Significant Changes in the IATA Airport Development Reference Manual

Summary

The 12th edition of the Airport Development Reference Manual (ADRM) reflects global collaboration among airport architects, planners, and operators. It updates guidance on airport planning and design, with an emphasis on sustainability, capacity, pandemic resilience, accessibility, construction delivery, and operations.

Main updates

• Environmental sustainability: A new dedicated chapter sets out practices and recommendations to help airports design infrastructure in line with current and future environmental objectives.
• Peak-hour planning and forecasting: Following research and data analysis, the manual revises its recommended definition for selecting the peak hour. It also expands guidance on forecasting future peak demand, developing robust design-day flight schedules, and using an alternative methodology for capacity calculations.
• Pandemic impacts and resilience: The manual discusses how COVID-19 continues to affect airport planning, including traffic forecasting, master planning, terminal capacity, and level of service. A new section on pandemic resilience and healthy buildings is intended to help airports prepare for future pandemics.
• Accessibility and universal design: A rewritten section explains how universal design can support airports that are usable by all passengers, including people with disabilities, without requiring later adaptations.
• Construction delivery: Expanded guidance addresses the important but often overlooked task of planning for an efficient, smooth construction delivery phase.
• Concept of operations: A new section helps planners define the outcomes a facility should achieve and how to achieve them. It also covers irregular operations and how to determine what is needed for airport resilience.

Speakers and sources

• Narrator: An unnamed presenter speaking on behalf of IATA.
• Other featured speakers: None identifiable in the subtitles.