Issue 2 2007

Latin America’s aviation landscape

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Alxandre de Guten, Executive Director, ALTA (the Latin American Air Transport Association)

Despite overcoming and continuing to face numerous challenges, there are many opportunities on the horizon of the Latin America and Caribbean aviation landscape. From facilitating the development, safety and security of air transportation throughout the region, to ensuring better communication and collaboration among its members, their customers and the industry as a whole, ALTA (the Latin American Air Transport Association) continues assisting its membership in making great strides in the advancement of the region’s air transportation efforts.

ALTA has had several key accomplishments over the past three years. In addition to expanding its support base from 17 to 33 member airlines, ALTA reinforced its commitment to the highest standards of safety. In 2005, the association announced that all member airlines would be required to commit to an IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) by the end of 2006 and to have successfully completed the audit by the end of 2007. This initiative is progressing well and the IOSA mandate continues to be an integral part of ALTA’s membership requirements, and is key to the association’s efforts in working together with the airlines in providing the safest possible Latin America and Caribbean airline industry. Another milestone was achieved last year when ALTA’s campaign to create opportunities for member airline efficiencies surpassed $50 million in savings to member airlines in various operational areas such as fuel, airports, distribution and operations. (more…)

Tagged with: ALTA (the Latin American Air Transport Association), Alxandre de Guten, IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA)

Prepared for the worst

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Mogens Kornbo, Vice President & COO, Real Estate and Operations, Copenhagen Airports A/S

Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is located on the borderline between cold Scandinavia and the more temperate northern European continent. This means that there are frequent and rapid changes from mild winter days to fierce blizzards. These changing weather conditions make great demands on the winter preparedness at the largest airport in Scandinavia.

”Be prepared.” This proud motto of the Scouts could also be the motto of Airside Support, the department at Copenhagen Airport in charge of ensuring that the airport is operational round the clock and throughout the year, regardless of the weather and how high the winds are.

Copenhagen Airport is located in a coastal climate region where the winter weather normally varies between mild windy and rainy days and cold days of sleet, snow and freezing rain. Now and then, Copenhagen Airport is hit by a blizzard, or every few years by an “ice winter”, a long period of temperatures well below freezing that causes even the coastal waters to freeze over. On average, the airport is affected by snow only 19 days a year, but there are wide fluctuations in winter weather from year to year. In spite of a trend towards milder weather in recent years, a total of 120 centimetres of snow fell at Copenhagen Airport in the winter of 2005/2006, which is highly unusual. (more…)

Tagged with: Airport profiles, Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Copenhagen Airports A/S, Denmark, Mogens Kornbo

A safe journey for disabled air passengers

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum

There are more than 50 million disabled people in the European Union: men and women, young and old, married, single, with or without children, active or unemployed. Despite the fact that disabled people, representing 10 per cent of the population, can hardly be considered as a minority, they remain fairly invisible in our society. Disabled people rarely appear on our TV screens; we cannot see them in the local bus, travelling in a foreign country or running for elections.

While a significant percentage of Europeans can currently benefit from a wider choice of destinations, carriers and lower fares due to the expansion of the aviation sector and the single market, it is not often that we encounter persons with disabilities in European flights and airports. It is as if the need and pleasure of travelling did not concern this significant part of the population. (more…)

Tagged with: European Disability Forum, Passenger movement, Yannis Vardakastanis

Right to flight

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Anne Houtman, Director "General Affairs", Directorate-General Energy and Transport, European Commission

EU guarantees the rights of disabled people and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. The Single Aviation Market has brought Europeans important benefits, including a wider choice of destinations and carriers, as well as lower fares. It has opened air transport to a majority of citizens. Air travel is often indispensable for work, for visiting family and friends and for enjoying leisure and tourism. Poor access to air travel can thus severely impede integration, to the detriment of society as a whole. Consequently, people suffering from reduced mobility must have comparable opportunities for air travel, whether caused by disability, age or some other factor. (more…)

Tagged with: Anne Houtman, European Commission, Passenger movement

A strategic approach to planning baggage systems

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Dave Tomber, Planning Program Manager, Seattle-Tacoma International

Baggage systems play a critically important part in airport operations. The visibility of baggage systems to executive management has only heightened with the implementation of federally mandated inline screening systems. Yet, baggage systems remain a headache for airports, airlines, and the Transportation Security Administration. More puzzling is the unfortunate reality that apparently similar terminals have varied success. Some may even question whether baggage system planning is more of a dark art than a robust process.

