According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), passenger numbers are likely to surge in the next couple of decades. IATA expects 7.2 billion passenger to travel by air, a near doubling of today’s 3.8 billion level.

Development of airport infrastructure has lagged behind travel growth. Traffic on some major airports is already exceeding planned capacity.

The right airports can complement a great travel experience by making it easy to passengers to make their way through check-in, bag drop and security to their departure gate. The right airport also good opportunities to eat, shop and relax along the way.

That’s why the infrastructure surrounding the airport – the roads, parking spaces, walkways - and infrastructure underneath the airport, such as utilities and drainage are also important. They are often the first thing that passengers experience. On the other hand, passengers are faced with problems related to flight delays, long queues for take-off, circling of aircraft in stacks prior to landing, etc.

  The latest ISOfocus offers a forward-looking view of the air transport sector’s evolution, accounting for factors such as passenger growth, technology trends, development of new materials and, ultimately, highlighting the demand for standards. 

Geneva’s International Airport is the first airport in continental Europe and the second Swiss company to become certified to ISO 55001. Geneva’s airport team gave answers about what it really means to them, what are the benefits of the standard or improvements made possible by the standard.

A variety of interesting information about the future of the airports can be found in the latest issue of ISOfocus #120.