OREANDA-NEWS. June 17, 2014. The 2014 Airports Council International (ACI) Global/Asia-Pacific Annual General Assembly, The festival of airports around the world, was held at COEX, Seoul.

Hosted by Incheon International Airport Corporation and organized by ACI, the 2014 ACI Global General Assembly was held concurrently with the ACI Asia-Pacific General Assembly. It was a successful event with more than 1,000 participants from 73 countries including Korea representing airports, international organizations, companies and academia.

ACI is a consultative body comprised of over 1,800 airports around the world. It is the only global organization in the airport sector and holds global and regional general assemblies every year to discuss current issues in the airport business.

Held on May 27-28 under the theme of “Airports: Serving the Customer and the Community”, the conference was a chance for experts in the airport sector to participate in lively presentations and discussions under 5 session themes. During “Session 1: Leadership – The Art of Herding Cats!” the participants emphasized that the key to leadership in the airport industry is not only satisfying internal staff but everyone involved with different interests including customers, airport corporations, governments and regulatory authorities, for which communication and trust are vital. Best practices in service at Incheon Airport, Brussels Airport and DFS were presented during “Session 2: The Drive to Customer Service Excellence”. Discussions were also held that, in order to provide a better experience to customers, it is important for airport authorities and related businesses and organizations to communicate with one another and share core values, thereby providing tailored services that meet the expectations of individual customers.

During “Session 3: Reaching a Sustainable Balance”, the participants discussed economic regulations in the airport industry. A case was made that, for the sustainable growth of the airport industry, all the stakeholders including airports, airlines and government must listen to each other’s position and continue close discussions and constructive collaborations. Participants in “Session 4: Resilience: Best Practices and Emerging Trends” discussed emergency situations that airports may face such as cyber security crises and natural disasters, after which they shared best practices and measures that airports are seeking to respond to such emergencies. The last session, “Session 5: Making the Case for Cargo”, involved various discussions on how cargo, an important part of operating an airport, can accelerate an airport’s growth and maximize its profits.

On the 26th when the ACI Global/Asia-Pacific General Assembly was officially launched, events such as the World Human Resources Forum, Safety Symposium, World Business Partners (WBP) Meeting and Welcome Reception were held.

During the Safety Symposium, the main topic of discussion was the Airport Excellence (APEX) in Safety, a technical support program for airport safety operated by the ACI. Presentations were given by Incheon Airport, Toronto Airport, Beijing Airport, Abu Dhabi Airport and Mauritius Airport who have greatly enhanced their safety through this program. The World Human Resources Forum held on the same day was an opportunity for the participants to share their awareness of a growing importance of human resource supply and management in a situation where the size of the airport industry is growing following an increase in the demand for air travel. The participants formed a consensus on the need to nurture and recruit future talents in the airport industry through a systematic cooperation with training organizations.

The 27th, the second day of the General Assembly, involved the official opening, conferences and the gala dinner. The Official Opening was given by Suh Seoung-Hwan, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, with the Keynote Address given by Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), one of the top 3 global organizations in the airport sector.

A gala dinner was held on the evening of the 27th on a special stage at Lotte World Ice Skating Rink in Seoul. Incheon Airport Corporation showcased a variety of cultural performances based on its know-how of holding over 7,700 cultural art performances every year. Performances included a splendid big drum performance, taekwondo demonstration, electronic string instrument performance, flag dance, percussion instrument performance and a traditional dance performance, with the finale performance of Gangnam Style given by Little Psy.

The Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award ceremony was also held at the gala dinner, during which Incheon Airport reconfirmed its status as the leading service airport by not only ranking global number one for the ninth consecutive year but also winning the “Best Airport in the Asia-Pacific” and “Best Medium and Large Size Airport” awards.

The ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation Certificate Presentation Ceremony was held on the same day, during which Incheon Airport received the Level 3 Accreditation Certificate, the highest level for a medium to large airport. The ACI launched the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) in 2009 for the airport industry to respond to climate change. Since then, the ACI has been presenting the accreditation to airports that have made achievements in carbon management and reduction.

The exhibition held during the General Assembly was an opportunity for 63 businesses to showcase cutting-edge technologies, products and services in the airport industry. It was an occasion for businesses and participants to share useful information.

Incheon Airport reaffirmed its status as a leading global airport and elevated Korea’s brand value to an even higher level by successfully hosting this year’s General Assembly with more participants than ever.