Issue 3 2005

A 21st century update for Chicago

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Roderick R. Drew, O’Hare Modernisation Project Spokesperson

After an exceptionally lengthy development phase, the controversial plans to expand Chicago O’Hare will finally become reality later this year.

The concept of modernising O’Hare International Airport has been debated in the Chicago region for more than three decades now. Currently, the City of Chicago is preparing to move forward with the O’Hare Modernization Programme. Mayor Richard M. Daley’s solution to the problem of delays and congestion at O’Hare can be described as the most anticipated airport improvement project in the world.

O’Hare is a vital hub in our nation’s transportation system. In 2004 O’Hare set an all-time record for flight operations with more than 992,000 flights and once again held the title of the world’s busiest airport. However, the world’s busiest airport is also known as the nation’s most delayed airport. (more…)

Tagged with: Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Operations, Roderick R. Drew, USA

Winter in Toronto

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Eric Tolton, Director of Operations, Greater Toronto Airports Authority

Dealing with the cold and snow has recently received an upheaval at Toronto Pearson and in this article Eric Tolton reveals some of the new methods.

Unimpeded access to and from Toronto Pearson International Airport is a requirement for millions of people each year. Snow clearance, snow removal and ice control operations are some of the most critical and costly components of operating the airport. The areas requiring snow clearance and removal are in excess of 2,500,000 square metres – the equivalent of four hundred kilometres of two-lane highway.

Since the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) assumed responsibility for the management, operation and maintenance of Toronto Pearson from the federal government in 1996, the airport has undergone a substantial physical transformation. A comprehensive redevelopment program was initiated by the GTAA to aid the fulfilment of its mandate and to allow Toronto Pearson to keep pace with the rapidly growing travel needs of southern Ontario. The Airport Development Program (ADP) is a 10-year, $4.4 billion plan that includes four major aspects: Terminal Development, Airside Development, Infield Development and Utilities and Airport Support. (more…)

Tagged with: Eric Tolton, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), Toronto Pearson International Airport, Winter operations

Perimeter security post 9/11

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Chief Alvy Dodson, Director of Public Safety Manager, DFW International Airport

In this exclusive article Alvy Dodson relates his department’s strategic thinking behind managing the perimeter of an 18,000 acre site against terrorism.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is situated on more than 18,000 acres of land approximately twenty minutes drive from the city centers of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. A fifty-mile radius, referred to as the DFW Metroplex, is home to approximately five million people and DFW Airport is the major aviation facility for North Texas. Airports Council International (ACI) ranks DFW Airport as the world’s third busiest airport both in passenger traffic and aircraft operations. The 31 year old airport has just completed a new two million square foot; twenty-eight gate International Terminal with a new secure elevated passenger transportation system connecting all five terminals.

The opening of the new International Terminal D moves all of the international services into one facility, which is more than twice as large as any of the other terminals. The responsibility of providing public safety (police, fire/EMS) and security to such a large facility falls primarily to the men and women of the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety. We have had almost four years to assess and react to the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and our resolve to provide a safe and secure environment for the traveling public and our employees is unwavering. (more…)

Tagged with: Chief Alvy Dodson, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Perimeter security, USA

A unique security training programme

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Ernst Schlecht, Head of Security and Safety Planning, Unique Zurich

Although often the overlooked aspects of security operations, there is an increasing need to include effective training and communications as an integral part of operating a safe and secure airport, writes Ernst Schlecht.

The inspirational atmosphere of the aviation industry has been clouded increasingly by the latent threat of terrorist attacks. The increased security standards mean that airport and airline staff have to be trained to react appropriately. At Zurich Airport, a new interactive security training platform is due to be implemented in September. It complements various other innovative training and communication measures at Zurich Airport. (more…)

Tagged with: Ernst Schlecht, Security, Switzerland, Unique (Flughafen Zurich AG), Zurich Airport

Fire training for a safer airport

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Tim Oakes, Divisional Officer, International Fire Training Centre

The best training for your airport’s Rescue and Fire Fighting Service (RFFS) will not necessarily focus solely on technical ability, writes Tim Oakes.

When an incident occurs at your airport, you are thankful that the brave fire fighters speeding to the scene are adequately trained, with the best equipment at their disposal and the knowledge of how to use it. Or maybe you are not so certain.

When it comes to lives, few would disagree that no expense should be spared for their preservation and in many ways this effort starts and ends with the training and equipping of the fire fighters at your airport. The principal objective of an aerodrome RFFS is to save lives in the event of an aircraft accident or incident. This includes the need to extinguish a fire that may occur immediately following an accident or incident, or during the rescue stage.

