In the spotlight: Airport Cities

Airports: Helsinki & Toluca

Special report: ASQ Winners
Plus: Airport design, retail & IT innovation
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April May 2013
Volume 18 Issue 2
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Airport Cities:
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3 AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
AW
OPINION
A
lthough the term airport city is
relatively new, I have personally
considered airports to be mini-cities
in their own right ever since I began
working at one 30 years ago.
This could be due to the fact that in my frst
weeks as a trainee journalist at Heathrow I
attended a meeting with 4,000 cabin crew; got
introduced to the airports chaplain (the Rev Harry
Burlton); got drunk at the Control Tower Bar;
met Kim Basinger and visited the morgue; well,
at least the dedicated place set aside to store
bodies in the event of a disaster!
Later liaisons with Heathrows emergency
services (I once went out on a training exercise
with a team of fre fghters that involved racing
around the old Perry Oaks Sludge Works in a
dinghy just in case an aircraft crashed landed into
it) and countless visits to airline offces, hotels,
pubs, sports grounds and, of course, the
dedicated press room, only served to reinforce my
conviction that Heathrow is indeed a city.
Crikey, it even had its own bylaws, newspaper,
Skyport (at which I spent four happy years) and its
own annual beauty pageants Mr and Miss
Heathrow Airport!
For these reasons, I had no trouble accepting
the airport city concept when it was frst mooted
or the idea of the aerotropolis new urban
areas developed around airports. Airports are,
after all, huge economic generators for cities,
regions and, sometimes, entire nations, so it
makes perfect sense to me that businesses/
commerce would gravitate towards them.
The word aerotropolis was actually coined by
Dr John Kasarda, director of the Center for Air
Commerce at the University of Carolinas Kenan
Institute of Private Enterprise, so it is only ftting
that he writes the introduction to the themed
airport cities section of this issue.
The section also includes features about
Malaysias airport city plans and global investment
strategy; retail development; the creation of a
space coast in Florida; and ambitious projects at
Belo Horizonte and Warsaw Chopin.
The other big ACI event in April is the
Asia-Pacifc Regional Conference & Exhibition in
Phuket, Thailand, where delegates will discuss
the challenges and opportunities facing the
regions gateways and the key role airports play
in driving economic development.
I am certainly looking forward to it and leaving
Europes wintery weather behind for a few days!
In light of the event, this issue also contains
ACIs latest medium-term forecast for the
Asia-Pacifc region, a special report on Asia-
Pacifcs LCCs, and a Project Watch feature on
Hong Kong International Airport.
And if thats not enough, we also report on
ACIs 2012 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards
dominated again by Asia-Pacifc airports and
learn more about the innovative use of light and
sound in airport terminals; Heathrows social
media strategy; and the latest global IT trends.
Next up after Ekurhuleni and Phuket is the
small matter of the ACI Europe/World Annual
Conference & Exhibition in Istanbul.
Doesnt time fy when youre having fun?
Airport World editor, Joe Bates,
looks forward to the upcoming
Airport Cities World Conference
in Ekurhuleni and the ACI Asia-
Pacific Regional Conference &
Exhibition in Phuket.
Airport World
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Joe Bates +44 (0) 20 8831 7507
joe@airport-world.com
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steven@airport-world.com

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Back to the
future
CONTENTS
5
3 Opinion
8 News
11 Money talks
Joe Bates looks back at some of the highlights of the recent ACI Airport Economics and
Finance Conference in Singapore.
12 ACI news
15 View from the top
ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, looks forward to the joint ACI Europe/World Annual
Congress & Exhibition in Istanbul.
16 Mexican wave
Toluca International Airport has experienced its share of highs and lows in recent years,
but resurgent passenger traffc and expansion plans point to a new sense of optimism,
reports Oliver Clark.
20 Quality hunter
Steven Thompson discovers that communicating with customers is key for Helsinki Airport as it
aims to enhance its facilities and increase its appeal.
24 Airport cities: The evolution
Airport cities guru, Dr John Kasarda, reports on the growing worldwide phenomenon, the rise of
the aerotropolis and their increasing economic importance.
28 Investing in airports
Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid, managing director of Malaysia Airports, talks to Joe Bates
about Kuala Lumpurs airport city plans and his companys 16 years as a global airport investor.
32 Space odyssey
Alex Hannaford finds out more about Melbourne International Airports aerospace ambitions as Floridas
self-proclaimed Space Coast bids to reinvent itself after the end of NASAs space shuttle programme.
36 Outlet retail
Creating Outlet Shopping Centres is potentially one of the most commercially successful
ways of leveraging the airport location, writes Chris LeTourneur.
40 In pole position
Lidia Maczynska reports on Warsaw Chopins ambitious plans to develop Polands
frst airport city.
