The Airport Economics Survey 2009 drew a strong response this year with participation from 709 airports whose business represents approximately 3.4 billion passengers -- 70 percent of worldwide traffic in 2008. The report provides analytical commentary based on actual performance data provide and is an established and unique resource for the industry, focusing on airport revenue streams, costs, capital expenditure and employment.

Revenues
ACI estimates worldwide total airport income in 2008 reached USD 96 billion. Input concerning revenue streams is reported in two principal categories: aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues. Aeronautical revenue, defined as passenger and airline user charges, accounts for 54 percent of industry-wide income. The survey shows that charging on a ‘per passenger’ basis rather than on an ‘aircraft’ related basis is a growing trend in the industry. This shift has significant implications for airports, whose income and financial viability is increasingly reliant on passengers and non-aeronautical business activity in and around the airport. In the non-aeronautical category, retail is the largest contributor, closely followed by car parking and property management, with significant regional variations. Only 22 percent of total airport industry revenues were airline-related and not more than 4 percent of the total worldwide operating cost of scheduled airlines in 2008.

Operating expenses
Airports reported total operating expenses apportioned by line items (personnel, security, maintenance, energy/water, sales/marketing, insurance, and a catch-all ‘other’ category), which ACI compiled at a global level. Airports worldwide in 2008 incurred operating expenses in the amount of USD 55 billion, or 57 percent of revenues. The largest single expense item reported was staff cost, accounting for 38 percent of operating expenses. Security (excluding staff) incurs 11 percent of operating cost, slightly higher than maintenance cost. As observed with the revenue data, the ‘other’ category for cost data is equally diverse. The largest component is rental or concession fees to governments, but the category also includes key items such as administration, consulting, and legal costs.

Capital Expenditure
In light of the global economic recession, a number of projects at airports around the world have been delayed, staggered or put on hold, but the large majority of projects already underway continue as planned. Capital expenditure at airports worldwide remained stable in 2008 compared to 2007 at USD 39.5 billion slightly less than the USD 40.1 billion spent in 2007. For 2009, capital expenditure commitment is expected to rise by 6 percent to USD 42 billion. These figures do not include new (greenfield) airports, neither do they include capital investment in the Middle East and China. In light of the significant airport expansions and modernizations announced in these countries, ACI estimates that the total figure is likely to be USD 44 billion in 2008 and to reach 46 billion in 2009, down from last year’s surveys estimates made prior to the steep traffic declines in the first part of 2009.

Airport Employment
The survey reflects employment in the industry at the time of survey completion (2nd and 3rd quarters 2009). Two categories of staff employment data are reported: those directly employed by the airport (373,000 staff worldwide) and total staff employed on the airport site (3,975,000 employees). According to a study published by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) in 2008, the number of employees whose work is directly related airport activity but who work off-site is roughly equal to the number of on-site jobs, which means that today around 8 million jobs worldwide are dependent on airport activity.

Outlook
Aviation remains a growth industry, despite the lingering economic downturn. Barring a major setback in 2010, traffic is expected to rebound and may well exceed moderate predictions of +2 percent per annum next year. It is for this reason that ‘old’ issues of capacity and congestion will surface sooner rather than later and airport financial decisions reflect the lead time needed to plan for, develop and implement airport expansion projects. With passengers driving airport revenues, facilities must satisfy their expectations for efficient service in the future.