Achieving this will be dependent on the training personnel have received, the effectiveness of the equipment and the speed with which competent personnel and equipment can be put to use. (more…)

Tagged with: Airport Fire Services, International Fire Training Centre, Tim Oakes

The secrets to faster boarding

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Kai Nagel, Professor of Transport Systems Planning and transport telematics, Technical University of Berlin and Pieric Ferrari, ETH Zurich

The latest research into the way passengers behave when boarding aircraft reveals some surprising results, and prompts reflection on present boarding practices.

It goes without saying that airplanes only make money when they are in the air. Considering today’s tough competition and the pricing pressures in the passenger carrying business, this insight becomes especially important. On one hand, airplanes must work at full capacity and idle times should be avoided. On the other hand, punctuality as an important contribution to the passenger’s service has to be ensured. However, masses of passengers waiting for hours in overcrowded airport facilities during the holiday season indicate that this is not happening.

The reduction of idle time on the ground will lead to improved airplane utilisation and more flexible time management. How, then, can these idle times be reduced? (more…)

Tagged with: Boarding, ETH Zurich, Kai Nagel, Pieric Ferrari, Technical University of Berlin

Preparing for new large aircraft

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Satish Agrawal, Ph.D., Airport Technology R&D manager, FAA

The next generation of aircraft creates new pressures for an airport’s pavements, consequentially engineers at the FAA’s Research and Development centre are continuing to develop systems to predict and assess requirements.

In 1927, the Ford Motor Company built one of the world’s first paved runways at Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan. With no aviation experience and no airport pavement design specifications, engineers built this and other early runways using pavement thicknesses similar to those of early highways. In fact, until World War II, airport engineers based concrete pavement design on the anticipated loads imposed by the trucks refuelling the airplanes, rather than the airplanes themselves.

For many years after the war, airport pavement research and technology benefited from advances in highway research, as well as from Department of Defense research supporting military aircraft and airfields. “Added complications in today’s design estimates stem from the facts that aircraft weigh far more than they did when the basic relationships were established and that landing gear layouts are far more complicated, with many more wheels per gear and more gears per aircraft,” explains Dr. Gordon Hayhoe, Manager of the FAA’s National Airport Pavement Test Facility. (more…)

Tagged with: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Pavement structure, Ph.D., Satish Agrawal

LED potential on the airfield

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Ben Sampson

The growing acceptance of LED technology for use in different airports globally is testament to the technology’s potential in this area.

Wherever you are in the world, regardless of the size or type of the airfield, the airfield lights provide guidance for pilots and those engaged in airside operations. But although a simplistic approach may achieve this function, the vital role that the lights play in the operation of an airport may hold potential for management. That potential could yield greater operational efficiency, effect cost savings, improve safety and help meet future demands on capacity. (more…)

Tagged with: Airfield lighting, Ben Sampson

How to avoid bad weather delays

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Doug Johnson, Aviation Programme Manager, Met Office

In this article Doug Johnson describes how aviation users can utilise improved meteorological information to move beyond minimum safety requirements and towards increased business benefits.

Airlines and pilots rely on weather information on a daily basis in order to make safety-critical decisions. Commercial airlines are duty-bound to follow the strict regulations laid down by ICAO Annex 3 and other regulatory bodies on the use of weather information for operational safety. However, despite huge strides forward in terms of forecasting capability, these requirements have remained essentially unchanged since 1984.

Aviation has also traditionally used weather in a limited way for improving business performance, e.g. the use of wind and temperature information in calculating optimum flight routes. However, with the significant developments in weather forecasting during the last 20 years, we believe that airlines, airports and air traffic controllers can be helped to use these enhanced capabilities more intelligently and, ultimately, make better business and operational decisions through the reduction of avoidable weather-related delays. (more…)

Tagged with: Doug Johnson, Met Office, Meteorology, Winter operations

Facilitating increased globalisation

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Dora Kay, Immediate Past Chairman, The International Air Cargo Association

TIACA uses its partnerships with Government and trade organisations to progress the cause of air cargo and global economic development.

With the increasing complexity of air transport and international trade, TIACA has found it helpful to interface with other industry, trade and official organisations in order to share ideas, efforts and positions. This reflects our firm conviction of the benefits of a systematic development of inter-institutional contact and collaboration.

In respect of other industry and trade associations, TIACA has maintained regular contact with, and participated in events sponsored by the Airports Council International (ACI), the Air Transport Association (ATA), Cargo Network Services (CNS), the Global Express Association (GEA) and the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA). TIACA finds that it shares many of the goals of these organisations, especially as they pertain to commercial air transport liberalisation, customs reform and trade facilitation.