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
Issue 2
Volume 18
On the cover
tbc
tn the spet|ight: Airpert Cities
Airperts: Be|sinki & 1e|uca
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P|us: Airpert design, retai| & t1 innevatien
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In this issue
Director General
Angela Gittens
Chair
Yiannis Paraschis (Athens, Greece)
Vice Chair
Fredrick J Piccolo (Sarasota, USA)
Immediate Past Chair
Max Moore-Wilton (Sydney, Australia)
Treasurer
Louis E Miller (Atlanta, USA)
ACI WORLD GOVERNING BOARD
DIRECTORS
Africa (3)
Dalil Guendouz (Casablanca, Morocco)
Pascal Komla (Lom, Togo)
Robinson Misitala (Livingstone, Zambia)
Asia-Pacifc (8)
Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
VP Agrawal (Delhi, India)
Ghanem Al-Hajri (Sharjah, UAE)
HH Prince Turki Faisal Al Saud (Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia)
Dennis Chant (Gold Coast, Australia)
Zhiyi Dong (Beijing, China)
CW Lee (Incheon, South Korea)
Kosaburo Morinaka (Tokyo, Japan)
Europe (7)
Declan Collier (Dublin, Ireland)
Michael Kerkloh (Munich, Germany)
Yiannis Paraschis (Athens, Greece)
Tonci Peovic (Zagreb, Croatia)
Ad Rutten (Amsterdam, Holland)
Stefan Schulte (Frankfurt, Germany)
Jos-Manuel Vargas (Madrid, Spain)
Latin America & Caribbean (3)
Philippe Baril (Quito, Ecuador)
Fernando Bosque (Guadalajara, Mexico)
Hctor Navarrete Muoz (Merida, Mexico)
North America (7)
Thella Bowens (San Diego, USA)
David Edwards (Greenville, USA)
Frank Miller (San Antonio, USA)
Reg K Milley (Edmonton, Canada)
Fredrick J Piccolo (Sarasota, USA)
Mark Reis (Seattle, USA)
Maureen Riley (Salt Lake City, USA)
Regional Advisers to the
World Governing Board (7)
Larry Cox (Memphis, USA)
Stephen Gichuki (Nairobi, Kenya)
Seow Hiang Lee (Singapore)
Bongani Maseko (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Barry Rempel (Winnipeg, Canada)
Earl Richards (Jamaica)
Miguel Southwell (Miami, USA)
Observer
World Business Partner Board Chairperson
Randy Pope (Burns & McDonnell)
Correct as of April 5, 2013
CONTENTS
7
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
42 A tale of two airports
Dr John Kasarda reports on the impressive recovery of Belo Horizontes Tancredo
Neves Airport, and how it went from a traffc nadir to a thriving international gateway.
46 Light and sound show
Tina Milton discovers more about the increasingly sophisticated ambience- enhancing
techniques being adopted by airports and the potential commercial and operational benefits.
50 Top of the class
Asia-Pacifc airports win the top fve global awards in ACIs annual customer
satisfaction survey, writes Joe Bates.
53 Concessions news
Airport World reviews some of the latest retail and F&B projects and developments
across the globe.
54 Smart thinking
Airport World reviews SITAs Flying Into The Future report on IT innovation
in the air transport industry.
56 Being social
Marc Ellams, head of passenger communications at Heathrow, talks to
Steven Thompson about the gateways approach to social media.
60 Where next for Asias low-cost airlines?
Low-cost carriers have only scratched the surface of their potential within Asia,
argues Gordon Bevan of ASM.
64 Thinking 3D
Nigel Rees discusses the merits of utilising Building Information Management (BIM)
and 3D crowd simulation software to design new terminals and ensure airports make
maximum use of existing facilities.
67 Project watch
Hong Kong International Airport.
69 Environment news
70 ACIs World Business Partners
73 ACI traffc trends
74 The last word
Joe Bates gets up close and personal with sports psychologist and leadership
expert, Dr Gregory Dale.
Winds of change
North America will lose two key aviation fgures this June ACI-North America
president, Gregory Principato (pictured above) and Las Vegas-McCarrans
airport director, Randall Walker.
Principato, who succeeded David Plavin in the ACI-NA hotseat in July 2005, said
that he believed the time was right to seek new challenges and opportunities.
He added: I am incredibly proud of the ACI-NA team and what we have
accomplished in redefning ACI-NA and its position as the voice of airports on
legislative and regulatory issues in the United States and Canada, but after
eight years, I reached the conclusion that the time is right to seek new
challenges and opportunities.
Walker, who retires after 16 years in the Las Vegas hotseat, said: Our vision
is to Be a Global Leader, and we have certainly accomplished this in several
areas. I know the team will continue to work toward that vision for all areas of
the operation going forward.
He will be succeeded by long serving deputy, Rosemary Vassiliadis, who will
become the frst female to head the Clark County Department of Aviation.
8
NEWS
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
News in brief
Dublin Airport Authority has been recognised
for its innovative use of social media by picking
up the Communications Award at the 2013 Irish
Logistics and Transport Awards. The judges were
impressed by Dublin Airports signifcant position
on Twitter, the high engagement levels that the
airport generates on its Facebook page, and the
airports use of new social media channels such as
Pinterest, SoundCloud and Instagram.
Vienna Airport chiefs believe the Austrian
gateway is on the right course after recovering
from a poor 2011 to report large proft increases
for 2012. Revenue rose by 4.4% to 607.4
million; EBITDA by 17.1% to 221.4 million, EBIT
increased 60.8% to 108.0 million. Gnther
Ofner, CFO of operator Flughafen Wien AG, said:
Our company is on the right course. In 2012
we signifcantly increased productivity and also
generated proftable growth.
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has
received a trio of ISO certifcates for the provision
of quality services at the Emirates gateways.
Its Airports Operations Division, which
provides services at Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and
Al Bateen Executive airports, has received
the ISO 9001: 2008 (Quality Management
System), ISO 14001: 2004 (Environmental
Management System) and OHSAS 18001:2007
(Occupational Health and Safety Management
System) certifcations for its activities. ADAC
claims that the third-party certifcation
is international recognition of its standards
and work to embrace a culture of quality
and excellence.
Pittsburgh to drill for oil
Allegheny County Airport Authority has approved a $500 million deal with Consol Energy for
the rights to drill for natural gas and oil on the Pittsburgh International Airport site.
Under the deal, Consol is expected to drill at least 50 wells across 9,000 acres of land that
could generate more than $1 billion in economic benefit for the region over the next 20 years.
The airport authority claims that it will use the windfall to make Pittsburgh more
competitive by reducing airline costs and enhancing its infrastructure.
It isnt often that the County is able to announce a billion dollar investment, quipped
Allegheny County executive, Rich Fitzgerald.
Officials think the first wells will be drilled in late 2014 or early 2015, after lengthy reviews from
both the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Stansted to sparkle!
The new owners of London Stansted claim that they plan to
put the sparkle back into the airport.
New managing director, Andrew Harrison, appointed
in March following Manchester Airports Groups (MAG)
1.75 billion purchase of the London gateway from Heathrow
Airport Holdings, said MAGs challenge was to allow Stansted
to fulfll its great potential.
Harrison told Airport World: It has great raw material, a
Lord Foster-designed terminal, the best terminal facilities in the
UK, and it is the fastest and most effcient terminal in the UK.
