Ilia Lioutov

Ilia Lioutov is Head of Economics and the Middle East Office at Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID), where he leads the organisation’s work on airport economics, infrastructure investment, economic regulation, financing, and public policy across some of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets.

An air transport economist by background, Ilia has extensive experience advising airports, governments, regulators, and industry stakeholders on capital investment, airport charges, economic regulation, PPP and privatisation frameworks, traffic and market development, and infrastructure funding. He currently leads ACI APAC & MID’s work on the region’s long-term airport CAPEX requirements and financing gap, including analysis of investment needs, funding sources, infrastructure delivery constraints, and the conditions required to mobilise private and institutional capital.

His recent work spans major aviation markets across the Middle East and Asia-Pacific combining policy analysis with practical airport-level advisory assignments. He also represents ACI in high-level industry and government discussions on infrastructure capacity, investment, regulation, and the economic sustainability of airports.

With a perspective spanning airport operators, regulators, investors, advisers, and policymakers, Ilia regularly moderates and contributes to senior-level discussions on how the aviation sector can translate rapidly growing demand into bankable, financially sustainable, and deliverable airport infrastructure.