A report by Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) claims that US airports are planning to invest approximately US$75.7bn in infrastructure by 2019 in order to handle the growing number of passengers and cargo.
Airport Capital Development Needs: 2015-2019 details a comprehensive list of airport infrastructure projects, including those not eligible for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funding. In the report, ACI-NA estimates that US airports have a collective funding need of US$75.7bn over the next five years, or US$15.1bn per year, to successfully complete these projects. Commercial airports account for 82% of the projects and non-commercial airports account for the other 18%.
Kevin M Burke, president and CEO of ACI-NA, said, “The clear takeaway from our latest survey on airport infrastructure needs is that the US must move beyond the status quo and comprehensively modernize how we make these essential investments. As the US economy continues to gain strength and air travel rebounds, we must guarantee to passengers and cargo shippers that we can continue to meet increases in demand with safe, secure, and efficient facilities that keep pace with our global competition.
“Across all hub sizes, airports have planned projects essential to respond to increasing demand, airline hub consolidation, and fulfilling federal mandates and passenger expectations. Modernizing the passenger facility charge (PFC) and strengthening AIP will allow airports to successfully address these infrastructure challenges in a timely, cost-effective manner that benefits the whole of the aviation industry.”