Committee Descriptions

Air Cargo Committee - Advances the industry's understanding and knowledge of air cargo economics and practices. Its focus is to assist airport operators in the management of existing air cargo resources, maximization of potential air cargo opportunities and the enhancement of air cargo revenues. 

Business Diversity Committee - Committed to developing proactive outreach and educational programs to assure a vital industry forum on diversity issues and to promote best practices. It is the forum for monitoring changes in legislation, regulatory requirements, and business practices affecting Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and small businesses at airports. It formulates ACI-NA policy recommendations and promotes successful airport practices on DBE, local and small business issues.

Business Information Technologies Committee - Examines new and emerging technologies for their applicability to airport systems and examines how existing systems can be improved to better serve both the internal airport system needs as well as the needs of our customers. Focus areas include airport information management systems, private and public communication services, computer networking, intranet and Internet, system design and the application of new technology.

Commercial Management Committee - Discusses commercial issues and identifies the best commercial practices at airports. The committee also focuses on landside management issues like ground transportation, parking, and rental cars as well as concessions issues, tracking trends, best practices and commercialization issues.

Commissioners Committee - Composed of Board members, Commissioners and Trustees of ACI-NA member airports and airport authorities, who set policy for and oversee the management of their airport organizations.  The mission of the committee is to share information and expertise among its members, to promote the discussion and formation of policy positions in the support of aviation, and to provide training and educational opportunities for its members.

Environmental Affairs Committee - Responsible for the development and implementation of ACI-NA policy positions on noise, air quality, water quality, regulated materials, wildlife and national environmental protection policies. Committee members work with federal legislators and regulators, aviation industry groups and international policy makers to develop statutory and regulatory proposals governing the environment at and around airports and the tenants who operate there. The committee provides information and guidance for airport operators in the development of all aspects of environmental management programs. The committee is represented at the National Academy of Science Transportation Research Board, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Aviation Environmental Roundtable and other industry and government sponsored organizations with a focus on the environment.

Working Groups: Joint Planning and Design (shared with Operations & Technical Committee); Air Quality; CAEP/International Issues; Land Use Compatibility; Natural Resources; NEPA/Planning; Noise; Sustainability; Waste Management; Water Quality

Facilitation Group - Addresses issues related to international passenger and cargo inspection, clearance, facilitation programs and regulations, user fees, inspection facilities and customer service involving U.S. agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and US-VISIT at Canadian and U.S. airports.  It also deals with issues regarding other U.S. agencies that affect international traffic at U.S. airports, such as the Bureau of Consular Affairs and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group develops and advocates positions on issues affecting international air travelers and cargo to and from the United States.

Finance Committee -The Finance Committee is the forum for airport financing and administration issues including capital needs, financing methods, federal funding issues, revenue sources, expenses, rates and charges, privatization and benchmarking.  Airport financial structures (residual vs. compensatory) and financing mechanisms such as retained earnings, bonding, and Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs) are also considered. The committee also provides its members the opportunity to discuss PFC procedures, accounting, remittance, and management controls.

Working Groups: Airline Business/Use Agreements, Financing, Accounting/Financial Reporting, Benchmarking/Metrics.

Insurance and Risk Management Committee - Serves as the forum for discussing airport risk management issues including loss control and prevention, loss control training programs, claim and loss control automation and other important and developing industry issues. It also works towards developing and enhancing the ACI?NA Airport Insurance Program.

Human Resources Committee - Provides a forum to advance human resources in the airport industry, exchange information and ideas, and develop programs and practices that enhance organizational success. Such programs and practices will be to improve workforce diversity, staff recruitment and retention, competitive compensation and benefits, regulatory compliance, disaster recovery guidelines, and human resources best practices.

Legal Affairs Committee - Provides airport attorneys with case law, statutes and regulations affecting airports and a forum through meetings, other events and e-mail to discuss their impacts.  The committee develops handbooks and other legal research materials and provides professional development opportunities for airport attorneys. The committee also monitors airport litigation and files "friend of the court" briefs on behalf of ACI-NA and airport members in cases having significant implications for U.S. airports.

Marketing and Communications Committee - Provides professional support and educational opportunities for ACI-NA members in air service and business development, marketing, public affairs, customer service and community relations.  The committee develops aviation-related educational and policy programs for ACI-NA members, identifies issues and promotes public awareness of airports as economic generators for their communities and develops strategies for delivering strong customer service and attracting new air service.

