At Airspace World 2023 in Geneva, Director Generals of Airports Council International (ACI) and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) today announced the launch of the «Airport System Capacity Enhancement» (ASCE) programme.
The programme, which will be part of an expanded collaboration between the two organisations, is a major initiative as both represent airport operators and air navigation service providers, respectively.
According to a press release, it will be aimed at «removing the barriers to unlocking airport capacity and supporting the sustainable growth of air travel demand». In this sense, they assured that they will seek to «promote the safe, efficient, and sustainable development of civil aviation».
Commercial aviation challenges in the near future
According to ACI estimates for the period from 2022 to 2041, global air passenger traffic is expected to increase to 19.3 billion travellers, with an annual growth rate of 7.5%.
«Accommodating the growth of air travel demand has long been a challenge for the aviation system», explained the organisation, which was founded in 1991. «Future forecasts necessitate cooperation among stakeholders to ensure a safe, efficient, and sustainable air transport system for passengers», they added.
The Airport System Capacity Enhancement programme
In this context, the Airport System Capacity Enhancement (ASCE) programme focuses on the airport system and its surrounding airspace, environments that can constitute challenges to the industry’s capacity. The intention is to increase capacity through better coordination, optimisation of operational procedures and investments in technology and infrastructure.
In turn, these improvements would reduce delays, thereby reducing additional costs for airport managers and other stakeholders. It would also improve the user experience and contribute to aviation’s emission reduction targets.
Based on a comprehensive analysis, industry experts will provide input to work on optimising operations, both in the air and on the ground. Managers and service providers who undergo the review will receive a customised assessment and proposals for specific solutions.
ACI and CANSO will collaborate on a pilot test to refine and validate the methodologies. They said a first test will take place at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in Lima, Peru.
«Leveraging all the available capacity across the airport system is one of the key ways that airports and air navigation service providers can support the growth of air travel demand and the sustainability of the global aviation ecosystem», said Luis Felipe de Oliveira, Director General of ACI.
«I believe focussing on unlocking system capacity in the airport and airspace terminal environment can deliver real benefits for the system», commented Simon Hocquard, Diretor General of CANSO. «We need new perspectives on the management of congestion and to be looking at new ways to utilise existing infrastructure resources if we are to meet future demands», he added.
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