Winter 2012/2013 AirportConsulting

ACC: In your opinion, what are the most significant changes you’ve seen in global aviation in the past 10 years?

AngelA gittens: One is the changing business model of the airlines, which has wound up changing the business model of the airports. Between the world-wide growth in low-cost carriers that are offering frequent point-to-point service to smaller communities, and legacy car-riers forming alliances and speaking with greater force, the dynamic between airlines and airports has changed. Because of this, airports, which were monopolies — or at least considered infrastructure monopolies

— are not really in a monopolistic position anymore. That puts pressure on the airport

to make a favorable deal, shall we say, with low-cost carriers so that smaller communi-ties get air service. Thus, airports are in an anomalous position of being so-called monopolies when they do not exercise mo-nopoly power, which has caused airports to adjust their business models to cope.

Outside the U.S., airports are either corpo-ratized or privatized so that they can attract capital and the airport can become more entrepreneurial. You can no longer depend on sitting back with your monopoly status while service comes to you. You have to get out there and compete for it. You have to negotiate deals with airlines, whether they are legacy or low-cost. You have to make wise investments. You have to take big risks

Winter 2012 – 2013

ConsultingA Publication of the Airport Consultants Council

See GITTENS on page 14

page 11

Call for nominations: aCC aviation award of ExCEllEnCE

page 6page 4

sPECial fEatUrE: GloBal oPPortUnitiEs

ConsUltant PErsPECtivE: GoinG BEyond a “CUltUrE of onE”

Global airports,

Competitive businesses

A n i n t e r v i e w w i t h A n g e l A g i t t e n s2 012 A c c Av i At i o n A w A r d o f e xc e l l e n c e r ec i p i e n t EDITOR’S NOTE

ACI Director General Angela Gittens is the 2012 ACC Aviation Award of Excellence recipient. She has over 25 years of experience in aviation, holding executive positions at private transpor tation infrastructure firms, and at three of the largest U.S. airport systems: Miami International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport. This breadth of experience has allowed Gittens to make significant contributions to the aviation industry, given her unparalleled perspectives on air transport-related issues. In early October, ACC staff had the opportunity to talk to Angela about current and future trends in the global aviation industry and the roles that ACI and ACC can play in the future.

2 Consulting, Winter 2012 – 2013

ACC has traditionally played an important role in the personal and professional networking of its members, and it is vital that we contine to foster new and effective ways to interface. As such, when the Board met in July, we discussed how ACC could cultivate groups within the Council for purposes of mutual benefit. During our discussions, we referred to these groups as coalitions or forums, and it became evident that many benefits could be realized by extending well beyond what we commonly refer to as ‘networking.’

A few coalitions / forums were discussed, specifically:

• Security Manufacturers Coalition

• Young Professionals

• Individual Members (Sole Proprietors)

• Small / Mid-Size Firms

• D / WBE Firms

The Security Manufacturers Coalition is cur-rently thriving as a group within ACC. The member firms pay an additional fee and benefit from the additional staff time it takes to lead the group’s legislative and policy-centric efforts. This model is clearly at one end of the spectrum.

The Young Professionals-related initiatives have been blossoming in the past year through the efforts and hard work of the ACC Marketing & Membership Committee and Faith Varwig with Faith Group, LLC. ACC’s role with the Young Professionals has, again, included organiza-tional efforts and public relations to encourage

young members to be involved, but less staff time has been committed.

This summer, a group of Individual (Sole Proprietor) members joined together via confer-ence call to exchange ideas that are common to their firms. So far ACC’s role has been one of fostering the opportunity and helping to orga-nize the forum.

At this point, no other coalitions or forums have been formed; but we’d like to hear from you! How can ACC continue to add value to your membership? What coalitions or forums would you like to be a part of? What should ACC’s role be in these groups? What are some new ways to get together to achieve mutual goals and learn from each other?

Andy Platz, your incoming Chair for 2013, will be continuing this conversation with the Board and membership; he looks forward to fostering coalitions and forums within ACC. I encourage each member firm to reach out to Andy or me and let us know your thoughts on this topic.

Finally, as my year as chair draws to a close, I would like to thank you all for the opportunity to serve the members and represent ACC dur-ing 2012. It has been a true pleasure and honor! I would also like to extend a special “thank you” to the staff of ACC. It is clear that we have a unique, dynamic and responsive team in Alexandria!

May our paths cross again soon!

E x E c u t i v E u P d a t E

new Directions in Collaboration

Courtney A. BeAmon, P.e.Delta Airport Consultants, Inc.

