Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) Program

A prospective Executive Candidate must:

• be at least 21 years old;
• be an affiliate member of AAAE;
• have at least one consecutive year of full-time civil airport management* experience when applying;
• have either a four-year college degree or eight years of civil airport management* experience. Prospective candidates may substitute civil airport management experience on a two-years-for-one basis, i.e., with a total of eight years of experience substituting for a four-year college degree.

*AAAE's definition for airport management is broad and inclusive. Anyone with active responsibility for the management or administration of a public airport is eligible to apply for an Affiliate membership in AAAE. Aside from airport managers and directors of operations, an assistant to an airport manager is also eligible; so is anyone who works in another capacity but whose responsibilities are related to the day-to-day operations of an airport (excluding employees of concessions, vendors, consulting firms, and construction companies, those who are not on the payroll of a public airport).

The Accredited Airport Executive program is designed strictly for individuals actively working in public-use airports. However, if you are currently working in a public-use airport, and have, or are eligible for affiliate membership in AAAE, you may qualify for waiver of the one full year of full-time civil airport management experience requirement.  Please submit a copy of your DD-214 and military I.D. to the accreditation department at accreditation@aaae.org. We will review the documents and will respond via e-mail to let you know how to proceed.

Otherwise, if you are not currently working in an airport and / or do not meet the qualifications for affiliate membership, you can qualify for other levels of membership and join the Certified Member program instead.

In addition to yearly affiliate membership dues, the cost to join the Accreditation program is a one-time fee of $325.00. This fee includes registration, study materials (electronic format), and the examination fee (candidates who need to retake the exam will be assessed an additional $75.00 for each attempt). You can choose to purchase hard copies of study materials at an extra cost.

Applicants who are already Certified Members or who are candidates in the Certified Member program can pay an upgrade fee of $100 to enroll in the Accreditation program, provided that they meet the pre-requisites. It is not a requirement to complete the Certified Member program before upgrading as long as the pre-requisites for joining the Accreditation program are met. A current resume must be submitted with the program application.

No. Provided that you meet all criteria for joining the Accreditation program, you may transfer successful completion of your AAAE multiple-choice examination. The multiple-choice examinations are identical in both programs. Once the enrollment fee is paid, you need to complete only the writing requirement and final interview to receive your A.A.E. designation.

Once your application is approved, you will receive an official notification letter and access to the electronic study materials via e-mail within three to five business days.

No, there are no time limits, but there is an administrative fee of $100 if after five years you have not completed the program. The $100 fee will be applied for every year thereafter until you complete the accreditation process.  Should you cancel your program enrollment or AAAE membership, or fail to pay the $100 administrative fee and wish to resume your program studies at a later date, a $325 reinstatement fee will be imposed.

There are no specifics regarding how long it takes to complete the program as everyone's study habits and free time dictate how quickly one can complete the program. Other factors that impact the amount of time spent completing the program are: one's length of employment at a public-use airport (3 years is required before continuing to the final phase of the program), individual knowledge and expertise of aviation, whether or not they have a master's degree and also completion of the multiple-choice exam at the Loretta Scott, A.A.E. Accreditation/Certification Academy. Attending the Academy could help you earn the C.M. designation in one week if you successfully complete the exam. At that point, the candidate only has two remaining phases to complete, the writing and final interview.  At best, the program could be completed in one year if the candidate devotes the appropriate amount of time and focus and has the minimum amount of airport work experience required.

Yes, after you have passed the exam, AAAE will acknowledge you as a C.M. and will send you a certificate and lapel pin.

Newly Accredited Airport Executives will receive a special A.A.E. pin immediately after completing the final interview.  In addition, new A.A.E.s will receive an engraved plaque, a golf shirt, and a complimentary meeting voucher good for any AAAE meeting, training course or workshop, as well as recognition among other AAAE members through media-related announcements and releases.

Also, new A.A.E.s are eligible for exclusive benefits such as voting privileges on AAAE matters, scholarships, and opportunities to serve on the various committees within AAAE.

Once you have earned the A.A.E. designation, it is yours to keep, provided that you:

1. Maintain your executive membership in AAAE
2. Stay employed in full-time public airport management
3. Accrue 55 Continuing Education Units within a three-year cycle

If these qualifications are not met, you will become an Inactive A.A.E. As such, you will lose both your voting rights in AAAE and other A.A.E privileges. If you are inactive for less than three (3) years, you will need to provide proof of earning 55 CEUs before you are reinstated as an active A.A.E. If you are inactive for more than three (3) years, you will need to retake and pass the written exam AND provide proof of earning 55 CEUs, before you are reinstated as an active A.A.E. For more information on CEU requirements, please see the CEU FAQ.

Multiple-Choice Exam:
AAAE and the South Central Chapter AAAE provide the opportunity for candidates to complete the program in a classroom environment at the Loretta Scott, A.A.E., Accreditation/Certification Academy. This week-long review course is held several times a year, with attendees completing the exam on the final day. After successful completion of the exam, candidates receive the C.M. designation.

Writing Requirement:
We offer an on-demand Accreditation Paper Writing Webinar to assist candidates with this phase of the program. Once you have registered to gain access to the recorded webinar, please contact the Accreditation Department to gain access to the recording.

Final Interview:
To assist candidates in completing the final interview, in partnership with the Southwest Chapter of AAAE, we offer the Accreditation Final Interview Workshop.

We offer an on-demand Accreditation Paper Writing Webinar for $95. Once registered, please contact the Accreditation Department to access the recording.

For the management research paper:
Your topic should be an expression of your professional and personal interest. Recognize that many topics are too narrow to be developed into a management paper. It's important that your paper be relevant and valuable to other airport managers; given this criterion, your subject should not be a description of a unique activity, incident, or process at your airport. Rather, in a management research paper, you propose a set of guidelines for managing a problem or sets forth an argument for implementing a project or using a methodology. Focusing on a topic that is broadly applicable to many airports, you bring your experience and research findings to bear on your analysis. Both the examples cited and the research data (including personal interviews and surveys) that are used to support your analysis come from more than a few sources.

For the case study:
The topic should be an expression of the candidate’s professional and personal interests. It is important to remember that a workable topic on airport management should be neither too broad nor too narrow. It is not just a description of an activity, incident, or process at the candidate’s airport that has little relative value for other airport managers. A good topic lends itself to a focused analysis that can be used by virtually anyone interested in airport management. Furthermore, a case study is not merely a project summary; it demonstrates lessons learned and provides insight to readers about a project or event at the candidate's airport or within their airport system.

Visit the AAAE library to view Management Papers/Case Studies from other candidates. View a listing of possible paper topics.

All candidates are required to send the topic along with 2-3 sentences describing the intent and direction of the paper to accreditation@aaae.org. Once the topic is approved, the candidate can then submit the paragraph outline. The outline must include a stated objective for the paper or case study, as well as a short description of each section and subsection. For your reference, further guidelines for the Management Research Paper and Case Study can be found in the Accreditation Program Guide. Your topic and outline will be assessed by an editor and, if necessary, be returned to you with suggested revisions. Please allow at least three weeks to receive your assessment.

Please note that, if you do not develop an approved outline into the first draft of your paper within a year of the outline's approval, the topic and outline may need to be re-validated by the accreditation department.

Since different candidates may have different perspectives on a particular topic, AAAE allows four to six management papers or case studies on the same topic. However, if it is determined that a particular subject has been thoroughly explored and cannot be effectively investigated further, you will be required to choose a new topic.

All papers and case studies are required to be written in APA style. They must be between 20 and 30 pages double-spaced excluding cover sheets, tables of contents, notes, bibliography, exhibits, and appendices, and formatted for 8.5 x 11 inch paper using a 12-point Times New Roman font. The final draft must be saved as a Word document with all necessary information (cover page, bibliography, etc.) contained in one file. The Accreditation Program Guide contains guidelines on formatting. Be sure to consult this guide before submitting the first draft of your paper.

Yes, but you must be the sole author, and your paper or case study must conform to the formatting guidelines as well as meet all the standards set by the Board of Examiners; the subject matter and the data must be up to date, and you must retain rights to republish the work if it has been published.

Please send first outlines and drafts of your paper or case study to accreditation@aaae.org.

For the management research paper, papers are evaluated on three basic criteria:

• Topic:  Topic is related to the airport management field, broadly applicable, and important to professional airport management.

• Depth:  Discusses the topic and sources' general applicability. The facts of the paper are relevant, accurate, and correct.

• Quality:  An excellent, well-organized essay that presents a focused, coherent, and convincing interpretation of ideas.

For the case study, case studies are evaluated on three basic criteria:

• Topic:  The topic is both related to and important to the airport management field.

• Depth:  An effective case study is an in-depth analysis of a situation or a unique solution to a problem or a project undertaken at a specific airport. The information and data presented are both relevant and accurate. The insights gained from the study contribute to knowledge about airport management.

• Quality:  An effective case study is well organized, focused, cohesive, clear, and free from major errors in grammar, punctuation, and usage.

Your paper will first go through a round of reviews with an editor before being submitted to the BOE. This can be a lengthy process depending on how many rounds of editing the paper goes through. AAAE will notify you via e-mail if your paper has been approved, within 8 weeks of it being submitted to the Board of Examiners for formal review.

Unsuccessful papers are returned to the candidate with comments and suggestions for revising the paper. After the revision, the paper can then be resubmitted.

Browse previously submitted papers and case studies at AAAE's library. Note that not all papers are available online. However, all available titles are listed, and you may use the search function to see if your topic has been heavily covered and to download a PDF version to view or request from AAAE.

Your paper or case study will enter AAAE's library, one of the few authoritative sources in the country with information on airport management. Here, your paper is available as a resource to airport managers worldwide.

Please refer to the  Accreditation Program Guide prior to selecting the proctored essay option to fulfill your accreditation writing requirement.

The policy guidelines are as follows:

1. A minimum of two weeks' notice is required for all exams. Candidates can schedule their exams here. A computer with a webcam, internal microphone, and internet connection is required for all exams. Review the exam instructions and guidelines prior to scheduling an exam.

2. Access to the Internet via a laptop or PC is required. You will be permitted to consult reference materials and access the Internet during the exam.

3. You will be required to answer two industry-related questions in essay form within a four-hour time limit. Upon gaining access to the proctored essay site, you will be prompted to select two topics relative to airport management. One question per topic will be automatically generated based on your selections. You will be expected to address each of the questions from the standpoint that you are the Executive Director of an airport, and that the response is an executive level memo or report to be provided to a board, council or other legislative body.  A minimum of 600 words is required for each.
   
   The topics include:

   • Finance and Administration

   • Operations, Security and Maintenance

   • Planning, Construction and Environmental

   • Communications and Community Relations

If you fail to answer both questions correctly, you may retake the essay exam in full after a 30-day waiting period. There is no limit to the number of times you can retake the essay exam; however, there is a $75 retake fee.

This exam has been developed exclusively for senior level airport executives with more than 10 years of full-time public use airport experience or senior level airport officials working in a top three level position (i.e. Executive Director, CEO, COO, CFO, Deputy Director, Assistant Aviation Director, etc.) within their organization. Please refer to the AAAE Accreditation Program Guide prior to selecting the proctored executive memo option to fulfill your accreditation writing requirement.

The policy guidelines are as follows:

1. Submit your request to the Accreditation Department to take the proctored executive memo and provide verification of eligibility, which could include candidate resume and airport/authority org chart.

2. A minimum of two weeks' notice is required for all exams. Candidates can schedule their exams here. A computer with a webcam, internal microphone, and internet connection is required for all exams. Review the exam instructions and guidelines prior to scheduling an exam.

3. Access to the Internet via a laptop or PC is required. You will NOT be permitted to consult reference materials or the Internet during the exam.

4. You will be required to respond to one industry-related situation in memo form within a two-hour time limit. Upon gaining access to the proctored essay site, you will be prompted to select one topic relative to airport management. The question will then be automatically generated based on your selection. You will be expected to address the question from the standpoint that you are the Executive Director of an airport, and that the response is an executive level memo to be provided to a board, council or other legislative body. 

   
   The topics include:

   • Finance and Administration

   • Operations, Security and Maintenance

   • Planning, Construction, and Environmental

   • Communications and Community Relations

If you fail the proctored executive memo, you may attempt it again after a 30-day waiting period. There is no limit to the number of times you can retake the exam; however, there is a $75 retake fee.

The proctored essay will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Organization:  An effective essay response has a clear beginning-middle-end structure and the discussion flows smoothly from one point to the next.
• Quality:  In an effective essay response, the sentences are clear, concise, coherent, and free from errors in grammar, punctuation and usage.
• Depth:  An effective essay correctly responds to the question and supports generalizations with ample and accurate details, examples, or facts.

All responses must meet the above criteria in order for the candidate to successfully complete the proctored essay and executive memo. 

As a guideline to what makes a good essay response, the Board of Examiners has provided the information below.

Every essay question must contain four (4) essential elements:

• The response should provide an opening statement (thesis) which captures the main argument for the answer. It must be clear and coherent, and should provide a solid introduction to the overall answer.
• The essay response must offer supporting evidence. The candidate must provide the supporting evidence in paragraph (not bullet or list) form. Each paragraph must contain evidence supporting one idea or concept which proves the thesis statement. The writer must provide citations (in footnote, endnote, or in parenthetical form) for all evidence presented. Plagiarism is unacceptable and is grounds for failing the exam. 
• Every essay must follow basic rules of format and grammar. Every essay must contain a beginning, a middle (several supporting paragraphs that comprise the body of the essay), and an end (concluding paragraph). Grammar is vital for essay composition. Sentence fragments, misspellings, and improper punctuation denote a carelessly-written and poorly-conceived answer.
• The essay must address all elements of the question. The recommended format is that of a formal report written in the third person for the benefit of a governing body, supervisor, or senior management as appropriate. There is no need to preface the answer or state assumptions. Unless otherwise stated, the response should represent a medium hub airport director’s response.

If you have earned an advanced degree (master's and above) from an accredited university, you should request the university to send your transcript of records to:

Attn: Accreditation Department
The Barclay Building
601 Madison Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

You will receive official notification via e-mail after your transcript has been verified.

• APASTYLE.ORG
• Purdue Owl: APA Formatting Style Guide
• Indispensable Writing Resources
• Encyclopaedia Britannica

In addition to successfully completing the multiple-choice exam and the writing requirement, candidates are required to complete an oral interview with a panel of executive members (A.A.E.s) to receive an A.A.E. designation. The final interview is the third and final step of the accreditation process. Candidates must have accrued at least three years of full-time public airport management experience before sitting for this interview. The interview is designed to test a candidate's knowledge in four main areas of airport management:

• Administration and Finance
• Operations and Maintenance
• Planning, Construction, and Environmental
• Communications and Community Relations 

After you have successfully completed the multiple-choice examination and the writing requirement, you will be referred to your regional examiner to begin the final interview process. You must have three years of direct airport employment before sitting for your interview. When you and your regional examiner feel that you are prepared, he or she will arrange the time and location with you. Be advised that you should give yourself at least 90 days to study and prepare for the Final Interview.

Your regional examiner is responsible for assembling the panel of interviewers, and may chair the session personally (although this is not required). The panel will include at least three Accredited Airport Executive members (A.A.E.s) who have completed special training to enable them to perform this role.

With a valid reason, you have the right to object to the selection of one panelist. This formal request must be made to the regional examiner at the time the panelists' names are disclosed.

The average length of the final interview is two hours. However, if it becomes evident to the the panelists that the candidate is not well prepared, they will immediately terminate the interview.

The venue is usually selected by the regional examiner on the basis of what is most convenient to the panelists. Candidates may request to sit for the Final Interview at a chapter conference. The Final Interview is also offered at the Annual AAAE Conference & Exposition and the F. Russell Hoyt National Airports Conference (NAC).

The format of the final interview is similar to that of a high-level job interview.  Be prepared to frame your answers as if you are the Executive Director at a commercial service airport with a group of panelists asking questions from the four subject matter areas in a round-robin way and assessing your practical knowledge.

You should be familiar with all types of airport reference materials, including but not limited to, AAAE's C.M. Body of Knowledge Modules, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, FAA Advisory Circulars, ACRP Reports, Airport Master Plans, etc. Your AAAE Accreditation Program Guide contains a detailed planning guide, and your regional examiner, or another qualified Executive member, will provide mentoring sessions to assist you in preparing for the Final Interview.

You will receive your assessment immediately upon the interview's completion. The panel will terminate the interview if it becomes evident that you are not sufficiently prepared for this final phase of the accreditation process.

If you fail all or part of the final interview, you must retake it to successfully complete the accreditation program and earn the A.A.E. designation. In general, candidates are required to retake only those parts of the final interview which they failed or have not taken.  Candidates have two years from the original date of the interview date to retest on the parts they failed and or did not take.  If the candidate does not complete the parts of the interview within two years, the candidate will be responsible to retest on the entire interview.

Continuing Education programs are a common feature of many professional accreditation programs. It means that as an Accredited Airport Executive, you are constantly sharpening your skills and keeping up with changes in the industry. A robust CEU program ensures that your A.A.E. designation is respected and meaningful. That's why an overwhelming majority of executive members supported its creation on January 1, 1998.

AAAE's CEU program is not administered on a yearly basis. Instead, you are required to accumulate 55 CEU credits over a three-year period, continually, as long as you wish to retain your A.A.E. status. For those accredited before January 1, 1998, cycles will begin January 1, 1998, and every three years thereafter. For those accredited after December 31, 1997, each cycle ends three years from the date of accreditation.

A wide variety of activities qualify for CEU credits:

• A.A.E. Candidate Mentorship - Members will receive 12 credits for each candidate they officially mentor through the final interview process. Learn more about becoming a mentor.
• AAAE Meetings and Seminars - Executive members receive one CEU credit for each hour, and a maximum of six credits for each day they attend business sessions at the AAAE Annual Conference or other AAAE seminars and workshops. These CEUs do not need to be self-reported. They will be applied automatically by AAAE 60-90 days following the meeting.
• AAAE ACE Certification - Members will receive 12 credits when achieving any AAAE ACE certification via self-study.
• Other Industry Meetings and Seminars - Members will accrue CEU credits by attending instructional seminars and meetings presented by state AAAE chapters, state airport managers' associations, the Federal Aviation Administration, Airports Council International, the National Association of State Aviation Officials, or other appropriate aviation-related organizations. The rate of accrual is the same as it is for AAAE-sponsored events (above).
• AAAE Webinars - Members will receive one CEU credit for participating in any AAAE Webinar. These CEUs do not need to be self-reported. They will be applied automatically by AAAE 60-90 days following the webinar.
• Local Management Courses - When attending a local instructional management seminar or meeting, members will earn CEU credits at the rate of one per hour. This includes events presented by the American Management Association and American Marketing Association, computer classes, local organization seminars, and flight training.
• On-site Airport Training - On-site training, and other instruction provided by the local airport, is eligible for CEU credits. In lieu of registration documents, please obtain a memo from the airport director confirming that the training meets CEU standards. One hour of instructional time earns one credit.
• College Courses - Full semester college courses which are relevant to your profession and duties are worth 30 credits per course. Accredited members also receive 30 credits for teaching a college course.
• Credits for Other CEU Programs - Members may apply attendance at aviation-related meetings for other applicable CEU programs (such as CPA or PE designations) to the AAAE CEU program, in the same manner as any other seminar or conference.
• Major Conference Presentations - Accredited members who make a presentation at a conference requiring significant advance preparation will receive six credits. A copy of the meeting program and presentation must be retained for audit purposes.
• AAAE Leadership - Members serving as chairman or vice chairman of a standing AAAE committee earn six credits per year of service. Members of the AAAE Board of Examiners earn 12 credits per year. Each panelist serving on a Final Interview panel receives one CEU for each hour of the Final Interview with a maximum of three CEU's for each Final Interview conducted. Members of the AAAE Board of Directors (including chapter presidents) receive 12 credits per year. Mentors for executive candidates receive 12 credits per candidate mentored, which will be submitted by the Board of Examiners.
• ANTN Tapes - Members may view Airport News and Training Network (ANTN) program tapes to earn CEU credits, at the rate of one CEU per hour of viewing.

AAAE automatically enters CEU credits for all AAAE nationally sponsored events. Members are responsible for submitting CEU credits for qualifying activities not sponsored by AAAE through their AAAE online profile under the CEU tab. We also recommend keeping a personal tally of accumulated CEUs as a backup against errors. Members are required to retain documentation supporting non-sponsored CEU activities for five years.

You can view all of your accumulated CEU credits in your online AAAE profile. First log into aaae.org. Then go to "My Account" your account. Then click on the "CEU" tab. Any CEUs that you have earned up to this point should be reflected on this page. If you do not see credits that feel you have earned, please submit them online by using the Self Submitted CEUs tool. Please do not enter CEUs for AAAE National Meetings. Those will be recorded for you. The best way to retain this information is to document your CEU activities carefully.

No. Your CEU totals are reset to zero at the beginning of each three-year cycle.

You will be reclassified as an inactive member, and you will be unable to vote on AAAE matters. When you have accrued the necessary credits, you will be returned to active status. The Board of Examiners, which has final authority, may require chronically inactive members to retake the written examination.

As an accredited member, you are required to sign an annual compliance ethics statement, informing you of the rules of the honor system. For AAAE-sponsored events, your CEU totals are automatically updated in our system. Accredited members attending non-AAAE events must report their credits under the honor system. AAAE audits 5% of the accredited membership annually, although you must retain supporting documentation for five years.

Please contact the accreditation department, at accreditation@aaae.org.