ACI is urging airports to work ever more closely with retailers and brand managers to tailor their facilities in ways that meet consumer needs if they are to ensure revenue growth.
With 80% of airport income now coming from a combination of passenger fees and non-aeronautical sources, concessionaires, retail and brand experts must play a greater part in the how terminal space is used, says Angela Gittens, director general of ACI World.
"Airports count on both aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues to balance their finances. And what our ACI Economics Survey shows us is that almost 80% of income comes from a combination of non-aeronautical revenues and passenger fees: that means only 20% comes from airlines," Gittens told members of the aviation industry at the revenue focused Trinity Forum 2011 in Bangkok.
A key priority is streamlining the travel experience from curbside to departure under the mantra that a 'happy passenger makes a much more likely consumer.
Gittens highlighted the importance of international business and leisure travllers and in particular those in transit as key drivers of consumer spending in the terminal.
Meanwhile, the world's airports had to be vigilant of perceived threats to their retail operations; specifically the one bag rule policies of airlines that have a negative impact on duty free sales, and some low-cost carriers (LCCs) which will not allow food or beverages onto flights.
A controversial campaign to label airport duty free tobacco an illicit trade must be resisted, says Gittens, as it comes before negotiators at the World Health Organization in 2011 and culminates in an INB in March 2012.
"Restrictions on carry-on for liquids, aerosols and gels - the famous LAGs and their STEB bags - finally gained hard-won harmonization in most parts of the world. Now the lifting of restrictions in Europe in 2013, if that happens, will have many ramifications for passengers travelling in, out or through the EU. We could end up with different measures in different places"ªand the chaos we faced in 2006/2007. We must work together and with ICAO and national authorities to keep this from happening," she added.