ACC 2012 BoArd of direCtors ChAir

3www.ACConline.org

AssistAnt Editor Editor John B. Reynolds T.J. Schulz

airportConsulting is published three times per year in conjunction with aCC conferences. for advertising information, contact John reynolds at 703-683-5900. Please send your feedback, comments or suggestions to the editor at: airport Consultants Council, 908 King street, suite 100, alexandria, va 22314, or email [email protected]. ©2012, aCC

AirportConsulting

ACC 2013 Board of Directors

Paula P. HochstetlerPresident

T.J. SchulzExecutive Vice President

Colleen FloodManager, Marketing and Member Services

John B. ReynoldsManager, Communications

ACC Staff

...delivering excellence in airport development

www.ACConline.org

Stay current on acc newS

Cover Story

1 Global airports, competitive Businesses

An Interview with Angela Gittens, 2012 ACC Aviation Award of Excellence recipient

Executive Update

2 new Directions in collaboration

By Coutney A. Beamon, P.E., Delta Airport Consultants, Inc.

Special Feature

4 – 5 Global opportunitiesPerspectives from Airport Development Companies

Consultant Perspective

6 Going Beyond a “culture of one”

Terry A. Ruhl, P.E., F. ASCE with CH2M HILL, addresses the Spring 2012 Colorado State University College of Engineering’s graduating class.

A Publication of the Airport Consultants Council

Winter 2012 – 2013

3

ConsultingInside This Issue

7 2013 acc committee Leadership airport Planning, Design & construction Symposium Preview

8 – 9 Member SpotlightsACC Executive Member E.M. Tech, Inc. and ACC Associate Member ServiceTec International, Inc.

10 acc 34th annual conference & exposition

11 call for nominations — 2013 acc aviation award of excellence

12 acc Members•NewMembers•OntheMove

13 2013 acc 35th annual conference & exposition

14 – 18 cover Story(continued from page one)

19 upcoming acc c and Institute events

20 acc 2012 Global Business Summit

Subscribe at www.ACConline.orgFollow ACC on Twitter @ACC_HQ

t a b l E o f c o n t E n t s

ChAirAndy Platz, P.E.

Mead & Hunt, Inc.

ViCE ChAirDavid Peshkin, P.E.

Applied Pavement Technology, Inc.

sECrEtAry/trEAsurErCarol Lurie, LEED AP, AICP

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

immEdiAtE PAst BoArd ChAirCourtney A. Beamon, P.E.Delta Airport Consultants, Inc.

BoArd of dirECtorsDon Bergin

Blast Deflectors, Inc.

Roddy L. Boggus, NCARB, AIAParsons Brinckerhoff

Marc ChampignyThe Louis Berger Group

Mary Ellen EaganHarris Miller Miller & Hanson, Inc.

David Kipp, P.E.Ross & Baruzzini, Inc.

Kevin Quan ESCO-Zodiac Aerospace

Matt Wenham, P.E. C&S Companies

Marion Kromm White, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

HOK

Solomon WongInterVISTAS


s P E c i a l f E a t u r E

Global opportunitiesEditor’s Note: Over the last 15 years the number of U.S.-based ACC member firms that work overseas has grown significantly. At the same time, non-U.S. companies have joined ACC in greater numbers. This is clearly a reflection of the global nature of the industry and companies taking advantage of emerging markets. We asked select ACC member firms for their perspectives on why they actively seek projects around the globe.

PersPectives from AirPort DeveloPment comPAnies

DR. AlExANDER ISINg DIRECTOR, HOCHTIEF AIRPORT, ESSEN, gERmANyWhile demand for air travel is still growing in most regions of the world, less and less funds are available to provide adequate airport infrastructure. We have found that the key to success is to develop tailor-made and feasible capital expenditure programs for airport owners and operators, and avoid proposing castles in the air that can never be realized. As such, companies should simply avoid “business as usual.” Given the limited money resources, “this is the way it’s done in the industry” will no longer work. Only those using alternative and innovative ways of planning air-port facilities will have a chance to compete and work on both lucrative and interesting projects.

When looking to potential part-ners, we seek those that bring

unique qualifi-cations to our team, i.e., if a partner has done work in the country of the project before. We also may want to benefit from foreign partners with better cost structures, thus making our offer more competitive.

Overall, the key to success is understanding the client and his needs. Then, try to understand the foreign client’s, or partner’s mentality, which can be best ex-plained in a very simple example: Nodding means “Yes” in thewesternworld,but“No”inSouthEastern Europe, parts of Russia and India!

KEITH THOmPSON PRINCIPAl, gENSlER, lOS ANgElES, CAlIFORNIAWe have found that the big-gest opportunities for U.S. firms comes from bringing design expertise that does not exist in many coun-tries, while simultaneously learning from the scale and innovation offered in other cultures/countries. Patience, reputation and solid corpo-rate support for the initiative are critical for success.

Some of the top risks include the higher costs of competi-tion, questionable business/selection practices, and cul-tural/language differences that lead to difficulties in understanding and respond-ing to client priorities. Having a corporate relation-ship network and interna-tional risk-management is

a plus. Also, teaming with firms that have established relationships abroad is a good way to enter markets and mitigate risks.

Companies should be pre-pared to bring their check-book and spend resources and time getting grounded in a given market. Having boots-on-the-ground with language and cultural skills doesn’t hurt either.

