Riyadh – Mr. Manoj Kumar Ashokkumar of Bangalore International Airport Limited, operator of Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, has been adjudged as the ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East Young Executive Award 2024.

Mr. Manoj Kumar, Manager of Standards & Performance at BIAL, received this honor for his exceptional research paper titled "The Collaboration of Airport Stakeholders on Promoting Cyber-security Culture" at the ACI Aisa-Pacific & Middle East/ACI World Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In his award-winning paper, Mr. Manoj Kumar emphasised the urgent need for airports to invest in strong cyber-defenses to protect operational technologies from cyber-attacks. His research highlights the importance of implementing advanced cybersecurity measures within the airport community.

Mr. Stefano Baronci, Director General of ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, said “Congratulations to Mr. Manoj Kumar for his outstanding insights. In today's digitally connected world, cyber security is not just a priority but an imperative for airports. At ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, we are pleased to be playing a role in identifying industry's young talents through our Young Executive Award programme,” 

The panel of judges also awarded Honourable Mention to Mr. Do-hee Kim, Manager at Korea Airports Corporation. 

The jury panel included reputed industry leaders such as Mr. Hyeong Jung YOON, President and CEO of Korea Airports Corporation, Mr. Ronald Cheok Kuan KAN, Executive Director Macau International Airport Company Limited, Dr. Manjit SINGH, Deputy Regional Director ICAO Asia and Pacific (APAC) Office, Mr. Roni TIDHAR, Head of Cyber Security at the Israel Airports Authority, and Mr. Stefano BARONCI, Director General of ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East. 

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About ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID)

ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID) serves as the voice of 133 airport members, operating 624 airports across 47 countries/territories in Asia-Pacific and Middle East. ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East is head-quartered in Hong Kong and has a Middle East office in Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East represents the collective interests of airport members to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations. ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East's mission is to advocate for policies and provide services that strengthen its members’ ability to serve their passengers, employees and stakeholders.