Travel Daily News
Theodore Koumelis
27 June 2025
In an in-depth discussion with TravelDailyNews International, Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe, outlined the core challenges facing the industry—geopolitical disruption, climate change, digital threats, and workforce shortages—while highlighting the need for long-term strategic planning, policy support, and investment.
According to Jankovec, the airports and aviation industry are entering a phase that demands urgent attention to resilience and future-proofing. “We’ve finally recovered pre-COVID traffic volumes after five years, which is encouraging,” he noted, “but we now face a set of unprecedented challenges that require an ecosystem-wide response.” The hyper-globalisation that fuelled decades of growth is fragmenting due to rising protectionism, trade barriers, and immigration restrictions. This new reality requires airports and airlines alike to reimagine their operating models.
Among the macro trends, climate change stands out as a structural disruptor. Not only does it impact passenger behaviour and destination viability, but it also directly threatens airport infrastructure resilience. “We must prepare for slower growth scenarios,” Jankovec explained. “Our joint studies with Airlines for Europe suggest annual air traffic growth will decline from 2% to 1.4% through 2050, mainly due to the cost burden of decarbonisation.”
