The airport development sector is preparing for the eventual return of international and business travel by taking another look at deployment and delivery of capital programs, speeding up technology implementation and finding ways to reassure the flying public. Big questions include the timeframe for recaptured passenger growth and whether a recovery stimulus package will take off anytime soon.
Airports will for the most part continue with their capital programs, but “there will be many changes in the character of the projects,” said Angela Gittens, former director general of Airports Council International World. She told attendees of the group's annual meeting Nov. 10 that “there will be more interest in items that may have been off the table before, like partial privatizations or creative ways of getting revenue in the short term.”