All of these organisations are aware of the well established relationship between air cargo growth and growth in gross domestic product (GDP). They share TIACA’s belief that the two are mutually causal and highly interdependent. (more…)

Tagged with: Dora Kay, Freight, Policy & strategy, The International Air Cargo Association, TIACA

Full speed ahead on e-tickets

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Bryan Wilson, Project Director – Electronic Ticketing, IATA

IATA’s e-ticketing initiative has covered substantial ground since its inception, but as Bryan Wilson, there are still obstacles to overcome.

The IATA Annual General Meeting in Tokyo emphasised and accelerated progress towards 100 per cent e-ticketing, a top priority of IATA’s Simplifying the Business programme (StB). This is an IATA led initiative involving five key projects – 100 per cent e-ticketing by end of 2007, common use self service check-in, bar coded boarding passes, RFID for baggage management and IATA e-freight. All are designed to ease the transport of passengers and cargo and generate USD 6.5 billion in annual industry savings. Electronic ticketing has the tightest deadline of all the projects and represents USD 3 billion of total savings.

IATA’s mandate on e-ticketing (ET) is to engage the airlines, gather market intelligence to determine each airline’s level of readiness and support them in achieving the goal. During the first ‘campaign’ held in April and May of this year, the StB team met with 400 airlines, including non-IATA members, to do just that. The campaign approach slices off bite-sized chunks of the massive initiative to focus staff and produce fast results, typically during a 100 day period. (more…)

Tagged with: Bryan Wilson, International Air Transport Association (IATA), Ticketing

The privatisation path in Hungary

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Sarah Hunter, Head of Investor Relations at BAA

The UK became the first country to privatise its airports almost 20 years ago, a trend subsequently copied around the world to help fuel infrastructure investment.

The privatisation path is now being pursued in Hungary. The imminent involvement of the private sector at Budapest airport provides an opportunity to examine why airport privatisations have been successful and discover how the experience can benefit Hungary’s most important airport.

Like Budapest the British Airports Authority in the UK, known since privatisation as BAA plc, was originally managed directly by the UK Ministry of Transport. Its directors were appointed by the Ministry and its investments were controlled by the state. With six million passengers a year Budapest is in the same position today as Gatwick was in the early 1980s.

There is little doubt that Budapest has the potential to make as successful a transition to the private sector as BAA. But selecting the right framework for the privatisation is vital; the Government must select a partner equally committed to prolonged success. Without this, Budapest will not deliver the long term development needed by passengers, airlines and the Hungarian community. (more…)

Tagged with: BAA, Budapest Airport, Hungary, Policy & strategy, Sarah Hunter

Cooperating on ATM research

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Hans Offerman, Chairman EATRADA European Air Traffic Management Research and Development Association

The most effective way of researching new technologies needed to enhance capacity is to work together writes Hans Offerman, chairman of a new European association with cooperative aims.

The European Air Traffic Management Research and Development Association, or EATRADA, is a recently created association to help promote an effective ATM R&D capability in Europe. Essentially this is our mission, but it also reflects our ambition; the association is very much aware of the enormous task that lies in front of the air transport community to implement the Single European Sky. Research and Development is an essential part of this process. Without the proper level of R&D experience and knowledge to call upon, the implementation of many improvements still to come would be jeopardized.

While in other parts of the world ATM R&D tends to be much more geographically concentrated in a limited number of institutes, in Europe there are many private or government-owned ATM R&D institutes as well as R&D divisions at the majority of Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs). See this in combination with the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in France and one can only say that there is need for closer co-operation in Europe. (more…)

Tagged with: Air traffic control (ATC), European Air Traffic Management Research and Development Association (EATRADA), Hans Offerman

Congestion and slot allocation

Issue 3 2005 / 16 September 2005 / Claus Ulrich, Chairman of the Worldwide Airport Coordinators Group (WWACG)

Co-ordinating and allocating flights may traditionally be a back-room activity, but current capacity constraints mean that it is rapidly coming to the fore.

It is a fact that large airports are congested and will probably stay that way. In Europe and elsewhere the development of air traffic demand has outpaced the development of capacities in recent times. Furthermore major airports do not expect any substantial change to this situation in the foreseeable future. This is in spite of some impressive expansion programmes we can presently see at airports such as Madrid Barajas today and probably at Frankfurt in a few years from now.

Of course there are other airports that still have available capacity, some of them a significant amount, to the extent that one can even talk about an under-usage of capacities. The reason for this situation is quite simple. Certain airports and at certain times of the day or week, are more attractive to airlines than others. (more…)

Tagged with: Air traffic control (ATC), Claus Ulrich, Policy & strategy, Worldwide Airport Coordinators Group (WWACG)