The briefing on airports
The news, views and numbers you need to know this month
News in numbers
64%
London Heathrow predicts that it will have 64% fewer passengers in 2020 alone, according to a press release, which also says that passenger numbers aren’t likely to return to levels seen in 2019 until after 2022
2023
Saudi Arabian luxury resort AMAALA revealed plans for a new international airport, set for completion in 2023, which will feature a unique design and accommodate 1 million passengers annually
-94.4%
According to Airports Council International World, passenger traffic worldwide declined by -94.4% year-over-year in April – the worst decline in global passenger numbers in the history of aviation
347
US Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced that 347 US airports will receive nearly $800m in airport safety and infrastructure grants through the Federal Aviation Administration
17
In partnership with tech firm Amadeus, airport operator Avinor is set to upgrade 17 airports with touch-free technology in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
34
Tech provider TRAX will work with Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport to implement 34 ‘technologically advanced’ restrooms that will send real-time alerts to staff when cleaning is required
In quotes
ACI World director general Luis Felipe De Oliveira, following the launch of the organisation’s Smart Security Vision 2040 which gives updated guidance on achieving a ‘seamless airport security screening experience’:
As the aviation industry continues to plan for a sustained recovery from unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, ACI believes that any initiative that utilises improved technology to facilitate touchless and more efficient passenger journeys needs to be accelerated
IATA’s director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac, after IATA and ACI World called upon governments to bear the costs related to public health measures aimed at mitigating the spread of diseases:
The industry is still on the edge of a financial precipice. The extra costs of health measures mandated by governments must—as the WHO recommends—be borne by governments. That will enable the industry to focus scarce resources on reconnecting the world and boosting economic recovery
The month on Twitter