The main thing well be looking to do is add a bit of
sparkle to the experience. It has great design but the
experience is a bit transactional. What comes across is that
everyone who works here is really proud to work in this airport,
so now we have an opportunity to unleash that enthusiasm.
Big plans for
Philippine gateways
The Philippine government has extended the bidding deadlines
for Mactan-Cebu International Airports new terminal to April 5
after claiming to be overwhelmed by more than 1,000 queries
for it and two other private public partnership projects.
The deadline for investors submitting pre-qualifcation
documents in Mactan-Cebus $240 million terminal project had
initially been set at March 22 as the government looked to push
through the deal this year.
Ensuring that the government receives the most advantageous
deals with long-term stability is our priority, the Department of
Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said in a statement.
In addition to a new 3.5mppa capacity international terminal at
Mactan-Cebu, the government wants the successful bidder to invest a
further $185 million on expanding the domestic terminal to 41,000sqm.
Vinci Airports is widely tipped to be one of the potential bidders
for Mactan-Cebu in the PPP project, which is being facilitated by the
government-owned Public-Private Partnership Center.
Executive director of the Public-Private Partnership Center, Cosette
Canilao, told Airport World: We need to update existing terminals
and build news ones and new airports to meet future demand,
and believe that PPP projects are the best way to develop them.
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
NEWS
9
Canberra Airport is confdent that its newly
opened western concourse will boost its capacity
by 10mppa and attract international fights to
Australias capital city gateway. The facility, which
is linked to the terminals southern concourse by a
three-storey glass atrium, adds fve airbridges and
12 check-in desks.
Former Air Berlin head, Hartmut Mehdorn, is
the new chief of Berlin-Brandenburg Airport.
Transport Minister, Peter Ramsauer, said Mehdorns
appointment was an important step in putting
the much-delayed airport on the path to success.
The new airport will replace the citys two existing
airports, Tegel and Schnefeld.
Heathrow Airport has warned the UKs Airports
Commission that airports such as Dubai and
Istanbul are already making major investments that
will exploit the UKs hub capacity constraints. In its
submission to the Airports Commission, the airport
states: The current political and planning landscape
means that it will likely be 2024 before signifcant
additional hub capacity could be operational in the
UK, with Heathrow being the location where this can
be delivered the quickest. By then the UKs hub will
have been capacity constrained for two decades
and a signifcant proportion of the unserved hub
demand will have been lost, either for good, or for
the very long-term until it can be recaptured.
With the clock running down to the 2015 end of the
current concession, Chile has issued a prequalifcation
call to international investors interested in
participating in operating and developing Santiagos
Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport. The
successful consortium will be expected to construct a
new international terminal and upgrade the domestic
terminal in return for a 15-year concession.
For daily news updates, visit www.airport-world.com
All change at Abertis
Abertis Airports, which earlier this year saw the Bolivian government
nationalise its 90% owned airport concessions company SABSA, has
sold Cardiff Airport to the Welsh government for 61.2 million.
The sale follows protracted negotiations with airport operator TBI
an Abertis subsidiary and is viewed by some as the frst move in the
disposal of its airport assets.
Abertis is believed to want to sell its entire airport division to
one buyer, but with interests in the UK (Belfast, Luton), Europe
(Stockholm Skavsta) and the US (Orlando Sanford), a single transaction
seems unlikely.
Meanwhile, Abertis insists that it will back the Bolivian governments
decision to privatise SABSA and effectively the operation of La Paz, Santa
Cruz and Cochabamba airports as long as it is duly compensated.
The company is prepared to negotiate appropriate compensation,
but rejects the accusations that it has failed to fulfll investment
commitments in Bolivia, where SABSA has invested $12.6 million in
CAPEX at all three airports since 2005, said a statement.
Battle on for Galeo
Concerns that the winning bidders paid way over the top for their
concessions in the first wave of airport privatisations in Brazil does
not appear to have put off the Schiphol Group or Aroports de Paris,
which are set to form a consortium to bid for Rio de JaneiroGaleo
International Airport.
Their potential partners in the bid for the 30-year concession
up for grabs are Brazilian companies Carioca Engenharia and Gp
Investimentos. Brazilian airport operator, Infraero, would maintain
a 49% stake.
New ADP chairman, Augustin de Romanet has publicly expressed
an interest in acquiring a shareholding in Galeo, while Schiphol
Group president and CEO, Jos Nijhuis, recently revealed his companys
interest during a Dutch TV interview.
Brazil wants to sell 51% stakes in Galeo and Belo Horizontes
Confins Airport to operators who can upgrade them in time for
the 2014 football World Cup football tournament and the 2016
Olympic Games.
However, the $3.1 billion asking price and high figures received for
So PaulGuarulhos ($9.4 billion) CampinasViracopos ($2.2 billion)
and Brasilia ($2.6 billon) on top of the huge investments required was
expected to deter bidders.
LaGuardia interest hots up
A TAV Airports/Aroports de Paris (ADP) joint venture is thought to
be among fve bidders to have issued preliminary submissions for the
$3.6 billion project to replace the central terminal building at New
YorkLaGuardia.
TAV Airports has made no secret of its interest in bidding to build
and operate the new terminal, although LaGuardia operator, the Port of New
York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) remains tight lipped about interested parties.
The Port Authority is reviewing fve qualifcation submissions from
companies for the LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal Building project,
but has not yet fnalised the process. We will make further information
available at the appropriate time, spokesman, Ron Marsico, told
Airport World.
When ADP acquired a 38% stake in TAV Airports early last year, TAVs
chief strategy offcer, Waleed Youssef, declared: Our new strategic
partner can add geographic depth to our operation as, up until now, our
focus has primarily been on emerging markets in the Middle East, North
Africa and former CIS states.
On track in Phoenix
The PHX Sky Train at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is set to
open to the public on April 8. The electrically-powered Automated
People Mover will transport passengers between the METRO Light rail,
East Economy Parking and Terminal 4, which serves 80% of Sky
Harbors passengers. Aviation director, Danny Murphy, said: We are
especially proud that the environmentally-friendly project has achieved
a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold
certifcation from the US Green Building Council. The system will be
extended to serve all of Sky Harbors terminals by early 2015.
