Issue 3 2006

From humble beginnings

Issue 3 2006 / 11 September 2006 / HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President – Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai

Aviation in Dubai was once limited to a single, modest port built on dusty wasteland. Now, it knows no limits. Dubai International Airport is expanding in a US$ 4.1 billion development programme, while 40 kilometres away, work has begun on constructing the world’s largest airport.

Aviation began in Dubai in 1937 when the first Imperial Airways flying boat, operating a weekly service between the UK and Pakistan, landed on the Dubai Creek. It was not until 1959 that the Dubai International Airport was established, following the construction of the first airfield on a vast expanse of wasteland some four kilometres from what used to be the edge of the city.

The modest facility consisted of an 1800-metre compacted runway, an apron area, a terminal building and a fire station. The airport was opened a year later in 1960 and was capable of handling aircraft up to the size of a DC-3. Almost a decade later, in 1969, Dubai International Airport accommodated some nine airlines serving a total of 20 destinations. Ten years later, in December 1980 to be more precise, the airport joined the International Civil Airports Association as an ordinary member. (more…)

Improving safety standards for ground handling

Issue 3 2006 / 11 September 2006 / Mike O’Brien, Director – Operational Safety Audit Programme, International Air Transport Association (IATA)

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that ground damage costs airlines US$4 billion per year. Mike O’Brien reports on efforts to reduce the cost 50% by 2010 through the Ground Damage Prevention Programme (GDPP).

One of the pillars of the GDPP, launched in 2005, is the development of the IATA registration programme for ground service providers (GSPs). This is based on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) framework. The IOSA programme for airlines was established in mid-2003 with the twin aims of improving operational safety and driving down the number of redundant audits. It achieves these aims by having: (more…)

Regulating dangerous goods

Issue 3 2006 / 11 September 2006 / David Brennan, Assistant Director – Special Cargo Standards, International Air Transport Association (IATA)

On the face of it, transporting dangerous goods by air, particularly on passenger aircraft would appear to be counter intuitive. The reality is that regulations for the air transport of dangerous goods have been in place for over 50 years.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) first developed regulations addressing the international air transport of dangerous goods as the “Restricted Articles Regulations” (RAR) in 1956, in response to demand from airlines and industry. As part of the industrial expansion following WWII, industry had a need to move chemicals, many of which were dangerous goods, quickly, and air transport met that need. The airlines had two objectives: safety and a consistent standard.

Safety was paramount to ensure that passengers were not put at risk, as at that time there were very few dedicated cargo aircraft and therefore most shipments of dangerous goods were transported on passenger aircraft. There was also a need for defined standards, such that dangerous goods shipments anywhere in the world, provided that they complied with the regulations, would be accepted and that having been accepted by one airline could be transhipped to another. (more…)

Fuelling excellence at HKIA

Issue 3 2006 / 11 September 2006 / B S Chow, General Manager – Aviation Logistics Business Unit, Airport Authority Hong Kong

In October 2004, Hong Kong International Airport was presented with an IATA Fuel Trade Forum award in recognition of the excellent management of its aviation fuel system. B S Chow discusses the pioneering design and unique characteristics that have seen the system become an industry model.

The aviation fuel service system at HKIA was defined very early, almost 5 years prior to the opening of HKIA at Chek Lap Kok, after extensive consultation with IATA, suppliers and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. The innovative system has the following unique features: (more…)

The lights will be on

Issue 3 2006 / 11 September 2006 / Daniel Hartman, Airfield Manager, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

How does an airport that experiences Arctic type weather consistently remain open? Daniel Hartman discusses the demands of an Alaskan winter, when ambient temperatures can fall as low as -38 degrees, with wind chills down to -60, equipment oil and hydraulic fluids are like thick syrup and starter heads blow apart when started.

The location of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (IATA: ANC) less than 9 ½ hours by air from 90 per cent of the industrialised world, has enabled it to become the preeminent international cargo crossroad for transpacific freighter activity. It also demands faultless winter operations; average seasonal snowfall is 69 inches, with records as much as 132.8 inches. 24 hour snow accumulation has, in the past, reached 27.6 inches, other airports with more equipment and personnel have closed after receiving as little as two inches. (more…)

The next step in aviation security

Issue 3 2006 / 11 September 2006 / Rob. L. Townsend, SOC Analyst, San Francisco International Airport

To counter an ever present, ever shifting threat, aviation security must be a constant work in progress. At San Francisco International Airport, that progress has recently leapt forward.

