The Director General of Airports
Council International (ACI), Ms. Angela Gittens, wants the
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to pay more
attention towards increasing liberalization "so that the global
industry can excel on choice, competitive fares and service
quality." Ms. Gittens addressed ICAO Council members concerning the
economic challenges of the global airport industry in Montreal
recently. She notes: "We were pleased to have this opportunity to
raise some key issues with the Council. Following on the heels of
the official opening of the new ACI World headquarters in Montreal,
it is an excellent start for our objective to establish a better
flow of information between ACI and the State delegations at ICAO
and more interaction with the ICAO Secretariat. We want to ensure a
better understanding of the airport industry as we work together
for the benefit of passengers and shippers."
Ms. Gittens adds that, "between
2007 and 2010, many airports sustained substantial business losses.
For example, forty airports in U.S. lost commercial air service for
good, while other airports suffered significantly from the effect
of carrier mergers and network consolidations. I am glad to report
that traffic is now back to pre-economic crisis levels. The time is
right to pursue strategies that further strengthen the industry to
withstand future shocks and ensure high quality service for
consumers."
She stressed the need for "better
understanding from our airline partners so that we can put to rest
misunderstanding and specious debate about user charges."
Naturally, she says, airports charge for the services that airlines
require since they have to spend money to provide and maintain
facilities for aircraft to land and park. "The global average
airline cost of $4 per passenger is a great bargain. Where can you
even park a car for $4 today?" she submits.