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Issue 1 2010, Past issues / 22 February 2010 /
2009 was a challenging year for the aviation industry, as a widespread economic slowdown cast a pall over the development plans of numerous airports around the globe.
While Las Vegas has been anything but immune to today’s turbulent financial conditions, those in charge of the seventh busiest airport in North America are bullish on the future and remain committed to completing its nearly $3 billion capital improvement plan less than three years from now.
“We’re looking toward the future of Southern Nevada, making sure that McCarran International Airport is ready and able to serve this community for years into the future, long after today’s concerns have faded into history,” said Randall H. Walker, Director of the Clark County Department of Aviation, which owns and operates McCarran. (more…)
Issue 1 2010, Past issues / 22 February 2010 /
February 27, 1995. It was called Push Night. A winter storm threatened and at Denver’s worn and venerable Stapleton Airport, the airlines had cut back flight schedules and were keeping skeleton crews. In the evening dusk, lines of tugs hauled equipment northward in the largest logistical movement, outside of a full-scale military mobilisation, of the time. The last flight out of Stapleton left at 9:00 p.m. that evening, a flight bound for London Gatwick. Then Stapleton’s runway lights were turned off, ending an era in Denver aviation that began in 1929.
The following morning at 6:00 a.m., on February 28, a flight from Colorado Springs was the first to land at Denver International Airport (DEN), the first major built-from-the-ground-up airport in the United States since the 1970s.
This February, DEN celebrates its 15th anniversary as the fifth-busiest airport in the United States and the 10th busiest air hub in the world. Perched strategically near the foot of the Rocky Mountains and in the geographic centre of the United States, Denver International Airport is poised for the next phase of development this year. The airport’s massive 53-square-mile site provides ample space for the future expansion of facilities, to ensure that DEN remains one of the premier airports. (more…)
Issue 5 2009, Past issues / 29 September 2009 /
Many changes have occurred at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) since the early 1960′s, when the Anchorage airport was first recognised as the “Air Crossroads of the World.” Today, a newly renovated airport terminal facility is a showcase of architecture and achievements, welcoming Alaskans and visitors as they fly to and from Alaska.
The airport’s strategic location has attracted nearly every major air cargo carrier operating in Asia and North America. Air cargo has expanded rapidly over the last dozen years and has dramatically increased the number of cargo flights utilising ANC for refuelling and technical stops. Today the airport ranks number one in the U.S. for landed gross weight and ranks fifth largest in the world for cargo tonnage.
In 1998 airport stakeholders and community organisations agreed that a renovation and expansion of the domestic terminal was pivotal to the airport’s ability to provide service for the travelling public. What began in 1999 as the Terminal Redevelopment Project (TRP), with numerous phases, will be completed this autumn. (more…)
Issue 3 2009, Past issues / 26 May 2009 /
Air traffic delays due to congestion in the National Airspace System (NAS) are a source of unnecessary cost to airlines, passengers, and air transportation dependent businesses. Congestion is estimated to cost the aviation industry, passengers, and shippers approximately $10 billion per year. This cost can be further segregated into a $6 billion impact upon direct airline operating costs and a $4 billion impact upon the value of collective passenger time.
Delays also have an environmental cost. Because of congestion, aircraft are often forced to deviate from the optimal cruise altitudes and/or fuel-efficient cruise speeds for which they are designed. Such sub-optimality results in unnecessary fuel burn and gaseous emissions that may have an impact on the global environment, especially as they are being deposited into the higher reaches of the atmosphere. (more…)
Issue 2 2009, Past issues / 31 March 2009 /
Airports play a critical role in the transformation of the nation’s airspace system to the Next Generation Air Transportations System (NextGen). As we move toward NextGen, airports are serving as partners to the FAA in terms of rolling out new technologies and procedures, but they are also a focus for operational change.
In their partnership role, airports provide obvious value in supplying the gates, runways and taxiways that form the bulwark of the nation’s aviation infrastructure. This in turn allows us to better meet the demands for increased capacity, particularly at the most congested airports. But airports are also important in the types of operational changes that focus on aircraft systems and improved air traffic management, which is essential to NextGen’s goal of increasing capacity and efficiency in ways that do not harm the environment. (more…)
Issue 4 2008, Past issues / 1 August 2008 /
Biometrics are coming to U.S. airports. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are seriously considering how to implement biometric identifier systems as part of aviation worker credentialing and access control systems at U.S. airports. In addition, the U.S. House of Representatives just passed legislation requiring TSA to work with industry to study ways to speed deployment of such systems for use by aviation workers.
