Issue 3 2008

World class environmental management

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Janell Barrilleaux, Director of Environmental Programmes, Denver International Airport

Located on 53 square miles of prairie land northeast of Denver, Denver International Airport (DEN) is a unique place in a unique setting, facing both environmental challenges and opportunities. Owned by the City of Denver, DEN is the newest major airport in the United States. The airport has been recognised as a state-of-the-art facility and a leader in environmental protection.

The environment was clearly a prominent consideration during the design and construction of the airport. This is evidenced by the underground fuel hydrant system, sophisticated leak-detection system for the fuel distribution network, designated aircraft deicing pads, on-site glycol-recycling plant, cardboard compactor rooms, and a dedicated industrial stormwater collection, conveyance, storage, and discharge system, to name just a few.

But even though DEN was a demonstrated leader with its design standards, the airport was not content to depend on its infrastructure to protect the environment. DEN’s management decided that in addition to being a state-of-the-art facility, the airport should be proactive and aggressive in developing a world-class environmental-management plan. With that goal in mind, DEN set out to create and implement a facility-wide Environmental Management System (EMS). (more…)

Tagged with: Denver International Airport, Environment, Environmental Management System (EMS), Janell Barrilleaux, USA

Manchester Airports Group – Environmental Agenda

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Penny Coates, Managing Director, Manchester Airports Group, Regional Airports Division

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) announced in 2006 that all ground operations within the Group – Manchester, East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside – would be carbon neutral by 2015. Considerable environmental pressures hang over the aviation sector at present with concern over the growth of the industry prevalent in the minds of the media, the public and regarded highly on the political agenda. With this in mind the future growth of our business depends on our ability to meet our environmental commitments, so we are aiming to ensure that everyone working at our airports is playing their part in our move towards being carbon neutral, and this desire is now driving the development of the business.

MAG has a proven track record on the environment. Having invested £18m in ecology and land reconstruction work around the development of Runway 2 at Manchester this is an area that we continue to invest in to this day. As part of the same process, legal limits on noise were set down as part of the legal agreement around the construction project, and we continue to enforce them today. Our record has been strengthened with a twenty-year history of working with the Centre for Air Transport and the Environment (CATE) at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) to understand and mitigate against the effects of aviation. (more…)

Tagged with: Environment, Manchester Airports Group, Penny Coates, United Kingdom

The UK Border Agency

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Lin Homer, Chief Executive, UK Border Agency

Richard Piper speaks to Lin Homer, Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency, about what is being done to strengthen UK borders and how they are utilising the latest advances in technology. (more…)

Tagged with: Border control, Lin Homer, UK Border Agency, United Kingdom

Protecting airport infrastructure

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Martin Aggar, Chairman, British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Civil Aviation Section

The requirements of security measures and associated procedures to protect the infrastructure of airports are significant and increasingly important. For, in addition to the airlines and other aviation operators using airports, the travelling public, staff, suppliers, contractors and maintenance companies also need to be included in any protective strategy. This article looks at the application of CCTV and access control systems as part of this strategy.

The car bomb attack on Glasgow international airport’s terminal 1 building in late June 2007, involving a vehicle loaded with propane gas cylinders being set alight, is one demonstration of the dangers involved. In that incident, a miscalculation in the attackers driving prevented the vehicle from fully entering the building and prompt action by staff and airport police helped to quickly contain the situation and prevent it escalating. The presence of CCTV cameras also allowed the attack to be recorded and enabled security forces and the fire brigade to be swiftly directed to the scene, while surveillance camera operators monitored the developing situation. Other than the two bombers themselves, no one was injured. (more…)

Tagged with: British Security Industry Association (BSIA), CCTV, Civil Aviation Section, Martin Aggar, Security

Change and challenge in European Air Traffic Management

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / David McMillan, Director General, EUROCONTROL

It might be a truism, but change is gradually changing. This can be seen in the accelerating rate that new inventions are adopted wide-scale. The World Bank recently conducted a study into this and found that in the past, it took a long time before new technology was adopted.

It took 120 years for trains and open-hearth steel furnaces to be widely used; even the telephone took over a century to really catch on. Aviation and radio, invented in the early 20th century, were accepted a degree faster in some 60 years, but the rate of acceptance of new technology is growing rapidly. In 20 years, personal computers and CAT scans were embraced and mobile phones took only 16 years to achieve more than 80% of country coverage.

