snow control ga security 110th congress -...

www.aaae.org/magazine | February/March 2007

snow controlga security110th congress

79TH ANNUALAAAE CONFERENCE AND EXPOSITION

June 10 - 13, 2007 • Washington Convention Center

Hosted by Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

For registration details, contact the AAAE Meetings Department. For exhibit details, contact the AAAE Sales and Marketing Department. 703.824.0504 • www.aaae.org/annual2007

2007 International Airport ConferencesHosted by American Association of Airport Executives and

International Associaiton of Airport Executives

2007 International Airport ConferencesHosted by American Association of Airport Executives and

International Associaiton of Airport Executives

These events create the ideal environment for top-level U.S. andinternational airport executives to share and exchange informationwithin an ever-changing global aviation industry. Register today.

U.S.-INDIA AVIATION PARTNERSHIPSUMMITApril 23 – 25, 2007New Delhi, IndiaTo promote greater cooperationbetween the U.S. and Indian aviation sectors, the U.S. Trade andDevelopment Agency (USTDA), in cooperation with the IndianMinistry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Airports Authority ofIndia (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), theU.S. Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of State,U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Transportation SecurityAdministration, American Association of Airport Executives(AAAE), International Association of Airport Executives (IAAE),and The MITRE Corporation will sponsor a high-level U.S. IndiaAviation Partnership Summit. The event will take place at theThe Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi, India. For more information,contact Spencer Dickerson of the AAAE/IAAE staff in the U.S. at703-824-0500, Ext. 130, [email protected]

U.S.-EUROPE AVIATION SECURITYPOLICY CONFERENCE July 2 – 4, 2007Brussels, BelgiumThe European Civil AviationCommission (ECAC), the American Association of AirportExecutives (AAAE), the Airports Council International-Europe(ACI-Europe) and APCO Worldwide are pleased to present thisconference to be held at the Conrad Brussels Hotel. Topics thatwill be discussed include advancing the next generation of pas-senger and baggage screening; an examination of whether the avi-ation security policies and procedures can be better developed toanticipate threats to aviation; examining the growing costs for avi-ation security; working towards global implementation of securi-ty measures and more.. For more information, contact TomZoeller, AAAE, at Ext. 172, [email protected], SpencerDickerson of the AAAE/IAAE staff in the U.S. at 703-824-0500,Ext. 130, [email protected] or George Paldi, EuropeanConsultant, AAAE at 011 36 209427005, [email protected]

AIRPORTS CONFERENCE OF THEAMERICASJuly 15 – 17, 2007Cancun, MexicoThis forum will contain informativebusiness sessions on issues facing the industry in this region and atabletop exhibit. Aviation and airport decision makers fromCaribbean and Latin American countries will join with U.S. airportexecutives and suppliers to discuss today's challenges and solu-

tions. U.S. government cosponsors will facilitate meetings betweenU.S. companies and officials from Caribbean and Latin Americancountries. This meeting is also co-sponsored by the AAAE SouthCentral Chapter. For more information contact Joan Lowden of theAAAE/IAAE staff in the U.S. at 703-824-0500, Ext. 137, [email protected] or Susan Lausch, Ext.128, [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SECURITYTECHNOLOGY CONFERENCEAugust 26 – 28, 2007St. Petersburg, RussiaThis highly informative and technolo-gy-focused conference, sponsored by AAAE/IAAE, will be attend-ed by airport and aviation experts from around the world in addi-tion to U.S. and international government officials. Aviationequipment, technology and overall aviation security policies willbe addressed at this meeting. For more information, contactSpencer Dickerson of the AAAE/IAAE staff in the U.S. at 703-824-0500, Ext. 130, [email protected], or ColleenChamberlain, AAAE, at Ext. 117 or [email protected] orGeorge Paldi, European Consultant, AAAE at 011 36 209427005,[email protected]

CENTRAL EUROPE/U.S REGIONALDEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE –IMPORTANCE OF REGIONALAIRPORTS AND LOW COST AIRLINESTO THE LOCAL ECONOMYOctober 14 – 16, 2007Wroclaw, PolandThis premier conference will bring together key airport execu-tives from Europe and the U.S. to discuss the latest develop-ments and trends with regional airport development, impact oflow fare airlines on airports, and revenue enhancement, both onthe airside and landside. For more information, contact SpencerDickerson of the AAAE/IAAE staff in the U.S. at 703-824-0500,Ext. 130 or [email protected] or George Paldi, EuropeanConsultant, AAAE at 011 36 209427005, [email protected]

13TH ANNUAL CENTRAL EUROPE/U.S.AIRPORT ISSUES CONFERENCENovember 7 – 9, 2007Munich, GermanyVisit historic Munich, network withairport colleagues from Central Europe/U.S. and corporations,and learn about infrastructure development, airport safety andsecurity, airline/airport relations challenges. For more informa-tion, contact Spencer Dickerson of the AAAE/IAAE staff in theU.S. at 703-824-0500, Ext. 130 or [email protected], orGeorge Paldi, European Consultant, AAAE at 011 36 209427005,[email protected]

Individual and package sponsorship opportunities are available for all of these conferences. Please contact Spencer Dickerson of the AAAE/IAAE staff in the U.S. at 703-824-0500, Ext. 130 or [email protected]

More information is also available at the AAAE/IAAE meetings website: http://www.iaae.org/meetings/calendar.htm

E D I T O R I A L B O A R DWILLIAM G. BARKHAUER

Morristown, New JerseyBRYAN ELLIOTT

Charlottesville, VirginiaBILL HOGAN

Reynolds, Smith, & HillsJAMES E. JOHNSON

Odessa, FloridaRANDY D. POPE

Burns & McDonnell

A A A E B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S

C H A I RELAINE ROBERTS, Columbus, Ohio

F I R S T V I C E C H A I RKRYS T. BART, Reno, Nevada

S E C O N D V I C E C H A I RJAMES P. ELWOOD, Aspen, Colorado

S E C R E T A R Y / T R E A S U R E RJOHN K. DUVAL, Boston, Massachusetts

F I R S T P A S T C H A I RR. LOWELL PRATTE, Louisville, Kentucky

S E C O N D P A S T C H A I RWILLIAM G. BARKHAUER, Morristown, New Jersey

B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R SSTEPHEN J. ADAMS, JR., Manchester, New Hampshire

LORI L. BECKMAN, Denver, ColoradoJAMES E. BENNETT, Washington, D.C.

RANDALL D. BERG, Salt Lake City, UtahBENJAMIN R. DECOSTA, Atlanta, Georgia

KEVIN A. DILLON, Manchester, New HampshireBRYAN O. ELLIOTT, Charlottesville, Virginia

LINDA G. FRANKL, Columbus, OhioMICHAEL J. HANEY, Moline, Illinois

GARY L. JOHNSON, Stillwater, OklahomaPAULA JORDAN, DFW Airport, Texas

ALEX M. KASHANI, Washington, D.C.PARKER W. MCCLELLAN, Orlando, FloridaMICHAEL A. MUSCA, Modesto, California

ROBERT P. OLISLAGERS, Englewood, ColoradoJEANNE M. OLIVIER, New York, New York

LISA A. PYLES, Addison, TexasGARY T. RICE, Santa Maria, California

C H A P T E R P R E S I D E N T SBERVN CASE, Medford, OR

GARY T. RICE, Santa Maria, CaliforniaDAVID N. EDWARDS, Fletcher, North Carolina

BRADLEY PENROD, Pittsburgh, PAMIKE SHAHAN, C.M., Denison, TX

ROBERT WORKING, A.A.E., Evansville, IN

P O L I C Y R E V I E W C O M M I T T E ETHELLA F. BOWENS, San Diego, CaliforniaMARK P. BREWER, Warwick, Rhode Island

TIMOTHY L. CAMPBELL, Baltimore, MarylandCHERYL COHEN-VADER, Denver International Airport

LARRY D. COX, Memphis, TennesseeALFONSO DENSON, Birmingham, Alabama

KEVIN C. DOLLIOLE, St. Louis, MissouriKENT G. GEORGE, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

MICHAEL A. GOBB, Lexington, KentuckyCHARLES J. ISDELL, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaTHOMAS J. KINTON, JR., Boston, Massachusetts

MARK KRANENBURG, Oklahoma City, OKLYNN F. KUSY, Mesa, Arizona

ERIN M. O’DONNELL, Chicago, IllinoisMORTON V. PLUMB, Anchorage, Alaska

MARK M. REIS, Seattle, WashingtonLESTER W. ROBINSON, Detroit, MichiganJAMES R. SMITH, Newport News, Virginia

MARK WEBB, San Antonio, TexasP R E S I D E N T

CHARLES M. BARCLAY, Alexandria, Virginia

M A G A Z I N E

Volume 19/ Number 1 | February/March 2007

f e a t u r e s

cover: aircraft rescue & firefighting On the Road | 21ARFF training trends include increased mobile trainer usage and awareness ofcargo’s complications.

ga securityTaking Practical Action | 32GA security: why we still care, what can we do about it, and how we pay for it.

snow controlCleveland’s Stepped-up Snow Control | 38Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has new equipment and a new plan forbattling winter storms.

congressChanging Hill Leadership,

Changing Aviation Priorities | 46What does the Democratic leadership of the 110th Congress mean for airport priorities? AAAE met with several key Democrats to find out.

d e p a r t m e n t s

Inner Marker 8

Up Front 10

Market Scan 18

Retail Spotlight 37

AirporTech 44

Airport Spotlight 52

General Aviation 50

Airport Billboard 54

Plane Sight 55

Advertisers’ Index 54

coming in april/mayAirfield lighting’s future (April/May)

Baggage/Passenger screening update (April/May)

Cover Design: Daryl E. Humphrey

21

32

38

it’s a comfort to know

For more information, call 1-800-728-1187 or visit www.honeywell.com/homelandsecurity©2006 Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.

We’re quietly behind the scenes making airports more secure. You can rely on Honeywell’s

security solutions to help solve core operating issues. We provide a single, expert source for

your fire detection, environmental controls and security needs. Our systems can be found

anywhere in the airport. And easily work together or as a stand-alone solution. Everything is

built around making you and your travelers feel comfortable and secure—and that’s a good

feeling to know. Go ahead and put our sixty years of aviation experience to work for you.

If you’re involved in setting up a safety manage-ment system at your airport, there’s a report outthat merits a spot on your must-read list.

The Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR)in mid-January produced a study on safety man-agement systems (SMS) implementation inSwitzerland’s aviation sectors—including airports,airlines and air traffic management (ATM). Thestudy, commissioned by the Swiss government, fol-lowed up on recommendations made in a 2003NLR report prompted by four high-profile acci-dents involving Swisscarriers and ATMprovider Skyguide.

While airport opera-tions didn’t play a directrole in any of the accidents, NLR looked at airportSMS as part of the overall aviation system, andmade several recommendations for ZurichInternational and Geneva International. In the 2006follow-up report, NLR reviews its recommenda-tions—which focused on establishing and imple-menting safety policies—and provided somedetails on the airports’ progress.

Two particularly notable items included in thereport are each airport’s safety policy (or, to beprecise, unofficial English-language translationsof each policy), complete with SMS implementa-

tion goals.Access the site via the Web address in the middle

of this page. The URL is long, but it’s worth theeffort. The report is presented (in Adobe PDF files)in its entirety—165 pages— as well as by chapter.The airport section, chapter 9, is 11 pages long.