The reasons for these problems are varied, although the industry approach is often based on crude metrics and standardised solutions. Typical results include: higher costs, inappropriate use of technology and unnecessary system complexity; mismatches between capacity and demand; and impacts to capacity, operations, and passenger experience. In short, a wide range of solutions with varied success. (more…)

Tagged with: Baggage handling, Dave Tomber, Seattle-Tacoma International, USA

Runway bottleneck optimising the optimum

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Dieter Kaden, Chairman and Chief Executive Office and Ralph Riedle, Director Operations, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH

Delays in air traffic have a great variety of causes that are often aggravated by knock-on effects due to the individual process structure of a flight. Furthermore, it is the weakest link in the aviation chain that determines the success of the overall system. This is most evident in the case of the runway system, the capacity of which often fails to meet the demand. Clever interplay between the partners in air transport – airlines, airports and air navigation service providers – as well as the use of advanced technologies, however, creates new opportunities even at busy international hubs. (more…)

Tagged with: Air traffic control (ATC), DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH, Dieter Kaden, Ralph Riedle

Aircraft rescue fire fighting history

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Marc Tonnacliff, ARFF Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Since the early existence of man and the advent of fire, there has been a need for fire prevention and fire control. Fire fighting has an established history dating back to the ancient times of our ancestors. We have evolved from bucket brigades to horse drawn pumpers to highly sophisticated vehicles with computerised equipment for agent application. Fire fighting has grown from your local volunteer to the one of the most highly sought after and professional careers today. With so much interest in the fire service and the fire fighters ability to protect and serve the community, there has become a need to have a set of standards. The standards were put in place to provide for and protect the firefighters laying their lives on the line with every call they answer.

With the introduction of flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright, the way in which people travel was about to change. With the on set of the first scheduled airline flights was around 1914, it was only a matter of time before larger and more powerful planes took to the skies. (more…)

Tagged with: Airport Fire Services, ARFF, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Marc Tonnacliff

AIRBUS A380 lands in the City of Angels

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Steve Coldicott

Los Angeles, Calif. March 19, 2007– The world’s largest commercial airliner, the 555-seat Airbus A380, landed today in Los Angeles, California, and received a welcome worthy of the movie stars the region is most known for.

A380 MSN001, powered by four Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines, was at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to carry out airport function and compatibility checks in conjunction with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and Qantas Airways. While at LAX, the crews will test airfield maneuvering, docking at a terminal gate, ground-handling services and equipment (including fueling).

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa greeted the arriving plane and its crew upon landing, and toured the world’s newest passenger aircraft with the Airbus flight crew and Airbus North America Chairman Allan McArtor.

“Los Angeles has always played a leading role in the advancement of aviation, so it is fitting that Los Angeles International Airport hosts the first U.S. visit of the next generation of aircraft,” said Villaraigosa. “Ours is a world class city and this historic occasion signifies our standing as a leading international gateway.” (more…)

Tagged with: A380, Los Angeles Airport (LAX), Steve Coldicott, USA

Cancún International Airport expands

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Fernando Chico Pardo, Chairman and CEO, ASUR

This article presents an overview of the ambitious airport development projects in the region in recent years: the expansion of Cancún International Airport in the southeast of Mexico. (more…)

Tagged with: Airport profiles, ASUR, Cancún International Airport, Fernando Chico Pardo, Mexico

A new approach to runway safety

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Tuuli Daavittila, Tom Hätinen, Head Investigator and Matts-Anders Nyberg, Deputy Director, Finavia

Over the last few years, international organisations have recommended various national and international campaigns that could be used to help improve flight safety culture at a national and global level. Finland has responded to these recommendations in a unique way and through a widely implemented campaign.

The aim of Finavia, the driving force behind the campaign, was to bring together for the first time all the parties working on runways in a concrete way around the same table to share knowledge and to talk about runway safety. What makes this campaign special is that not only operative parties, such as professional pilots in both civilian and military organisations, flying enthusiasts and actors involved in maintenance and air traffic control, but also airport management, airport designers and professional associations took part in the planning and implementation of the campaign.

‘Without a doubt the most important aim of the campaign was to improve cooperation between the parties working on runways and to help examine and understand runway operations from the perspective of other actors. In order for operations to be carried out safely within the runway environment, it is important that the parties know each others’ working methods and culture as well as possible, Mr. Nyberg explains. (more…)

Tagged with: Finavia, Finland, Matts-Anders Nyberg, Runway Safety, Tom Hätinen, Tuuli Daavittila

Surface friction management at MSP

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Joshua Paurus and Jeff Mattson, Assistant Managers, Airside Operations Department, Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport (MSP)

The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) is a public corporation of the State of Minnesota, USA. With staff of approximately 550 employees, the MAC owns and operates MSP and six reliever airports in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Operating much like a private business, the MAC pays expenses from the revenues it generates from airline rates and charges, parking, concessions and building and ground rent. The MAC has fifteen commissioners, thirteen of which are appointed by the Governor of Minnesota, with the other two being representatives of the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