TuNDE OyEKOlA mNIA INTl. ASSOC. AIA, CEO, El-mANSuR ATElIER gROuP, ABuJA FCT, NIgERIAIn my opinion, the biggest opportunities for airport development are in small-to-medium-sized airports in the new and emerging markets of Africa and Asia. While the needs may be for simple, functional and uncomplicated facilities, the fact is that Africa remains a huge market for airport development, and companies will be well advised to begin to look at this opportunity.

The primary risks vary, from a lack of understanding of the market and culture, to the overall budgets that are available. Frequently, the funds needed for projects are not readily available. As a result, the various governments have to depend on foreign loans. Companies that can facilitate such an arrangement are at a competitive advan-tage. Doing business in Africa requires a lot of unique thinking because challenges are as diverse as they are unconventional.

Understanding the culture and mindset and peculiar needs of the cli-entandpeopleisvital.Nevergoinwithapre-conceivedperspective;otherwise you will be unnecessarily prejudiced. One should go the extra mile to understand why things are the way they are. Take time to ask questions. Frequently, partnering with the locals who have great exposure will make this process easier.

Finally, know the difference in the application of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. While these two bodies are similar, there are sub-tle differences in requirements and expectations. For example, the FAAusestheAircraftClassificationNumber(ACN)inclassifyingairports,whereasNigeriausesthePavementClassificationNumber(PCN)asanICAOcountry.InNigeria,ourairportpavementsaretypically made from flexible, hot-rolled asphalt, compared to rigid concrete at some airports in the U.S. Companies that understand the FAA and ICAO standards, and their implementation in various re-gions, can take advantage of this when competing abroad. Of course the units of measurement varies from country to country as well.

5www.ACConline.org 5

DON BERgIN DIRECTOR OF REgIONAl SAlES, BlAST DEFlECTORS, INC., RENO, NEvADAClearly, the opportunity to expand markets can lead to increased revenue. Beyond the obvious revenue motive, firms with a foothold in a number of countries don’t have to depend on the economy of a single market. This has been a particularly key benefit of Blast Deflector’s overseas growth, as we have seen a slowdown in our historically strong domestic market. Today, more than 50 percent of our revenue comes from projects outside the U.S.

To get underway, consider starting a collection of passport stamps! Developing personal relationships with potential overseas clients and partners is a key part of developing new markets and solving the inevitable challenges associated with overseas projects. This means extensive travel and face time with clients. Also consider participating in the major annual airport industry

event of a country or region, as attending these conferences or tradeshows is a very helpful way to evaluate the potential of a new market and identify revenue opportunities.

Some risks for a supplier like BDI are different from risks that an A/E firm would consider, namely intellectual property (IP)-related issued. Other risks common to both airport consultants and airport suppliers include foreign exchange risk, tax issues, politi-cal risks and collection problems.

Finally, avoid assuming that your standard approach is right and that the local approach is wrong. Being open to new ap-proaches and new technologies can lead to an improved deliver-able or product.

mONTy gETTySPRESIDENT, mONTgOmERy CONSulTINg gROuP, INC., WINTER PARK, FlORIDAThere are substantial interna-tional opportunities for U.S. firms that can provide air navigation and airspace analysis as many countries leap-frog their air navigation systems to NextGentechnologies.Indevel-oping countries, there are oppor-tunities for change management and organizational analysis as civil aviation authorities restruc-ture their organizations to meet ICAO requirements. There are also opportunities for air service firms to provide market analy-sis to developing airlines and airports seeking to brand them-selves within their respective re-gions. Finally, security planning and integration of technologies is an area of significant promise.

While working in developing countries, U.S. professional service firms need to recognize they need to bring technical and financial expertise. Knowledge of funding/financial sources for planning, engineering, and construction implementation is just as important as the technical expertise and experience, since projects typically do not move forward without an ability to identify project financing.

A risk many smaller firms en-counter is a lack of knowledge about the procurement process-es. Firms can invest lots of time into a project pursuit only to find out that they are not eligible. Making contact with airport or transportation experts in the U.S. Embassy and/or Consulates can help tremendously in researching the way your tar-

geted agency procures the services your firm provides. L a n g u a g e can also be a major bar-rier to working internationally, so identifying a resource (even if part time) that speaks and writes in the language of your target country is recommended.

Attending international conferences and forums and making one-on-one connections have been particularly helpful. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) hosts regional airport and aviation conferences, bringing together key decision makers on numerous agencies and countries. Attendance allows a firm to learn more about the opportunities, key players, and timelines without traveling to individual locations. USTDA also funds Reverse Trade Missions, where foreign officials from a specific country or region that have upcoming procurements are brought to the U.S. to tour similar facilities and meet with interested U.S. firms. These are great opportunity to get one-on-one time at minimal out of pocket expense. The ACC Global Business Summit is another good opportunity to learn about opportunities and to network.

Don’t be discouraged if your first try doesn’t go as planned. Pick a different client, a differ-ent region, and keep trying!

KEvIN ClEARy gROuP HEAD CONSulTANCy CONSulT / DAA, DuBlIN, IRElANDThe global airport market is undergoing significant change at present. With new airport devel-opments, privatization and trans-actions underway throughout the globe, exciting opportunities abound for airport development companies. We suggest looking at the markets on the cusp of the greatest change, which in our view includes the U.S.

