Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA)recently hosted the 1stofficial ACI-LAC Airport Day Aruba 2023 on behalf of Airports Council International of the Latin America & Caribbean region (ACI-LA) on Tuesday September 12, 2023.
ACI-LAC and AAA welcomed a total of 100 delegates from around the world including Germany, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and Miami for a one-day ACI-LAC Airport Day event that took place at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resorts & Casino. With the theme of “Catering to the next 100 years of traveling”, the program included presentations from worldwide partners and airport professionalsfocusing on the future andthe four main pillars of AAA’s corporate strategy which are People &Development, Quality of Service, Innovation & New Opportunities, and Sustainability & Social Responsibility.
The event commenced with a welcome video by the Minister of Tourism and Public Health, Mr. Dangui Oduber,and welcome remarks by AAA’s CEO Mr. Joost Meijs and the Director General of ACI-LAC Mr. Rafael Echevarne. To open the presentations section, Mr. Eliseo Llamazares from KPMGpresented on balancing aviation traffic growth and sustainable small island state economies, the current challenges small island states are facing including island capacity, and how sustainable initiatives can balance negative impacts aviation can have on the community. Mr. Daniel Gumberger from Munich International Airport shared emerging trends in changing traveler needs and expectations of airport concessionaires, authenticity of destination, art, and experiences that should be considered for future airport developments. As part of innovative technologies, Ms. Sevda Fevzi from Modalis shared her expert views ontechnological developments that can ease travel including the use of Artificial Intelligence whilst Mr. Yuri Feliciano from SITA shared valuable insights on collaborations between stakeholders that can enhance passenger experience including the Aruba One Happy Passrecently launched in March 2023. Mr. Luis Soto from El Dorado International Airport focused on how to attract future aviation leaders, guarantee talent and growth development for a rapidly changing aviation industry and attract a gender-balanced workforce. To finalize the program, a panel discussion moderated by Ms. Minerva Flemming from AAA and including Mr. Daniel Muñoz from GCG Group, Mr. Sebastian Pinchinatti from Amadeus, Mr. Erick Barboza from AERIS Costa Rica, and Mr. John-Henry Palacios from Dufry discussed theimportance of airports’ balancing act for future concession revenue generation.
“Being able to meet the ever-changing demands of travelersrequires a strong collaboration between airport service providers, civil authorities, and key stakeholders to guarantee a smooth airport operation and positive impact on the passenger experience. As an airport, investing in diverse commercial offerings, innovative technological developments, and authentic experiences inside and outside of the airport terminal can favorably position the airport for future demands and needs oftravelers. Sustainability needs to be embedded in all our decision making because that is what we want and the customers of the future require”, said AAA CEO Mr. Joost Meijs.
AAA would like to thank ACI-LAC for the opportunity of hosting the 1st official ACI-LAC Airport Day in Aruba, all speakers for their valuable contribution and insights provided, and all 100 delegates for attending the event.
About AUA Airport
AUA Airport is one of the busiest airports in the Caribbean region, with 22 different airlines operating into Aruba contributing to processing over 2.5 million passengers per year and providing air service to 22 cities and 34 non-stop destinations worldwide. AUA Airport’s markets served comprise of 77% from the United States & Canada, 13% from Latin America, 6% from Europe, and 4% from Dutch Caribbean, year to date, August 2023. AUA Airport attributes this to the island’s stable economic and political climate, hospitable and multilingual population, and safe environment. AUA Airport’s aspiration is to become one of the most Sustainable, Safe, and Future Proof airports of the Latin America & Caribbean region, providing a trusted workplace, modern airport facilities and excellent customer service which reflects Aruban hospitality, contributing to a prosperous future for Aruba.
Learn more about what’s happening at AUA Airport by visiting www.airportaruba.com and connect with AUA Airport on Twitter.com/Aruba_Airport, Facebook.com/ArubaAirport, Instagram.com/arubaairport/ and Linkedin.com/ArubaAirport.
