Australia's airport regulatory environment described as 'best practice'

Airports Council International DG Angela Gittens believes that 2012 may be a "more difficult" period for the aviation industry, despite the buoyancy of 2011.

Delivering a keynote address to this week's Australian Airports Association convention, Gittens based this caution on the fact that while global passenger traffic was still growing by five per cent as at the end of September, there is a concerning slowdown in air cargo traffic, which was "a leading indicator in early 2008 of the economic downturn to come".

Other highlights of Gittens' address in Brisbane on Monday included:

* The biggest contributor to airline accident statistics is now runway-related accidents, including incursions, excursions, wildlife hazards and FOD.

* ACI's two major issues apart from runway safety are the global harmonisation of dealing with carry-on liquids, aerosols and gels and air cargo security.

* The airport sector alone has spent US$400 million since 2000 on capacity and is expected to spend another $400 million by 2020. In 2010 alone airports worldwide spent almost $40 million on capacity out of total revenue of $95 million, resulting in "a debt load of some $280 million".

* ACI is highlighting the Australian model of economic regulation of airports as "best practice". 

* Customer service ratings for airports have risen 7.5 per cent worldwide over five years.

* The "hidden sector" that is facing aviation at all levels is human resources, with ICAO warning of skill shortages across the industry.

Gittens concluded by saying that the Australian scene "exemplified our belief that strong partnerships with the carriers and with local, regional and national governments are essential for delivering excellence in the airport phase of the travel experience".