The development of non-aviation revenues and strategies seems to be a recurring theme wher-ever we travel. From the U.S. to China, we are continually getting inquiries relating to maximizing the commercial potential of an airport in order to fund and deliver on an aviation mandate. Due to this trend, investors and developers without previous ex-perience are turning their sights

to the avia-tion market.

The oppor-tunities lie in bringing gen-uine expertise and know-how to these groups, enabling them to navigate and build on the potential. Having the complete A-Z set of skills is essential for any team to achieve success. We have found that being an airport operator with international experience can be a clear differ-entiator. Knowledge in planning and execution of non-aeronau-tical strategies, including real time, hands-on operational and management experience, along with infrastructural and devel-opment expertise, are all crucial skills for successful teaming.


As you begin to enter the workforce, or move on to an advanced degree, the scope and range of engineering challenges you will be asked to solve are arguably larger and more complex than at any other time in our his-tory. With the world’s population expected to grow to about 9 billion by 2050, the need to bolster infrastructure, develop sustain-able food and water sources, meet increased energy demands, and minimize environmen-tal damage has never been higher.

I’m here to tell you that even though we are just coming out of the worst recession in a lifetime, the world did not stop innovat-ing, planning, engineering, and building. Hundreds of thousands of engineering assignments being delivered by engineers around the globe, were started or carried on throughout the economic downturn. Since the dawn of time, it has been the engineers who have developed a better world, regard-less of the events taking place around them.

Another word of advice is don’t necessar-ily believe or trust everything you read or hear in the media. Remember, pessimism

“sells,” and I contend that optimism “buys.” Difficult times bring change and change brings opportunity. I want to give you a sense of urgency as you enter the next chap-ter of your life. How you view the next five years will have a tremendous impact on the remainder of your career.

My advice follows two general philosophies.

Strive to be well-rounded in all that you do. We have all known brilliant, but one-dimensional people. Their effectiveness is marginalized by an inability to collaborate, communicate ideas, and explore the financially practical and the politically feasible.

be reSilient. Most anybody can succeed when times are good. But you will be measured by the negative events in your life and your career — it’s how you respond (or rebound) to challenges and setbacks that will dictate your legacy.

Four simple words to remember are:

PaSSion — Develop your career based on what you love; if you don’t have pas-sion about what you do, do something else. People who are not happy can be contagious, even cancerous; similarly, optimists breed optimism. When mentoring and working with the people around you, highlight four positive things for every negative. This is hard, I know. Ask my kids.

ComPaSSion — You must learn to work with others and treat one another with re-spect. As you grow throughout your career, you’ll truly learn the difference between leadership and management. Leadership is about others — not yourself — and is trans-formational. Management is transactional

— and can be boring at times, honestly.

CommuniCation — This topic needs a bit more emphasis, especially in a world where we see leaders and elected politicians talking past each other every day. The often forgotten rule of communication is listening. Become the best listener you can be. In the engineering profession, most failures derive from communication problems, not techni-cal issues. Become the best communicator you can be, written and oral.

ComPetition — It follows from passion. Have the drive to succeed. And please note that it’s OK to fail as well. You’re going to fail at something — it’s an inescapable aspect of the human condition.

A few more follow-on and closing thoughts for your consideration…

•FoCuS — while I indicated a strong desire for being well-rounded, you will never be all things to all people; focus on what matters. As I tell people at work, don’t treat every request or opportunity you receive like a subpoena.

Going beyond a “Culture of one”e xcerP ts f rom commencemen t A DDress

By: Terry A. Ruhl, P.E., F. ASCE; CH2M HILL

Terry Ruhl delivering commencement address at Colorado State University’s College of

Engineering graduation ceremony on May 11, 2012 in Fort Collins, CO.

c o n s u l t a n t P E r s P E c t i v E

• be a ChamPion oF Something — Give back to your school and the community

— you will be rewarded.

• never StoP learning — We can always improve as an engineer/friend/mentor/leader/follower/spouse. You may not realize it, but you have embarked on a campaign of life-long learning. It doesn’t stop when you are handed your diploma in five minutes.

•Collaborate — Don’t be selfish. Avoid a “culture of one.” Engineering, no matter what the business or individual career, is a team sport. Rarely, if ever, will you accom-plish something on your own.

• adaPt to Change and “unFair”

SituationS — Change is constant and unyielding in today’s business environment. In addition, you will come across situations where you will be treated unfairly — expect it and have the fortitude to work through it.

• think globally — Look for partner-ships; not adversarial relationships — search forawin-win.Noteverysituationrequiresa “loser.” The way I look at my industry throughout the world, infrastructure is paramount to our ability to compete globally

— global competitiveness, in turn, truly does dictate our standard of living. Don’t forget, however, that we have plenty of problems that need solutions outside our back door here in the U.S.

• be honeSt with yourSelF and

otherS — As alluded to earlier, act with integrity — remember to always “do the right thing.” At the end of the day, your integrity is all you have — it far outlasts any paycheck or material wealth you receive.