The International Civil Aviation Organizationmade safety management systems a standard part ofAnnex 14 (aerodromes) in November 2005; SMSwill soon be mandatory for Part 139 airports in theU.S. At last word, FAA was putting together a draft

rule for release this year. As you move toward

meeting the imminentmandate, I’d be interestedin hearing about the

process at your airport. If your airport already hasSMS or you are in a country that already requires it,such as Canada, I’d be interested in hearing (and, ifappropriate, sharing) your stories. Please drop me anote if you have anything to share. A

Sean [email protected]

iminner marker

Safety Management In Switzerland—And Beyond

Airport Magazine | February/March 20078

Link to the NLR report here:www.uvek.admin.ch/dokumentation/

00655/00895/01236/index.html?lang=en

E D I T O RSEAN BRODERICK

[email protected]

P U B L I S H E RJOAN LOWDEN

E X E C U T I V E E D I T O RELLEN P. HORTON

D E P U T Y E D I T O RBARBARA COOK

N E W S E D I T O RHOLLY ACKERMAN

A S S I S T A N T E D I T O R

MELISSA BABULA

A R T D I R E C T O R

DARYL HUMPHREY

S E N I O R G R A P H I C D E S I G N E RSEUNG HEE LEE

C O N T R I B U T O R S

JEFF PRICE

JIM WALLACE

CLIF STROUD

ERYN TRAVIS

S T A F F P H O T O G R A P H E RJAMES MARTIN

S T A F F V I C E P R E S I D E N TS A L E S A N D M A R K E T I N G

SUSAN [email protected]

E D I T O R I A L O F F I C E 601 Madison Street, Suite 400

Alexandria, VA 22314(703) 824-0500, Ext. 126

Fax: (703) 820-1395Internet Address: www.aaae.org/magazine

Send editorial materials/press releases to: [email protected]

R E P R I N T I N F O R M A T I O NTHE REPRINT DEPARTMENT

(717) 481-8500

Airport Magazine is published bimonthly by the AAAE Service Corporation Inc.,

a wholly owned subsidiary of the AmericanAssociation of Airport Executives, and the

Airport Research and Development Foundation.

Subscription price for AAAE members is includedin the annual dues. U.S. subscription rate to

non-members is $45 for one year. International ratefor non-members is $75. Single copy price is $10.

Copyright 2007 by AAAE. All rights reserved.

Statements of fact and opinion are theresponsibility of the authors and do not

necessarily reflect the views of AAAEor any of its members or officers.

POSTMASTERSend address changes to:

Airport Magazine601 Madison Street, Suite 400

Alexandria, VA 22314

M A G A Z I N E

Airport Magazine | February/March 2007 9

ufup front


FAA: ImproveAirfield Mod Notices

FAA is urging airports to provideflight crews with more detailedreports of temporary airfield modifi-cations, such as construction-relat-ed runway and taxiway closures.

In an advisory “CertAlert” issuedJanuary 9, 2007, (No. 07-01), theagency’s Airport Safety &Operations Division noted that“pure text” alerts, includingNOTAMS, “may be inadequate” foreffectively communicating airfieldchanges to flight crews. FAA recom-mended that airports use simplegraphics in the notices they dissem-inate to aircraft operators to aug-ment the standard text messages.

“In many cases, pure text can bedifficult for people to envisionexactly what is being described,”the agency said. “Whereas, using apicture or diagram that pinpointsthe exact location of the closure ismuch [clearer].”

FAA cited a procedure used at oneunnamed airport as an example ofthe recommended practice. The air-port begins with an (electronic)bitmap image of its airfield configu-ration. When changes such as taxi-way or runway closures occur, anairport ops employee opens thebitmap image in a program such asMicrosoft Paint (which comes stan-dard on most Windows-enabledPCs) and adds simple colors or notesto the area being closed. The result-ing image is saved, cut and pastedinto a construction notice, and dis-tributed to air carriers and FBOs.

“The dissemination of the dia-grams can be done by email, byestablishing a Web site that can beaccessed by the tenants, or by handdelivery,” FAA said. “The possibili-ties are limited only by imagination.

But the result is a much more safeenvironment. “

The agency emphasized that theuse of graphics should augment, notreplace, text notifications.

PANYNJ BuysStewart Lease

The Port Authority of New York andNew Jersey Board of Commissionershas voted to purchase the operatinglease of Stewart International Airportin Newburgh, New York, with theintention of using the airport to

relieve congestion at KennedyInternational, Newark Liberty andLaGuardia.

Stewart’s lease is now held by U.K.-based National Express Group PLC,which said it planned to sell the air-port lease to focus on its core bus andtrain business.

In an announcement January 25,the port authority said it would pur-chase the remaining 93 years of theairport lease for $78.5 million andassume control of Stewart byOctober 2007.

The port authority’s announcementdescribed Stewart Airport as “a facil-ity with untapped potential, covering

Airports need to be more proactive and creative in how they inform operators of tempo-

rary airfield modifications, FAA says.

JIM M

AR

TIN


news briefs

Daniel Weber, A.A.E., was named avia-tion director for the city of Dallas, effec-tive Jan. 17, with responsibility for DallasLove Field, Dallas Executive Airport andthe city’s downtown heliport. Weber pre-viously served as director of aviation forAbilene, Texas. … A University ofLouisville economic impact study of thecity’s airports revealed that the facilitieswere responsible for generating $4.5 bil-lion in total direct and indirect businessexpenditures in 2005. … The nearly 80businesses at Salina (Kansas) MunicipalAirport and Salina Airport IndustrialCenter generate more than $200 millionin annual payroll and more than $50 mil-lion in annual state and local tax rev-enues, according to a report fromWichita State University’s Center forEconomic Development and Business.… Central Nebraska Regional Airportwas named Nebraska Airport of the Yearby the state aeronautics department. …The Los Angeles Board of AirportCommissioners reported that LosAngeles World Airports’ role in SouthernCalifornia entertainment productions dur-ing 2002-2005 resulted in a $590 millioneconomic impact. These figures includeboth direct and indirect economic activi-ty stemming from industry expenditures.… AirTrain JFK’s paid ridershipincreased more than 15 percent in 2006while AirTrain Newark’s paid ridershipgrew by more than 8 percent last year asboth airport rail systems set annual pas-senger records, the Port Authority ofNew York and New Jersey reported. …The Air Transport Association is project-ing an aggregate net profit of approxi-mately $4 billion for passenger and cargoairlines in 2007. In a forecast released inearly January, ATA estimated that the air-line industry will report 2006 earningsranging from $2 billion to $3 billion.Retail Briefs are on page 37.

Tech Briefs are on page 52.

Construction Briefs are on page 54.

2,400 acres of underutilized landwith two large runways that can han-dle major jet service outside ofcrowded airspace over JFK, Newarkand LaGuardia.” In addition to reliev-ing traffic at the area’s three major air-ports, the port authority said Stewartcould play a key role in ongoingefforts to reduce flight movements atTeterboro Airport.

Port Authority Executive DirectorAnthony Shorris explained,“Through a measured program of sig-nificant investments, the port author-ity will be able to transform StewartAirport. We can turn that sleepy,underutilized facility into a dynamictransportation hub that will, alongwith our other investments in ourregional airport system, allow us tomeet the incredible growth indemand for air travel. We expectStewart will play a significant role inan integrated airport system thathelps JFK, Newark and LaGuardiameet the challenges ahead.”

Stewart Airport is located outsidethe district in which the port authori-ty is authorized to operate under itscharter, defined roughly as a 25-mileradius around the Statue of Liberty.In 1967, the state of New York passedlegislation to enable the port authori-ty to operate Stewart Airport. For thepurchase of the operating lease to becompleted, the State of New Jerseyneeds to enact legislation similar tothe 1967 New York law, according tothe port authority announcement.

Virgin America,Take II

Rebuffed by DOT, which claimed itwasn’t an American-controlled com-pany, Virgin America—a would-below-fare carrier aiming to capture asegment of the domestic U.S. mar-

ket—swiftly revamped its businessplan and now claims it can satisfyDOT’s concerns.

“Our investors have made keychanges to the company that we feeldemonstrably address DOT’s con-cerns so that we can get our airline upand flying as soon as possible,” saidVirgin America CEO Fred Reid. “Weare committed to creating the best air-line possible and bringing much-needed competition to the U.S. air-line market.”

Among changes in the revisedapplication, Virgin Group:

• will drop a seat on the board ofdirectors, so it holds only two of eightvoting seats;

• has given up veto or consent rightsregarding various aspects of VirginAmerica’s operations or decisionmaking;

• has agreed to clarify and relax cer-tain key terms in the Virgin trade-mark license;

• has agreed to put all of its votingshares in a voting trust with a DOT-approved U.S. trustee;

• will remove its CEO should DOTfind that necessary;

• has ensured that both of the U.S.investment funds, Cyrus Capital andBlack Canyon, will limit investors toU.S. citizens only, and

• has secured an additional $20 mil-lion investment in Virgin Americafrom the U.S. investors.

“We passed the FAA’s stringentsafety review with flying colors, andwe now hope to move swiftly forwardwith our DOT certification,” saidReid. “We are ready to bring newcompetition, lower fares, better serv-ice, as well as jobs and economic ben-efits, to the people and communitieswe will serve.”

up front

Alaska, Horizon PlanSea-Tac Revamp

Seattle-Tacoma International Airportis set to become an “Airport of theFuture” for Alaska Airlines andHorizon Air. The carriers haveunveiled an $18 million plan torevamp customer check-in at the air-port by the end of 2007 with a patent-ed concept that eliminates the air-lines’ traditional ticket counters infavor of customer-friendly islandswith check-in kiosks and bag checkstations. The carriers say the designspeeds the check-in process, reducing

AL

AS

KA

AIR

LIN

ES

The check-in of the future: no counter space; kiosk-equipped islands.

overall passenger wait times. While the total size of Alaska’s and

Horizon’s check-in area at Sea-Tac willremain the same, removing the ticketcounters and relocating office space tothe mezzanine level will increase cus-tomer service space from 9,000 squarefeet to nearly 14,000. Passengers willcheck in and receive boarding passesat one of 50 kiosks called Instant TravelMachines, which may be bypassed ifthe passenger checked in online.

Customers with carry-on luggageonly will proceed directly to thesecurity checkpoint, while those withchecked luggage will proceed to oneof 54 bag-check points at threeislands. Customer service employees

at these locations will scan boardingpasses and affix bag tags, while anewly designed conveyor belt systemat each checkpoint will weigh andautomatically move the baggage tothe main luggage conveyor belt andon to the aircraft.

Alaska Air debuted the “Airport ofthe Future” design in 2004 atAnchorage Ted Stevens InternationalAirport, where it helped reduce con-gestion in the check-in area and cutcustomer wait times in half, the carri-er said. Patented in 2006, the concepthas been implemented on a smallerscale in Los Angeles; Boise, Idaho;Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and severallocations in Alaska.

TSA To Pilot Bin Ads

TSA is launching a pilot program toallow vendor-airport operator part-ners to place advertising in the bot-tom of bins at passenger securitycheckpoints.

Vendors interested in participatingin the pilot first must sign an agree-ment with the airport operator detail-ing terms of the program. This agree-ment must be submitted to TSA byMay 17 for evaluation. If TSA is satis-fied with the proposal, the agencywill sign an agreement with the air-

up front

up front

port operator to allow the advertisingplacement to begin. TSA said it willfinalize agreements with airport oper-ators by May 31.

TSA explained that the agreementbetween the airport and vendor mustinclude information on projectedincome, as well as costs, for the binads. The airport operator is responsi-ble for developing standards regulat-ing acceptable ads, and the programmust not include any cost to TSA.

