Outlook 2024: Airports spotlight – a few deals late in the day in 2023 offer some hope 3/3

The airports business is in a better position than it was this time in 2022, but 'headwinds' remain, and the Black Swans that habitually inflict misery on the entire industry have not hibernated yet.

In this final section of a three-part summary of 2023 and Outlook for 2024 for the sector the current state of play in airport deals is considered. They are still well below the levels experienced before the pandemic, but several deals late in the day in 2023 offer some hope for a resurgence in 2024.

The light at the end of the tunnel continues to be infrastructure-specific public-private partnership deals, which are becoming common in the US, where there is hardly any other form of private sector involvement in the airport business, and they are becoming more common and sought-after elsewhere.

Green finance options are expected to proliferate, along with carbon accreditation schemes, as pressure groups increase their influence in the industry. A raft of environmental policies is suggested to 'future proof' the airport.

It is suggested that air and rail travel modes should be co-operating with each other wherever possible.

Other subjects touched upon include the implementation of AI in the sector, catering for changes in typical aircraft sizes and the possible return of supersonic services, the handling of eVTOL functions at the airport, relaxation of security procedures and how they need to be hastened, and collaboration agreements between airports.

The section, and the report, concludes by reminding airport managers that they cannot afford to be caught off guard again by another pandemic.