In August 2005, San Francisco International Airport launched a new Security Operations Center (SOC). With an initial staff of four security analysts, the SOC was established to monitor the Airport through its extensive CCTV network, collect and analyse security-related data and trends, and identify potential threats and vulnerabilities. Co-located with the Airport’s 911 Communications Center, the SOC conducts valuable proactive surveillance, while supporting Communications dispatchers by analysing and relaying essential information regarding specific incidents. The opening of the SOC represented a bold step forward for SFO by bringing together multiple types of security-related data, but it was a natural one for the Airport because of its unparalleled commitment in providing its passengers, tenants and employees with an unsurpassed level of safety and security. (more…)

Twelve-month summer: friction testing at Arlanda

Issue 3 2006 / 11 September 2006 / Pär Blom, Training Officer – Field Department, Stockholm/Arlanda Airport

To ensure the safe take-off and landing of aircraft, it is essential for airports to provide pilots with an accurate assessment of runway surface conditions. Pär Blom explains the principles behind friction testing, one of aviation’s least celebrated, but most critical procedures.

There is general concern in the industry regarding the adequacy of the available friction between aeroplane tyres and the surface of the runway under certain operating conditions. This concern is particularly focused on conditions such as snow, slush, ice or water on the runway and when aeroplane take-off or landing speeds are high.

This concern is more acute for jet aeroplanes, since the stopping performance of these aeroplanes is even more dependent on the available friction between the tyres and the runway surface. Their landing and take-off speeds are high, and in some cases the length of runway required for landing or take-off can be critical compared with the length that is actually available. In addition, directional control may become impaired in the presence of cross-winds. (more…)

A railway to your airport – ally or enemy?

Issue 3 2006 / 11 September 2006 / Andrew Sharp, Director General, International Air Rail Organisation

That question is already answered in most of Europe but it is still the subject of debate in North America, where rail transport is regarded as too expensive, detrimental to parking revenues and surplus to demand. The advantages, counters Andrew Sharp, outweigh the disadvantages.

It was disappointing to see that recent proposals for a new airport in the US, some 50 km from its city, dismissed rail as a means of access. Evaluations only looked at light rail and commuter rail options and concluded, on the basis of North American experience, that no-one would use them. In fact, neither of those options was suitable for that kind of traffic, that kind of distance; the low use of rail to access airports in North America is mainly a result of the provision of multi-stop, low-quality suburban or metro services. There are far better ways of serving airports by rail, which would really work in that particular location. Unfortunately, these were not evaluated: it is being designed for 100% road access and 100% road access is what they’ll get. (more…)

Coping with growth

Issue 3 2006 / 11 September 2006 / Robert Hilliard, Director, Dublin Airport & Paul O’Kane, Communications Manager – Capital Development Programme, Dublin Airport

It’s a problem that faces most of Europe’s airports; the construction process is not always conducive to an efficient boarding process. One solution, employed at Dublin Airport, is Temporary Boarding Gates.

Dublin Airport is the home base for both Ryanair, which is Europe’s largest low cost carrier, and Aer Lingus, Ireland’s national flag carrier, which has reconstituted itself as a low-cost player over the past five years. Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus, which are Dublin Airport’s two largest customers, have aggressive expansion plans for Dublin and demand quick turnarounds in order to maximise aircraft utilisation.

Our other airline partners have also experienced huge growth at Dublin in recent years on the back of a sustained economic boom. Ireland has consistently been Europe’s fastest growing economy over the past decade and that growth has brought a huge increase in wealth to most Irish residents. Irish people are taking more foreign holidays; in the first three months of this year the number of foreign trips increased by 18 per cent, according to recent data from Ireland’s Central Statistics Office. As if this domestic growth was not enough, Dublin remains one of Europe’s top short break destinations and is the premier gateway into Ireland as a whole for both business and leisure traffic. (more…)

A unique brand of airport

Issue 3 2006 / 11 September 2006 / Urs Brütsch, Head of Marketing Communication, Unique (Flughafen Zürich AG)

Winning passenger figures depend on winning passenger trust. Urs Brütsch explains the role of marketing in securing the hearts, minds and business of consumers.

Everything was running smoothly and the outlook was rosy. As a recently privatised company formed for the purpose of operating Zurich Airport, we held an operating licence valid for 50 years and were able to count on a home carrier that was widely regarded as financially sound and which was undergoing constant growth. With the initiation of a major airport expansion project just around the corner, there were no grounds for concern at that time regarding our future business development. This was the situation back in 2000.

But then two devastating events occurred within just a few weeks of each other: the terrorist attacks of 11th September 2001 and the grounding on 2nd October that same year, of the home carrier fleet that accounted for more than 60 per cent of the passenger volume at Zurich Airport. The shock was, of course, enormous. (more…)