport city and aerotropolis development and China is the region’s most enthusiastic adopter of the aerotropolis model, with more than 100 of its airports and their surrounding […]

The NZ Airports Association (NZ Airports) has welcomed the government’s announcement that the Chatham Islands will receive NZ$40m in COVID-19 recovery funding, the great majority of which will go to upgrading the runway at Tuuta Airport, allowing larger aircraft to land. The association’s chief executive, Kevin Ward, said the investment will be a real and […]

Cameron Mann considers the impact COVID-19 is likely to have on passenger facilitation at airports as the industry strives to provide a safe and secure aviation ecosystem. Aviation continues to advocate for a risk-based approach to security, which effectively involves concentrating on and understanding individuals, and spending the most time dealing with those you know […]

The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) is urging governments to ease what it claims are “unduly onerous restrictions on international air travel” to re-establish global connectivity with evidence-based measures to safeguard public health. More than six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asia Pacific air transport industry notes that it is taking initial steps […]

Airports are leaders in the use of new technology, which will make touchless travel possible and hasten aviation’s recovery from COVID-19, writes Collins Aerospace’s Tony Chapman. There was a time not long ago when commercial airline passengers arrived early at airports to shop at high-end boutiques, eat at nice restaurants and enjoy a cocktail before […]

Sunil Tuli, president of the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) and group chief executive of King Power Group (Hong Kong) shares an industry perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic. As air travel virtually ground to a halt across Asia-Pacific in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, so too did an essential lifeline of over $36 […]

Queen Alia operator, Airport International Group (AIG), is to modernise its IT systems in partnership with Amadeus. The gateway says that the move will deliver a foundation for innovation and the flexibility to react to new market dynamics. The first phase of the implementation has just been completed with QAIA using Amadeus technology to integrate its […]

Collaboration and co-operation will prove key to overcoming COVID-19, although aviation potentially faces a long road to recovery, writes Inderjit Singh. Aviation is one of the most important pillars of the global economy as the sector provides millions of jobs across the world and contributes heavily to its GDP.  It is also a survivor, as […]

Joe Bates provides a snapshot of how the region’s airports have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and are planning for a brighter future. The region’s airports have turned to technology and new processes and procedures to ensure that they are equipped, ready and able to handle passengers when government’s finally lift travel restrictions and commercial […]

Today marked another milestone day in Dubai International Airport’s recovery from the COVID-19 as the UAE gateway welcomed the resumption of scheduled operations by foreign carriers. A total of 13 international airlines resumed scheduled flights this week as Dubai, and Dubai International Airport (DXB), effectively opened for business to overseas tourists from July 7. Airlines […]

Director general, Stefano Baronci, reflects on the impact of COVID-19, ACI Asia-Pacific’s recent virtual Regional Board meeting and Assembly, new Strategic Plan and a host of other issues. From a period of sustained passenger traffic growth in 2019 to the halfway point of 2020, the industry is now in survival mode, crippled by the loss […]

Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans for a new airport to serve what has been described as a new “ultra-luxury destination” on its Red Sea coast. The new destination is called AMAALA and the airport, which is slated for completion in 2023, will boast a design that that is said to have been inspired by the […]

Singapore Changi claims that it has begun “transforming the passenger experience with new contactless and cleaning innovations for a safer, but yet seamless, airport journey”. It notes that the measures, which include touchless technology and autonomous cleaning robots, will be rolled out airport-wide in preparation for when air travel into and out of Singapore gradually […]

Smiths Detection, a leading threat-detection and security-technology company, will supply hold-baggage screening equipment for Kuwait’s new International Airport Terminal 2, which is currently under construction. The contract includes the installation of HI-SCAN 10080 XCT units for screening hold baggage. Terminal 2, which is intended to become an international transit hub, will have the ability to […]

New Chitose Airport operator, Hokkaido Airports Co Ltd (HAP) has launched a social media marketing campaign in a bid to re-boot tourism to the Japanese island. Launched in conjunction with the Hokkaido government and the Hokkaido Tourism Organization, its HOKKAIDO LOVE! initiative is designed to encourage tourists to return to Japan’s northern most island, which […]