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
11
EVENTS NEWS: ECONOMICS
A
fter four years in London it was Asias turn to shine with
Singapore hosting ACIs annual Economic & Finance Conference.
However, if the surroundings were a little different the
Gala Dinner was held on a Chinese style river boat cruising around
the calm waters of Singapore the key issues of discussion about
privatisation, government regulation, investment opportunities and
good fnancial practice were very familiar.
The event also featured two frsts: a Pre-Conference Seminar, and
one speaker presenting two opposing presentations! The latter task
being performed by The World Banks lead air transport specialist, Dr
Charles Schlumberger, who during his keynote address about the state
of the global economy, literally put on different jackets for the different
viewpoints from characters he called Dr Good and Dr Bad.
For the record, 74% of the 92 people to vote in a poll at the end of
his presentations about whether the plane was half full or half
empty, unanimously opted for the more positive scenario.
During her welcome address, ACI World director general, Angela
Gittens, commented: According to the World Banks January 2013
global economic prospects, although the major risks to the global
economy are similar to those of a year ago, the likelihood that they
will materialise has diminished, as has the magnitude of estimated
impacts, should these events occur.
She listed the risks as the loss of access to capital markets by
vulnerable euro area countries; lack of agreement on US fscal policy
and the debt ceiling, and the potential for commodity price shocks.
Gittens pointed out that Asia-Pacifc continues to record strong
growth, although the Middle East (+12%) led the way in 2012,
followed by Asia (7%), Africa (+7%) and Latin America & Caribbean
(6%) compared to just 2% growth in Europe and North America.
We forecast that, by 2030, the worlds largest aviation markets
will be China, the USA, India and Brazil, in that order, said Gittens,
who noted that access to air transport continues to be absolutely
fundamental for social and economic development.
ACI Asia-Pacifcs regional director, Patti Chau, was equally upbeat
and talked about dynamic growth across the region, although ACI
Europes director general, Olivier Jankovec, was more subdued
in his presentation, revealing that the new Europe of Russia
and Turkey continues to outperform the old Europe.
On the subjects of different economic regulation and the USs reluctance
to embrace airport privatisation, the FAAs deputy associate administrator,
Catherine (Kate) Lang insisted that the best business model is the one that
works as long as its not illegal, anti-competitive or discriminatory.
Arguably, one of the liveliest sessions of the event occurred during
the Pre-Conference Seminar when a host of speakers gave their views
on the lessons learned from airport privatisations to date and the way
forward for the industry.
They included ANA administrator, Lus Ribeiro, who remarked that
the 3 billion sale of the Portuguese airport operator to Vinci Airports
happened remarkably quickly, while Cosette Canilao, executive
director of the Public-Private Partnership Center talked about the
Philippine governments new strategy for PPP projects.
She told Airport World: We are aware that mistakes were made before
with the T3 concession at Ninoy Aquino [Milan], which without doubt,
damaged the reputation of the Philippines for international investors.
However, we have learned from the experience, which is why we have set
up the Public-Private Partnership Center to assist in the preparation of
projects. This includes negotiating the terms of the concessions with the
government and overseeing the bidding process.
We now have a clear strategy. We know what the government
wants and the obligations it expects from the private sector. We are also
developing clear exit strategies so that the mistakes of the past cannot
be repeated.
Also on the podium were TAVs chief strategy offcer, Waleed Youssef,
who talked about his companys ventures in Saudi Arabia and Islamic
fnancing, and ACI Europes economics manager, Donagh Cagney, who stated
that size is a key factor in determining whether an airport can be proftable.
Cagney, who revealed that 48% of Europes airports lose money, said:
History tells us that, as a general rule, airports handling passengers below
certain passenger thresholds are not viable. Current events also suggest
that larger airport projects may not be suitable for the private sector alone.
Clearly, when it comes to airport economics and fnance, one
size defnitely does not ft all.
Joe Bates looks back at some of the highlights of the recent ACI Airport Economics
and Finance Conference in Singapore.
Money talks
AW
From March 18-22, ACI World Governing Boards vice president, Rick Piccolo,
and other senior airport executives converged at the headquarters of the
International Civil Aviation (ICAO) in Montral for the once-a-decade Air
Transport Conference.
The fve-day conference, which is only the sixth such event since ICAO
was formed in 1944, sought to address and resolve economic policy issues
in favour of a future that includes an economically viable and sustainable
air transport sector.
Attended by over 1,000 delegates from more than 200 states and
international organisations, over 100 working papers were presented,
including seven from Airports Council International.
The papers presented at the conference sought the development of
ICAO policy on aviation economics, liberalisation, fair competition, taxation
and charges, and consumer protection.
Speaking on the Freedom to do Business Panel at the pre-Conference
Symposium on Sunday March 17, Piccolo stated that the regulatory
environment was very different at the time of the last Air Transport
Conference in 2003.
Today, regulators needed to allow market forces to work for airports in
the same fashion that was made possible for airlines. ACI supported the
principles of effective market access, transparency, non-discrimination and
fair competition.
He said that the market could be harsh, and airports took risks
investing in new infrastructure since there was no guarantee that airlines
would utilise this infrastructure in the long-term.
On the Symposium Panel discussing Consumer Protection, Tan Sri
Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid ACI World Governing Board member,
managing director of Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad and chair of ACI-Asia
Pacifc observed that passenger expectations were increasingly
demanding and that handling their many needs was challenging, but
for the most part service provided to those passengers by airports and
airlines was very high.
Problems generally arose when things went wrong, and it was important
for industry to work together to develop common procedures, and here ICAO
could provide a suitable forum.
He warned that if industry did not act there was a risk that government
regulations would be introduced which could be out of step with
industrys capabilities.
Speaking on the symposiums panel on taxation, Robert Deillon, CEO of
Geneva Airport and ACI Europe Board member, noted the need for light
touch regulation as the increased competitiveness of airports meant that
concepts such as single till were outdated, and that competition and
contestability meant that detailed regulation could impede infrastructure
development and improvements to customer service.
