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The Airports Council International Asia-Pacific and Middle East has outlined plans to accommodate surging air travel demand through both brownfield modernisation and greenfield developments while upholding commitments to climate action. According to the group’s data, passenger volumes across the Asia-Pacific are projected to climb to nearly 11 billion by 2053 from 3.9 billion in 2024, requiring coordinated efforts to optimise existing facilities and build new ones. ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East airports became the first segment of the industry to set a collective net zero carbon emissions target for 2050, a pledge that has since gained traction with more than 30 facilities in the region adopting the goal.
ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East figures show that 115 airports participating in the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, which handle nearly one-third of regional traffic, achieved a collective reduction of more than 529,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in the 2023-2024 cycle. The organisation presented updates on its Net Zero Roadmap and Green Airports Recognition initiatives during a recent ICAO meeting, detailing pathways for emissions assessment, mitigation investments and funding partnerships. In a perspective published on its website, the group stressed that these programmes equip airports to align operational growth with sustainability benchmarks established under global frameworks.
Stefano Baronci, director general of ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East, said airports in the region stand on the cusp of unprecedented growth with an annual rate approaching 7 percent over the coming 25 years. Baronci noted in the statement that optimising capacity on the ground and in the airspace remains essential to serve hundreds of millions of additional passengers efficiently. The director general added that collective action on shared challenges yields stronger results across the aviation ecosystem.
A survey cited by ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East places the required infrastructure investment at $240 billion between 2025 and 2035, split between $136 billion for upgrades that will add 680 million passenger slots and $104 billion for new airports delivering a further 562 million in capacity. This expansion is expected to generate 71 million tonnes of additional annual cargo capability, addressing both passenger and freight demand surges. The organisation has called on governments and stakeholders to facilitate timely funding and policy support to realise these projects without compromising environmental targets.
In May 2026 the group signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation to align airport and air traffic management capacity improvements, according to a joint announcement. The pact focuses on identifying misalignments, promoting tools such as collaborative decision-making and conducting studies to prepare the region’s infrastructure for future volumes. ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East data indicate the partnership builds on a resolution adopted in New Delhi the previous year that committed members to capacity optimisation both on the ground and in the skies.
Resolutions passed at the ACI World Assembly further reinforce the regional push by urging collaboration on system-wide capacity enhancements and accelerated decarbonisation through sustainable aviation fuel, new propulsion technologies and renewable energy infrastructure at airports. The group has maintained that unified global approaches, rather than fragmented measures, will best support the dual objectives of growth and emissions reduction. Participation in the Airport Carbon Accreditation has expanded steadily, with 645 facilities now certified worldwide and the Asia-Pacific and Middle East contributing a rising share.