In closing, CH2M HILL’s long held creed is “Do good work. Make a profit. Enjoy life.” Together, let’s build a better world!

77

COMMITTEE CHAIR VICE-CHAIR

Technical

EngineeringDoug SanderDelta Airport Consultants, Inc.

Katie ChouHatch Mott MacDonald

Environmental Brad RolfMead & Hunt, Inc.

Mike KenneyKB Environmental

PlanningDiana WasiukHarris Miller Miller Hanson Inc.

Barton GoverParsons Brinkerhoff

Safety & Security/ Security Capabilities Day

Larry StuddifordJacobs

Doug DeihlAnalogic Corporation

SustainabilityJane AhrensGresham, Smith and Partners

Greg Heaton Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc.

Terminal Dennis GillespieHOK

Mark LangLang & Associates, LLC

GovernmenT affairs

Legislative & Regulatory

Kevin DollioleUnison Consulting, Inc.

Kelly RubinoHanson Professional Services, Inc.

Project Delivery Knute RuggaardCH2M HILL

Andy WasiniakWalbridge

services

ACC Institute Todd KnuckeyAtkins

Gen LongApplied Pavement Technology, Inc.

Awards Pat AskewGensler

Lynn LeibowitzLeibowitz&Horton Airport

Globalization Dave StaderCH2M HILL

Steve RianoBechtel Corporation

evenTs

ACC/AAAE AirportPlanning, Design & Construction Symposium

J.J. Morton Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.

Mark KuttrusParsons Brinckerhoff

Summer Workshop Series

Damon Smith Mead & Hunt, Inc.

Mark McGuireCampbell & Paris Engineers

ACC Annual Conference

Bill SandiferRS&H

Kristin Shaw SITA

operaTions

Marketing/Membership

Nate MortensonSafegate Airport Systems, Inc.

Nick RyanArora Engineers, Inc.

Nominating Andy PlatzMead & Hunt, Inc.

Courtney BeamonDelta Airport Consultants, Inc.

Past Board Chair Terry RuhlCH2M HILL

Ron PeckhamC&S Companies

2013 Committee leadership

www.ACConline.org 7

February 6 – 8, 2013New Orleans Marriott // New Orleans, LA

For reGIStratIon anD hoteL InForMatIon

Contact brian snyder, Cmp, aaae, at (703) 824-0500,

ext. 174, or e-mail [email protected].

For ProGraM InForMatIonContact t.J. schulz, aCC, at (703) 683-5900, or e-mail [email protected].

For exhIBIt anD SPonSorShIP InForMatIonContact amy trivette, aaae, at (703) 824-0500, ext. 160 or e-mail [email protected]

FOR REGISTRATION AND MORE INFO: www.ACConline.org www.aaaemeetings.org

Be sure to join your colleagues

at the preeminent airport technical

event of the year.

7

Increase your knowledge about the latest airport technical issues and trends by attending the 2013 ACC/AAAE Airport Planning, Design and Construction Symposium. The symposium is the preeminent technical event where you can gain the latest information and developments affecting the industry. Airport professionals of all experience levels will find a mix of presentations and interactive discussions on technical content in the following disciplines:

» Planning » Terminal/landside » Engineering/airside » Program management/Construction management » International trends » Airport finance » Sustainability » Information technology


Engineering & materials Technologies, Inc. (E.m. Tech)

7857 Coppermine DriveManassas, Virginia 20109

TEL: 703-361-9898 FAX: 703-361-6565

www.emtechengineers.com

Engineering & Materials Technologies, Inc. (E.M. Tech) is a full-service en-gineering firm providing geotechnical, structural and forensic engineering,

consulting, materials testing, and construction QC/QA services. Since its’ establishment in January 1997, E.M. Tech has been committed to providing high quality service to clients in the Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. region, and has become one of the area’s most respected full-service engineering consulting firms.

E.M. Tech’s Principal Engineer, Shaz Moosa, is a licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. He has over 27 years of experience providing engineering consulting services in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and is a member of the Fairfax County Geotechnical Review Board. E.M. Tech’s staff consists of highly qualified registered Professional Engineers, a Certified Professional Geologist, staff level engineers, certified engineering inspectors and technicians, and an administrative support team.

E.M. Tech’s fully equipped in-house labora-tory supports their engineering and consulting services, and is managed by a graduate civil engineer. It is accredited by AMRL and WACEL for ASTM E329 (HMA, Concrete, Soil), ASTM C1077 (Concrete), ASTM D3666 (HMA), and ASTM D3740 (Soil). E.M. Tech participates in test programs that evaluate their ability to accurately and efficiently perform testing utilizing ASTM, VTM, AASHTO, and other test methods.

E.M. Tech is registered as a Disadvantaged B u s i ne s s E nter pr i s e ( D B E ) w it h t he Commonwealth of Virginia, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit

Authority (WMATA). E.M. Tech regularly participates as a team member on projects that require communication with diverse entities. Their project management practices result in the ability to define, execute, and deliver effective and time-critical support services to other members of the project team.

