President's Statement

We live in turbulent times. The COVID-19 pandemic is crushing air traffic in Asia and throughout the world. Aviation’s current demise will be extended by an associated global economic downturn as governments have shuttered many of their businesses to contain the virus.

A triple whammy of health, economic, and aviation crises — the simultaneous likes of which the world has never experienced — emptied airports and brought new investment in the economic zones around them to a near standstill. Yet, just as with SARS in 2003, the great recession of 2008–2009, and previous health and economic crises, resolutions of COVID-19 and the global economic downturn will occur with air passenger and cargo volumes springing back afterward to attain new historic heights. Consequently, commercial airports and their outlying economic zones, which together constitute the aerotropolis, will resume their 21st-century roles as leading business magnets and regional economic catalysts.

The Aerotropolis Institute China (AIC) is especially well positioned to assist in the revitalization and long-term success of airport economic zones. The AIC accomplishes this by

1) applying the practical knowledge its senior professional staff have gained from performing more than twenty strategic roadmaps and aerotropolis master plans in China and worldwide,

2) conducting applied research and case studies that help inform decisions by airport and airport economic zone executives resulting in greater financial returns to investors and more efficient, attractive, and sustainable development,

3) introducing education and training programs to help meet the technical skill and professional talent requirements of modern businesses and industries being recruited,

4) developing a branding and marketing strategy that appeals to investors globally, and

5) consulting with airport and airport economic zone executives on issues of immediate importance to them.

The AIC is headquartered in the dynamic Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone (ZAEZ) where we serve as its think tank and strategic adviser. Through regular interactions with ZAEZ leaders and other decision-makers, our professional staff gain the latest insights and practical knowledge on airport economic zone opportunities and challenges, much of which can be applied elsewhere.

In addition to pursuing practical applications advancing successful aerotropolis development, the AIC is committed to scientific research and scholarly publications that extend understanding of the roles of aviation and airports in today’s economy and strategies that will enhance their positive impacts on the people and places they serve.