Airports across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East are ready for the restart of the sector following the crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with the ongoing implementation of a set of common public health measures, according to ACI Asia-Pacific. The association notes that they are ready they implemented measures in full support and alignment with […]

Cambodia’s Sihanouk International Airport has unveiled a new master plan to accommodate its projected traffic growth for the next 20 years. Construction of a second passenger terminal between now and 2030, extending the airport’s runway by 800 metres to 3,300 metres, a new taxiway and additional aircraft stands are the key projects of Phase 1 […]

Hong Kong International Airport has announced that it will commence “the gradual resumption of transfer/transit services” from Monday. Operator, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), says that a host of enhanced health measures at the airport have made the June 1 date possible. In tandem with the gradual resumption of transfer/transit services, all passengers, including departing, arriving […]

Lagardère Travel Retail Pacific has begun to re-open some of its stores across the region, starting with a handful of outlets in the domestic terminals at Auckland, Brisbane, Christchurch, Perth and Melbourne this week. According to the travel retailer, the small selection of stores will be used as test cases with restricted trading hours, with […]

Airports across the world are actively working to reduce their noise footprint and engaging with their communities to create environmental capacity, writes Envirosuite’s senior aviation specialist, Matt Mills-Brooks. There are two types of constraints on airport growth, physical capacity, which relates to the limits imposed by the runway, terminal, security or in the case of […]

ADB SAFEGATE’S Niclas Svedberg argues that adopting a digital apron will help airports reduce delays and cope with rising traffic demand. We all know how frustrating airport delays can be. Every month some 50,000 flights are cancelled, and more than half a million flights are delayed worldwide, costing airports billions in lost revenue. It’s why […]

Vivek Sindhamani and Peter Vorage discuss the growing threat of flooding to airports and how some of the region’s major hubs are planning ahead to increase their resilience to rising water levels. During the past five years, over twenty major, and many more small-island airports, have flooded due to extreme rainfall events or storm surges […]

Brisbane Airport (BNE) and construction partner Skyway are today celebrating the practical completion of the gateway’s new runway. Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff, recognised the milestone event, but noted that while today marked the end of the project, its was just the beginning for BNE and operator, Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC). “In many respects this […]

Leonie Dobbie, aviation consultancy company WSP’s strategic aviation advisor, considers the benefits of embedding sustainability action into airport decision-making. From the 1991 Earth Summit in Rio to the 2015 Paris Agreement, policymakers have attempted 
to come to grips with the science and political-economic implications of climate change. Achieving the Paris Agreement goals requires that we […]

Across Asia-Pacific, airports are responding to increased passenger numbers and environmental pressures with innovative, efficient and sustainable terminal designs, writes Benoy Singapore director, Terence Seah. Asia-Pacific (APAC) is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world, with passenger numbers more than quadrupling over the last 15 years and both ACI and IATA forecasting that the […]

Asia-Pacific Airports turns the spotlight on the GMR Group and its airport assets in India and across the planet. These are exciting times for India’s GMR group, which continues to develop and expand its airport network both at home and abroad and will shortly welcome a key new investment partner. On home turf in India, GMR […]

The latest news from communications manager, Samantha Solomon, includes an update on ACI Asia-Pacific’s advocacy efforts, new dates for postponed events and a growing list of World Business Partners. ACI EVENTS RESCHEDULED FOLLOWING CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK  The organisers are pleased to announce that the ACI 12th Annual Airport Economics & Finance Conference and Exhibition and pre-conference […]

The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) is urging governments across the region to prioritise support packages for the travel retail industry to help many operators survive the coronavirus crisis. APTRA is writing to government policymakers responsible for determining Covid-19 fiscal relief and funding across ministerial offices including aviation, maritime, retail, F&B and tourism industries. […]