ACI director general, Angela Gittens, said that ACI was consolidating
its international representation role as the voice of the worlds airports.
Indeed, the level of engagement that ACI was able to muster is testament
to the increased stature and importance of airports in shaping the
international aviation policy agenda.
In addition to the speakers at the Pre-Conference Symposium,
airports were represented by the chair of ACI-North America, David Edwards,
executive director of Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and its
president, Greg Principato, and the director of the Asia-Pacifc Region,
Patti Chau.
During the conference, ACI presented working papers on Market
Liberalisation, Slots and Night Curfews, Passenger Protection, Airport
Competition and Economics of Airports, and jointly presented papers with
CANSO and IATA on taxation and modernising air traffc management.
ACI WORLD NEWS
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
12
ACI World reflects on the recent ICAO organised Air Transport Conference in Montral.
World in motion
Woman of the Year
ACI director general, Angela Gittens, has been named as Woman of the Year
by Air Transport News (ATN).
Gittens, who has spearheaded the organisation since 2008, received the
honour at ATNs annual awards ceremony, held in Montral on the eve of
ICAOs Sixth Worldwide Air Transport Conference.
ATN states that the awards celebrate the companies and key players
who make outstanding contributions to the air transport industry, and
whose vision and determination positively impact the industry, and the
countless individuals and communities touched by the economic and social
spin-offs of aviation.
Gittens enthused: I am thrilled to receive this inaugural Woman of the
Year award from Air Transport News. I share this award with all the other
women in aviation who represent this dynamic industry and who work day-in
and day-out to ensure its safety and sustainability.
It is particularly gratifying to share the stage with my colleague, Raymond
Benjamin, who has been named Leader of the Year in the ATN Awards, and I
assure you that ACI will continue to work alongside ICAO and our other
aviation stakeholders to attain the benefts that commercial aviation brings
to the worlds communities.
ACI WORLD NEWS
ACI offices
ACI World
Angela Gittens,
Director General
PO Box 302
800 Rue du Square Victoria
Montral, Quebec H4Z 1G8
Canada
Tel : +1 514 373 1200
Fax : +1 514 373 1201
aci@aci.aero
www.aci.aero
ACI Fund for Developing
Nations Airports
Angela Gittens,
Managing Director
c/o Geneva,
Switzerland
Tel: + 1 514 373 1200
Fax: +1 514 373 1201
acifund@aci.aero
ACI Asia-Pacifc
Patti Chau,
Regional Director
Hong Kong SAR, China
Tel: +852 2180 9449
Fax: +852 2180 9462
info@aci-asiapac.aero
www.aci-asiapac.aero
ACI Africa
Ali Tounsi,
Regional Secretary
Casablanca, Morocco
Tel: +212 619 775 101
atounsi@aci-africa.aero
www.aci-africa.aero
ACI Europe
Olivier Jankovec,
Director General
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (2) 552 0978
Fax: +32 (2) 502 5637
danielle.michel@aci-europe.org
www.aci-europe.org
ACI Latin America & Caribbean
Javier Martinez Botacio,
Director General
Quito, Ecuador
Tel: +593 2294 4900
Fax: +593 2294 4974
jmartinez@aci-lac.aero
www.aci-lac.aero
ACI North America
Greg Principato,
President
Washington DC, USA
Tel: +1 202 293 8500
Fax: +1 202 331 1362
postmaster@aci-na.org
www.aci-na.org
ACI represents 573 members operating 1,751 airports in 174 countries and territories, which in 2011 handled 5.4 billion passengers, 93.1 million
tonnes of cargo and 77 million aircraft movements. ACI is the international association of the worlds airports. It is a non-proft organisation,
the prime purpose of which is to advance the interests of airports and promote professional excellence in airport management and operations.
ACI events
September 22-25
ACI North America
Annual Conference
& Exhibition
San Jose, USA
2013 2013
June 10-12
ACI World Annual
General Assembly
ACI Europe Congress &
Exhibition
Istanbul, Turkey
2013
April 22-25
ACI Asia-Pacifc
Regional Assembly,
Conference &
Exhibition
Phuket, Thailand
2013
April 24-26

Airport Cities World
Conference &
Exhibition
Ekurhuleni,
South Africa
May 13
Aviation &
Environment
Workshop
Montral, Canada
2013
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
13
U
nder the direction of Dr Yiannis Paraschis, chair of ACI-World,
and Declan Collier, chair of ACI-Europe, members will gather in
Istanbul on June 10-12 for the 2013 ACI Europe/World Annual
Congress and Exhibition.
ACI World is delighted to partner with ACI Europe to bring the worlds
airport leaders to Istanbul, and I am equally pleased that TAV Airports
Holding will be our host.
Home to an estimated 14 million people, Istanbul is Turkeys
economic and historic hub and an intriguing blend of Eastern and
Western culture. What you will fnd is a remarkable city where
contemporary living coexists with a fascinating past.
In fact, many of our members are already planning to explore
Istanbul, prior to and following the meeting.
At our annual meeting this year, some one thousand aviation
colleagues, government offcials, business and academic leaders and
other top industry professionals will gather to advance solutions on
successful business transformation through dynamic leadership.
Highlights of the educational programming include: the airline conversation;
business transformation for airports from a passenger experience perspective
and how airports can advocate for the interests of the passengers; the investor
conversation; and business transformation for airports from a sustainability and
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) perspective.
I look forward to our stellar speaker line-up that includes Recep
Tayyip Erdoan, Prime Minister of Turkey (invited); ACI World chair, Dr
Yiannis Paraschis; Dr Sani Sener, president and CEO of TAV Airports
Holding; Tony Tyler, director general, IATA; Rosemarie Andolino,
commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation; Howard Eng, president
and CEO, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA); Declan Collier, CEO,
London City Airport, and president, ACI Europe; and Olivier Jankovec,
director general, ACI Europe.
