ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East urges future-ready airports as DGCA conference backs recommendations

Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID), which represents more than 600 airports, has made strong recommendations at the 60th ICAO Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for Asia and Pacific regions in Sendai, Japan. The Conference endorsed the recommendations and encouraged States to take appropriate steps towards implementation.

ACI APAC & MID forecasts that airports in Asia-Pacific alone will handle 10 billion passengers annually by 2053, equal to today’s entire global traffic. To prepare for such growth, the association has called on governments and regulators to adopt forward-looking policies, promote affordable air travel, and ensure airports strengthen safety, security, and climate resilience.

Against this backdrop, ACI APAC & MID presented four key papers advocating for smarter, safer, sustainable, and better connected airports. The papers focused on the careful adaptation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), climate resilience, easing travel barriers, and integrating security into airport design.

Mr Stefano Baronci, Director General of ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, said: “Asia is already home to six of the world’s fastest-growing markets, while countries like China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand are poised to enter the exclusive billion-passenger club. With over half of all new aircraft deliveries destined for this region and air traffic movements expected to hit 47 million by 2043, the challenge is not about growth but readiness. The DGCA Conference continues to provide a positive direction in the region’s approach to airport development. We are pleased with the overwhelming support from states on our policy recommendations and the positive conclusions of the conference, which reflect a shared commitment of our industry.”

The first paper warned against a one-size-fits-all approach when transposing ICAO Annex 14 SARPs into national aerodrome standards. It highlighted collaborative work by ACI, ICAO APAC, and States to provide guidance. ICAO urged States to apply this and report back, while the Conference fully endorsed establishing national standards based on regional guidance.

The second paper introduced climate adaptation tools, including a Risk Maturity Tool and Climate Risk Assessment Tool, to help airports mitigate risks from extreme weather. The recommendations were adopted, with agreement to strengthen regional collaboration.

The third paper, co-sponsored by IATA, urged States to remove discriminatory aviation taxes, ensure concession fees consider airport viability, and simplify visa processes to make travel more affordable.

The fourth, co-sponsored by Singapore and the USA, promoted a “security-by-design” approach, embedding security into new and refurbished airport projects. The Conference endorsed the proposal to avoid costly retrofits and inefficiencies.

The DGCA Conference, organised by ICAO, brings together Directors General of Civil Aviation from across Asia-Pacific, ICAO officials, and international organisations. This year’s meeting in Sendai reviewed States’ implementation of ICAO SARPs and explored cooperation on safety, security, sustainability, navigation, and airport economics.

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