Strong airport response to climate adaptation webinar, building study momentum

Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID), in collaboration with its World Business Partner, AECOM, successfully hosted a webinar on Climate Adaptation Approach for APAC & MID Airports. This is the first major milestone of the multi-phase initiative launched in February 2025 to help member airports build climate resilience. The study is now entering its full-scale implementation phase. 

Over 50 attendees representing 38 airport operators and aviation organisations—spanning Asia (23), the Pacific (10), the Middle East (15), and Europe (2)—joined the webinar, reflecting strong regional interest and a shared commitment to addressing climate challenges. The session featured an active exchange of ideas, questions, and insights, laying the groundwork for deeper collaboration moving forward.

Study Overview and Stakeholder Engagement Progress 

The Climate Adaptation Study is a service provided by ACI APAC & MID for its member airports, delivered through a three-phase ‘step-wise process’ with technical support from AECOM until early 2026. Cindy Variner of AECOM provided an overview of the study’s progress and emphasised the urgency of climate adaptation as well as the value of collaboration. 

Study Phases: 

Phase 1: Research and Guidance Development (Feb 2025 – Jun 2025) 

Phase 2: Implementation of Toolkits and Guidance (Jul 2025 – Dec 2025) 

Phase 3: Monitoring Dashboards and Reporting (Nov 2025 – Feb 2026) 

Since the launch, engagement has advanced through Task Force meetings and a Subject Matter Expert (SME) group involving over 50 airport operators. The User Needs Session held in April gathered input from 60 airports, highlighting varying levels of climate knowledge and maturity across the region. While initiatives to address climate risks are in progress, challenges around funding and sustained engagement persist.

The webinar provided a gimpse into the study’s preliminary outputs, including findings from the Research Report and previews of upcoming tools and guidelines. 

Research Report: Identifies how climate hazards impact different airport operations and emphasizes the need for diverse adaptation strategies. 

Climate Maturity Check Tool: A Tool to qualitatively assess your readiness to respond to climate-related physical risks.  

Climate Change Risk Assessment Guideline: A comprehensive guideline and set of instructions for completing an airport-led assessment. 

Climate Change Risk Assessment Tool: A Tool to conduct and record a climate risk assessment for your airport. 

Next Steps for Pilot Phase  

The study is now entering the pilot phase, which includes: 

• 2-stage piloting of guidance and tools (Climate Risk Maturity Check Tool and Climate Risk Assessment Tool with Guidelines) 
• Introductory workshops for each pilot phase 
• Additional support workshops during the Climate Risk Assessment Tool pilot 

Participating airports are expected to gain the following potential benefits: 

• Improved awareness and capacity to respond to climate risks 
• Complimentary access (for ACI APAC & MID members) to the climate maturity and risk assessment tools 
• Enhanced resilience for your airport and its customers 
• Sharing of findings to support regional analysis and stakeholder communication 

Interested airport members to participate in the Study, contact Ken Lau, Head, Sustainability, ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East.