Change and new technology feature strongly in the field of Air Traffic Management; here in Europe, we find ourselves on the brink of a new era. The SESAR programme (Single European Sky ATM Research Programme) will see the development and implementation of radically new equipment, approaches and procedures. (more…)

Tagged with: Air traffic control (ATC), David McMillan, EUROCONTROL

‘World Class Emergency Services at a World Class Airport’

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Jessie Gentry, Division Commander of Fire Operations – Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport

Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport is known as the economic engine for North Texas. It is strategically located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and serves as the gateway to air travel around the world. At over 18,000 acres and with seven runways, DFW continues to be one of the busiest airports in the world.

Airfield operations and a growing market demand for commercial development are forming the big airport into what is becoming known as an ‘Airport City.’ As with any city, public safety is of the utmost importance in protecting the travelling public and the many tenants who call DFW their home.

World-class airports need world-class emergency services and DFW is no exception. The Department of Public Safety at DFW operates out of five stations, with the potential to add two more in the near future due to the introduction of natural gas exploration/production and commercial land development.

With a staff of over 490 personnel, the department is responsible for Police, Fire, and Special Services such as security, access control, and a 911-dispatch centre. Within Fire Services, there are four Divisions; Fire Rescue, Fire Training, Fire Prevention and Planning, and Emergency Medical Services. (more…)

Tagged with: Airport Fire Services, Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport, Jessie Gentry, USA

ICAO language proficiency requirements

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Mrs Nicole Barrette-Sabourin, Project Manager for Language Proficiency Requirements, ICAO

On 5 March 2008, new ICAO language proficiency requirements came into effect for pilots and air traffic controllers involved in international flight operations. They deal with the ability to speak and understand the language used for radiotelephony communications at Operational Level 4. At the ICAO Assembly in September 2007, a number of ICAO Member States indicated that they would be ready to implement the new regulations while others said they would require more time to ensure full compliance. This timely progress report reviews the evolution of the new language proficiency regulations and the guidance provided by ICAO to facilitate the process. (more…)

Tagged with: Air traffic control (ATC), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Nicole Barrette-Sabourin, Safety

The Argentine airport system

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Ernesto Gutiérrez, President of Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 S.A.

Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 is an international consortium whose share interest is made up of Argentine and Italian capitals. Since February 9 1998, AA2000 has run the exclusive concession for the exploitation, management and operation of Group A, within the Argentine National Airport System. This is comprised of 32 airports (this represents 98% of the total air traffic of Argentina, comprised of passengers, movements, and cargo), including the international airports of; Ezeiza, Aeroparque, Río Gallegos, and Mendoza, Córdoba, Salta, Formosa, Iguazú, Posadas, Resistencia, Río Grande, San Fernando, Bariloche, Comodoro Rivadavia, and Tucumán.

From the moment Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 took over the air terminals, a lot has been achieved in the fields of new services, infrastructure and design in accordance with the Masterplan presented by the company. The total investment estimated for the thirty-year term, set forth under the agreement, will amount to 2 billion dollars. (more…)

Tagged with: Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 S.A., Airport profiles, Argentina, Ernesto Gutiérrez

Brisbane Airport: meeting the challenge of growth

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Koen Roojimans , Managing Director and CEO, Brisbane Airport

With the population of South East Queensland on the rise and the region becoming more and more popular as a tourist destination, over 17 million people are travelling through Brisbane Airport every year. Now is the time to lock in the benefits of growth by investing in the future. (more…)

Tagged with: Airport profiles, Australia, Brisbane Airport, Koen Roojimans

‘A world best air hub’

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Jaehee Lee, President & CEO, Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC)

Who could possibly imagine that a seven-year-old airport could sweep most of the prestigious awards in the international airport industry? Incheon International Airport, the gateway to South Korea and one of the largest and busiest airports in Asia, is leading the way into the region’s future.

Incheon International Airport (IIAC) was a high-tech surprise the moment it opened its doors to the world in March, 2001. A symbol of the very hope and pride it instilled in the Korean people. IIAC is now getting ready to reveal its new face in the grand opening of its second phase facilities, giving the world cause for excitement and astonishment, and laying down an entirely new paradigm for future airports.