TSA has established specificationsfor the size of bins and tables to besupplied by the vendor for the pro-gram, noting that the bins must bemade of a material that won’t inter-fere with the screening process andmust nest for easy stacking andretrieving. A minimum of 60 binsmust be supplied for each securitylane, as well as tables for the front ofthe checkpoint (if not already pres-ent) and carts that screeners will useto transfer bins from the secure side

of the checkpoint to the front.A year-long test program of the new

bins, with advertising, was held atKnoxville’s McGee-Tyson Airport.One airport official familiar with thetests reported that they went smooth-ly. One advantage of the new bins isthat they are constructed to separateeasily, eliminating the suction effectthat can make the standard bins diffi-cult for passengers to pull apart, theofficial said.

For further information about thepilot program, contact Gregory Fieldsin TSA’s Office of Acquisition at (571)227-2266, or [email protected].

TSA: Hotel Check-InProgram Successful

A TSA pilot program at both DetroitMetro and Dallas/Fort Worth

International (DFW) that allows airporthotel overnight guests to visit conces-sions beyond the security checkpointwithout having a boarding pass hasbeen successful, with a greater numberof participants than expected, theagency reported in mid-January.

TSA’s AAACE (Airport AccessAuthorization to CommercialEstablishments) program waslaunched at Detroit Metro in mid-December 2006, and provides aprocess for overnight hotel guests atthe airport Westin Hotel to apply foraccess to the shops and restaurants inthe McNamara Terminal, after submit-ting to background checks and screen-ing at the TSA security checkpoint.Metro’s Westin Hotel is directly con-nected to the McNamara Terminal andhas its own TSA screening checkpoint.

The AAACE program at DFW allowsqualifying hotel guests staying at theGrand Hyatt DFW an opportunity toproceed through security screening at

Qui

ckBi

rd d

ata

© D

igita

lGlo

be 2

004,

ww

w.d

igita

lglo

be.c

om.D

istrib

uted

by

RADA

RSAT

Inte

rnat

iona

l Inc

.,a

subs

idia

ry o

f MDA

,und

er li

cenc

e fro

m D

igita

lGlo

be.

We're going to take you to new heights …

Get aboard with AeroTURN Pro - a dynamic CAD-based simulation anddesign software. With an inclusive PBB library, you can perform and verifybridge-to-aircraft slope calculations, rotunda locations, and parked aircraft posi-tions along lead-in lines for gate planning and development. Together with itsSmartPath tools, allowing for evaluation of complex aircraft and support vehicleground maneuvers, AeroTURN Pro makes for one complete and user-friendly soft-ware package for all your airside projects.

Visit www.transoftsolutions.com/AAAE and signup for a webcast to seehow you can best take your airport designs above and beyond.©2007 Transoft Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

“See why major airport authorities around the world count onour products to deliver cost effective and time saving results.”

Amanda Clark, Airport Business Development Manager

the adjoining Terminal D to visit thefacility’s commercial businesses.

Hotel guests wanting to participatein the DFW AAACE program must firstnotify the hotel’s front desk staff in per-son. The clearance process includes acheck against TSA’s No Fly List andrequires the issuance of an authoriza-tion form that must be presented at thescreening checkpoint. The authoriza-tion is valid for only one entrance onthe date of issuance and expires atmidnight on that date. Registeredovernight guests of the Grand Hyattcannot participate in the AAACEProgram on the date of their scheduleddeparture flight.

BWI Wins AirfieldLighting Award

Baltimore/Washington InternationalThurgood Marshall Airport’s installa-

tion of stop bar lights to improve theconfiguration of Taxiway R near theintersection with Runway 15R – 33Lhas won the airport top honors fromthe Illuminating Engineering Societyof North America (IESNA).

The project involved a new appli-cation of the stop bar concept byusing lighting fixtures that are setwithin the airfield pavement, flushwith the surface.

The BWI project improved operat-ing safety at the airport and led FAAto update federal guidelines for plan-ning, design, and construction toallow for this use at other airportsaround the country, IESNA said. Theassociation designated BWI as its AirCarrier Airport of the Year for thisinnovation.

“We are proud to be recognizedwith this award,” commentedTimothy Campbell, A.A.E., executivedirector of the Maryland AviationAdministration. “The airport staff

worked very hard on this importantlighting project that improves safetyand efficiency.”

Rosy Outlook ForU.S. Airports

The credit outlook for U.S. airports in2007 is for continued improvementbased on anticipated enplanementgrowth during the year, according tonew reports from Moody’s Investorsand Fitch Ratings. Clouding the pre-diction is the upcoming debate overFAA reauthorization legislation,which presents near-term uncertain-ties for airports contemplating capitalprojects financed by AIP grants, thefirms said.

Moody’s forecast a “stable” finan-cial climate for airports this year, not-ing that overall airport credit qualityhas improved in recent years due tostrong passenger recovery following

up front

up front


the 2001 terrorist attacks. Other keyfactors supporting the predicted sta-ble outlook for 2007 include: airportfinances and leverage indicators havebeen stable or improving; the airlineindustry experienced a modest finan-cial revival in 2006; airport parkingand other non-airline revenues havegrown; management has increased itscontrol over operating and capitalbudgets, and the underlying servicearea economies for origination anddestination airports are strong, thefirm said.

Fitch Ratings said the credit qualityof major commercial U.S. airportsshould continue to improve at a “mod-est pace” throughout 2007. The out-look anticipates sustained, but slower,economic growth for airports this year,resulting in steady but slowingdemand for air service; an improve-ment in the financial position of themajor domestic carriers; limitedgrowth in airline capacity and stable toslightly rising airfares; manageable air-port capital programs designed tomatch demand and reduce congestion,and the potential for favorable changesin the PFC program as a result of FAA

reauthorization, Fitch said.Risks to the 2007 outlook include the

possible consolidation of the domesticairline industry, weaker than anticipat-ed economic activity that could reducedemand for air travel, the rising cost ofconstruction materials that may leadairports to use a higher degree of finan-cial leverage, and/or an unexpectedsurge in fuel prices or other externalevents that could both weaken airlinefinancial performance and reducedemand for air travel, Fitch said.

U.S. airport credit quality continuedto improve in 2006, Fitch added,pointing out that it upgraded the rat-ings of eight airports, while downgrad-ing only two.

In a related report, Fitch said thecredit quality of the world’s airportsremains “stable to positive,” withmany airports in developed countriesmaintaining solid investment graderatings. Growing demand derived fromrelatively stable worldwide economicconditions, further globalization oftrade and commerce and the increasedsupply of air service are supportingthis credit trend, Fitch said.

Jet Accident RateHits New Low

Major commercial jet aviation acci-dents declined from 16 in 2005 to 11last year. This figure, combined witha 5.2 percent increase in jet depar-tures, pushed the jet airliner majoraccident rate below 0.4 accidents permillion departures for the first timeever, the Flight Safety Foundation(FSF) reported.

Business jets were involved in 10major accidents last year, down from15 in 2005, FSF reported. Turboprops(15 or more seats) were involved in23 accidents, down from 39 in 2005.

FSFs’ report, published in the foun-dation’s AeroSafety World magazine,notes that approach and landing acci-dents still account for more than 50percent of major accidents.

FSF defines a major accident asone in which there are multiplefatalities; at least one fatality andsubstantial aircraft damage; or theaircraft is destroyed.

Wanted: AirportProblems

The Airport Cooperative ResearchProgram (ACRP) has announced asolicitation for problem statementsfor consideration for fiscal year2008 funding.

The submission of a problem state-ment forms the basis of the ACRPresearch program. Problem statementsmay be submitted by any interestedperson or entity and must be submittedby April 15. For more information, seewww.trb.org/NotesDocs/ACRP_Solicit_Problems.pdf.

The ACRP is an applied, contractresearch program designed to devel-op near-term solutions to issues fac-ing airports. The ACRP undertakesresearch and other technical activi-ties on a variety of airport-relatedareas, including operations, design,construction, engineering, safety andsecurity. Sponsored by FAA and

Steady airline industry growth is expected to keep airport credit ratings on the rise in 2007.

JIM

MA

RT

IN

The administration’s $2.75 billionAIP request is about $1 billion lessthan the amount Congress authorizedfor the current fiscal year. In FY 2004,the general aviation and commercialfuel taxes only generated about $712million–or some $2 billion less thannecessary to fund AIP, even at theadministration’s significantlyreduced level. In order to make upthe difference, the administrationwould need to impose a huge tax

increase on general aviation and com-mercial fuel–a proposal that will like-ly encounter stiff opposition from thegeneral aviation community.

On the DHS funding front, thebudget calls for $259 million for in-line explosives detection installation,$129 million below the $388 millionthat was approved for that purposefor FY 2007. Overall, TSA is slatedfor a slight budget increase in FY2008 to $4.953 billion. A


up front

funded through the AIP program, theACRP is managed by the NationalAcademies and the TransportationResearch Board.

The ACRP program is governed byan ACRP Oversight Committee, com-prised of airport-industry representa-tives appointed by the secretary oftransportation. AAAE is an ex-officiomember of the oversight committeeand assists the committee in its con-sideration and deliberations on theproblem statements and overall man-agement of the program.

AIP ChangesProposed

The President’s proposed fiscal year(FY) 2008 budget includes $2.75 bil-lion for the Airport ImprovementProgram (AIP)—about $765 millionless than what’s expected to beapproved as part of the pending FY2007 spending bill—and a significantchange on how the program is funded.

Under the administration’s plan,released just as AM was going topress, funding for airport improve-ments and the majority of Research,Engineering and Development(RE&D) would still come from theAirport and Airway Trust Fund.However, budget documents indicatethat money going into the trust fundwould come from commercial andgeneral aviation fuel taxes. Details ofFAA’s new funding plan are expectedto be released by the agency in lateFebruary.

Of the $2.75 billion made availablefor AIP in the President’s budget, $80million is proposed to be used tofund administration of the AIP pro-gram, $10 million is to be used for theAirport Cooperative ResearchProgram and $18.7 million is to beused for airport-related research.There is some indication that theadministration will propose eliminat-ing the triggers in current law that cutentitlement funding to airports whenoverall program funding drops below$3.2 billion.

msmarket scan


Top U.S. Destinations from International AirportsFebruary 2006 vs February 2007

Non-stop, operating, passenger flights only

Data provided by OAG WorldwideExperts in global travel content

www.oagdata.com

Destination Airport Available Seats Available Flights

Feb 2006 Feb 2007 Variance % Feb 2006 Feb 2007 Variance%

New York Kennedy 1,006,748 1,061,568 5% 4,414 4,962 12%

Miami 886,493 883,368 0% 5,189 5,109 -2%

Los Angeles 816,461 850,879 4% 3,729 4,182 12%

Chicago O’Hare 565,035 622,525 10% 3,407 3,672 8%

Newark Liberty 491,355 512,280 4% 3,088 3,289 7%

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson 422,594 460,314 9% 2,450 2,831 16%

San Francisco 372,435 387,184 4% 1,585 1,708 8%

Houston George Bush 372,159 386,426 4% 3,418 3,494 2%

Dallas/Fort Worth 277,133 286,988 4% 1,876 2,016 7%

Washington Dulles 251,609 269,132 7% 1,332 1,450 9%

Honolulu 194,204 197,424 2% 693 676 -2%

Philadelphia 215,296 195,726 -9% 1,545 1,397 -10%

Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood 186,132 189,682 2% 2,143 2,166 1%

Boston Logan 197,773 189,069 -4% 1,333 1,350 1%

Detroit Wayne County 177,608 185,046 4% 1,174 1,187 1%

Orlando International 153,617 161,300 5% 887 921 4%

Minneapolis-St. Paul 119,251 145,116 22% 946 1,089 15%

Charlotte 149,722 128,341 -14% 952 814 -14%

Seattle/Tacoma 117,912 126,656 7% 1,176 1,228 4%

Las Vegas McCarran 98,322 106,786 9% 659 702 7%

Phoenix Sky Harbor 99,257 104,422 5% 756 783 4%

Denver 87,669 99,980 14% 677 883 30%

New York La Guardia 89,080 67,446 -24% 964 850 -12%

Tampa 30,740 35,388 15% 200 220 10%

Salt Lake City 23,982 32,994 38% 307 425 38%

Cincinnati Northern Kentucky 42,048 32,384 -23% 408 340 -17%

BWI Thurgood Marshall 38,416 31,008 -19% 311 254 -18%

Portland (Oregon) 21,650 28,664 32% 262 324 24%

Memphis 18,652 20,948 12% 142 158 11%

Reagan Washington National 24,966 20,040 -20% 368 268 -27%

source: OAG Max

Deliver your message again.