In response, a growing group of airports, along with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), are leading an industry effort known as the Biometric Airport Security Identification Consortium (BASIC) to work with TSA to determine how, and when, biometric-based systems can be deployed at airports. In particular, BASIC’s primary objective is to ensure that any requirements and standards for biometric systems at airports not only meet TSA’s security demands but also preserve local control and flexibility, build off existing processes and resources, and protect existing capital investments. (more…)
Issue 3 2008, Past issues / 30 May 2008 /
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…)
Issue 3 2008, Past issues / 30 May 2008 /
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…)
Issue 1 2008, Past issues / 4 February 2008 /
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) welcomes nearly 36 million passengers per year, making it the nation’s 11th busiest airport and the world’s 19th busiest in 2006 according to Airports Council International (ACI). Located approximately 26 miles (42 km) southeast of the major U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan, DTW is the primary international airport serving a metropolitan area of more than six million people.
DTW is also the largest hub and primary U.S. international gateway for Northwest Airlines, the world’s fifth busiest carrier, and the second-largest hub for ultra-low cost carrier Spirit Airlines. Together with 14 additional airlines – including five foreign flag carriers – Detroit’s airlines and their regional partners offer service to more than 160 non-stop destinations around the globe. (more…)
Issue 1 2008, Past issues / 4 February 2008 /
To some, Minnesota is the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” birthplace of the Mississippi River and a woodland paradise for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation. To others, Minnesota is the cultural and financial king of the Upper Midwest, a mecca for music and the performing arts, and headquarters of 20 Fortune 500 corporations.
Regardless of your reason for traveling to Minnesota, if you are arriving by air, chances are you will fly into Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. More than 35 million people travel through MSP every year, ranking the airport among the top 15 busiest in North America. Nearly every major U.S. airline operates at MSP, along with four headquartered in Minnesota: Northwest Airlines, which maintains a major hub at MSP; regional carrier Mesaba Airlines, which was recently acquired by Northwest; Sun Country Airlines and Champion Airlines.
Those airlines provide nonstop service to 122 domestic and 20 international markets. Direct flights between MSP and Amsterdam, London, Reykjavik and Tokyo provide a convenient link between America’s heartland and cities in Europe, Iceland and Asia. In April, Northwest Airlines will begin direct service to Paris from MSP as well. (more…)
Issue 1 2008, Past issues / 4 February 2008 /
On 5 December 2007, the long–awaited Houston-Dubai flight connecting two giants of the energy industry arrived at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The new nonstop Emirates service is a perfect example of how airlines that until recently were not seen at Houston’s air terminals, are poised to take advantage of the city’s growing demand for passenger and cargo services.
The Houston-Dubai route promises to be a money-maker for Emirates and provides a much needed nonstop link to the Middle East for Houston’s vast number of oil and gas companies. Thanks to the growth of foreign carriers and the availability of aircraft like the Boeing 777-200LR, which can fly longer distances, routes like this are no longer just a penciled entry on an airline planner’s dream sheet.
Today a number of airlines are showing keen interest in availing themselves of Houston’s growing market opportunities. As international agreements continue to open markets and new long-range aircraft with the ability to bypass traditional entry points take flight, their numbers will continue to increase. (more…)
Issue 4 2007, Past issues / 31 July 2007 /
On December 20, 2006, Denver International Airport faced a snowstorm that challenged every single aspect of the operation. The storm, now commonly referred to as the December Blizzard of ‘06, brought over 20 inches of snow, with wind gusts above 40 mph and white-out conditions to the Denver area.
These conditions eventually caused DEN to close for 45 hours during the worst possible time of year, the pre-Christmas rush. The lengthy airport closure cost the hub carriers at Denver millions of dollars, stranded nearly 5,000 passengers at the airport – ruining holiday plans for many – and sent ripple effects through the airspace system that took several days to level out. Afterwards, DEN senior management, including the newly hired directors of Airport Operations and Airport Maintenance, John Kinney and Ruth Rodriguez, closely examined every aspect of the events before, during and after the storm to find areas that could be improved upon, as well as to identify future challenges. In the end, the December Blizzard has proven to be a catalyst for DEN to reinvent its winter operations program. (more…)
Issue 2 2007, Past issues / 3 April 2007 /
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…)
Issue 2 2007, Past issues / 3 April 2007 /
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…)
Issue 2 2007, Past issues / 3 April 2007 /
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…)
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