Highlights from the ACI EUROPE Annual Congress & General Assembly 2024

The 34th ACI EUROPE Annual Congress & General Assembly took place this month in Istanbul, hosted by iGA Istanbul Airport. C-suite aviation executives, policymakers, business partners, analysts, and innovators touched down in the vibrant mega-city straddling Europe and Asia, marking the most important gathering of pan-European airport and aviation leaders. A range of highly skilled industry experts revealed the latest insights, analysis and debates against the background of continued change and disruption across the political, economic, societal and technological axes.

In the cornerstone State of the Industry address, ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec shed light on the significant challenges facing Europe’s airports as they adapt to a new market reality, marked by diverse recovery rates across regions and individual airports. Jankovec highlighted the need for increased investment amidst squeezed finances, with many airports struggling to build sufficient revenue due to downward pressures on user charges and despite a surge in non-aeronautical income. Geopolitical tensions, changing market dynamics, and the imperative to decarbonise aviation are reshaping the industry, necessitating a shift away from reliance on volume growth for financial viability. Jankovec pointed to the need for airports to become masters of their own capacity and performance in order to maximise the potential of their assets, focusing on the role of digitalisation, AI and machine learning, as well as many airports’ ongoing transformative agendas. Jankovec also repeated ACI EUROPE’s calls for a much needed reformation of airport slot rules both in the EU and UK, which is necessary in order to maximise the utilisation of airport capacity.

With Europe at the dawn of a new five-year political cycle, Armando Brunini, ACI EUROPE President and CEO of SEA Milan Airports, highlighted the crucial role of European governments in supporting aviation decarbonisation while maintaining air connectivity and strengthening the Single Aviation Market. He reaffirmed the industry’s commitment to the EU Green Deal and Fit for 55, as crucial instruments supporting aviation’s transformation, providing the much needed regulatory stability and safeguarding the license to operate. However, Brunini called for important additional policies to be brought into the fold in order to ensure affordability of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and the necessary infrastructure for zero-emission aircraft. He also emphasised the need to reform airport slot regulation and avoid arbitrary demand-management measures that could undermine market competitiveness. Finally, he urged greater EU support for innovation in security and operational technologies to improve the passenger experience and industry resilience.

With a firm focus on advancing the Net Zero transformation, ACI EUROPE announced major progress in the European airport industry’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions. 303 airports, representing 80% of Europe’s air passenger traffic, have published roadmaps to reach net zero by 2050 – with 118 aiming to achieve this goal by 2030 or sooner. ACI EUROPE’s 2023 Annual Congress marked an updated resolution requiring all committed airports to publish detailed net zero plans, aligning with the 2022 UN Guidance on net zero pledges. At the 2024 Annual Congress, airports presented their roadmaps in full transparency in line with that plan. ACI EUROPE and its members pledged to continue to support the EU’s vision for a climate-neutral Europe by 2050 and call for increased collaboration with EU leaders and national governments to transform the aviation sector into a sustainable and competitive net zero industry.

At the heart of the Annual Congress are the annual ACI EUROPE Best Airport Awards, celebrating excellence across ACI EUROPE’s diverse membership, whilst recognising achievements in digital transformation, eco-innovation, human resources, and overall airport performance across five size categories. The 2024 Award winners implemented strategies pushing the airport business model into new territories, fostering new value creation models and embraced transformation and flexibility while taking care of their people and the planet. Across five categories — Digital Transformation, Eco-Innovation, HR Excellence, World Business Partner and Best Airport (split into 5 awards by airport size) — the crème de la crème of the industry was given due focus. Find the list of full winners below.

ACI EUROPE was delighted to confirm Armando Brunini for a second term as its President during the General Assembly. During this year’s General Assembly, the following airport leaders were also appointed to the Board of ACI EUROPE for a first term: Mr Selahattin Bilgen, CEO, iGA Istanbul Airport (Türkiye), Mr Lukas Brosi, CEO, Zürich Airport (Switzerland), Ms Fanny Charles, CEO, SEALAR (France), Mr Andrzej Ilków, CEO, Polish Airports — Polskie Porty Lotnicze S.A. (Poland), Mr Ken O’Toole, CEO, Manchester Airports Group (United Kingdom), Ms Laila Odina, CEO, Riga Airport (Latvia), Mr Jesús Caballero Pinto, CEO, SOF Connect — Sofia Airport (Bulgaria), Mr Christian Poulsen, CEO, Copenhagen Airports (Denmark). Appointed to the Board for a second term were Mr Edward Arkwright, Deputy CEO, Groupe ADP (France), Mr Franck Goldnadel, Président du Directoire, Société Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (France), Mr Serkan Kaptan, CEO, TAV Airports Holding (Türkiye), Mr Kimmo Mäki, CEO, Finavia (Finland), Dr Stefan Schulte, Chairman of the Executive Board, Fraport (Germany).

Wrapping up the 2024 Annual Congress & General Assembly was the announcement of the 2025 host: Athens International Airport. In late June 2025, join ACI EUROPE and around 500 C-level airport executives, leading World Business Partners, airlines, aircraft manufacturers, broader aviation industry representatives and key institutional stakeholders in the vibrant capital of Greece. More information will come shortly, including official dates and registration.

Press releases from the ACI EUROPE Annual Congress & General Assembly 2024:

Highlights from the ACI EUROPE Annual Congress & General Assembly 2024

New study positions airports and air connectivity as unique drivers of competitiveness and prosperity

Extending EU State aid Guidelines crucial for Europe’s regions and EU cohesion

ACI EUROPE launches a Guide to promoting destinations