Bongani Maseko, Chief executive of Airports Company South Africa, has been appointed to a two-year term as chair of the world governing board of Airports Council International (ACI), the trade representative of the world’s airports.

Maseko took up the position after being formally voted in by members at the recent ACI Africa / World General Assembly held in Mauritius.

He says he is honoured to take on the role of chair for ACI World. “The confidence that the ACI Assembly has placed in me speaks to the role of African airports in ensuring that they are competing with the best in the world in terms of best practice on airport development, management and operations.

“Aviation in Africa is slowly becoming a strong contributor to global economic growth as the tourism industry grows. The next 20 years will see the most growth in passenger numbers coming from Africa,” says Maseko.

More than qualified

Maseko, 49, has 24 years of experience in airport management having first joined the industry at San Francisco Airport. He has a degree in Aviation Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Airport Systems Planning and Design and Airport Ground Transportation Planning from the University of California.

He joined Airports Company South Africa in April 1999 and was Acting Managing Director from October 2011 until his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in 2013.

Prior to that, he was Group Executive of Airport Operations from September 2004. His earlier positions included three-and-a-half years leading O.R. Tambo International Airport as its General Manager.

A meaningful voice for airports everywhere

“I am honoured to work in collaboration with leading airport professionals on the World Governing Board so that that the voices of airports globally continue to contribute meaningfully. This will ensure that ACI continues to help our member airports perform well in terms of operational efficiency which ultimately contributes to the value chain, providing a smooth end-to-end process to a passenger’s experience.”

Established in 1991, ACI represents airports’ interests with governments and international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), develops standards, policies and practices for airports, and provides information and training opportunities to raise standards around the world.