ACI Asia-Pacific is urging governments across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region to swiftly implement relief measures to safeguard airport employment and connectivity. Revised ACI revenue forecasts show the 2020 impact of the pandemic now stands at $23.9 billion for Asia-Pacific and $5.7 billion for the Middle East, impacting airports of all sizes. A prolonged […]

Heinemann Australia has celebrated five years at Sydney Airport by extending its Duty Free concession at the gateway until 2029. The news is a major coup for the company, which has operated Heinemann Tax & Duty Free store at the airport since 2015. “I’m delighted that we have attained this agreement extension, as it not only […]

Key industry partners announced today the launch of the MRO Blockchain Alliance, the air transport’s first industry-wide investigation into the use of blockchain to track, trace and record aircraft parts.  The new alliance comprises leading organisations covering every aspect of the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) chain, from part manufacture and repairs to logistics and […]

Work will commence on the expansion and renovation of Singapore Changi’s Terminal 2 next month as operator, Changi Airport Group (CAG) strives to make the airport bigger and better to cope with growing demand. The work marks the beginning of a multi-year expansion project which will increase T2’s handling capacity, as well as to replace […]

Myanmar’s Yangon International Airport has turned to technology in a bid to boost its operational efficiency and passenger handling capability. The airport has introduced SITA’s Airport Management solution, which enables the gateweay and its stakeholders, including airlines and ground handlers, to collaborate around the same real-time information and make fully-informed decisions on resources. According to […]

What next for Hamad International Airport? Joe Bates reviews the gateway’s newly unveiled development plans. Qatar’s Hamad International Airport, one of the world’s newest hubs having only opened in 2014, is to expand its concourses to raise its capacity to 60 million passengers per annum. The expansion project will feature a spectacular 10,000sqm indoor tropical […]

Singapore Changi retained its title as the world’s most sleep friendly gateway in Sleeping in Airports’ annual passenger poll, writes Joe Bates. Airports located in ACI’s Asia-Pacific region have once again dominated Sleeping in Airports’ annual survey for the best gateways to use, and take a nap in, in 2019, with Singapore Changi and Incheon […]

Karl Lyndon, global aviation sector leader at integrated engineering consultancy, BuroHappold, explores the growing focus on greening airport terminal buildings. The aviation sector has been attracting a lot of attention recently – and not all of it for the right reasons. The new trend of ‘flight shaming’ in a bid to discourage air travel and […]

News, views and reviews from ACI’s regional and global World Business Partners. MELBOURNE’S NEW CT SECURITY SCREENING TECHNOLOGY Melbourne (MEL) has become the first major Australian airport to permanently adopt Computed Tomography (CT) X-ray screening technology following the installation of new state-of-the-art Smiths Detection equipment at the security checkpoints in Terminal 4. The technology allows […]

Auckland Airport is enhancing the experience for international travellers with the launch of new automated pre-security gates. From today, travellers will pass through 12 new e-Gates that will scan boarding passes and grant them access to security areas. Developed in partnership with Vision-Box, the e-Gates mark the first phase of a new technology application that […]

Van Don International Airport in northeast Vietnam has been named ‘World’s Leading New Airport 2019′ at the 26th annual World Travel Awards (WTA).This is only the second year WTA has presented an award for this category, which assesses a new airport’s performance based on the overall design, service quality and passengers’ satisfaction, and how the complete passenger […]

Gold Coast Airport in Australia has extended its partnership for passenger and baggage technology with global IT provider, SITA, until 2024. The new agreement continues the airport’s close relationship with SITA, which has been in place for more than 10 years. Gold Coast Airport uses SITA’s common-use platform, together with self-service bag drop and check-in kiosks.  […]

Asia-Pacific Airports takes a closer look at plans to enhance the retail offering at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia. Passenger numbers are rising across the Middle East, and with forecasts predicting that this upward trajectory is set to continue in the long-term, many of the region’s airports are looking to expand their […]