The airport processed 31.5 million passengers, 2.5 million metric tons of cargo and 210,000 flight movements in 2007. These numbers have been growing by 8.3% annually. Currently 69 airlines are serving Incheon International Airport, linking 160 cities worldwide. With this remarkable growth, Incheon International Airport ranked 10th in the world in terms of international passenger volume and 2nd in international cargo traffic in 2006. (more…)

Tagged with: Airport profiles, Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), Jaehee Lee, Korea

‘New Zealand’s Airport’

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Don Huse, Chief Executive Officer, Auckland International Airport

Voted as the airport with the friendliest staff in the world, Auckland Airport (AKL and NZAA) is one of New Zealand’s pivotal infrastructure assets and a major South Pacific hub. It contributes some NZ$19 billion to the national economy and is the principal gateway to ‘the land of the long white cloud.’ More than 70% of international visitors enter or leave New Zealand via Auckland Airport and it handles more than 12 million passengers a year. It is Australasia’s second busiest international airport, after Sydney, and New Zealand’s second largest freight port by value.

Thus, Auckland Airport represents the nation and can claim the title, ‘New Zealand’s Airport’. Its vision and strategy are based on this premise. (more…)

Tagged with: Airport profiles, Auckland International Airport, Don Huse, New Zealand

Monitoring the performance of aerodrome ground lighting

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Dr Karen McMenemy, Dr James Niblock and Dr Jian-Xun Peng, Intelligent Systems and Control Research Cluster, School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queens University Belfast

Researchers at Queen’s are developing a prototype device which can be placed inside the cockpit of an aircraft. This device consists of a camera which is capable of collecting images of the landing lighting during an approach to an airport. These images can subsequently be analysed to determine the performance of the lighting and to ensure that its pattern conforms to the standards set by the Civil Aviation Authority.

This article provides an overview of both the hardware and software requirements of this measurement device. The research which is reviewed in this article is protected by an international patent (WO/2007/012839).

Human perceptions of spaces, architecture, objects and people are dependent on the light that lets us see the world around us. We use light not only to see what we are doing, but also for appearance and for safety. The most obvious applications of lighting systems for safety reasons are traffic signals, street lights and in aviation. Safety is a concern of everyone who flies or contemplates it. No other form of transportation is scrutinised and investigated as closely as commercial aviation. Indeed, in no other use of lighting is standardisation more important than in airport landing lighting, or more specifically, Aerodrome Ground Lighting (AGL). Figure 1 illustrates the typical layout for AGL in the UK. Different categories of lighting are shown where CATI would be used in clear day conditions and CATIII in low visibility conditions. (more…)

Tagged with: Airfield ground lighting system (AGL), Dr James Niblock, Dr Jian-Xun Peng, Dr Karen McMenemy, Queens University Belfast

A promising co-operation between railways and airlines

Issue 3 2008 / 30 May 2008 / Klaus Ebeling, Secretary General, European Intermodal Association (EIA)

As a backbone, the international worldwide supply chain needs high quality express freight services. This kind of airfreight has the highest growth rate in the transport sector (over 10%). Air sector transport represents only 1% of the global freight volume but 30% of the transport value. Within Europe, international express cargo is distributed by plane and for short distances, by truck. The service is absolutely vital to enable certain industries to function, e.g. by providing spare parts to manufacturing plants. In view of the distances involved, plus the narrow time windows, trucks can only really usefully be employed over distances of up to 250km approx, although this can be more at weekends when the transit time window is wider for most applications.

The catchment area of an airport depends on its distribution network of smaller planes, plus the one-day truck radius for shorter distances. The nature of air freight and especially express cargo is such that it is necessary to operate at night, since customers tend to require late pick-up and delivery (usually) the next business day.

Constraining factors are; slot capacity, aircraft payload, airport serviceability (weather etc), to say nothing of the high fluctuation of volumes in the networks. Future night-time restrictions would be an additional strategic concern, on top of these more operational difficulties facing today’s air infrastructure to cope with rapidly growing market demand for express cargo (this being a key for sustained economic growth). (more…)

Tagged with: European Intermodal Association (EIA), Klaus Ebeling, Railways