MSP is located on approximately 3400 acres, between the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. With 127 aircraft gates at two terminals, MSP moved 35.6 million passengers in 2006. The airport ranked 15th busiest in the world for operations with 475,668 movements – more than 1300 per day. The airfield consists of four runways, two being parallel (12L/30R and 12R/30L), one crosswind (4/22) and one north-south (17/35), which opened in the Autumn of 2005 to provide much needed relief to the parallel runways. (more…)

Tagged with: Joshua Paurus and Jeff Mattson, Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Runway friction, USA

Toronto Pearson International Airport: partners in security

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Jim Bertram, Director of Public Safety and Security Steering Committee, ACI-NA (Airports Council International – North America)

With the ever-changing aviation industry, security at airports worldwide has been called upon to adapt in preparation of new and rising global threats. At Toronto Pearson International Airport, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) mitigates the risk posed by global and local events by administering a comprehensive security program.

As the operator of Canada’s busiest airport, the GTAA meets and frequently exceeds standards mandated by Transport Canada and other governing bodies. In the decade since assuming responsibility for Toronto Pearson, the GTAA has transformed the business of security from one that was once a department to that of an environment of shared responsibility. All tenants and employees of Toronto Pearson are partners in its security.

Policies and procedures that are in place have been scrutinised to the fullest extent. When the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) announced their intent to assess security programs of member states to ensure compliance with regulations, the federal government requested an audit date earlier than the one identified by ICAO. The request was granted and so confident was the government in the GTAA’s approach to security that Toronto Pearson was selected as the host airport for the audit. (more…)

Tagged with: ACI-NA (Airports Council International – North America), Canada, Jim Bertram, Security, Toronto Pearson International Airport

World’s first FOD detection system at YVR

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Brett Patterson, Director, Operations Safety and Planning, Vancouver Airport Authority

In March 2000 an A330 departed YVR’s runway 08R shortly after 8pm. During its takeoff roll, and unknown to the flight crew, the port engine cowling fell off the aircraft and shattered into hundreds of pieces down one side of the runway. The flight crew of the tenth aircraft to use the runway reported seeing some debris on the runway, at which time airfield operations staff responded and reported the debris which initiated a clean-up procedure whilst simultaneously contacting the crew of the A330 to advise them of the situation.

Later that same year, the crew of an A340 landing on the same runway after 11pm reported running over something that resembled a piece of wood. On inspection of the runway following the incident, airfield staff found the pogo-stick from a DH8 aircraft, which was later found to have been dropped on the runway by the first aircraft to use the runway after a visual surface inspection by airfield staff found the runway to be ‘bare and dry’.

On the heels of these experiences, and under the leadership of Craig Richmond the airport’s Vice President Airport Operations, the airport’s Airside Safety Officer and Manager, Airside Operations were tasked to look for technology that would enhance runway safety with respect to Foreign Object Detection (FOD) management. (more…)

Tagged with: Brett Patterson, Foreign Oject Detection (FOD), QinetiQ, Vancouver Airport Authority, Vancouver International Airport

Managing the risks of bird strikes

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Dr. Richard A. Dolbeer, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Chairperson, Bird Strike Committee USA

When making a list of the activities that an airport manager must oversee, most people would never consider a program to manage birds and other wildlife. However, aircraft collisions with birds (bird strikes) at airports are an increasing economic and safety problem for the air transport industry worldwide. Based on a recent analysis of economic data by Dr. John Allan of the UK’s Central Science Laboratory, bird strikes are costing the worldwide air transport industry over $1.2 billion (USD) every year. Economics are not the only concern. Over 200 people died as a result of bird strikes with civil and military aircraft from 1988-2006. And birds are not the only problem. A recent survey by the author uncovered over 630 damaging strikes to aircraft involving terrestrial wildlife (e.g., deer, wild dogs) in 22 countries. In the USA alone, 17 civil aircraft have been destroyed by collisions with deer since 1983. (more…)

Tagged with: Bird Strike Committee USA, Bird strikes, Dr. Richard A. Dolbeer, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Emissions trading and the aviation industry

Issue 2 2007 / 3 April 2007 / Andreas Hardeman, Assistant Director Aviation and Environment, International Air Transport Association (IATA)

Climate change is a serious matter that concerns us all. Rightly there is a public debate about how to limit CO2 or carbon emissions, the main greenhouse gas linked to climate change. As one of the contributors to global CO2 emissions, the air transport industry takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. IATA and its members are committed to finding effective and cost-efficient ways to improve aviation’s environmental performance. This article will look at aviation’s contribution to climate change and explore what governments and the industry can do about it. In particular, it will examine emissions trading, which is one of the tools that can play a role in reducing emissions as long as the scheme is designed in the right way. (more…)

Tagged with: Andreas Hardeman, Environment, International Air Transport Association (IATA)