E.M. Tech’s experience includes projects for public, commercial, school, industrial, office, and residential developments involving various methods and types of construction. E.M. Tech has or is currently providing QC/QA services, Special Inspection services, laboratory services (materials testing and soils/concrete mix designs) and/or engineering consulting services for projects at Washington Dulles International Airport,RonaldReaganWashingtonNationalAirport, Manassas Regional Airport, Andrews AFB, and the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport.

E.M. Tech continues to expand services while maintaining high ethical standards, and has developed an excellent record of performance with the private sector and public agencies. Representatives of local government agencies recognize E.M. Tech as a high quality service provider. Their level of customer service is reflected by the names and reputations of their clients. Many of their clients are ones with whom they have formed long-term relationships, and new clients are often the result of referrals. E.M. Tech is dedicated to pursuing excellent relationships with their clients as they broaden their service capabilities.

Please visit www.emtechengineers.com to learn more.

Prepared by Nancy Rigby, Office Manager

m E m b E r s P o t l i g h t a c c E x E c u t i v E m E m b E r


ServiceTec International, Inc. specializes in the provision of Managed IT Services to the world’s airport and airline industries, managing, maintaining,

monitoring and supporting business and mission critical systems faster and more efficiently than any other service provider.

ServiceTec provides the expertise to support business and mission critical systems in airports of all sizes and passenger traffic demands. ServiceTec is distinguished from other providers of Managed IT Services by its expertise, experi-ence and knowledge. ServiceTec specializes solely in the delivery of Managed IT Services to airports and airlines. ServiceTec knows the industry, the issues and knows how to help organizations improve services, reduce costs and become more efficient. The world’s largest and busiest airports rely on ServiceTec to ensure the ongoing availability of business and mission critical systems. ServiceTec is at the forefront of many advanced airport technologies, including self-service check-in kiosks, biometric and iris recognition systems, baggage reconciliation systems, flight information systems, departure control systems, passenger check-in systems and associated networking infrastructures. With over 2 million hours of experience, support well in excess of 50,000 system devices and more than 1,000 self service devices at the world’s busiest airports, ServiceTec continues to set the standards against which other support companies are measured.

Regardless of the airport’s issues, objectives or requirements, the chances are ServiceTec has successfully addressed these issues in other airports throughout the world.

Examples of ServiceTec’s areas of expertise include:

network ManaGeMentAs airport IT services become increasingly more complex, reliance on the network is crucial to the efficient functioning of all other IT services. Whether it is optimizing capacity, monitoring security or managing utilization, availability and reliability, ServiceTec has the knowledge and experience to deliver.

PaSSenGer check-In, BoarDInG anD SeLF ServIce As the world’s leading independent provider of managed IT services, ServiceTec provides the right resources with the right capabilities to best support an airport’s passenger handling requirements. From check-in to bag tagging to boarding gate, ServiceTec has been instrumental in helping airports introduce and extend their passenger self- service programs, accruing a wealth of knowledge about improving the process along the way. In addition to knowledgeable and experienced customer service technicians, ServiceTec employs certified systems administra-tors for all the major systems provider platforms. Whatever the challenges of an airport, ServiceTec delivers services tailored to meet specific require-

ments and objectives, synergizing knowledge and expertise with the airport’s unique environment.

SecurItyAs the boundaries between specialist security sys-tems and airport IT continue to blur, ServiceTec is the partner of choice able to successfully cross those boundaries, and provide the quality of service an airport needs through utilizing highly trained, skilled site-based technicians to raise the support of security systems to a far higher level.

StaFF auGMentatIonNo one knows their airport as well as thededicated staff working there – but sometimes that team needs augmenting with extra resources backed by the experience of over 2 million hours working in some of the most challenging airports in the world. It is the value-add only available with that level of experience, that makes talking to ServiceTec International the smart choice.

ServiceTec International, Inc.12007 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 355Reston, VA 20191TEL: (703) 259-4000FAX: (703) 259-4001Email: [email protected]: www.servicetec.com

Prepared by Phillip McDonough,

Director of Business Development

and

Ken Wright, Vice President, Business

Relations

a c c a s s o c i a t E m E m b E r m E m b E r s P o t l i g h t

ServiceTec


B i g T H A n k sto all of the exhibitors, sponsors and ACC members for helping to make the ACC 34th Annual Conference & Exposition possible.

DIAMOND LEVEL SPONSOR (LANYARDS)

HDRwww.hdrinc.com Hdr an Engineering news-record top 8 transportation firm -

provides planning, design, program management, environmental, construction and security services through a variety of delivery methods, including design-build. our aviation specialists are part of a full-service architectural, engineering and consulting network comprising 7,800 professionals in 185 offices around the globe. learn more at www.hdrinc.com

PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSOR (WELCOME RECEPTION)

Delta Airport Consultantswww.deltaairport.comdelta provides specialized

airport planning, design, and construction administration services to commercial service and general aviation airports. Projects include master Plans, Environmental assessments, new terminals, airside pavements, airfield lighting, access roads, parking lots, and other airport improvements. delta has implemented many of the firm’s planning concepts. we are experienced with funding criteria, construction alternatives, budget control, and project administration.

PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSOR (AWARDS LUNCHEON)

Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA)www.aci-na.orgthe airports Council international – north america (aCi-na) represents local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United states and

Canada. over 350 aviation-related businesses are also members of aCi-na, providing goods and services to airports. aCi-na’s members enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in north america. the mission of aCi-na is to advocate policies and provide services that strengthen the ability of commercial airports to serve their passengers, customers and communities.

GOLD LEVEL SPONSOR (CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST)

mead & Hunt, Inc.www.meadhunt.commead & Hunt is a full-service aviation consultant

with 450 employees in 24 offices nationwide providing expertise in engineering, planning, architecture, environmental planning, air service development and program management. we also offer specialty services such as irregular operations (iroPs), business, financial and sustainability planning; wildlife hazard management; and navigational aids design. we have been active in airport development since the 1940s — serving a national audience with a local perspective. mead & Hunt ranks among the top 500 a/E firms in the nation by Engineering news record and consistently places in their “top 25 in airports” list. learn more at www.meadhunt.com.

GOLD LEVEL SPONSOR (KEYNOTE ADDRESS)

genslerwww.gensler.comGensler is a full-service design firm offering aviation

industry clients a broad spectrum of services. in addition to our overall design management capabilities in the role of master architect, Gensler offers specific expertise in airport facilities planning and design, terminal renovation and expansion, terminal security implementation, interior design and airport graphics. as the nation’s largest architecture and interior design firm, Gensler is responsible for the design of over ten million square feet of terminal facilities currently in use at more than thirty airports around the world.

SILVER LEVEL SPONSOR (MORNING BREAK)

Woodward & AssociatesEmail: [email protected] & associates, a woman-owned business, represents clients by providing comprehensive

administrative, legislative, regulatory, and public affairs services. Based in washington, dC, woodward & associates specializes in assisting private industry and government entities with transportation and legislative issues. the principal of the company, woodie woodward, Ph.d. served in senior positions in the United states senate and in the administrations of Presidents ronald reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton and George w. Bush.

SILVER LEVEL SPONSOR (AFTERNOON BREAK)

The louis Berger groupwww.louisberger.comthe louis Berger

Group, inc. (lBG) is a multi-disciplinary transportation planning and design firm with offices throughout the United states and around the globe. lBG’s aviation services division prides itself on developing cost effective, sustainable, airport improvement strategies that allow airport operators to flexibly plan and implement projects necessary to meet present and forecast demand in an often changing environment. lBG’s depth of aviation expertise and dedication to customer service ensures that every client receives the same high level of attention and performance on every project, regardless of scale or complexity. Consequently, we have built an impressive project portfolio and have served a wide range of clients representing an array of airports from large hub to general aviation. our aviation specialty areas include: Planning, Environmental, Engineering, financial and operational support, and Program management.

SILVER LEVEL SPONSOR (NEW ACC MEMBERS’ ORIENTATION (PALs RECEPTION)

Smiths Detectionwww.smithsdetection.comsmiths detection is part of the global technology

business smiths Group. it offers advanced integrated security solutions for customers in civil and military markets worldwide and is a leading technology developer and manufacturer of sensors that detect and identify explosives, radiological chemical and biological agents, weapons, and contraband. its advanced technology security solutions also include x-ray imaging systems, millimeter-wave technology and a specialist software supply business for the management of large sensor and video surveillance networks.

ACC PLAYERESCO-Zodiac Aerospacewww.zodiacaerospace.comas part of the ZodiaC aerospace family, Engineered arresting

systems Corporation (EsCo) is the global leader in the manufacturing of military and commercial aircraft arresting systems. our Emas, Engineered material arresting system, is faa-accepted and validated for use in satisfying runway safety area (rsa) requirements. installing Emas would shorten rsa length to 600 feet or less, which could allow airports with standard rsa length to gain additional runway length for operation. our technology has been deployed worldwide at over 68 runway ends at both commercial service and general aviation airports. Emas has been credited to have stopped 8 aircraft with a total of 235 crew and passengers on board in real life overrun situations.

EJwww.ejco.comEast Jordan iron works, inc. is a leader in the manufacturing and distribution of construction

castings. our extensive product line includes airport and port authority castings; storm and sanitary manhole frames and covers; drainage castings; trench grating; gate valves; fire hydrants; utility construction castings, access hatches and tree grates. EJiw produces gray and ductile iron castings to meet the specifications of federal, state and local agencies nationwide, earning a reputation for american made quality products and customer service since 1883. wE CovEr yoUr infrastrUCtUrE™. Contact EJiw sales professionals at 800-626-4653.