Also speaking will be Gunnar Heinemanns co-owner,
Gebr Heinemann; Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad, managing director,
Malaysia Airports Berhad and president, ACI Asia-Pacifc; Augustin
de Romanet, CEO, Aroports de Paris; Paul Griffths, CEO, Dubai Airports;
Stewart Wingate, CEO, London Gatwick Airport; Stanley Hui, CEO, Airport
Authority Hong Kong; Christa Fornarotto, Associate Administrator for
Airports, FAA; and Jim Boult, CEO, Christchurch Airport, to name just a few.
The event will also provide you with many opportunities to network
with your peers from around the globe and gain valuable insights on
how others are coping and thriving with the challenges we face.
As for the exhibition, it will display the very latest technology, products and
services to help maximise effciency and effectiveness in airport management.
New this year is a Safety Symposium open to all registrants ahead of
the General Assembly on Monday 10 June. The General Assembly is
particularly important this year as members will elect the chair and
vice-chair for the 2014-2015 term of offce.
We will also ask members to endorse those policy positions we will
take to the ICAO Assembly later this year. And, of course, we will have
the inspirational AMPAP graduation where up to 80 proud airport
experts will allow us to congratulate them!
I look forward to joining you to partake of an outstanding programme,
catch up with industry colleagues, meet new ones and learn the best
approaches to the opportunities and challenges of today and tomorrow.
See you in Istanbul.
AW
ACI VIEWPOINT
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
15 15
15
ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, looks forward to the joint ACI
Europe/World Annual Congress & Exhibition in Istanbul.
View from the top
Toluca International Airport has experienced its share of highs and lows in recent years,
but resurgent passenger traffic and expansion plans point to a new sense of optimism,
reports Oliver Clark.
16
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
Mexican wave
W
hen low-cost carriers frst burst onto Mexicos commercial
aviation scene in the middle of the last decade, one of the
big benefciaries was Tolucas Adolfo Lpez Mateos
International Airport (TLC).
Located just 40km from Mexico City and boasting good surface links
to the capital, Toluca proved an attractive alternative to Mexico Citys
congested Benito Jurez International Airport (MEX) for low-cost carriers
(LCCs), and in December 2005 Interjet made Toluca its launch base,
followed by Volaris in 2006.
Being the home base for two of Mexicos biggest LCCs catapulted
TLC into the big league with traffc jumping from two million in 2006 to
3.3 million in 2007 and four million in 2008, and it seemed that Toluca
would quickly become Mexico Citys second airport.
Then disaster struck. The collapse of Mexicana in 2010 opened a
gap in the market at MEX; Interjet and Volaris took the opportunity to
move the bulk of their operations to the capital gateway, and
Aeromxico, which had launched operations from Toluca in 2009,
withdrew less than a year later.
Consequently, TLCs traffc slid from a peak in 2008 to 1.5 million in 2011
and fell to less then a million in 2012, opening up the possibility that Toluca
would go back to being just another one of Mexicos regional airports.
Tolucas fortunes appear to have improved dramatically in recent
months, however, with carriers including Aeromxico, VivaAerobus and
US carrier Spirit breathing new life into its terminals.
Aeromexico launched services to Guadalajara and Monterrey in
February, followed by Acapulco, Spirit Airlines operates international
fights to Dallas/Fort Worth and Fort Lauderdale.
Such is the spirit of optimism about the future that Tolucas
management are preparing a new masterplan that could see the building
of a new runway and terminal over the next two years to deal with
increased passenger demand, which is forecast to hit 5.5 million by 2015.
Speaking to Javier Garca Bejos, CEO of TLC, it is clear why he is so
confdent about the gateways future.
Toluca Airport is a very uncommon airport in Mexico because its the
only one that shares the market with Mexico City International Airport and
we have a huge challenge handling that demand because, as you know,
Mexico City is completely saturated.
Over the next 10 years Toluca International will grow faster than any
other airport in Mexico, he predicts.
According to Bejos, Tolucas role as an alternative to Mexico City has
never been more relevant. MEX handle nearly 30 million passengers in
the 12 months to February 2013 and is at saturation point, and Bejos
believes that a key enticement of Toluca is that the small airport facility
offers a much less stressful and friendly passenger experience compared
to its bigger neighbour.
We have a culture of service. What we are doing and saying in the
market is Fly easy, fy Toluca which is not just aimed at passengers but
also airlines.
AIRPORT REPORT: TOLUCA
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
17
Fly easy is an important message as people in
central Mexico are facing the saturation of Mexico City
Airport on a daily basis. They face delays and often
problems with their connections and what we want is a
friendly airport that is easy to use, easy to move around
and easy to do business at.
Toluca is also easy for people to leave. The airport
is close to the two main motorways linking Toluca with
Mexico City and is particularly well located for the business
and fnancial district of Santa Fe to the west of the
city centre.
Equipped with a 30,000sqm, L shaped terminal split
into international domestic wings and the longest runway
in Mexico (4,200m), Toluca has the capacity to handle large widebody
aircraft and is capable of handling eight million passengers a year, with a
growth potential of up to 25 million.
With passenger numbers expected to rebound in the coming years,
Toluca is planning expansion and Bejos talks about equipping the
gateway with up to 10 passenger jetways with construction to start
this year and end one year later
Commercial areas, restaurants and VIP lounges will be given a
revamp, English signage will be introduced, and a renewal of the airports
international lounge and arrivals area and an expansion of Tolucas
cargo facilities are all under consideration.
We want to be the premium cargo destination
in central Mexico. What we are seeing is that
Mexico City is completely full, while just 30km north,
Toluca has the best ground connectivity of any
airport in the country, highways are being
developing and we are looking at a new cargo
terminal for Toluca Airport.
Expansion will come from primarily private
sources. Toluca Airport is operated through a
public-private partnership with Spanish construction
company OHL, the majority stakeholder (49%)
in operating company Administradora Mexiquense
del Aeropuerto Internacional de Toluca (AMAIT),
with local state government (26%) and the Federal Government
controlling the rest.
OHL is licensed to manage the airport until 2055 and also manages
all commercial and complementary services.
Mexicos Gatwick Airport
Bejos believes that Tolucas mission should not be to rival MEX, a fght it
can never win, but to operate a complementary service within a wider
airport system, taking excess capacity from its congested neighbour and
offering genuine choice. His vision is that the Toluca of the future could be
the Gatwick or LaGuardia of Mexico City.
