Training partners

By Paul Behnke

ACI’s decision to team up with ICAO to create the Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme (AMPAP) has redefined the training manual.

DR Assad Kotaire, long-time President of the ICAO Council, often referred to ACI, ICAO and IATA as being the “three pillars of aviation” and frequently stressed that all should work together for the good of the industry.

He said that the three interacted much like the elements of a theatre play, with ACI providing the stage and infrastructure for the performance where IATA are the actors and ICAO – the director of the play – set out the boundaries and the standards for a safe, secure, efficient and sustainable air transport system.

Kotaite recognized that over the last decade airports have looked increasingly to ACI World to provide the training that would help enhance the career skills of their managers, particularly in important new areas such as applying best commercial practices, growing non-aeronautical revenues, creating long-term strategic plans and evaluating financing options.

He also realized that with international air traffic growing rapidly, airport managers ideally needed a ‘world view’ to be effective in their jobs as well as an understanding of the inter-relationships inherent in the global air transport system.

ACI knew this too, of course, and this joint understanding of the challenger ahead led to dialogue on training beginning in 2006. The aim was for greater co-operation across a broad range of subjects and this desire led to the launch of the Airport management Professional Accreditation programme (AMPAP) in March 2007.

The organizations agreed that successful completion of a programme of six courses, four mandatory (three online) and two elective, within three years, would earn the candidate the International Airport Professional (IAP) designation.

Some 30 months after its launch, AMPAP stands out because it is truly a joint effort, filling a valuable need for ACI members. In fact the programme’s success is such that it has enhanced the reputation of both organizations, as well as resulting in the recognition of airport management as a unique and complex profession.

To date, more than 220 participants from 50 countries have undertaken AMPAP courses. Indeed, the programme has persevered through the industry-wide downturn and plans to expand in 2010 to offer the gateway Air Transport System (ATS) course 12 times yearly, roughly doubling the size.

AMPAP Programme Executive, Pierre Coutu, noted, “The programme is on target with business plan, but in some respects has exceeded expectations. For example, while candidates have three years to complete their coursework, we have already seen nearly 40 people earn their IAP accreditation, some in as short a time as one year! We didn’t envisage this happening, but it is a great advantage for ACI and ICAO to have so many IAPs so early in the programme. This not only enhances the prestige of the IAP, but it gives us a large pool of ‘ambassadors’ that will hopefully help recruit new candidates.” 

Participants demographics to date Candidates/graduates by airport size;                                                               Over 30 million pax;         23%  10 to 30 million pax:        18%   Under 10 million pax:     59%

Houston-Ellington Field airport manager and recent AMPAP graduate, Perry Miller, is a big fan of the training initiative. “The experience you gain in working with other people across the global in co-

coordinating activities is just phenomenal,” enthuses Miller. “I have formed relationship with people all over the world where I can pick up the phone and compare experiences. No other programme can top that!”