Take advantage of your organization’s

coverage in Airport Magazine by order-

ing custom reprints. Our reprint team

specializes in creating high-impact pro-

motional pieces that are ideal for deliv-

ering your message via trade shows,

mailings, or press kits.

And again. And again…

For information on making Airport Magazine reprints work for you,

contact Carol Roe at (800) 259-0470 or [email protected]

arff training


MU

FR

TI

CIT

Y O

F C

HIC

AG

O


When Mark Lee goes out on the road, he gets alot of attention. It’s not unusual for othermotorists to think that big metal cylinder he

hauls down the highways is a missile.“One woman asked if it was the space shuttle,”

Lee said. It’s not a missile or a shuttle, but it is the closest

thing to an aircraft that is made for highways ratherthan skyways. And it represents one of the currenttrends in aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF).

Lee is aircraft program manager at the MissouriUniversity Fire Rescue Training Institute. The “mis-sile” he tows around about a dozen states from the

ARFF training trends includeincreased mobile trainerusage and awareness ofcargo’s complications.

RoadOn the

By Jim Wallace

MU

FR

TI

CIT

Y O

F C

HIC

AG

O

Midwest to the Mountain West is a mobile ARFF trainer. It ismade to simulate an aircraft in many ways, except its wings rotateand fold to the side and its tail engine swings down to make itroadworthy.

Not too many years ago, when airport firefighters wanted real-istic simulations of aircraft fires, they had to travel to one of sev-eral fixed-site training centers. But these days, more and more air-ports are taking advantage of mobile units, such as the one Leetakes to about 16 airports each year.

“A lot of organizations want to have their people together anddo training at their sites with their own equipment,” he said.“With the mobile unit, you can get the feel for how your own

arff training



equipment actually works.”FAA requires all ARFF personnel

to participate in at least one live-firedrill every 12 months. Once everythree years, that training must be at afixed-site facility, but during theother two years, it can be provided bymobile units. Consequently, manyARFF departments use a mixture offixed-site and mobile-unit training.

That’s OK with Paul Powell, anARFF instructor at the fixed-site

facility operated by the TexasEngineering Extension Service atTexas A&M University, who trainsabout 1,000 people a year in ARFF.He’s a proponent of both the mobileunits, which use propane gas for theirfires, and the fixed sites, which typi-cally use flowing liquid fuel fires thatare more like fires in real accidents.

“It’s good to move to different train-ing facilities and experience differenttechniques,” he said. “There shouldbe a good balance.”

Powell, who has worked with Lee,said mobile units provide moreopportunity for training people out-side of ARFF departments, includingmembers of mutual aid fire depart-ments near airports.

“People on the outside of the fenceof the airports are looking for sometype of training,” Powell said. “I thinkthey’re becoming more cognizant ofthe need for that type of training.”

Fire chiefs are much more likely tosend their personnel 15 minutes downthe road for training at the local airportwhen a mobile unit is there than tospend hundreds or thousands of dol-lars to send them to fixed sites, he said.

But Tom Wagner, airport trainingofficer for the City of Chicago, is con-

cerned that some airports might berelying too much on mobile unittraining. The smaller fires those unitsgenerate might make some firefight-ers overconfident about their abilityto handle real airport fires, he said.

Wagner, whose facility is used forARFF training by 1,500 to 2,000 peo-ple each year, disagreed with FAA’sdecision to allow larger airports totrain using mobile units.

“If you have a 747 every day, do youreally think it makes sense to go outand train on a facility the size of aCessna 172?” he asked. “Airports thathave larger aircraft are going to betraining on a device that doesn’t havethe realism that they would be facing.”

Although Wagner concedes there issome value for firefighters to get avariety of training, including use ofmobile units at their own airports, hecontends training at a fixed site is bet-ter because “the amount of time ittakes to apply agent is similar to anactual fire.”

Captain Dave Steward, manager ofthe Salt Lake City Fire Department’sARFF Training Center, where about900 firefighters train annually, alsobelieves a fixed site like his is betterthan a mobile unit, partly because itcan provide a larger burn area. “Wecan provide a lot more realistic train-ing environment,” he said. “We cancreate any type of situation available.”

However, even though mobile unitshave taken some business away fromhis facility, Steward said it makessense for airports to use them some-times so that they can train with theirown equipment and facilities. “It’sgood to have a mixture,” he said.

Another current trend in ARFF train-ing is increased preparation for cargoaircraft fires. It’s a big concern forDennis Leon, fire training coordinatorat Dallas/Fort Worth InternationalAirport’s Fire Rescue TrainingAcademy, which trains 200 to 300 out-siders in ARFF each year. With a cargoplane fire, he said, resources can beconcentrated more on fighting the firebecause there are fewer lives to save.

Another current trend in ARFFtraining is increased preparation forcargo aircraft fires.

MU

FR

TI

arff training


But Leon said fighting a fire on acargo plane, where the interiortends to be filled up, can be moredifficult than fighting one on a pas-senger plane, which has fewerobstructions inside.

On a loaded freighter, “Almostevery piece of real estate is taken up,”he said. “There is less than 12 inchesbetween the cargo and the skin.There’s no way for firefighters tomake their way down to the middle.”

Unloading the plane is rarely anoption, Leon said, so ARFF crewmembers must either punch a hole inthe fuselage with a penetrating deviceto introduce a chemical agent or cutan opening in the fuselage to reachthe fire.

“It’s been part of our training forseveral years,” he said, partly becauseDFW is a major hub for both UnitedParcel Service and FedEx.

Leon also is concerned now abouttraining for larger aircraft, such as theAirbus A380 and the Boeing 747-800.So are Powell and Wagner, who

would like to rebuild Chicago’s burnpit to accommodate a larger-bodiedaircraft trainer. “There is no facilityin the U.S. that has a mockup of alarge-framed aircraft,” Wagner noted.

While only one U.S. carrier, UPS,has A380s on order (FedEx boughtsome but later canceled), several for-eign carriers plan to operate the superjumbo to U.S. gateways.

Beyond facilities, there are otherchanges in ARFF training. One trendRick Wilson, fire chief at PittsburghInternational Airport, has observed istoward more of a team focus and lessof an autocratic, military-style com-mand structure. He credits guidelinesfrom the National IncidentManagement System for promotingan “organizational structure that del-egates duties and responsibilities fora manageable level. Everybody fitsinto the system now.”

Wilson said that one person “canhave tunnel vision,” so it is better forhim as a chief to have frontlineresponders be more proactive in

identifying and addressing problems.“They’re my eyes and ears,” he said.“The system is broken down so I’mnot overloaded.”

Part of that change has been aswitch away from 10 codes or 10 sig-nals (numeric codes used as short-hand for common phrases duringradio and other voice communica-tions), which were not standardizedfrom department to department, andtoward simplified terminology. AsWilson put it, “We call things whatthey are now.” That makes it easierfor ARFF departments to work withmutual aid departments and hasresulted in much more coordinationamong them, he said.

Wilson and Lee believe suchchanges are a result of the reexamina-tion of emergency services since9/11. But Powell said, “I see that justas a growth in the airport fire servicealone.” Many longtime firefightersare retiring and their replacementsare bringing in new ideas, he said.

Other changes in ARFF training arethe result of revisions to Title 14 ofthe Code of Federal Regulations, Part139, which went into effect on June9, 2004 – the first major revisions ofPart 139 since 1987. One key revi-sion was to require FAA certificationfor airports serving scheduled flightsfrom carriers using aircraft with asfew as 10 seats. Previously, thosewith such aircraft with 30 or fewerseats were exempted.

ARFF training is adopting more of a team focus andless of an autocratic military-style command structure.

Some ARFF officials are concerned that

today’s live-fire pits aren’t big enough to

train for larger aircraft like the A380.

CIT

Y O

F C

HIC

AG

O


Steward said more firefighters fromsmaller airports now are seekingARFF training, although not everyonewho is included under the Part 139revision is aware of it. At one recentindustry conference, he reported run-ning into many people from smallerairports who didn’t realize they nowneed the ARFF training certification.

Lee said he has been receiving afew more calls from smaller airportsinterested in his mobile unit becauseof the Part 139 change – but not a lotmore. Wagner said the effect on hisfacility has been about the same.“There are a few other airports thatnow come here,” he said. “But whatwe teach them and what we gothrough hasn’t changed at all.”

The big problem for those smallerairports, Wagner said, is being able toafford the required ARFF training.But Lee is more concerned about alack of commitment to fully preparefor emergencies at some airports.

“There is still an attitude that itwill never happen here,” Lee said.“Some places want only minimumtraining. Even at some larger airports,some responders need better under-standing of the challenges.”

And it’s not just a matter of money,because Lee said he has seen somewell-trained ARFF departments com-prised entirely of volunteers.

Jim Wallace is a freelance writer based in

Charleston, West Virginia.

CIT

Y O

F C

HIC

AG

O

MU

FR

TI

DE

NN

IS L

EO

N

ga security


When it comes to general aviation (GA) airport security, there are threetypes of airport managers. The first type takes the lead, implementssecurity programs and finds the money to fund the improvements.The second type wants to do something, but isn’t sure what, or where

the money will come from. The third type sticks his head in the sand and doesnothing. This article will address all of you.

Let’s speak to the third type of manager first and get you engaged in the dis-cussion. It’s understandable that you may have given up when it comes to GAairport security. After all, the TSA issued guidance and, while there have beensome reports that there is a threat concerning the use of a GA aircraft in a ter-rorist attack, there hasn’t been a specific mandate to increase GA airport secu-rity. Plus, there isn’t any money anyway, so why worry?

There are three compelling reasons to care about the security of your GA air-port. First, no airport manager wants an attack to launch from her airport – thatdoesn’t exactly look good on a resume. Second, as we continue to strengthencommercial service making hijackings and bombings more difficult, terroristswill next head for the low- hanging fruit. In our industry, we’re talking GA,cargo and MANPADs. Third, if an attack does occur from GA, you are going tofeel it! Expect community activists to kick into high gear and try to close yourairport. Expect Congress to pass new laws regarding GA airport security andwatch your operating costs skyrocket. Expect that if you already have weakcommunity support, you may even find yourself running the new condomini-um complex on what used to be your primary runway. Remember that after

GA security: why we still care, what can wedo about it, and how to pay for it.

Taking Practical Action

By Jeff Price

JEF

F P

RIC

E


Security is not so much aprocess as it is an attitude.

ga security


9/11, many state representativespushed legislation trying to restrictgeneral aviation airports and aircraft.Imagine what would happen if theattack actually comes from GA?

Now let’s look to the second audi-ence: those who would like to dosomething, but aren’t sure what orhow to pay for it. First, conduct a riskanalysis so you know your vulnera-bilities You must address the actualthreat, which is not as difficult as itsounds: A GA aircraft is stolen,hijacked or even legitimately rentedand used as a weapon of massdestruction; a GA airport is attacked;or a fuel or fire truck is stolen from aGA airport and used in a terroristattack, with numerous variations onthese themes.