AIRPORT REPORT: TOLUCA
Toluca Airport
passenger traffic
2006-2012
2006: 2,051,895
2007: 3,300,275
2008: 3,949,611
2009: 2,489, 577
2010: 2,270,767
2011: 1,579,115
2012: 972,414
Source: Aeroportos y
Servicios Auxiliares.
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
18
I believe the Toluca vision could be different. At this moment we
need to be as aggressive as possible. We need to be more like Gatwick
Airport, which continues to compete against Heathrow and positions
itself as a reliever gateway for the UKs saturated hub airport.
But in the future, I can see Toluca and Mexico City International Airport
as LaGuardia is to New Yorks JFK. We need to have complementary services.
A second Mexico City airport
While Toluca busies itself with plans to become the alternative airport of
choice for Mexico City, it seems the government has other plans.
In March, Secretary of the Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo, announced
the government was investigating ways to reduce the congestion at
MEX. All options were on the table he said, including the option
of building a second international airport, a proposal long mooted in
the capital.
So if a new airport does go ahead, will this leave Tolucas dreams in
tatters? Not at all says Bejos.
This is one of the most important decisions to be made in Mexicos
aviation market for the last 20 years and I strongly believe the new
government needs to solve this issue. Of course, we need a new airport,
but this will not change Tolucas plans we aim to work together as
complementary airports.
Geographically speaking we are a very easy airport for business
travellers. You also have to remember that the new Mexico City airport will
not ready for many years, explains Bejos.
Until then, we can attend the market and then we will be part of a big
system for the whole of Mexico State.

Route development
While it remains to be seen whether Toluca can attract and retain carriers
for the long-term, recent airline arrivals look encouraging.
Interjet is once again cranking up its services; Aeromxico returned
earlier this year, and VivaAerobus operates to Tampico and Villahermosa.
But, perhaps the most signifcant thing, is that Tolucas resurgent traffc is
now international as well as domestic, and thats a trend Bejos expects
will continue as US carriers seek more market share of Mexicos capital.
The market is changing a lot and many LCCs are no longer as low-cost
as they once were. These include Allegiant, JetBlue and WestJet, which are
growing aggressively south from Canada and the US and want to go to
central Mexico. Ideally, they want to serve Mexico City, but if they cannot
due to the lack of available slots, they will fy to Toluca if they want to
serve this market.
Because of proftability requirements and [their status as] new
players in the Mexico market, bringing in those airlines is a challenge.
Today, we are aggressively growing our domestic market. In April this year
four of the fve carriers in Mexico will fy from Toluca; Aeromxico is starting a
sky bridge between Monterrey and Guadalajara; Interjet is encouraging routes
from Toluca to leisure destinations, and VivaAerobus are doing a tremendous
job connecting small towns and cities in regional Mexico.
What we foresee in the short run is that our network in the domestic
market will expand with greater frequencies, and now the priority is to
attract those international airlines, predicts Bejos.
Other advantages he outlines include: no bilateral restrictions
on US carriers wishing to open up new routes; a seven minute
aircraft turnaround guarantee; and last but not least, an incentive
scheme that effectively slashes airport fees for new routes and
offers landing fees that are lower than Mexico Citys Benito Jurez
International Airport.
While the debate over the need for a second international airport for
Mexico City looks set to rumble on, Tolucas management clearly feel
confdent that their facility can thrive on its own merits.
Not only is it likely to be many years before a new airport is built,
but Toluca is positioning itself to be a viable alternative to MEX based on
ease of use, modern uncongested facilities, transport links, and a strong
belief in accommodating the needs of both passengers and airlines.
Perhaps we will never be a complicated hub with fancy big
terminals to connect people with trains, but we will have an easy
to use airport, concludes Bejos. AW
AIRPORT REPORT: TOLUCA
Q
uality is an important word at Helsinki Airport. Whether you
are talking about the Finnish gateways approach to social
media, customer service or passenger comfort, you will
keep coming across it.
And while the strategy has yet to pay noticeable dividends in terms
of traffc the airport saw a slight decline in passenger throughput in
2012 operator Finavia is confdent that it will pay off long-term.
When it comes to customer service, the 2011 launch of its
Quality Hunters programme is, arguably, Finavias best example
of thinking outside the box.
Jointly launched with Finnair, the groundbreaking initiative saw a
group of passengers report back on some of the most innovative
ideas they witnessed on their travels to 40 airports in seven weeks.
Using social media channels, such as Twitter, Facebook and
Pinterest, and through blogs and YouTube, Quality Hunters
snowballed into a near global phenomenon.
It is estimated that the online community, which comes up with
passenger-friendly suggestions for the airport and airline, has a
reach of nearly 10 million people.
Such has been the success of the scheme that feedback from
followers has persuaded the gateway to open a free 24-hour art
gallery and a book-swap station, in addition to shortlisting a host of
other ideas for possible consideration in the future.
The ideas wish-list includes the proposed introduction of an
airport casino, hostel, Finnish/Asian fusion kitchen, the strategic
theming of gates and bringing Finnish nature to the airport.
It is this dedication to the passenger, and this willingness to
embrace social media and online communication coupled with
Helsinkis location as a springboard between Asia and Europe
that leads airport CEO, Kari Savolainen, to believe that the airport
is on the right track.
As you know, flying is not so fancy these days, because airlines
are competing on price, so service suffers when the focus is on
cutting costs, which means the nice part of flying is more and more
the airport, he says.
As a result, we have to continue improving our offering. Quality
Hunters is one good example of how we do this and it is something
we have continued. In todays highly competitive world, we have to
utilise social media and open our services earlier. Before the trip,
passengers should have information on what is the best way to
spend their time at the airport.
What are the customers needs? How can we improve the
customer experience? It is a big issue because there is not a
standard or typical airport passenger and there is no one single
solution to satisfying people.
While Helsinki has yet to see traffic soar as a consequence of its
efforts, the same cannot be said of its passenger satisfaction levels,
as the gateways Airport Service Quality (ASQ) score jumped from
3.92 to 4.02 (on a scale of one to five) in 2012.
