SITA and Airports Council International (ACI)

Airports Council International (ACI) is composed of 587 members, operating in more than 1,650 airports in 176 countries. ACI member airports handle 4.2 billion passengers, 72 million aircraft movements and 82 million metric tons of cargo per year.

ACI has five regions:

North America
Europe
Asia Pacific
Latin America and the Caribbean
Africa

Each region includes a regional airport board, with the world governing board overseeing global membership. The world governing board consists of 21 seats – 18 voting, two regional advisors (Atlanta and Libreville airports), and one observer (SITA).

ACI mission statement

Airports are a pillar of international air transport. To adequately safeguard their interests and their influence, the global airport industry needs a strong voice. Airports Council International (ACI) is that voice.

ACI advances the interests of the world's airports and promotes professional excellence in airport management and operations.

To support the essential role of the airport industry for economies and societies worldwide, ACI seeks to maximize airports contributions to maintaining and developing a safe, secure, environmentally compatible, efficient and prospering air transport system.

As the key components of the air transport system are highly interdependent, one of the main objectives of ACI is to achieve a high degree of cooperation among all segments of the aviation industry and their stakeholders as well as with governments.

Airports need a balanced and favorable economic and legal framework to operate in a profitable, sustainable and efficient manner. To make sure that airports priorities are duly considered, ACI works to influence international and national legislation, rules, policies, standards and practices on behalf of the airport industry.

SITA activities with ACI

Membership is determined by the region where a company generates the majority of its airport revenue; therefore, SITA’s primary region is ACI Europe.

SITA participates on many ACI committees and subcommittees, including:

ACI North America Business Information Technology Committee
ACI World Airport Information Technology Committee
ACI Europe Facilitation Committee
ACI World Facilitation Standing Committee (only non-Airport)
Chair of the ACI World Business Partners Board (vendor/supplier programme responsible for contributing over CHF600k in dues revenue plus a significant amount in exhibit and sponsorship activities)
ACI World Governing Board (only non-airport on Board, observer seat)
Past ACI North America Airport Board Member
Past ACI North America Associates Chairman of the Board

SITA special projects with ACI include:

Initial hosting of ACI Web site (2002-03)
Airport IT Trends Survey (2004-07)
.aero initiative