Defending against these threatscomes down to a few simple concepts– general awareness, security trainingfor personnel and implementing theminimum security requirements inthe TSA’s guidance document (titledTSA A-001 Security Guidelines forGeneral Aviation Airports and avail-able at www.tsa.gov).

Assessing the risk to your airport isa priority in any security program. Anassessment should be conducted by avariety of entities if possible. In somestates, such as Massachusetts, thestate police will conduct general avi-ation airport security audits while inothers, such as Colorado, the ArmyNational Guard will send in facilitiesand infrastructure vulnerabilityassessment teams. Both are free to theairports. The disadvantage of usingthese teams exclusively is that theirpersonnel may not understand the

nature of GA operations. There areseveral aviation consulting firms thatoffer GA vulnerability assessmentsand will help in developing an air-port security program. Airport man-agers should consider getting assess-ments from the law enforcement, mil-itary and private sectors.

The simplest program is a para-digm shift in our beliefs about gener-al aviation. Security is not so much aprocess as it is an attitude. Without asecurity mindset, any process isgoing to have limited effectiveness.Fortunately for GA airports, there isalready a strong mindset towardssecurity even though we may not usethat term. At most GA airports, eventhe largest ones, the primary securityprogram is informally called “every-body knows everybody.” This securi-ty program is underrated in the pressand by the general non-flying public,but it makes GA airports a harder tar-get. As an airport manager, you canincrease the strength of this programby initiating the Aircraft Owners and

Consider the ANTN Digicast Web-

based training system. Digicast

contains hundreds of airport train-

ing videos, including many that are

applicable to the GA environment.

Among security titles, there’s

"Aviation Watch," which teaches

behavior recognition techniques to

airport employees, and "Basic

Security Awareness," which high-

lights fundamental security lessons

for airport workers. For information

on Digicast, see ww.aaae.org/

products/150_ANTN_Digicast/, or

contact Sean Broderick at

[email protected],

703 824 0500, x 126.

Any awareness program should teachemployees signs of suspicious activityand how to report it.

ga security

JEF

F P

RIC

E

Still looking for a conven-ient and comprehensive training solution that willfit into your budget?


Pilots Association (AOPA) AirportWatch program, which includes asecurity video, signs you can placearound the airport and a general avia-tion security hotline: 1-866-GA-SECURE. Emergency phone num-bers should also be placed on signsso tenants and users know who tocall if they see a suspicious situa-tion in progress.

Another level of security is to pro-vide security awareness training toairport workers such as FBO, flightschool, charter operator and other air-port business employees, includingyour own staff. Any awareness pro-gram should teach employees signs ofsuspicious activity, when and how toreport such suspicious activity and towhom. The program should also trainemployees on the kinds of body lan-guage and other mannerisms to bewatchful for that show signs ofdeceit. This level of training exceedsthe AOPA Watch training as airportworkers have more one-on-one con-tact with airport.

Finally, implementation of TSA’ssecurity guidelines should be part ofyour GA airport security program.The document explains how to assessyour own airport’s risk level and thenidentifies the security measures thatshould be in place, many of whichare low cost or no cost. Last year theColorado Division of Aeronauticstook the extra step of adding a sectionto its State Aviation Systems Plan thatcompared all of the airports in thestate by the measures they hadalready taken. It then went anotherstep by identifying what measuresmay qualify for state funding.

Let’s look at other measures air-port managers and state aviationofficials are pursuing to see whatcan be done and where the moneycomes from.

Since 9/11, several states eitherpassed or attempted to pass legisla-tion that would either restrict or, insome manner, affect general aviationoperations. Some of these attemptshave been successful, while others

have met with defeat either due toconflict with federal regulations oropposition from aviation groups.New York, Connecticut, Michiganand Virginia have adopted someform of a general aviation airportsecurity program, with varying lev-els of success.

In New York, where there are about465 general aviation airports, statelawmakers passed the Anti-TerrorismPreparedness Act of 2004, whichrequired all GA airports in the state toregister with the New York StateDepartment of Transportation andcreate a security plan. The lawrequires that GA airports eitherimplement each element of the TSAsecurity guidance document orexplain why they wouldn’t.Considering that neither the TSA norFAA provide security funding for GAairports, New York lawmakers thenpassed a bond measure which pro-vides $30 million for capitalimprovements at GA airports. Themoney funds such measures as

ga security


perimeter fencing and lighting, andpolice substations.

In addition to the state providingsecurity guidance and lawmaking,combining forces with AOPA can helpairport operators get sensible GA secu-rity measures. In Connecticut AOPAworked with the Governor’s AviationTask Force to Promote GeneralAviation Security and, in Virginia,with the Commonwealth’s SecurityAdvisory Committee where the stateoffers free security audits to GA air-ports. Getting stakeholders like AOPAon board early can help avoid lawsuitsand onerous security measures.

In New York, lawmakers are push-ing for mandatory criminal back-ground checks for all flight schoolstudents and AOPA is suing. Flightschool students in aircraft above12,500 lbs. are required to provideidentification information to theTSA. However, unless the flightapplicant is a foreign national, theTSA only checks their names againstthe various terrorist watch lists, itdoesn't perform a full criminal histo-ry record check. Flight students inaircraft under 12,500 lbs. are onlyrequired to prove their citizenship totheir flight instructor. New Yorkwants to add the criminal historycheck for all flight applicants.

AOPA contends that any attemptsby the state to regulate securitywould be a violation of theSupremacy Clause (Article VI, clause2) of the U.S. Constitution, whicheither invalidates state laws that con-flict with federal laws, known as totalpreemption, or allows states to createregulations not covered by federallaw. Regulations under partial pre-emption are permitted by the federalgovernment and do not conflict withfederal laws.

Jim Simmons, a professor in theaviation department at theMetropolitan State College of Denverand an attorney, researched thisissue. “I think that when the argu-ment about whether states can enactbackground checks that are notrequired by the federal government,the argument will fall squarely on

whether the federal pilot licensuresystem totally or only partially pre-empts state action,” said Simmons. InMichigan, the TSA determined thatthe state’s background check require-ment was a clear intent to totally pre-empt federal law and was conse-quently struck down.

AOPA President Phil Boyer said theorganization will take the fight all theway to the Supreme Court if theyhave to. Simmons agrees that ulti-mately the issue of how far a state cango in regulating general aviation maybe decided by the high court, but dueto the Supreme Court accepting lessand less cases is it likely that a lowercourt ruling will stand.

“While it would be foolish to pre-dict the outcome of this case, with theconservative bent of this Court, theywould likely err on the side of avia-tion security and thus endorse morebackground checks,” said Simmons.

Rather than fighting it out in courthowever, AOPA and the TSA havetried to stay away from cookie-cutterapproaches to GA security.

“We focus on the main question ofwhat is going to be the impact to ourmembers,” noted Robert Hackman,AOPA’s manager of regulation andcertification policy. “We understandthat general aviation airports are veryunique and we especially watch outfor one-size-fits-all approaches. A per-fect example is the New York back-ground check law. Here’s a case wherea state enacted feel-good legislationwhen a federal law was already in

place. It adds nothing to security andcreates additional costs for thosewanting to begin flight training.”

Other airport managers have taken itupon themselves to increase securityby working with their tenants and theTSA. Robert Olislagers, A.A.E., is thedirector of aviation in Colorado’sCentennial Airport, the nation’s sec-ond-busiest GA facility. Olislagerspointed out that some airports haveused FAA-funded wildlife fencing andlighting projects for safety improve-ments that also have a security benefit.At Centennial, Olislagers raised thefuel flowage fee— with the consent ofthe FBOs—to help pay for some secu-rity enhancements and worked withthe TSA on testing new security tech-nology. This resulted in grant moneyfor some security measures.

Other states are taking advantage ofDepartment of Homeland Securitygrant money. However, the use ofsuch funds is still highly debatable somake sure it can be spent on GA secu-rity before you start writing checks.

Regardless of the type of airportmanager you are, when it comes toGA airport security understand thatthe threat does exist, you can dosomething about it, and money isavailable. The keys are collaborationand creativity. A

Jeff Price is an assistant professor at The

Metropolitan State College of Denver and is currently

authoring a text on aviation security for McGraw-Hill,

due out January 2008. He can be reached through his

Web site, www.leadingedgestrategies.com.

JEF

F P

RIC

E


retail spotlight rs

Space-age dining has come to Southern Californiawith the opening of a Jetsons-themed restaurant atJohn Wayne Airport.

The Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge concept was designedby Orange County celebrity chef and restaurateur DavidWilhelm for airport concessionaire HMSHost Corp. Therestaurant offers a dine-in menu of American fare forbreakfast, lunch and dinner, including appetizers, sand-wiches, burgers and large salads. Carry-out items alsoare offered.

The restaurant is one of several celebrity chef offeringsthat HMSHost has introduced at U.S. airports.

Other restaurants opened under the celebrity chef pro-gram include Kathy Casey’s Dish D’Lish restaurants,located pre- and post-security at Seattle-TacomaInternational; OZONE-BOS restaurant at Boston LoganInternational, a joint venture between HMSHost andchef Todd English, and Wolfgang Puck Express andWolfgang Puck Gourmet Express restaurants withalmost 40 airport locations. A

RETAIL BRIEFS

Hudson Group has opened a suite of stores at New York’s Kennedy International Terminal4. The 7,000-square-foot area features four concepts: Hudson News, Discover New York,

Christmas In New York and Hudson Booksellers. … Hudson Group and business partner FMBurch & Associates, doing business as Hudson-Burch Portland JV, have opened an upscalefood and beverage concession at Portland International called the Beaverton Bakery Café. …Meanwhile, at Mobile Regional, Hudson and its local DBE partner, Irmatean Watson, won a 15-year contract to provide a new food and beverage program. … Portland International (PDX) hasawarded a contract to HMSHost for new food concessions. The contract expands HMSHost’spresence at PDX, where it currently operates two dining facilities. Construction will begin thiswinter on five new dining facilities. Scheduled to open sequentially over the first 10 months of2007, the 10-year, $44 million contract includes Rose’s Deli and Bakery in Concourse D, RogueAles Public House in the North Concourse, and three Starbucks Coffee locations in baggageclaim and Concourses A and D. …Port Columbus has awarded a concession contract exten-sion to HMSHost that will bring six new concepts to the airport.

Oasis Grill & Sky LoungeJohn Wayne Airport

HM

SH

OS

T

Cleveland’s Stepped-up SNOW CONTROL


snow control


OS

HK

OS

H

By Sean Broderick

Cleveland Hopkins International

Airport had its first snowfall of the

winter in early December. It was mild

by northern Ohio standards—about seven inches of

accumulation all told. But it was enough for

Cleveland’s operations team to get a read on the air-

port’s revamped snow control effort—and the

results were overwhelmingly positive.

“We were doing runways in 60 minutes,”

explained Cleveland Motor Vehicle Maintenance

Manager Kevin Ferguson. “This time, we did one of

our 9,000-foot runways in just 12 minutes.”

Two changes from winters past explain most of

the efficiency gain: new equipment and a new strat-

egy of deploying it.

Cleveland Hopkins has new equip-

ment and a new plan for battling

winter storms—so far, so good.

snow control


Last fall, Cleveland took delivery of six pieces of snowcontrol multi-function equipment (MFE)—each one anOshkosh H2726-series chassis equipped with one of thecompany’s 24-foot plows and towing an M-B Companies4622-TTB-DB broom. The collection replaced more thana dozen front-mounted plows and brooms.

