ACI APAC & MID DG Stefano Baronci addresses investments and priorities at Taoyuan Airport Forum 2026

Asia-Pacific’s aviation future will depend not only on how fast the region grows, but on how it invests today.

With passenger traffic across the region projected to reach 10 billion by 2056, the scale of the opportunity is enormous. But sustaining this growth will require airports to plan ahead and invest in the infrastructure needed for the future.

At the Taoyuan Airport Forum 2026 in Chinese Taipei, our Director General, Stefano Baronci, delivered a keynote address highlighting the investments and priorities that will be critical to the region’s aviation future.

The DG emphasised that preparing for growth goes well beyond building new terminals.

In Chinese Taipei, passenger traffic is projected to rise from 59.2 million in 2026 to 75.4 million by 2036, just as East Asia’s airport capacity approaches saturation. Meeting this surge will require unprecedented, multi-billion-dollar infrastructure investment over the coming decade.

Stefano highlighted four priorities for Chinese Taipei’s aviation ecosystem:

• Plan ahead for passenger growth through long-term infrastructure planning.
• Strengthen global connectivity and Taoyuan’s position as a leading aviation gateway.
• Prepare for future capacity needs through timely investment and development.
• Invest across the wider airport ecosystem, including airfield capacity, cargo, logistics, utilities and landside access.

As the DG highlighted, the investments made today will secure the long-term competitiveness of our airports.