What are the prerequisites to delivering exceptional customer experience along all touchpoints of the passenger journey? Redwater Consulting Group’s Kateryna Hess investigates. Customer experience (CX) has become a buzz word in today’s service industries from telecommunications, financial institutions and travel organisations to infrastructure providers. Consumers have become more connected and well informed about prices and […]

Abu Dhabi Airports CEO, Bryan Thompson, tells us a little more about the type of F&B innovation we can expect to find in Abu Dhabi International Airport’s new Midfield Terminal. The new Midfield Terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport is the culmination of decades of innovation in aviation. Abu Dhabi Airports has invested heavily in ensuring that the […]

Joe Bates takes a closer look at the opening of some innovative new retail/F&B outlets across the region. SSP to be key F&B operator at Beijing Daxing SSP Group has secured three contracts to open six food and beverage units at the new Beijing Daxing International Airport. As the key food and beverage operator at […]

Pragma Consulting’s Alex Avery discusses how food and beverage is transforming airport retail. Whilst the challenges of delivering growth in retail are well documented, F&B continues to be the star performer for many airports. Pragma has seen annual growth in spend per passenger of up to 15% in some locations. In our opinion, there are […]

Narita International Airport has signed a contract with ICM Airport Technics for the installation of 72 self-service Auto Bag Drop (ABD) units ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Designed and built by ICM, the Series 7 ABD units will be progressively rolled out across all four terminals of Tokyo Narita. Multi-lingual and descrined as […]

Niranjan Navaratnarajah, cargo industry director for Unisys Asia Pacific, argues that real-time data is fundamental to a connected cargo supply chain to reduce idle time and increase visibility, transparency and security. We need to securely modernise today’s mostly manual and fragmented cargo distribution processes by going digital. Let’s face it, most of the cargo industry […]

The challenges of growth, innovative technology and the customer experience were just a few of the topics on the agenda at this year’s ACI Asia-Pacific/World Annual General Assembly Conference & Exhibition in Hong Kong, writes Joe Bates. Hopes were high that this year’s joint ACI Asia-Pacific/World Annual General Assembly Conference & Exhibition (WAGA) in dynamic […]

Beijing’s soon-to-open Daxing International Airport has selected Xsight Systems’ FOD Detection solution for installation on its East and North runways. The decision follows the Xsight System being awarded a similar contract for Beijing Capital International Airport’s East Runway earlier this year. “We are proud that Xsight’s global reputation as an industry leader is acknowledged by the […]

Huawei rotating chairman, Guo Ping, today told the China Civil Aviation Development Forum in Beijing how he believes that 5G and artificial intelligence will enable ‘smart civil aviation’. Over 400 delegates from around the world were in attendance at the event which covered the topic of ‘Intelligent Aviation — High Quality Development in a New Scientific, […]

Pragma’s Alex Avery takes us through the impact of digitalisation on airport retail and what this potentially means for the future of shopping and dining at the world’s gateways. Technology has transformed our relationship with retail. From convenience, to single-click through to experiential retailing led by augmented reality. At the same time, consumers are demanding […]

New SITA report confirms that journey smoothing technology makes people happy. Airline passengers are using automated technology for passport checks at double the rate recorded in 2017, according to the latest aviation IT research. Indeed, passengers are happier when technology smooths their way through passport checks and other aspects of their airport journey, reveals SITA’s 2019 […]

Joe Bates rounds-up some of the latest retail/F&B news, views and reviews from across the busy Asia-Pacific region. Cairns Airport has awarded global restaurateur HMSHost and Australian hospitality powerhouse, Red Rock Australia, concessions to operate a total of 13 new food and beverage outlets when the expansion of Terminal 2 (T2) is completed in 2020. […]

Kevin Riordan, head of airports and checkpoint solutions at Smiths Detection, considers how artificial intelligence can help airport security. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to permeate every aspect of daily life, from garnering film recommendations on Netflix, through to fraud detection and cognitive robotics, and airport security is no exception. Machine learning is key to […]

