 Following several days of jam-packed thought leadership, educational sessions, and enhanced networking, the 2015 ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition came to a close on Oct. 6 with an industry celebration at Long Beach’s Pacific Ballroom. This year’s conference attracted nearly 1,800 attendees and more than 210 show floor booths. Thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors who made this year’s conference a great success!
As a special thank you to our conference speakers, ACI-NA has made a charitable contribution to Food Finders. Food Finders is a non-profit, 501(C)(3), community-based food rescue organization that serves as a conduit for food, education, and awareness between donors, volunteers, agencies and people in need.
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 Outgoing Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) Chair James C. Cherry, president and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal, turned over the chair position of the ACI-NA Board of Directors to Maureen Riley, executive director of Salt Lake City Department of Airports, during a special reception on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, at the ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Long Beach, California.
"Today, North American airports are facing significant challenges that require us to be more creative and strategic in the way the industry approaches solutions," said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. "Under Jim’s leadership, ACI-NA advanced airport priorities through effective collaboration, both within the aviation industry and with nontraditional partners. We appreciate his hard work and dedication to our association."
"As our new chair, Maureen will bring broad industry expertise and a deep understanding of the challenges our industry faces each day in Washington and Ottawa," Burke said. "We look forward to her leading our work to develop innovative ideas to ensure that the North America airports remain globally competitive for the years to come."
"I am honored and excited to become ACI-NA chair," said Maureen Riley. "North American airports are leaders in the global aviation system, but we are at risk of falling behind as other regions invest in improving their infrastructure and customer service. Over the next year, we must use our voice and continued collaboration to affect positive change." Read more >>
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 The 2016 ACI-NA/World Annual Conference and World Annual General Assembly will be held Sept. 25 – 28, 2016, in Montreal. Next year’s conference will bring all sectors of the global aviation industry together in one of the world’s major aerospace centers. There will be no better place to discuss the latest trends and strategies aimed at moving the industry forward safely, securely, and sustainably.
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 Photos from the 2015 ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition are available for download. Visit ACI-NA’s Flickr page to browse this year’s photos. More photos will be added over the next several days, so check back often. See the photos now >>
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 Ten North American airports achieved certification under the Airport Carbon Accreditation since ACI-NA joined the program in 2014 and were recognized for their achievements during a ceremony at the 2015 ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition. Airport Carbon Accreditation recognizes airport efforts to manage and reduce their CO2 emissions through independent assessment and verification. "As North American airport participation in the Airport Carbon Accreditation program grows, ACI-NA applauds the significant steps airports are taking to be leaders in environmental stewardship," said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. "I applaud these early adopters who have committed to lowering their carbon footprints and becoming better partners in the global aviation system. By achieving the ambitious goals of Airport Carbon Accreditation, these airports are setting our industry on a path toward continued success in innovation and sustainability." Read more >>
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 Always a favorite among attendees, Tuesday's airport regulatory reform education session on the last day of the conference was well attended and moderated by Lew Bleiweis of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority. Lew oversaw an informative and wide-ranging discussion that featured panelists Eduardo Angeles and Curtis Holsclaw of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Canadian Airports Council president Daniel-Robert Gooch. The three panelists spoke to a number of hot topics impacting the North American airport regulatory environment including FAA reauthorization, aircraft noise, security screening, infrastructure funding, air traffic control and runway incursions. Audience members were clearly engaged and several added to the discussion with carefully considered questions that allowed the panelists to address further some of these common issues-issues that exist across the U.S. and Canadian airport regulatory environment. One topic of particular interest was the question of privatizing air traffic control in the United States. This particular issue will continue to garner attention from
policy makers and legislators in the near future and would make a great session topic for next year's conference in Montreal.
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During his annual State of the Industry Address, ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin Burke outlined a new vision for airports based on enhanced collaboration between U.S. and Canadian airports and continued advocacy to advance airport priorities. Read his remarks here >>
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On Tuesday, ACI-NA presented the 2015 Williams E. Downes, Jr. Memorial Award to Richard Haury during an award presentation at the 2015 ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition. The Downes Award is presented by ACI-NA to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting the cause of airports and aviation throughout the local, national and worldwide communities. The award is the highest honor given by ACI-NA. Read more >>
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During the Exhibition Hall opening celebration on Sunday, ACI-NA unveiled the second year of airport trading cards. The airport trading card series offers aviation enthusiasts a new collectible opportunity to commemorate their travels through U.S. and Canadian airports. Read more >>
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WHAT’S YOUR EQ?
