PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY OF THE AIRPORTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL EUROPE (ACI EUROPE)

Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE) founded in 1991 represents the interest of 450 airports in 45 European countries. ACI members account for over 90% of commercial air traffic in Europe. In 2013, members airports handled over 90% of commercial air traffic in Europe, welcoming more than 1.7 billion passengers, 17.8 million tonnes of freight and 20.7 million aircraft movements.

Membership is comprised of airport operators of all sizes, along with national airport associations, world business partners and educational establishments. They work together in an active association to ensure effective communication and advocacy with legislative, commercial, technical, environmental, passenger and other interests. The members of ACI EUROPE are competitors in the airport market place and support free and fair competition as a trade policy and a legal concept.

ACI EUROPE is the European trade body for airports and as such, is also the European region of Airports Council International, the only global federation of airport operators. ACI EUROPE is based in Brussels, Belgium and employs a full time staff of 19 people

In today’s European airport network, competition is the name of the game, as airlines can pick and choose their air services, shopping around for the best deal. Against the backdrop of aviation liberalisation, the adoption of the internet in the 1990s, the rise of the low cost carriers and the enlargement of the EU from 15 to 28 Member States, airports have evolved from being mere infrastructure providers into fully fledged businesses in their own right (over 80% of European airports are now fully corporatised businesses). Legislation affecting civil aviation is increasingly enacted at the European level, with an ever-evolving array of economic, social, technical and legal issues resulting from closer European integration and pan-European agreements. By working closely with policy makers and industry partners, ACI EUROPE ensures that European airports – their function and their business – are fully integrated in decision-making processes affecting the  industry.

Through special committees and fora as well as an extensive network of over 300 individual experts from member airports at all levels of the industry, ACI EUROPE has access to a wealth of expertise and applied technical experience which is unsurpassed. All research shows that airports contribute significantly to the economic and social development of regions which they serve.

By mobilising its in-house expertise, institutional and industry contacts and a range of communication tools, ACI-Europe aims to promote a wider understanding of the challenges facing civil aviation in Europe. ACI EUROPE also provides clear, objective and reliable information on the many complex aspects of the airport industry. This allows effective interaction with decision-makers and partner organisations, encouraging understanding of the diverse industry issues.

Key Issues (* current)

• Airport capacity and airport slots (*)
• Airport economics, finance and ownership (*)
• Airport safety (¨*)
• Airport security (*)
• Airport traffic
• ATM Single European Sky and Sesar (*)
• Aviation Liberalisation and External Relations (*)
• Customer Service, Passenger Facilitation and Border Control (*)
• Environment & Carbon Management (*)
• Ground Handling (*)
• Industry Cooperation and the Benefits of Aviation
• Industry Crises
• Intermodality
• Regional Airports’ Forum

The stated vision and mission of Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE) is to advance the collective interests of Europe's airports and promote professional excellence in airport management and operations. ACI EUROPE aims to expand the body of knowledge in airport management and to encourage the exchange of know-how between European airports. ACI-EUROPE strives to seek co-operation with air transport to vigorously promote a wider and deeper public understanding of the value of air transport and the challenges it faces.

The Board of Directors is mainly composed of the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of 22 member airports – big and small. The Board has authority to take decisions on all relevant issues and is chaired by a President who serves for one year, with the possibility of re-election once. The President is elected by the General Assembly of ACI EUROPE.

Policy input comes from 6 committees, 4 fora and several working groups, made up of experts from member airports and world business partners, which also allows ACI EUROPE to stay permanently informed of the real life challenges facing the airport industry.

Cooperation & Collaboration

ACI EUROPE works on a day-to-day basis with the institutions of the European Union, as well as the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), the European Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the SESAR Joint Undertaking and all the national civil aviation authorities in Europe. Colleagues in ACI WORLD pursue the same mission with the International Civil Aviation Organisation of the United Nations (ICAO) and other world organisations.

ACI EUROPE maintains close relationships with many national airport operator associations and with a number of organisations, with interests related to the aviation. These include the

• Association of European Airlines (AEA),
• Air Transport Action Group (ATAG),
• International Air Transport Association (IATA),
• European Regions Airline Association (ERA),
• European Low Fare Airlines Association (ELFAA),
• International Charter Airlines Association (IACA)
• Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO),
• Airport Regions Conference (ARC),
• European Disability Forum (EDF),
• European Travel Retail Council (ETRC).

ACI EUROPE naturally maintains regular dialogue on international issues with other regions of Airports Council International (ACI AFRICA), ACI ASIA-PACIFIC, ACI LATIN AMERICA-CARIBBEAN, and ACI NORTH AMERICA and the global coordination office, ACI WORLD.