Egis has been awarded a contract by Riyadh Airports Company to provide it with design and project management consultancy services as it looks to replace the hold baggage screening (HBS) machines in Terminal 5 at King Khaled International Airport. Egis has been supporting development and expansion of Saudi Arabia’s second biggest airport for the last […]

Alex Avery looks at how innovation can shape the future of airport retail and enhance the passenger experience. Last year saw the top performing airports introduce pop-ups and experiential stores to encourage passengers to interact more with their retail offer. This has been supported by a big focus on making shopping as efficient and convenient […]

Our picture round-up pays tribute to the Asia-Pacific gateways whose outstanding levels of service led to them winning Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer satisfaction awards. Asia-Pacific airports once again shone in this year’s ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer satisfaction survey, and many were on hand to pick up their prizes during a glittering awards […]

Airport retail and F&B innovation was top of the agenda at the recent Trinity Forum in Shanghai. Asia-Pacific Airports looks back at some of the highlights. ACI World’s last big event of the year, The Trinity Forum, attracted over 500 delegates to Shanghai to address the theme of ‘The changing airport and travel retail commercial eco-system’. […]

Sumesh Patel, SITA’s Asia Pacific president, argues that biometric technology will play a key role in ensuring faster, more efficient and safer passenger journeys through airports in the future. How do you balance the two most critical aspects of border control? Passengers don’t want to wait, but airports and border authorities need to ensure the […]

Arup associate director and aviation security specialist, Stacey Peel, reflects on the challenges of designing the airport of the future and reveals a new passenger processing concept that could help eliminate queues at airports. As the aviation industry finds ways to draw on the benefits of new technology, such as using blockchain to protect sensitive […]

Joe Bates looks back at April’s ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly, Conference and Exhibition in Narita and discussions about the future challenges and opportunities facing the region’s airports. A packed conference programme featuring aviation industry leaders from across the globe, a variety of hot topics to discuss and the chance to sample some Japanese culture both modern […]

Jerome de Chassey, Smith Detection’s vice president for Asia-Pacific considers how smarter checkpoints can improve security efficiency and the passenger experience. In the face of increasing passenger numbers, new regulations and ever-evolving threats, airports are constantly challenged to maintain operational and security effectiveness whilst striving to improve efficiency and the overall passenger experience. This demands […]

Improving surface access is a commercial and environmental challenge facing airports across the globe, write ICF’s Angus Reid-Kay and Rob Rushmer. To focus on airlines and the development of an airport’s route network would provide only a partial view of a gateway’s connectivity. This is because surface access matters, and failure to meet demand on […]

ACI World’s head of security, Nina Brooks, considers the importance of creating a strong security culture. Developing a ‘security culture’ is about engaging all staff at all levels of an organisation to embrace common security-driven values and consider security as a priority in all of their work. The aviation community puts much emphasis on the […]

Joe Bates reports on some of the highlights and lessons learned from October’s Global Sustainable Aviation Summit in Geneva. Aviation’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and biofuels, which are expected to account for 25% of all jet fuel by 2050, were just a few of the topics discussed during the recent […]

As airports search for ways to make the travel experience safer and more convenient, biometrics may just be the answer, writes Tony Chapman. You enter the airport and walk up to the self-service baggage kiosk where your passport is scanned. Then, a facial recognition camera scans your face and compares it to the biometric data […]

What’s the latest in the world of airport IT? Joe Bates reports back from the recent Air Transport IT Summit. First there was ‘virtual reality’, then we were introduced to ‘augmented reality’ and now we could potentially have ‘mixed reality’ at airports if new HoloLens technology currently being trialled by SITA comes to the market. Initial […]

Joe Bates looks back at some of the highlights of ACI Asia-Pacific’s Regional Assembly, Conference and Exhibition in Doha. Qatar’s famed hospitality proved as warm as the temperatures outside throughout a memorable 12th ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly, Conference and Exhibition in Doha. For 400 delegates representing 175 organisations from 54 countries across the globe, the conference […]