You may know your IQ, but do you know your EQ? Dr. Travis Bradberry, the pioneer behind the ‘emotional intelligence’ (EQ) metric, says that maintaining a high EQ can help people both personally and professionally and is a better indicator of life successes.
In his engaging and eye-opening keynote address on Monday, Bradberry, co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and co-founder of TalentSmart, defined emotional intelligence for ACI-NA members and explained its importance.
In non-clinical terms, emotional intelligence is the interaction between emotion and reason. For some, the pathway between these two areas of the brain is a superhighway with no obstacles. For others, it’s a rutted, bumpy road. But there’s hope. By mastering four core skills, according to Bradberry, people can harness their emotions and channel behaviors appropriately.
1) self-awareness (recognize behavior to change)
2) self-management (channel the behavior wanted)
3) social awareness (read and respond to others by focusing on them)
4) relationship management (mastering the first three)
The business implications of possessing a strong EQ are significant. Sixty percent of job performance is impacted by EQ. In addition, a staggering 90 percent of top performers are high in emotional intelligence. Therefore, recognizing and promoting an individual with a strong EQ will further strengthen one’s core team and continue to build a strong company culture. The key, says Bradberry, is practice. The skills need to be habitual in order to be developed. Lean into the discomfort and practice the behavior.
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The retail industry is changing, and so are consumers, says Marshal Cohen, yesterday’s Opening Session speaker at ACI-NA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition. As
chief industry analyst, NPD Group, Inc., Cohen keeps his finger on the retail industry pulse and spoke to ACI-NA members about consumer behavior and how airports can capitalize on it.
Amazon is a ‘prime’ example of how the retail landscape is shifting. This coming holiday season, for instance, the online giant is expected to outsell all the other mass merchants combined. An interesting statistic, especially when you note that many people pay to use Amazon’s store. The landscape is changing, indeed.
And airport retail needs to keep up, according to Cohen, and one way to do so is by taking an omnipresent approach. This involves executing a full customer experience using online tools in concert with in-store service and post-purchase follow-up. In addition, airports should consider converting storefronts into showcases, which display product but don’t stock product. Instead, the retailer directly ships the purchase to the consumer’s destination of choice. ‘Cash and carry’ becomes ‘cash and tomorrow.’
Cohen provided numerous statistics about the spending power of the various generations, but more importantly he noted that retailers should not focus on the habits of a specific age group but more by life stages. Society, he says, is shifting away from a ‘touch and feel’ experience to one more consistent with a lifestyle.
Airports have the ability to reach more people than any other industry. It’s a great time to capitalize on that and create unique retail opportunities geared toward the current consumer mindset.
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Port Columbus's Elaine Roberts recognized by White House as a Transportation "Champion of Change": Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) congratulates Elaine Roberts, president and CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, for being named a Transportation "Champion of Change" by the White House. Read more >>
DFW Airport generates $37 billion in annual economic impact, contemplating Terminal F: Dallas/Fort Worth Airport’s economic impact on the Metroplex every year has grown to $37 billion and that figure could grow as the airport contemplates building a Terminal F. DFW also recently was recognized by the Airports Council International for successfully reducing its carbon emissions by 25 percent. Read more >>
Red Deer airport gets $6M from
province for runway extension: The Alberta government is committing $6 million to help the city of Red Deer expand its overstretched airport. Read more >>
MEA vacations lead to MSP airport's busiest week: Education Minnesota week - where most Minnesota schools are closed at least Thursday and Friday - is the busiest week at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to airport officials. Read more >>
NYC airports among worst for controller shortage, union says: U.S. air-traffic staffing is at a 27-year low that threatens to increase flight delays, particularly in the already congested New York region, the union representing controllers said. Read more >>
Palmer Airport, Uber explore agreement on ride-sharing service: Westmoreland County Airport Authority board members during a meeting Tuesday discussed requests to enter into an agreement with Uber, the app-based car service that enables drivers to use their own cars to pick up passengers. Read more >>
Restaurant Week lands at Philadelphia airport: From Oct. 19 to 26, Philadelphia International Airport will host its fifth annual Restaurant Week, offering travelers three-course set menus for $20 per person at more than a dozen restaurants. Read more >>
Could airport restaurants become a destination on their own? Airport concessions nationally have been improving over the years to feature more upscale offerings and local favorites. Read more >>
Passenger jet aborts takeoff when car makes
