The increasing significance of the Airport Group

The growth in the number of airports that are (wholly or partly) owned and operated by the private sector and the rise of the Airport Group concept go hand-in-hand, broadly speaking.

The top private sector-managed airports represented almost one third of global revenues in 2022; 27 Airport Groups accounted for 29% of global airport passenger traffic and 23% of global air cargo volumes in 2019, which was the immediate pre-pandemic year.

Each has been driven by the other in a virtuous circle, the groups needing the access to capital for infrastructure that the private sector facilitates and the private sector then seeking to grow the groups by further acquisition to satisfy shareholder demand, as is its wont.

That is not to say that all these airport groups are privately owned but the majority are, one way or another.

Two reports - one commissioned by ACI, the other from a US Think Tank - point to a continuing and growing rise in the importance of this Airport Group operating model, and how it can add value, especially to the smallest members.

Neither of them takes into account public (passenger) opinion, and that might be completely different - of course. Nor do group-owned airports automatically win 'Best Airport' accolades at industry events.

But there are more than ever of them, and the leaders among them are setting global benchmarks for operational excellence.

The following report draws on information and data provided by The Reason Foundation and Airports Council International with additional text and comment provided by CAPA - Centre for Aviation. The original ACI report does contain some data that was sourced from CAPA.