Corporate Activity

Convergence International Airports Organisation (“CIAO”) took control of Coventry Airport (“CVT”) in January 2006, through a management contract. This was the first stage in a planned acquisition programme, envisaged to comprise the acquisition of a homogeneous grouping of regional airports in the next 5 to 8 years.

CIAO’s resources were initially focussed on the stabilisation and development of its business interests at Coventry, as well as a two year bid process for winning a DFID contract  for the design, build and 10 year operation of a new airport on the British protectorate of St Helena in the South Atlantic off the coast of West Africa. This was in conjunction with the Italian construction group Impregilo SA, and although the construction bid was secured by Impregilo the actual funding for construction by the UK government has been put on permanent hold.

Global aviation activities are still being forecast to double by 2030, despite the economic recession in 2009. However, with the growing awareness of global warming and the need to radically reduce carbon emissions by 2050, the need for technological and operational development at all levels has become paramount for the Sustainability of Aviation worldwide.

With this radical change in focus on airport and aircraft operations to Reduce Aviation Carbon Emissions by 2020 (“RACE 2020”), the ERRAF and CIAO team are well placed from direct experience in Airport Planning & Development, Airport Operations & Management, Aircraft Service & Operations and Complex Infrastructure Project Development, to play an active and significant role in RACE 2020, in Europe, USA and Africa. The challenges for European Airports to reduce their carbon emissions to neutral by 2012 and for all Air Carriers to operate under the ETS “Cap & Trade” scheme are immense.  Carbon trading will become a commercial necessity requiring a whole range of new management skills in which CIAO is looking to actively participate.