ACI World launches new guidance on airport business continuity

ACI World has launched a new guidance handbook on business continuity management to help airport operators maintain the flow of passengers and goods in the event of an emergency or other disruption.

ACI’s Airport Business Continuity Management Handbook provides best practices, and a useful summary of actions that airport operators can undertake to create a robust business continuity plan in order to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to and recover from possible events that may interrupt normal business operations.

ACI World Director General, Angela Gittens, said: “The potential for events to disrupt normal business operations at airports is relevant to all regions and underlines the need for robust business continuity management plans. This can never be an ‘off-the-shelf’ exercise, however, and plans and the approach to business continuity should be fully tailored to the circumstances of events and the individual airport.”

The handbook helps airport operators conduct risk assessments, develop and implement business continuity plans, address incident management including communication with airport stakeholders, cultivate an airport culture that values business continuity management planning, and provides several case studies and best practices.

Gittens continued: “Effective business continuity strategies can safeguard passengers and the airport community, enable the delivery of services to customers, sustain commercial revenue streams and protect infrastructure. This handbook will help our members to produce better and more appropriate plans that take account of a wide range of potential events, enable the airport operator to prepare and cope with challenges or incidents, and help them to maintain or return to normal operations as soon as possible.”