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has achieved carbon neutral status (Level 3+) in ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. It is the second gateway in the region to achieve the lofty status after Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. SGK Kishore, CEO of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), says his gateway’s significant achievement is the result of the […]

Brisbane Airport Corporation’s environment and sustainability manager, Wendy Weir, reflects on its efforts to ensure that it operates a culturally aware gateway. Regardless of how experienced the traveller is or how many air miles they’ve got in the bank, navigating your way around an unfamiliar airport is a stressful experience.  Alleviating passenger stress is a […]

Chris Crampton, chairman of the UK and Ireland Chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), considers the importance of cultural awareness in the Asia-Pacific region. Beyond a basic desire for a beach, travel is a way of broadening the mind and having new experiences. The more we travel, the more we see and, perhaps most […]

Asia-Pacific Airports discovers that confectionery remains an important product in airport duty free shops across the globe. A new study by the Tax Free World Association (TFWA) has highlighted the important role that confectionery plays in attracting customers to duty free and travel retail across all categories.  The report, which is part of the TFWA Category […]

Asia-Pacific Airports finds out more about the pioneering environmental efforts of Brisbane, Delhi–Indira Gandhi, Hong Kong and Sydney airports. Brisbane Airport has issued its first ever sustainabilty report demonstrating how it addresses its responsibilities to customers, partners, shareholders and community in a sustainable manner without adverse environmental or community impacts. The FY16 Sustainability Report, developed under the Global Reporting Initiative […]

Cameron Mann, Smith Detection’s global markets director for aviation, talks to Asia-Pacific Airports about some of the key security challenges and opportunities facing airports today. Can airports ever be 100% safe from terrorist attack? This implies no risk and this is simply not the case. However, airports are actively taking steps to improve their security […]

Brüel & Kjær’s Mike Rikard-Bell discusses how technology is helping keep residents informed of aviation’s noise mitigation efforts and dispel the misconception that ‘annoyance’ is simply about exposure. It’s over 25 years since Canadian mining executive, Jim Cooney, coined the phrase “Social Licence to Operate” that has become a rallying cry for progressive businesses, nowhere more so than […]

What do airport retailers and F&B operators have to do to win over customers and convince them to return again and again? Clare Williams investigates. With duty free and travel retail sales set to top $100 billion by 2023, according to the latest data from Generation Research, it makes sense for airports to make the best of […]

Australia’s spectacular Gold Coast was the venue for this year’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) awards ceremony for the world’s most customer friendly airports. ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer satisfaction benchmarking programme is 10 years old this year and it marked the occasion with a record number of awards. Indeed, it was a case of […]

Agility and collaboration were predominant themes at the 11th ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly, Conference & Exhibition held on Australia’s sun-drenched Gold Coast, with panels around technology, passenger experience, security and sustainability emerging as major topics. The prevailing themes were robustly discussed in three days of presentations and panels to 610 delegates from 52 countries and vividly demonstrated […]

I Prabhakara Rao, CEO of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, talks to Joe Bates about the impact of Terminal 3, customer service and the importance of being environmentally friendly. In many ways Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport hasn’t looked back since the 2010 opening of its award-winning Terminal 3. Indeed, the airport has enjoyed the […]

ACI World’s senior manager environment, Xavier Oh, reflects on ten years of environmental stewardship in the Asia-Pacific region.  ACI’s Asia and Pacific regions merged to form the largest and fastest growing region shortly after I joined ACI in Montréal ten years ago.   At that time, there were a couple of airports active on the […]

A host of new contracts and record sales figures for 2014 make these exciting times for travel retail and duty free operators, writes Joe Bates. Duo to transform Auckland duty free offering Auckland Airport has announced that its duty free offering will be provided by LS travel retail Pacific and Aer Rianta International from July, […]

Are you making the most of your travel retail opportunities? Rosemary Chegwyn considers some of the retail dilemmas faced by Asia-Pacific’s gateways. An age old question is what do people do to pass the time while waiting at the airport to board their flight?  The answer depends on many different things, of course, perhaps most […]