Press Release

For Immediate Release
16 August 2007

ACTE “Vantage Point” Presentations To Show Airport Congestion Impact on Travel Budgets

Alexandria, VA -- As part of the Association of Corporate Travel Executive’s (ACTE) Asia-Pacific Education Conference, being held in Singapore from August 22-23, 2007, Two sessions called “Vantage Points” will focus on the impact of airport congestion on business travel. Each will identify various aspects of how congestion translates into additional costs, and include strategies enabling travel managers to form contingency plans.

“Airport infrastructure, airline growth, and support services are growing at rates different to each other, and slower than demand,” said ACTE’s Executive Director Susan Gurley. “Consequently, the potential for delays and cancellations increases exponentially. These ‘Vantage Point Sessions’ will provide an industry snapshot of the overall situation, with insight for minimizing congestion’s impact.”

As a result of increased tourism, business and shipping, the demand for air transport worldwide is increasing at a higher rate than the entire system can cope with. Demand for air travel is expected to double by 2010, for air cargo by 2007. Airplanes are being purchased and flight routes added, despite the lack of investment in air traffic control equipment, terminals, runways, and ground transport. The end result is inefficiency, congestion, and delay.

Productivity of travel, along with the cost, is reviewed in the context of "down time" of the executive stuck at airports. The increase time taken by travelers to get through airports has been attributed to heightened security measures, archaic immigration procedures, lagging ground infrastructure that keep aircraft from disembarking passengers, and other impediments which business travelers are forced to endure.

The first Vantage Point session conducted by Associate Professor Anthony Chin, Department of Economics - National University of Singapore is titled, “Air Travel, Airport Innovation and Business Travel: Impact on Cost and Productivity.” It will set definite cost parameters due to congestion.

Mayur Patel, Manager, Passenger Services, International Air Transport Association, will present “Airport Congestion,” and cite:

• The most congested cities and reasons for its occurrence in Asia-Pacific
• Costs incurred by main stakeholders
• Different initiatives to alleviate the situation

The “Vantage Point” presentation method is the newest development in ACTE’s educational programming. Each ‘Vantage Point’ represents a highly concentrated industry snapshot, followed by recommendations, a prediction, or a call to action.


For more information, contact:
Debbie Flynn
CEO
Brighter Group
The Pod, London's Vertical Gateway
Bridges Wharf, Battersea
London SW11 3BE England
T: 020 7326 9880
F: 020 7326 9890
E: [email protected]
W: www.brightergroup.com