The 27th ACI Africa/World Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition, officially kicked-off this morning in Port Louis, Mauritius, under the theme, "Bold Leadership in a time of change." The conference is hosted by Airports of Mauritius (AML).
Over 500 aviation professionals gathered for the Official Opening of the conference, where welcoming remarks were given by Johnny Dumazel, Chairman, AML & ATOL; Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World; Declan Collier, Chief Executive Officer, London City Airport and Chair, ACI World; and, Engineer Saleh Dumona, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and President, ACI Africa.
"Welcome to our 27th annual gathering," said Gittens. "We cannot help but reflect on the fact that over the years the pace of change has continued to accelerate. This year’s theme, "Bold leadership in a time of change," recognizes that whatever causes the changes, airports must react to them. Airports play a crucial role in the economic and social health of communities, countries, regions and the world at large, and we must craft a strategy for their sustainable development to continue those benefits."
"As many of us know all too well, the challenges and opportunities that we faced yesterday are not the same as those we face today and those that are on the horizon," said Collier. "We are here in Mauritius to collectively take bold steps and craft a sustainable way forward amidst continual change. This is a task ACI and our Member airports have been dedicated to since the organization’s very beginning and one that we pledge to continue to abide to, not least over the course of the next couple of days."
"Over the course of today and tomorrow, you will learn of several existing and new ACI initiatives, products and services that help the world’s airports tackle such challenges and seize such opportunities," said Eng. Dunoma. "The changes we face underline the need for our continued engagement in global and regional initiatives, alongside continued collaboration with aviation stakeholders and ACI is there to support our airport Members every step of the way."
Following the welcoming addresses, delegates were fortunate to hear from keynote Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); and, The Honorable Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius.
"ICAO appreciates that great progress can be achieved on the basis of the excellent cooperation established between our Organization, ACI and other industry stakeholders," said Dr. Aliu. "This is very important today as we seek to confront and manage the challenges of sectoral growth together, and to the benefit of operators, facilities, and sustainable societies all over the world. Our Member States remain very grateful for these proactive industry contributions and we will be looking forward to more of the same in the years ahead."
"Mauritius is pleased to welcome the partners and stakeholders of the global airport and aviation sector," said the Honorable Jugnauth. "The 27th ACI Africa/World Annual General Assembly Conference & Exhibition coincides perfectly with the 50th Anniversary of Air Mauritius, our flag carrier airline. This conference is therefore a unique milestone and opportunity for our country to proudly showcase the progress we have achieved in aviation. We have benefitted tremendously from international cooperation and we are today in a position to extend support to our peers. I am confident that this conference will also be a privileged moment for sharing and learning from each other’s experience."
Later tonight at the Gala Dinner, delegates will celebrate the 2017 ACI Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards and the 2016 and 2017 Director General Roll of Excellence. The ASQ Awards are presented to the best airports as determined by their passengers in the ASQ Survey. The awards are categorized to reflect and recognize the efforts of large and small airports in different regions. This year, there were 91 winners and they represented the largest group of winners ever. And, the Director General Roll of Excellence identifies airports that have been ranked in the top five airports by size or region for five of the last six years in the ASQ Survey.
"I am delighted that as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of helping airports understand how best to serve their customers with the ASQ Programme, we see our largest group of winners ever," said Gittens. "These airports have dedicated themselves to delivering a stellar customer experience. Promoting a culture of continuous service improvement has become a matter of gaining competitive advantage and optimising non-aeronautical revenue performance. ACI proudly recognizes these accomplishments and we look forward to seeking more effective, efficient and profitable ways of serving the flying public together."
