Armando Brunini, Europe president of Airports Council International and CEO of SEA Milan Airports, has called for the European Union to develop its own fully integrated testing and certification system for aviation security equipment. He was addressing officials from EU institutions and member states along with key industry partners and stakeholders at the annual ACI Europe New Year reception on January 28, 2025.
Brunini said that such a system would “allow the EU to keep pace with and support the development and deployment of critical security technology — and should be part of the EU’s strategic autonomy agenda”. He referred to the reintroduction in September 2024 of restrictions to the carriage of liquids and gels, which he said has affected the industry’s trust in the current testing and certification system.
Beyond this specific issue, Brunini also called for more EU support for security capacity building and financing for strategic infrastructure like airports.
Brunini also urged policymakers to adopt bold, forward‑thinking approaches to secure the competitive and sustainable future of European aviation. “The new era demands courage, vision and unity from all of us, including our policymakers and regulators. We cannot face these unprecedented challenges with yesterday’s textbooks. This is particularly true for aviation.” He also spoke about decarbonization and made the case for a long overdue reform of airport slots rules.
In December, ACI and Eurocontrol released guidance on mitigating climate change impacts on aviation. Read more about it here.