Working Groups:  Customer Service and Aviation Education; Marketing and Air Service Development; Media Relations

Operations and Technical Affairs Committee - Provides a forum for the discussion and development of policies and programs that relate to airport design, operations and maintenance. Members of the committee focus their efforts on: terminal, apron, airfield and roadway design; satellite navigation and enhancements to system capacity; impacts of new large aircraft; land and hold short operations and supporting systems; pavement design, construction and maintenance; signage; lighting; airfield markings; ramp safety; airport maintenance systems; and airport safety technology research and development. Committee members develop legislative recommendations, respond to regulatory proposals, interface with industry/government working groups and task forces and serve as industry representatives to a variety of aviation organizations including the National Academy of Science Transportation Research Board and the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Working Groups: Joint Planning and Design (shared with Environmental Affairs)

Working Groups: NextGen/Capacity; Terminal/Landside Management

Public Safety and Security Committee - Responsible for the development and oversight of ACI-NA policies and programs related to airport security, airport rescue and firefighting and emergency response. Committee members focus their efforts on national and international aviation security system design requirements, interfacing with regulatory agencies and other industry associations to develop regulations and policies, technological innovations and their application to airport safety and security, legislative recommendations, regulatory proposals and education of the industry and government. The committee is represented at the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Aviation Security Advisory Committee, Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network, National Fire Protection Association and International Civil Aviation Organization.

Small Airports Committee - Addresses the issues and concerns faced by smaller airports in North America with a special emphasis on the development of programs and policies to assist airports with limited resources.  Airport funding, regulatory flexibility, small business impacts and market development are some of the more regular topics on the Committee's agenda.

U.S. Government Affairs Committee -Serves as ACI-NA's policy-making body for federal government programs, legislation and regulations affecting airport operators. Through the committee, airport directors and government relations staff from small, medium and large airports meet and discuss a wide array of issues and concerns. The members develop consensus policy positions on federal legislative and regulatory matters for the ACI-NA's Board of Directors. The committee guides ACI-NA's government relations activities to represent and advocate the interests of U.S. airports before Congress and the Administration, particularly the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The committee works closely with federal inspection service agencies - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Naturalization, Agriculture and Public Health - to address problems and improve inspection procedures and staffing for air travelers at U.S. international airports.

ACI-NA Special Programs

ACI-NA Legislative Affairs -ACI-NA’s Legislative Affairs program amplifies the voice of airports on Capitol Hill.  ACI-NA's Government Affairs team represents airports in important matters of legislation and regulation and provides up-to-the-minute information on legislative action and other federal affairs that affect airports.

Center for Policy and Regulatory Affairs - The ACI-NA Center for Policy and Regulatory Affairs focuses on policy research and development to support airports’ policy initiatives and positions in Washington, D.C.  Among the items on the Center’s agenda for 2007 are FAA reauthorization, reform of the tax treatment of airport bonds and an analysis of the role Passenger Facility Charges play in funding airport capital development.

Legal Center - The ACI-NA Legal Center supports ACI-NA's involvement on behalf of airport members in activities related to litigation and the legal aspects of significant regulatory proceedings conducted by federal agencies.  Legal Center contributions are used primarily to retain outside counsel with specialized expertise to assist with the preparation of amicus curiae briefs and regulatory comments.  Contributions to the Legal Center received by ACI-NA in recent years have funded the preparation amicus briefs in cases related to airport rates and charges; First Amendment issues, car rental fees; and Airport Improvement Program Grant Assurance compliance cases.  In addition, contributions to the Legal Center have enabled ACI-NA to retain outside counsel to assist with preparation of regulatory comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission in a proceeding related to wireless communications and in the preparation of comments in environmental regulatory proceedings.

U.S. International Air Service Program - The U.S. International Air Service Program, which is funded by a special assessment on participating U.S. airports, promotes the interests of those airports with respect to international air service and airport proprietary rights in U.S. international agreements and relations.  The agreements help to determine international combination and all-cargo air services and foreign airline rights at U.S. airports.  The program staff keeps airports apprised of developments in U.S. international aviation and participates as members of U.S. delegations that negotiate the agreements. In addition, the program develops and advocates agreed positions on international aviation issues.

Back to  Top