Airports Council International (ACI) is the only global trade representative of the world’s airport authorities. Established in 1991, ACI represents airports’ interests with governments and international organizations, develops standards, policies and recommended practices for airports, and it provides information and training opportunities to raise the standards around the world. It aims to provide the public a safe, secure, efficient and an environmentally responsible air transport system.
It is governed by the ACI Governing Board. ACI World is located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ACI works on a daily basis with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and is a member of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG).
In 2012, ACI member airports worldwide handled 5.7 billion arriving and departing passengers, 92.5 million metric tonnes of cargo and 79 million movements.
ACI reported 573 members operating 1751 airports in 174 countries and territories, representing over 95 percent of global airport traffic. ACI regular members are owners or operators, other than airlines, of one or more civil airports with commercial air services.
The ACI gives out the Airport Service Quality Awards (ASQ), based on passenger satisfaction ratings in the ASQ Survey, which is a global survey based on interviews with passengers on the day of travel. Along with the World Airport Awards by Skytrax, it is considered one of the most prestigious accolades in the industry.
The awards are given out in five categories: