20 Dec 2025

2025 AMAC Advocacy Actions: Protecting Access and Advancing Opportunity

As we reflect on 2025, AMAC advanced a robust advocacy agenda to strengthen opportunities for minority and women-owned small businesses and ensure fair implementation of federal regulatory programs. This year marked a significant policy win with the preservation of the FAR Part 19 “Rule of Two,” a critical federal contracting safeguard that ensures small and disadvantaged businesses remain competitive and visible in procurement opportunities. This outcome reinforced AMAC’s long-standing commitment to protecting access and leveling the playing field for our … Read More
12 Dec 2025

Soaring Success: How to Do Business at the Airport Without Owning a Store 

On Friday, December 5, 2025, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago and the AMAC Chicago Chapter hosted an insightful Mix & Mingle event focused on a compelling question for small businesses: How can you do business at the airport without owning a traditional store? This dynamic discussion offered actionable strategies for entrepreneurs looking to tap into the high-traffic, customer base of airport retail. Key Takeaways from the Experts The event featured a fantastic lineup … Read More

12 Dec 2025

URW Airports is Now ASUR Airports!

From ASUR Airports: We’re excited to announce that the sale of URW Airports is now complete. Our team remains the same, and we are officially ASUR Airports. We will continue to leverage our experienced local leadership to deliver exceptional projects. ASUR is a leading international airport operator with a portfolio of concessions to operate, maintain, and develop 16 airports in the Americas, including Cancún International Airport. Founded in 1998, ASUR is listed on both the Mexican Bolsa (ASUR) and the … Read More
21 Nov 2025

AMAC FAQs (Round 3) — USDOT DBE & ACDBE Program Interim Final Rule

We published additional questions and answers (Round 3 FAQs) for the USDOT DBE/ACDBE Program IFR, based on submissions received from Airport Representatives and DBE/ACDBE Certifying Bodies during the AMAC Webinar, “Reviewing Personal Narratives for DBE/ACDBE Certifications,” held on October 30, 2025. These resources are available in the AMAC Member Resource Library. To access the AMAC Member Resource Library, log in to your AMAC Member Profile. If you need assistance logging in, please contact us at info@amac-org.com.   AMAC FAQs Question … Read More

31 Oct 2025

AMAC FAQs (Round 2) — USDOT DBE & ACDBE Program Interim Final Rule

We published additional questions and answers (Round 2 FAQs) for the USDOT DBE/ACDBE Program IFR, based on submissions received from members during the AMAC Members-Only Webinar, “Maintaining and Expanding DBE/ACDBE Certifications,” held on October 7, 2025. These resources are available in the AMAC Member Resource Library. To access the AMAC Member Resource Library, log in to your AMAC Member Profile. If you need assistance logging in, please contact us at info@amac-org.com.   AMAC FAQs Question Submission: USDOT DBE & ACDBE … Read More

3 Oct 2025

AMAC Statement on the USDOT DBE & ACDBE Program Interim Final Rule

Statement   “The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Interim Final Rule (IFR) marks the most significant change to the DBE and ACDBE programs in more than four decades. These programs have long served as a gateway for minority- and women-owned businesses to access airport opportunities. The removal of the rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage based on race and gender fundamentally alters how certification is determined. This is a pivotal moment. Despite the challenges embedded in the IFR, the DBE and ACDBE … Read More
3 Oct 2025

AMAC FAQs — USDOT DBE & ACDBE Program Interim Final Rule

On September 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that fundamentally changes the operation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) programs. This IFR was published in the Federal Register and became effective October 3, 2025. For more than four decades, the DBE and subsequently, the ACDBE programs have been a gateway for minority- and women-owned firms to access airport opportunities. The programs include a rebuttable presumption … Read More
3 Oct 2025

Archives: AMAC Connections Newsletters

2026 January 2026 – Coming Soon 2025 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 May–August 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January & February 2025 2024 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024
2 Oct 2025

Meet The Man Who Leads The World’s Busiest Airport: Ricky Smith (AMAC Board Chair & ATL Airport GM)

Ricky Smith, Chair of the AMAC Board of Directors and General Manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, joins ForbesBLK Senior Writer Jabari Young on The Enterprise Zone at the Nasdaq MarketSite. During the discussion, Smith outlines the business behind the airport; its $66.7 billion economic impact, growing up in Baltimore before rising to CEO and future careers in aviation.    

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AMAC is accepting applications from partners to host one of the eight (8) first-round Runway to Success Supplier Pitch Competitions.

Hosting a first-round competition is critical to the overall Runway to Success Supplier Competition. Each host site serves as a gateway for local and regional entrepreneurs, small businesses and ACDBEs to access AMAC’s national platform and connect to contracting and partnership opportunities.