wrong turn onto LAX runway: A jet carrying 78 passengers and crew members had to abort a takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday when a car made a wrong turn onto a runway, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Read more >>
Transport Canada revokes security clearance of Vancouver airport worker because of biker ex-husband: The former wife of a Hells Angel has lost her security clearance to work at the Vancouver airport simply because she was once married to the longtime biker. Read more >>
Delta Air Lines picking up former Frontier Airlines gates at DIA: Frontier Airlines’ loss is Delta Air Lines' gain at Denver International Airport. The Denver City Council’s Business Development Committee unanimously approved a modification to Frontier’s lease on Tuesday that will allow it to reduce its number of standing gates on DIA’s concourse A from 14 to eight by January. Read more >>
United Airlines putting more second-string international fleet to work out east next year: United Airlines' Newark Liberty International and Dulles International airports may not be getting crumbs, but two of the Chicago-based airline's major East Coast hubs will have to settle for new routes being flown next year with older-model aircraft. Read more >>
Aer Lingus service to Ireland from Bradley International Airport closer to reality? Irish airline Aer Lingus may soon offer nonstop service to Ireland from Bradley International Airport, which serves the Hartford/Springfield region. Read more >>
Exclusive: U.S. airlines hit Justice Department hurdle in Gulf trade dispute: The U.S. Justice Department has raised concern about demands by U.S. airlines that the government limit flights of three Middle Eastern rivals to the United States, three sources familiar with the matter have said. Read more >>
Singapore Airlines plans return to U.S. with new '
ultra long-range' A350: Singapore Airlines says it plans to resume nonstop flights between Singapore and the United States in 2018, possibly retaking the title for the world's longest flight. Read more >>
Could this be the airline of the future? Teague, the Seattle-based company that helped design Microsoft’s first Xbox and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, spent some quality time re-imagining the flying experience of the future and came up with Poppi, a new airline that is disruptive, inventive and very appealing. Read more >>
Google registers two delivery drones for U.S. testing: Google is taking another stab at developing a delivery drone...and this time the tech giant is playing by completely by the rules. Read more >>
Playing defense against the drones: We’ve managed to create armies of flying robots. Can we control them? Read more >>
Outdated technology likely culprit in Southwest Airlines outage: A computer glitch that prevented passengers from checking in for their Southwest Airlines flights and caused widespread delays around the nation on Sunday was likely caused by a failure of a legacy technology asked to do too much, travel experts said Monday. Read more >>
Dutch investigators say Buk missile downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17: The Dutch Safety Board concluded Tuesday that downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was hit by a Russian-made Buk missile fired from rebel-held eastern Ukraine in July 2014. Read more >>
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Be sure to tweet comments and photos about this year’s annual conference. Mention @airportscouncil and use the hashtag #airports15.
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To enhance your conference experience, ACI-NA introduces the ACI-NA Conferences app! Available to all registered Annual Conference attendees, the ACI-NA Conferences app engages attendees and gives them the latest Annual Conference information on their mobile devices and tablets. Search the participant list, connect with attendees, customize your agenda, and much more! Get the app now by searching "ACI-NA Conferences" in the App Store or Google Play. The 2015 ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition app is sponsored by CH2M.
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The latest issue of the brand new Centerlines magazine hit mailboxes last week. Each topic and article were carefully selected to position Annual Conference and Exhibition attendees ahead of the curve. Plan to read each of the articles on your flight to LGB, including:
Glamour Meets Convenience at Long Beach: LGB Director Bryant Francis invites you to visit Long Beach Airport, the official 2015 Annual Conference Host Airport, while in sunny Long Beach. Read more >>
A Whole New Ballgame: Airports have always been in the business of finding and retaining air service. But as communities continue to deal with the ongoing aftereffects of airline consolidation, airports are coming up with fresh approaches to attract new air service and keep the flights they already have. Read more >>
The Dollars and Sense of Environmental Planning: Duration and cost vary, but all sustainable airport projects ultimately strive to make good sense. Read more >>
Enabling the Future - Technology for Tomorrow’s Airport: SITA says that by 2034, 7.3 billion people will be traveling through our airports. That’s equivalent to today’s total world population and more than double today’s number of air travelers. Read more >>
A Competitive Edge: When EDGE4VETS brings airports and veterans together, everybody wins. Read more >>
Building for the Orlando Experience: As Executive Director Phil Brown explains, multiple projects are underway that will take Orlando International to the next level. Read more >>
Seeing the Big Picture: Richard Haury named 2015 William E. Downes, Jr. Award Recipient. Read more >>
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