According to the results, which saw 1,400 travellers polled, the
airport has improved its services in almost all of the topics covered
in the survey.
In 2012, passengers were happier than ever before with queuing
times, Wi-Fi, and the politeness and helpful attitude of the airports
security staff.
Other strengths noted were the ease of switching planes, the
well-functioning border control procedures, the feeling of security,
and the ease of moving around at the airport.
We have worked hard to make the airport an even smoother
hub, admits airport director, Ville Haapasaari. The results show
we have performed very well indeed. However, the airport will never
be perfect, which means we will continue to work hard for a smooth
and comfortable passenger experience.
On that note, Helsinki continues to make changes in anticipation of
increased passenger numbers. Terminal 2 underwent an expansion and
revamp in 2011, and last year the gateway invested 1 million on new
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
20
AIRPORT REPORT: HELSINKI
Steven Thompson discovers that
communicating with customers is key
for Helsinki Airport as it aims to enhance
its facilities and increase its appeal.
Quality
hunter
bus gates and immigration and security enhancements to ensure that it
can continue to offer impressive 35-minute connection times for
transfer passengers.
Ground transportation to the airport is also set for a major boost,
with the anticipated 2015 opening of a new high-speed train service to
downtown Helsinki.
And it is not only the Quality Hunters initiative which proves Helsinki is
on the ball when it comes to online communication with its passengers
the airport also won SimpliFlyings Best Airport on Social Media in 2012.
We like to think that smooth travelling starts online, says
Markus Haapamki, head of social media at Finavia. What we
would like to see in our social media channels is an interaction with
our passengers to improve their travel experience.
But we also want to share accurate information with the public,
allowing people to become aware of who we are and what is on offer for
them when they get to Helsinki and any of our other Finnish airports.
The best result has got to be if we can invent something new via
interaction with our passengers via our social media channels.
Quality Hunters was born out of our decision along with
Finnair to hire eight people to travel the world and come up with
suggestions for making air travel more convenient. This has now
snowballed into a truly global community.
Helsinki is certainly out to impress its business travellers,
with Savolainen saying the airport wants to do more for its
hard-working passengers.
There are already neat little touches around the airport,
such as wireless charging points for passengers mobile phones,
a hairdressers, and art exhibitions for those with a longer wait
between flights.
The airports free Wi-Fi is a huge success, too, with the
number of users increasing by an impressive 3,000% in four
years. There are 30 times more users now than there were in
January 2009, and the figure has rocketed by 168% in the last
12 months.
There is also Suvanto, a new lounge introduced in May
last year. Finavia, with partners such as Clear Channel, launched
the concept, giving passengers separate spaces to work
and relax.
There are currently three Suvanto lounges in the airport and they
each provide ergonomic workstations, as well as power points for
various electronic devices.
Traffic
It is fair to say that the gateways passenger numbers were not great
last year, with a slight decline on 2011 figures. The dip was
particularly alarming in the final quarter of the year with a 2.3% fall,
meaning the final total dropped just short of the 15 million mark.
However, the airport still maintains it is in a good position
both economically and geographically speaking to see growth in
the coming years.
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
21
AIRPORT REPORT: HELSINKI
AW
Savolainen maintains that Helsinki is ideally placed as a stop-off
between Europe and Asia, and believes that once the global
economy begins to recover its location will ensure it will be one
of the first to benefit.
Indeed, the silver lining for the airport in 2012 came in the
form of Helsinkis Asian traffic, which continued its rapid growth
to 1.8 million passengers, an enviable 8.3% rise.
This was primarily due to Finnairs new direct route to the
Chinese city of Chongqing. And the number of direct connections to
Asia will further increase this year as Japan Airlines introduces a
new service to Tokyo, and Finlands national flag carrier launches
routes to Xian and Hanoi in June.
Savolainen admits that Helsinki is confident that these new
quality routes will be a success and should ensure that the
gateway records an upturn in passenger traffic in 2013 and for the
next few years.
We are in a very strong position to bridge between Asia and
Europe, explains Savolainen. This is, economically, a growing
area, and it means that when the global financial situation gets
better, we will see growth immediately. In the next five years we
anticipate quite good numbers for growth.
Helsinki does not go out of its way to attract budget airlines
it is certainly not a no-frills airport but it still has some low-cost
traffic. However, Savolainen is a firm believer in long-haul
transfer traffic, and thinks this will always be Helsinkis main
traffic driver.
Our main role here is our hub status between Asia and Europe,
which means long-haul network opportunities, he says. Sure,
some low-cost carriers do serve Helsinki, but the bells and whistles
we offer here doesnt really suit their business model.
We want to be a good quality, cost-effective airport with the
customer and quality service at the centre of what we offer.
Which airports does he consider to be Helsinkis greatest rivals?
All airports that are bridges or hubs between Europe and Asia are
effectively competing with us, says Savolainen.
This means Stockholm, Copenhagen and Frankfurt in Europe,
the Gulf countries in the Middle East and, more recently, St
PetersburgPulkovo in Russia, which is investing heavily.
Helsinki Airports importance to the Finnish economy,
however, means that we have to be the winners of
this competition.
He maintains that Helsinki Airport is changing, adapting
and growing by evolution, rather than revolution, and admits
that this policy is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
Talking of the future, Savolainen believes that the current
gateway could handle up to 20mppa, after which the Finnish
government would have to think seriously about revolutionary
investment and infrastructure.
Whether this means upgrading the existing gateway or
building a new one remains open to debate, but whatever the
future holds, one thing remains certain, the search for quality
will remain at the heart of Finavias business strategy.
AIRPORT WORLD/APRIL-MAY 2013
22
AIRPORT REPORT: HELSINKI
We want to be a good quality, cost effective airport with the customer and
quality service at the centre of what we offer
>
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Airport World 2 2013
Now available online
>
The magazine of the Airports Council International
In this issue
In the spotlight: Airport Cities
Airports: Helsinki & Toluca
Special report: ASQ winners
Plus: Airport design, retail & IT innovation
Follow us on
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Click here
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online version
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