APA Issue 4, 2021
VIEW FROM THE TOP Director general, Stefano Baronci, reflects on the work of ACI Asia-Pacific over the final quarter of 2021 and looks forward to next year.
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hile the summer months saw the progressive resumption of travel in many parts of the world, international travel, particularly in Asia, struggled with the resurgence of the delta variants of the coronavirus. And now the world is grappling with the Omicron variant. These are undeniably tough times for our airports, especially the ones that are heavily dependent on or even owe their very existence to international traffic. We remain optimistic that better times await in 2022. In the meantime, I’d like to reassure members that, pandemic notwithstanding, the work of ACI Asia-Pacific does not stop. In early November, I enjoyed a series of engagement meetings with several airports from the Middle East region. First stop was Bahrain, where I finally got to experience the new terminal building, which opened in early 2021. My visit was filled with meetings with top executives and subject matter experts from Bahrain Airport Corporation, government and global organisations. I also had the privilege of meeting officials and ministers from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Bahrain’s Ministry of Health, Civil Aviation Affairs, and Ministry of Transportation & Telecommunications, to name just a few.
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I am happy to report that fruitful deliberations took place on ways ACI Asia-Pacific can further advance the interests and operational excellence of the airport. My second stop was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where similar meetings were held with Abu Dhabi Airports Company, operator of Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al Ain International Airport and the smaller gateways of Al Bateen, Dalma and Sir Bani Yas. The deliberations and exchanges certainly pave the way for further advancing the interests and operational excellence of all its airports. My visit to the UAE also provided me with the opportunity to catch up with and have invaluable meetings with our members at Dubai Airports and Sharjah International Airport. I would like to go on record in showing my appreciation at the exceptional hospitality I received from all our members throughout my visit. I firmly believe that the meetings affirmed the value of being able to discuss important issues in-person, instead of across the computer screen. As this issue of the magazine goes to print, I will be in Saudi Arabia on the final leg of my tour where I will meet