Used properly, the old equipment was effective. Butthat effectiveness came at a price: a lack of efficiency.Cleveland found that the job done by the brooms began todegrade once the machines exceeded about 20 miles perhour, Ferguson explained. The plows moved a bit faster,but didn’t leave surfaces as pristine as the brooms. As aresult, clearing the airport’s two 9,000-foot runways oftenmeant spending an hour on each one—and often trigger-ing significant operational disruptions in the process.

The obvious answer was to get more efficient equip-ment, but the equally obvious hurdle was finding themoney. Like most airports, Cleveland was hit hard in2001, cutting its budget 20 percent “overnight” after 9/11,noted Cleveland Hopkins Airport Commissioner FredSzabo. Over the next few years, Cleveland’s dominantcarrier, Continental Airlines, wasn’t eager to absorb anyunnecessary cost increases at the airport, and “we heardthat message loud and clear,” Szabo said.

Over the last several years, however, U.S. carriers—including Continental—have been on much more solidfinancial ground. Continental reported a net income of$343 million in 2006, part of what’s expected to be anaggregate net profit of $2 billion to $3 billion for theyear—excluding bankruptcy-related costs—for U.S air-lines, according to Air Transport Association projections.(U.S. carries haven’t posted a cumulative annual net prof-it since 2000.)

For airports, across-the-board airline profits often meanthat carriers shift from a cutting-costs-at-any-cost mentality

M-B

CO

MP

AN

IES

Once there was some recovery, I think the airlines started to see the value of making a capital investment like this.

to one that at least considers the benefits of spending moneyto improve efficiency. Since airports aren’t exactly at peakefficiency when runways are closed for snow removal, bol-stering that capability is something that carriers can getbehind when financial pressures ease. “Once there wassome recovery, I think the airlines started to see the value ofmaking a capital investment like this,” Szabo said.

Once Cleveland set its sights on better snow-removalequipment, there was little doubt which way it wanted togo, airport officials said. MFE suppliers note that theirequipment’s popularity is gaining as operators and theairlines they serve realize that the equipment’s higherexpense can be offset in short order by cutting down onrunway clearing times.

“The interest in multifunction equipment has beengrowing at North American airports in recent years froma purely economic standpoint,” said Steve Karlin, snowremoval product manager for Oshkosh Truck. “Whiletesting in the past has proven that brooming only withoutplowing provides the best coefficient of friction on the

runway surface, conditions don’t always allow that prac-tice. So the trick is to maximize the cleaning ability of amultifunction unit by means of superior maneuverabilityand superior brooming.”

Cleveland officials consulted colleagues at severalMFE-equipped airports, including Chicago O’Hare andNewark. Szabo said the MFE users confirmed whatCleveland suspected: “it’s hands-down the way to go.”

The next step was to put several machines throughtheir paces. Cleveland’s Ferguson managed to get threeMFE suppliers to loan his airport demo models at no cost.All three performed admirably, Ferguson said, but theOshkosh package was the least expensive: $453,000 perunit for six complete units. “Price was a big deal,”Ferguson confirmed. “We felt the performance was agood value for the money.”

The equipment isn’t the only new thing in Cleveland’ssnow plan—in fact, the entire plan itself has changed.Following consultation with other airports and a very


snow control


ment,” Kulpin said. “We are evaluating our weedabatement program for additional savings in chem-ical use. In addition, the equipment will result intime savings on the magnitude of 75 percent forapplication, both winter and summer.”

The GST 20 is just part of the airport’s MFE arse-nal. The airport also uses a Boschung Jet-Broomand its myriad all-season functions, Kulpin said.The machine can plow, sweep and blow snow, andits vacuum capability helps the airport’s glycolrecovery and airfield FOD removal efforts. In addi-tion, the machine’s runway rubber removal abilityhas allowed the airport to bring that function in-house. This savings alone is expected to be greaterthan the Jet-Broom’s cost over the machine’sexpected service life, Kulpin said. A

Reno’s Mean MF MachinesReno/Tahoe International Airport (RTIA) in earlyDecember took delivery of a Hagie GST 20 high-clearance tractor and plans to use the multi-func-tion equipment (MFE) in several applications,including snow removal, deicing and weed abate-ment.

RTIA officials liked the machine’s flexibility as asnow-removal tool and its potential as a surfacedeicer and agricultural sprayer. “Because we havesuch diverse weather conditions, we have to lookat multi-season versatility to justify the purchaseof specialized snow-removal equipment,”explained Reno Public Affairs Manager BrianKulpin. “Many other mid-size airports in Americamay have similar concerns.”

The GST 20’s most familiar application is clear-ing around runway and taxiway lights using thespecially designed Vammas PS4200 Edge LightPlow. Designed in conjunction with the operationsteam from Minneapolis/St. Paul InternationalAirport (AM, February/March 2006, p. 38), theHagie/Vammas combination can drive right overedge lights and airfield signs, clearing snow awaywith purpose-built brushes and plows. The equip-ment, distributed by Fortbrand, is in use at fourU.S. airports: Reno, Minneapolis, Boston, and NewYork Kennedy.

Although RTIA had been using the GST 20 forjust about five weeks as this issue of AM went topress, the machine was already paying dividends.“In our first de-ice operation at RTIA, it is estimat-ed we saved approximately $1,600 in chemical useover our previous method for the same area of treat-

RT

IA

Airport Magazine | May/June 2005 41

informative snow symposium hostedby Cleveland in October 2005 andattended by representatives fromseven other airports, Cleveland imple-mented a snow circuit plan.

Simply put, a circuit plan identifiesspecific strategies for clearing air-fields based on certain variables, suchas prevailing winds and traffic flow.Each strategy calls for runways to becleared in a specific order, whichallows the snow removal caravan toproceed on a pre-determined patharound the airfield. The plan is craft-ed with input from all stakeholders—including the airlines and FAA—meaning that nobody is surprisedcome execution time.

The result, said Szabo, is a muchmore efficient operation. Not only arethe snow crews on the same pagefrom the start, but air traffic control isas well. That means potentially time-consuming tasks like runway cross-ings are handled more efficiently,since controllers can anticipate whenthe caravan will be ready to movefrom place to place by referring to thecircuit plan.

“When we put the plan together, wedeveloped it with everyone at thetable,” Szabo said. “The first versionswere very good, but once we startedto test it, we started to work out someof the bugs. In a circuit, you have toend up at the right spot to keep itflowing.”

In the circuit plan, the MFE maketwo passes on each runway—one upand one down. Cleveland uses five ofits new snow-removal machines at atime, saving the sixth as a spare. Itexpects to get 10-15 years of serviceout of each MFE.

“The number that we have is ade-quate for what we need,” said Szabo,noting that the early December stormdidn’t exactly push his equipment tothe limit. However, he added, “I’mconfident that we’re going to be ableto handle the big storm.”A

M-B

CO

MP

AN

IES

atairportech


SITA Eyes Biometric Kiosks

Self-service kiosks are playing anincreasingly important role in gettingpassengers through airports quicklyand conveniently. Biometric-equipped personal identification—from passports to Registered Travelercards—is becoming standard equip-ment for travelers around the world.It stands to reason, then, that kiosksthat can read biometrics couldbecome key tools for serving and pro-cessing passengers in the near future.

That’s the thinking behind a low-key yet potentially significant pur-chase made recently by SITA. TheGeneva-based provider of kiosks andhandler of passenger data purchasedbiometrics integrator BioWise, basedin Belgium.

SITA and the Belgian companywere hardly strangers prior to thedeal—BioWise provided the biomet-ric element for the SITA-suppliedkiosks in three airports as part of theTSA Registered Traveler (RT) pilotprogram. Now, the two will worktogether under one corporate umbrel-la, chasing what SITA executivesbelieve will be myriad opportunities.

“What we’re seeing increasingly isa demand for biometrically enabledhardware in the airports,” said TomMarten, SITA’s vice president for gov-ernment and security. In the U.S., RTis behind much of the demand forbiometric kiosks. Marten believessecurity-driven programs are just thetip of the iceberg for biometric appli-cations in airports.

“To us, this RT program is reallyjust the leading edge of it,” Martensaid. “If you go to the [Persian] Gulfor Southeast Asia, you see e-gateseverywhere, which are quite similarto an RT program, but they are for allcitizens. Once you have biometrics in

your identity card or your passport,you just go straight through.”

Equipping self-service check-inand other kiosks with biometricswould help close what Marten calls“the weak link” in most airport pas-senger verification systems today: theheavy reliance on biographical data.Instead of ticket-checkers manuallymatching a picture ID to a name on aboarding pass, a biometric kioskwould tie the passenger to all docu-ments provided.

Adding kiosks airside at airlinegates could automate the boardingprocess, he added, by once again ver-ifying that the person getting on theaircraft matches the name on theboarding pass—or, more accurately,the biometrics associated with it.Kiosks could also be tied into pre-screening systems —such as SITA’sAdvance Passenger InformationSystem (APIS)—that would instantly

cross-check passenger names againstno-fly lists.

For now, Marten said, SITA is inter-ested in getting a piece of the existingbiometric kiosk pie, which is the U.S.RT program. But, he added quickly, itprobably won’t be long before bio-metric kiosks move beyond check-point applications. “People that aretaking the long view, they see that asthe way forward.”

DFW Signs On With Passur

Megadata Corp. announced thatDallas/Fort Worth InternationalAirport has purchased enterprise-wide subscriptions to multiple partsof the company’s Passur system. DFWwill use Passur in airport finance,public information/passenger servic-

London Heathrow and Gatwick air-ports have installed a total of 400Access BGR120M boarding gatereaders, the U.K.-based supplierreports. The readers handle bothpassenger-generated boardingpasses (2D BCBP) and standardmagnetically encoded boardingpasses (ATB2). “We were attractedto the Access BGR120M due to itsintuitive operation, compact designand straight-through documentpath, which eliminated jamming,"said Heathrow Senior ProjectManager Philip Holt. "It promises tobe a very cost-effective solutionthat should greatly help the board-ing process and we are expecting adramatic reduction in the numberof support calls we get." The read-ers also work with both SITA’sCUTE and ARINC’s iMUSE com-mon use platforms, Access said.

es, operations control, emergencymanagement, airport planning andmarketing.

Application software to be usedincludes Passur Portal, Passur Pulse,Passur inSight, and Passur RightETA.

One of the key areas of planned ben-efit is increased capture of landing feerevenue, company officials said.

ARINC FormsRemote PassengerServices Group

ARINC Inc. has formed a new RemotePassenger Services Group to manageand market its Internet-enabledremote passenger check-in technolo-gies in the Americas.

The company’s remote check-in

systems use the Internet to providecheck-in at locations such as hotellobbies, convention centers, cruiseships and other off-airport loca-tions.

“Airline travelers are increasing-ly drawn to the simplicity and con-venience of remote check-ins,”stated Mike Picco, ARINC vicepresident, airport systems. “Ourrapid market acceptance tells uswe need to focus seriously on thisexpanding business opportunity.Our Remote Passenger ServicesGroup will be tasked with creatingand maturing more specializedInternet tools for the industry andexpanding the market.”

Picco named John Dungan direc-tor of the Remote PassengerServices Group.

Rannoch Gets PortAuthority Work

The Port Authority of New York &New Jersey (PANYNJ) selectedRannoch for two aircraft tracking,identification and billing projects.Rannoch said it will provide thesolutions based on its AirScene air-port management system and itsERA MSS (MultisensorSurveillance System) flight track-ing technology.

Rannoch will deploy its MSSnetwork of flight tracking sensorsaround JFK, LaGuardia, NewarkLiberty and Teterboro airports.MSS is based on eXtended ADS(ADS-X), which enables accuratetracking of aircraft by combininga variety of techniques, includingAutomatic DependentSurveillance Broadcast (ADS-B)and multilateration.

