welcome to ACI Europe

Airports Council International (ACI) ACI is the only worldwide professional association of airport operators. ACI, headquartered in Geneva, is a non-profit-making organisation representing over 1,530 airports in 175 countries and territories worldwide. We are organised into six geographical regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, North America and Pacific, each with its own board of elected airport leaders. In 2004, these airports welcomed some 3.9 billion passengers and handled 78.7 million tonnes of freight and 69.4 million aircraft movements.

The voice of Europe's airports ACI EUROPE, based in Brussels, Belgium, represents the interests of some 400 airports in 45 countries. Our members account for over 90% of commercial air traffic in Europe. In 2004, ACI EUROPE member airports welcomed 1.2 billion passengers and handled 15.6 million metric tonnes of cargo and 17.8 million aircraft movements. ACI EUROPE promotes the exchange of industry know-how through our internal committee structure and extensive schedule of conferences and exhibitions. By actively seeking the views of airport members, we generate comprehensive common policies that serve as a reference to the entire aviation industry. We work on a day-to-day basis with the institutions of the European Union, the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and the European Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL). Colleagues in ACI World Headquarters pursue the same mission with the International Civil Aviation Organisation of the United Nations (ICAO) and other world organisations. Getting the right message across Legislation affecting civil aviation is increasingly enacted at the European level. ACI EUROPE has privileged access to EU legislators, which no individual airport, however important, could hope to achieve. Airports are important national and regional assets: our mission is to work closely with policy makers and industry partners, thereby ensuring that European airports are fully integrated in decision making processes affecting our industry. Our intelligence network enables us to anticipate and influence, from the moment of conception, the development of legislative or regulatory initiatives impacting not only our members, but the entire aviation industry. We are currently engaged in important work on the environment, airport capacity, air passenger rights, airport charges, ground handling, slot allocation and airport competition. All research shows that airports contribute significantly to the economic and social development of the regions which they serve. By mobilising our in-house expertise, EU contacts and a range of communication tools, we aim to promote a wider understanding of the challenges facing civil aviation in Europe.