The privatization of airports has become a marked worldwide trend—important to development of critical infrastructure and to provision of services to the users which are:

For these reasons, airport privatizations are among the most complex and politically controversial of all privatizations. This translates into their being time consuming and expensive.   Risks—should a concessionaire fail—are substantial.

With this background, we have organized a course which will provide the basics—based on actual familiarity and experience of the players with airports, privatizations and private sector management of airports.

Notwithstanding all of the challenges, the progress of airport privatization has accelerated in many areas of the world during the past three years. The largest concessions programs accomplished to date are in Australia and Argentina. South Africa, Mexico, Birmingham, Dusseldorf and Hanover—among others -- have selected strategic investors for their airports, and processes to do so are underway elsewhere. Other airports have successfully sold shares to the public, starting with the former British Airports Authority—now BAA plc—and including Vienna and Copenhagen.

International airport privatization is truly a rapidly evolving and fascinating business—one which is well worth studying.