The ADS-X approach enables theport authority to field a state-of-the-art aircraft tracking system thatis compatible with the FAA’s next-generation tracking systems,Rannoch said. A


FAA granted Texas-based L2Consulting a Supplemental TypeCertificate for installing Honeywell'sRunway Awareness and AdvisorySystem (RAAS) on Boeing 757s, L2reported. ... Reveal said that TSAhas approved the company’s net-work product, ImageNet, which linksits CT-80 EDSs together with eachother and remote workstations. …The Chattanooga MetropolitanAirport Authority has partneredwith the Airnet Group to provideairport customers free wireless serv-ice. … Reno/Tahoe Internationalhas switched its two-year-old wire-less offering to a free service. …BAA Maryland has launched paidwireless Internet access at BWI. Allconcourses are expected to be cov-ered by March. … DHS said it willlaunch the DHS Traveler RedressInquiry Program (DHS TRIP) as asingle point of inquiry for travel-related issues. More details are slat-ed to be announced in late February,the agency said.

tech briefs

congress

Changing

Hill Leadership,

Changing

Aviation Priorities?


By Eryn Travis


One of the biggest stories of last year was the end of theRepublican Revolution, which was brought about by the resultsof the 2006 mid-term elections. The switch in majority resultedin many changes for the 110th Congress, including new leader-ship on all of the committees impacting aviation. In December,the Airport Legislative Alliance, working with AAAE’s AviationNews Today, interviewed several of the top Democrats who willshape aviation policy during the next two years to learn how keyissues such as AIP funding, PFCs, explosives detection systems(EDS) integration and other important security issues will fare inthe 110th Congress. Highlights of those interviews can be foundbelow; the complete interviews can be seen on the new AAAEAirport Legislative Alliance website (www.aaae.org/government/125_AAAE_Airport_Legislative_Alliance/).

Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.)House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) chairmanRepresentative Jim Oberstar remembers a cheer rising from aDuluth Holiday Inn conference room where supporters had gath-ered to watch election returns and someone saying, “There’s aChairman in the room,” as the “special and exciting” momentwhen he realized the Democrats were about to become the majori-ty party in Congress. “For the past 12 years, I really understoodhow Moses felt. He wandered in the desert,” he told Aviation NewsToday. “Today, I feel like his lieutenant Joshua who entered thePromised Land.”

Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Chairman Jim Oberstarbrings to the position a depth of experience and understanding ofintricate transportation issues that is hard to match. In 1974, heserved as the staff director of the House Public Works Committee,making him the only member of Congress to serve as both thechairman and staff director of a committee. While the T&ICommittee has what he called a “huge portfolio” of issues, as wellas some unfinished business from the 109th Congress, Oberstarsaid FAA reauthorization will be the first piece of new business.

Saying he plans to take a hard look at the “erosion” of PFC andairport construction dollars, Oberstar added that he’d insist onbudgetary protections for the aviation trust fund, which wassomething he and former T&I Chairman Bud Shuster fought for inAIR-21. “It was good policy then, and it’s good policy now,”Oberstar said.

What does the Democratic leadership of

the 110th Congress mean for airport pri-

orities? The AAAE Airport Legislative

Alliance and Aviation News Today met

with several key Democrats to find out.


congress

In addition, Oberstar said he plansto pay careful attention to ATC mod-ernization, noting that any invest-ments in technology must allow forfuture growth. He indicated that he’snot a fan of the administration’sreported plan for a user-fee FAAfinancing system, calling it a “compli-cated scheme.” Oberstar stressed thathe will run the committee in the samebipartisan manner as his predecessors,saying that the substance of the com-mittee’s issues brings members togeth-er. “That (bipartisan) spirit results inthe best public policy,” he said.

Bennie Thompson (D-La.)House Homeland Security Committee chairmanRight after the November elections,House speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) listed boosting homeland securi-ty as the first order of business for theHouse of Representatives. HouseHomeland Security CommitteeChairman Bennie Thompson toldAviation News Today that the first 100hours of the 110th Congress are a goodtime to fix what he called “lingeringhomeland security vulnerabilities.”

According to Thompson, the solutionto one of those lingering vulnerabilitiesis 100 percent screening of cargo placedon passenger aircraft. “We’re not inter-ested in stopping commerce from mov-ing, but we think the public willdemand 100 percent screening,”Thompson said. “I think the industrycan start preparing for a timetable for usto move in that direction. The publicwill accept nothing less. ”

Integrating EDS machines inlinewith airline baggage systems is also atop concern for Thompson. As forTSA, Thompson said the current45,000 cap on the number of screen-ers is “not in our best interest” andsuggested that programs allowing pri-vate screeners will be revisited.

He also indicated that he’s not com-pletely sold on the Registered Travelerprogram because, in its current form,he believes it’s not much differentfrom a frequent flyer program. “Wehave started a lot of good programs,but I want us to go back to commonsense rather than trying to createsomething just to create it,” he said.

Thompson said the committee willalso conduct oversight of federal dis-aster management programs during2007 and added that, “The commit-ment is there” for an annual DHSreauthorization bill. He said the pub-lic should expect a reauthorizationbill each year, saying that “piece-mealing homeland security is notgood enough.”

Jerry Costello (D-Ill.)House Aviation Subcommittee chairmanNew aviation subcommittee chair-man Jerry Costello told AviationNews Today that he’s skeptical of aproposed “user-fee” system for FAAfinancing, supports increases in AIPand ATC modernization funding, andis willing to consider raising the PFCcap under certain conditions. He alsosaid there would be more oversightfrom his subcommittee, which issomething he says has been lacking.

While Costello is open to all FAAfinancing proposals, he said a user-feesystem may present more problemsthan it would solve. Costello also pre-dicted another fight over AIP funding,saying that it’s likely the administra-tion will propose cuts in its FY08budget request as it has for the pasttwo years. “I have fought to increasefunds in the past and I will fight toincrease funds in the future,” he said.

Costello also said that budget cuts tofederal programs supporting ATCmodernization do not support publicstatements from the administrationabout the importance of systemupgrades. “If we are going to make(ATC modernization) a national prior-ity, we need to develop a plan,” hesaid. “It’s one thing to talk about rev-enue and another to say what we aregoing to buy.”

Costello said that while he sup-ports the PFC program, he’d onlysupport efforts to raise the cap thatwould ensure funds would be used ascurrently authorized.

As for oversight, Costello said therewould be hearings in 2007 examiningFAA controller and inspector staffinglevels and the National TransportationSafety Board (NTSB)“Most Wanted”aviation safety recommendations. “Wehave a responsibility to ask the toughquestions,” he said.

Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.)Member, House Homeland SecurityCommittee and Aviation SubcommitteeWhile Representative Peter DeFaziomay be open to raising the PFC cap,

Oberstar Thompson Costello DeFazio


altering FAA’s financing system anddeveloping creative ways for EDSinstallation financing, he’s sure thatexpanding private security options atairports will not be on his agenda forthe 110th Congress. “I think we’redone with this silliness of bribing air-ports to go back to privatized screen-ers, which was a lame-brain idea,” hetold Aviation News Today.

As a long-time member of the Houseaviation subcommittee and member ofthe House Homeland SecurityCommittee, DeFazio will be anotherkey player in several issues impactingairports nationwide. DeFazio predictsmustering support for authorizing in-line EDS installation will not be aproblem, though he expects a fewstumbling blocks to mandatory spend-ing on in-line EDS. “If we can showoffsets, which will come from person-nel savings, we may be able to justifyborrowing up front,” he said. And, likeThompson, DeFazio said he believesthe current 45,000 screener cap is“unacceptable,” adding that he willaggressively pursue a top-downreview of TSA, which is something heand Representative John Mica (R-Fla)asked for four years ago.

On the aviation front, DeFazio saidhe’s concerned about a “looming airtraffic controller crisis,” stating thatthe federal government is alreadybehind the curve on hiring and train-ing. As for altering FAA’s financingsystem as part of the next FAA reau-thorization process, DeFazio saidthere must be a realistic assessmentof system cost before any decisionscan be made. He added that he hasbeen a long-time supporter of a robustgeneral fund contribution given thebenefits of a strong, reliable and effi-cient air transportation system.DeFazio said he’d be willing to havehearings on raising the PFC cap butcautioned that he’s always supporteda narrow definition of how thosefunds can be used. He indicated thatraising the cap might be somethingbest done on a case-by-case basis.

The airport legislative agenda is sureto take many twists and turns as the

110th Congress progresses. The AAAEAirport Legislative Alliance andAAAE’s Aviation News Today will fea-ture interviews with members ofCongress, administration officials andother industry VIPs during 2007.Aviation News Today runs on NewsChannel 8 in the Washington, D.C.,area and is also available on the AAAEAirport Legislative Alliance website atwww.aaae.org/government/125_AAAE_Airport_Legislative_Alliance/800_Video_Library.

In addition, AAAE AirportLegislative Members can receive e-mail alerts and other information asnews impacting airport policy breaks.For more information on AAAE’sAirport Legislative Membership, con-tact Todd Hauptli at 703-824-0504 [email protected]. A

“We have started a lot

of good programs,

but I want us to go

back to common sense

rather than

trying to create

something just to

create it.”

gageneral aviation


A Different ApproachBy Clifton Stroud

At a time when general aviation air-ports throughout the country are clos-ing at an alarming rate—some estimatespeg the number at more than one perweek—it’s refreshing to see an airportthat came very close to being demol-ished now flourishing.

Hawthorne Municipal Airport, whichis located three nautical miles southeastof Los Angeles International (LAX), wason the chopping block just a few yearsago. The airport, also known as JackNorthrop Field, covers about 80 acresand has one 5,000-foot runway. It is theclosest general aviation airport to thecity of Los Angeles, which is served by11 airports, eight of them general avia-tion. The airport holds a lot of history.Jack Northrop built the airport when hefounded Northrop Aircraft there in1939, and the XB-35 “flying wing” (andmany other famed military aircraft) firsttook flight from the airport. It is the samefield where Vought Aircraft builds sub-assemblies for the Boeing 747 and 767.The city of Hawthorne owns the airport.

As recently as 2002, with the airportfacilities in a serious state of neglect,developers were licking their chopsand planning to build a shopping cen-ter on the land. The number of flightshad decreased by more than 60 percentsince the early 1990s.

The city mayor, Larry Guidi, decidedon an enlightened approach: he put thedecision to develop the airport in thehands of the voters in the form of a refer-endum. The result? Seventy-one percentof the residents voted to save the airport.

Two good things happened here.One, the residents of the affected com-munity were allowed to decide the air-port’s fate. Two, they voted to keep theairport. Too often these days, the fatalcombination of local residents’ noiseconcerns and the promised increase intax revenues from proposed develop-

ment doom many a local airport. We allknow the story: The airport has beenthere for decades. Homes have sprungup close to the airport over the yearsand now the residents are complainingabout aircraft noise. Developers seeserious profit potential in the land.

Back to Hawthorne. Now that thecommunity voted to keep the airport,what to do with it? A group of four realestate investors got together and negoti-ated a 50-year ground lease to manageeverything on the airport except for thetaxiways and runway. More important-ly, they invested funds in renovating allthe property and facilities. They built anindustrial park around the Vought build-ing, with first-class office space. Newhangars, a total of 190,000 square feet ofspace to accommodate both smaller gen-eral aviation aircraft and business jets,are now under construction.

“We want you to come here—the citywants you to come here,” said JohnNadolny, general manager of MillionAir Los Angeles, the only FBO on thefield. That’s the clear message the air-port is sending to all general aviationtraffic, which now numbers about80,000 flights a year and is increasing.Now that word is getting out about therenovations, traffic is picking up andbusiness is good, according to Nadolny.

He cites additional reasons for flyinginto Hawthorne: a contract tower openfrom 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; no cur-few,and direct routing from ATC,which is not always possible with LAX,given the heavy commercial traffic inand out of the airport.

“You can stand on the runway hereand see the LAX tower,” reportedNadolny, describing what is probablythe most important reason to likeHawthorne—its proximity to down-town Los Angeles.

Hawthorne Municipal Airport: asuccess story if ever there was one.Let’s hope that other airport commu-nities around the country follow itsgood example. A

One-stop shopping for employees AND jobs!

Open 24 hours a day at a computer near you!

EMPLOYERS* Quick and easy online job posting

* E-mail notification of qualified candidates

* Tools for tracking hits on jobs and searching posted resumes

AND check out the new postingoptions for employers – 45 daysand 60 days – for a total of fiveposting length options!

JOB SEEKERS* Receive a daily e-mail of matching new listings!

* Apply to posted jobs online; store your resume for future job applications

* Make your resume available for employers to search; submit with

or without contact information

www.airportjobsonline.com

Airports and related aviation organizations need uniquely qualified people. People with unique air-

port-industry skills need good jobs. Over 735 registered employers represent the who’s who of

aviation, including: • State and local aviation authorities • National civil aviation authorities

• Airport services companies and suppliers • Engineering, architecture, design and construction firms •

Airlines • Consultants • Associations

Visit airportjobsonline.com today.

asairport spotlight

In 1928, following a bond issue, Lambert-St. Louis became the country’s first munic-ipally owned airport.

At $1.059 billion, the Lambert AirportExpansion Program was the largest capitalimprovement project in St. Louis historyand one of the largest in Missouri history.

The amount of concrete used to pave thenew airfield complex would be enough tocover a football field with a solid block ofconcrete about seven stories tall.

The new runway was the airport’s fourth,but the first built in the last 50 years.

Visit STL on the Web at www.lambert-stlouis.com

QUICK FACTS


According to the FAA,the new runway(describe location ofrunway in photo here)expanded Lambert’scapacity in inclementweather by 63 per-cent—the largest suchimprovement of anymajor airport in thecountry at the timethe runway opened.Missouri’s first-evertraffic tunnel runsunderneath.

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

St. Louis holds some impressive titles in aviation history.Theodore Roosevelt, the first president to ride in an air-plane, took to the air from Kinloch Field. The first exper-imental parachute jump in the world happened there.

And it was from St. Louis, in a plane named to acknowledge thefinancial backing of the city, which Charles Lindbergh departedto New York for his non-stop flight across the Atlantic.

On April 13, 2006, Lambert-St. Louis International—which sitson the former Kinloch Field site—made history again. As part ofan expansion process that took more than 20 years to realize,runway 11-29 opened to the public. When completed, it was thelargest capital improvement project the city had seen.

St. Louis, nestled in America’s heartland, is in strong competi-tion with other economic hubs of the region but battled a severedisadvantage—until the new runway opened. Bad weather ham-pered Lambert’s operations, limiting takeoffs and landings toonly one of its two closely spaced parallel runways about 14 per-cent of the time. After decades of struggling with this limitationand years of studying expansion alternatives, Lambert-St. LouisInternational began work on a design plan for a third runway inlate 1999.

The first hurdle the Airport Expansion Program (AEP) tackledwas the relocation of several major roadways so that the runwayitself could be built. This required relocating LindberghBoulevard and Natural Bridge Road while they were still being

2006 STATISTICS (through November): Total passengers: 14,033,739 Total freight (lbs.): 399,329,150


used by those who lived and worked in the area. Aseries of temporary roadway bypasses were builtand then demolished.

An additional challenge was the need to convertan infrastructure built to support hundreds ofhomes and dozens of businesses into land suitablefor an airfield expansion. Because the propertyacquisition process had to accommodate both resi-dents and the AEP, elaborate utility cut-offs contin-ued service to surrounding families and businesseswhile allowing construction to move ahead.

Another obstacle facing the AEP: The site of thenew runway was far from flat. The site had a ridgerunning perpendicular to the new runway’s align-ment, and a valley to the ridge’s west. Preparing thesite meant moving 13.5 million cubic yards of soil;doing that meant creating an entire storm waterrunoff system.

Aside from opening St. Louis to a new era of eco-nomic progress and aviation history, the expansioncontributed to another regional milestone: TheLindbergh tunnel is the first traffic tunnel in theState of Missouri. It was built so that the new run-way 11-29 could run across the top.

The airport’s growth can be measured not only insquare feet but by the increasing numbers of passen-gers who walk through the gates. ThroughNovember, the airport had handled just more than 14million passengers in 2006, putting it on track for athird consecutive calendar year of increased traffic.

Airport officials agree the project is already prov-ing itself to be a win-win for Lambert and the area itserves. “I believe Lambert’s new runway gives air-lines a better opportunity to expand in St. Louis,provides more capacity for the airport and preventsweather-related delays,” said Airport Director KevinDolliole. “Overall, I think it will prove to be an eco-nomic stimulus for the region.” A

by Melissa Babula

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY LAMBERT-ST. LOUIS INTERNATIONAL

abairport billboard


65

60

55

50

45

40

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

70

B

P

a s s e n g e r t r a f f i c

REVENUE PASSENGER MILES, IN BILLIONS

U.S. MEMBER AIRLINES, AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

P2006

2005

2004

2003

2001

2000

NOTE: Sept 2000 – Aug 2001 traffic included to show pre-9/11 baseline

u i l d o u t

Carter & Burgess was awarded a contract bythe San Diego County Regional AirportAuthority to produce an IT master plan. Theproject will allow the authority to align futureIT decisions with current expansion andmodernization plans. The scope of the con-tract will include conducting an assessmentof the current state of the authority’s IT envi-ronment and making recommendations onstrategic and tactical IT enhancements,Carter & Burgess said. The contract willfocus on the authority’s wired and wirelesscommunications infrastructure and the air-port’s operational and management sys-tems, such as passenger processing, infor-mation displays, resource management andemergency power.

Michael Baker Jr. Inc., an engineering unit ofMichael Baker Corp., said it was selected bythe South Jersey Transportation Authorityto provide engineering design and construc-tion management services for the aircraftapron expansion program at Atlantic CityInternational Airport. The multi-phase,nearly $1 million contract begins this yearand is expected to conclude in 2008. Bakerwill be responsible for design; constructionmanagement, administration and inspectionservices; day-to-day coordination betweenthe authority and the airport; overall projectmanagement, and complete engineeringand environmental support services.

Parsons-Odebrecht J.V., a joint venturebetween two major international construc-tion companies, has launched a new stageof construction at Miami InternationalAirport’s North Terminal. Completion of theterminal is scheduled within the next fouryears. Parsons-Odebrecht said it was award-ed the MIA North Terminal contract after theproject was under construction. As part ofthe construction strategy, the joint venturerecommended converting a significant por-tion of the project to the pre-security area ofthe airport, which improves accessibility forconstruction staff, expedites the buildingprocess and optimizes costs, Parsons said.When completed, MIA’s North Terminal willhandle about 65 percent of the airport’s pas-senger traffic. The re-build of the NorthTerminal also will include a new FederalInspection Services facility for internationaltravelers and a state-of-the-art, automatedpeople mover system that can transportpassengers on connecting flights as close as30 minutes apart. A

a s s e n g e r s b y a i r p o r t

TRAFFIC FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2006

AIRPORT 2006 2005 CHANGE

Austin-Bergstrom International 699,526 658,425 +6.2%

Denver International 3,674,866 3,362,441 +9.3%

Detroit Metro 2,919,338 2,781,613 +4.7%

Kansas City International 882,390 800,511 +10.2%

Louisville International 303,486 308,459 -1.6%

Manchester-Boston Regional 305,565 339,698 -10.1%

Milwaukee Mitchell International 569,019 578,905 -1.7%

Mineta San Jose International 866,216 891,500 -2.8%

Northwest Arkansas Regional 95,904 93,224 +2.7%

Omaha Eppley Airfield 347,863 333,705 +4.2%

Pensacola (Fla.) Regional 135,314 130,023 +4.1%

Pittsburgh International 837,583 834,650 +0.4%

Port Columbus International 579,748 542,808 +6.8%

Quad City (Ill.) International 76,602 70,922 +7.5%

Reno-Tahoe International 361,491 374,393 -3.5%

Rogue Valley-Medford (Ore.) 50,238 44,102 +13.9%

Seattle-Tacoma International 2,282,123 2,226,447 +2.5%

Southwest Florida International 660,658 656,638 +0.6%

T.F. Green (Rhode Island) 413,355 444,038 -6.9%

Washington Dulles International 1,539,329 1,499,848 +2.6%

Want your airport’s traffic listed here? Send it to [email protected].


plane sightps

DE

NN

IS L

EO

N

ADVERTISER PAGE PHONE WEBSITE

AAAE 5, 19, 25, 51 703-824-0504 www.aaae.org

Burns & McDonnell Back Cover 816-333-9400 www.burnsmcd.aero

The Escalator Cleaning Company 9 800-449-3040, Ext. 11 www.cleanescalators.com

Honeywell International, Inc. 7 800-728-1187 www.honeywell.com/homelandsecurity

Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority 50 615-275-1675 www.flynashville.com

Michael Baker Jr., Inc. 17 412-269-6322 www.mbakercorp.com

Off the Wall Products LLC 45 801-363-7740 www.multi-barrier.com

Oshkosh Truck Corp. 30, 31 920-235-9150 www.oshkoshtruck.com

Reynolds, Smith and Hills, Inc. 27 800-225-7739 www.rsandh.com

Ricondo & Associates Inc. 15 312-606-0611 www.ricondo.com

Rosenbauer 12, 13 651-462-1000 www.rosenbaueramerica.com

Siemens 4 877-725-7500 www.usa.siemens.com/logisticsassembly

Stantec 49 207-775-3211 www.stantec.com

Superior Graphite Co. 43 630-841-0099 www.superiorgraphite.com

Transoft Solutions Inc. 14 888-244-8387 www.transoftsolutions.com/aaae

Wings Financial 3 800-881-6801 www.wingsfinancial.com

aiadvertisers’ index

Tailored to airport personnel responsible for the day-to-daymaintenance, safety, construction and engineering.

Program/Sponsorship/Exhibit Contact: Jennifer Klass, C.M. ([email protected])

Registration Contact: Jocelyn Green ([email protected])

www.aaae.org/meetings

14th Annual AAAE/FAAAirfield Safety, Sign Systems

& Maintenance ManagementWorkshop • April 15 - 17, 200Hilton DeSoto Hotel, Savannah, Ga.

• 24/7/365 access from any Internet-enabled computer

• features training required in Part 139 (ops/maintenance, ARFF and more), security

The Airport Industry’sLeading Web-basedTraining Toolwww.antndigicast.com

For more information, contact Joan

Lowden at (703) 824-0500, Ext. 137,

[email protected] or

Sean Broderick at Ext. 126,

[email protected]

The Airport Industry’sLeading Web-basedTraining Tool

• 24/7/365 access from any Internet-enabled computer

• features training required in Part 139 (ops/maintenance, ARFF and more), security

training, general airport familiarization and much more

• additional content includes a weekly news show, conference clips, special features,

and more.

• hundreds of courses available in the archives

• new content added weekly

• A.A.E.s earn CEU credits

• system tracks videos watched on a per-user basis

• cover ALL of your airport’s employees for ONE monthly subscription price!

• look for an improved interface and more FAA-required training content in 2007

www.antndigicast.com

snow control ga security 110th congress -...

Documents

Transcript of snow control ga security 110th congress -...