Flex-O-lite, Inc.www.flexolite.comflex-o-lite is the leading global manufacturer and supplier of Glass Beads for

airport markings including type iii, type i and type iv. our tiii airport beads exceed Us federal specification ttB-1325 d, type iii and provide the highest level of marking visibility and safety. we provide technical support for our customers around the world to ensure performance during installation. we also offer a turn key asset management programs “airwiZE” that combine long term (5 year) maintenance service for airfield markings and rubber removal.

maxCellwww.maxcell.us maxCell is the only flexible fabric innerduct system designed specifically for the network construction

industry. the unique fabric construction allows maxCell to conform to the shape of cables placed within, greatly reducing the wasted space associated with rigid innerduct. today’s network owners and builders use maxCell to increase their cable density by as much as 300%. for more information, please call 888.387.3828 or visit the maxCell web site at www.maxcellinnerduct.com.

Navtech Radarwww.navtechradar.comnavtech radar has been a leading manufacturer

of security radars since 1999. radar is the most effective perimeter surveillance technology for airports, because of the flat terrain and line of sight. ten European airports are using navtech, and the fCC has recently opened the frequency for use in U.s. airports.

Neenah Foundrywww.neenahenterprises.comneenah foundry is a manufacturer of gray and

ductile iron municipal and airport castings, such as manhole frames, lids, curb inlets and trench grates.

Transportation Research Board — ACRPEmail: [email protected]; [email protected] airport Cooperative

research Program (aCrP) is an industry-driven, applied research program that develops near-term, practical solutions to problems faced by airport operators. aCrP is managed by the transportation research Board (trB) of the national academies and sponsored by the federal aviation administration (faa). the research is conducted by contractors who are selected on the basis of competitive proposals.

SPONSORS EXHIBITORS


The Airport Consultants Council (ACC) Aviation Award of Excellence recognizes the contributions of an individual, group, or organization to the airport and aviation industry.

While consultants are not eligible for the award, candidates whose contributions qualifying them for nomination were completed within two years of their nomination and who have subsequently become consultants will be eligible for consideration.

The 2 013

aCC aviation award of excellence

Call For NomiNatioNs

PlEAsE submit yOuR nOMInATIOns by January 31, 2013

tO: Pat Askew, ACC 2013 Awards Committee Chair,Phone: (202) 263-5447Email: [email protected]

nominationsPlease use the following format when submitting nominations:

NOmINEE — Identify the individual with title, organization, and contact information (address, phone, fax and email).

NOmINATOR — Identify the individual submitting the nomination with title, organization and contact information.

REASON/QuAlIFICATIONS — Describe in 150 words or less the nominee’s contributions that warrant their selection for the award. Focus on the award purpose and selection criteria when describing the nominee’s contributions. Additional supporting materials are not required.

The Airport Consultants Council A n n o u n c es …

Past RecipientsPast recipients of the prestigious ACC Aviation Award of Excellence include:

Catherine (Kate) M. Lang, FAA Deputy Associate Administrator for Airports

Benjamin R. DeCosta, Former Department of Aviation General Manager, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

Edmund S. “Kip” Hawley, Former TSA Administrator

Gina Marie Lindsey, Executive Director, Los Angeles World Airports

James Bennett A.A.E., President and CEO, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, (MWAA)

Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President and CEO, FedEx Corporation

Jeffrey P. Fegan, CEO, Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport

James C. DeLong, A.A.E., Former Director of Aviation, Louisville Airport Authority

Lydia Kennard, Former Executive Director, Los Angeles World Airports

Norman Y. Mineta, DOT Secretary

Bombardier Aerospace, Manufacturer of the CRJ Series Regional Jet

Bud Shuster, Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

James L. Oberstar, Ranking Democratic Member, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Donald D. Engen, Director, National Air and Space Museum

Gordon Bethune, Chairman and CEO, Continental Airlines

Aviation Week Group, Publishers of Aviation Daily & Airports

Herbert D. Kelleher, President, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Southwest Airlines

Leonard L. Griggs, FAA Assistant Administrator for Airports

Federico F. Peña, Former Mayor, City of Denver

Samuel K. Skinner, DOT Secretary

Clifton A. Moore, Executive Director, Los Angeles Department of Airport

Positions listed are those held at the time that the award was presented

Selection CriteriaThe selection of the recipient is based upon the extent to which their contributions meet the following criteria:

■ Are significant, visionary and/or innovative;

■ Have advanced the airport and aviation industry; and

■ Are a public service.

Award PresentationThe ACC Aviation Award of Excellence will be presented at the ACC 35th

Annual Conference & Exposition, November 11 – 13, 2013, Loews Ventana Canyon, Tucson, AZ.


aea GrouP — PPc, erG, anD aea technoLoGy mr. damon fordham, senior Principal1760 old meadow rd, mclean, va 22102Ph: 703-748-5179, fax: 703-748-7001Email: [email protected]: www.aeat.co.ukAEA group, which includes Project Performance Corporation, Eastern Research Group, and AEA Technology, is a 1,000-person energy and envi-ronmental consultancy operating in the U.S. and Europe, with world-leading expertise in sustainable transportation, air quality, and climate change. Our staff includes scientists, modelers, policy analysts, management consultants, and IT professionals.

arcaDISralph taber, Construction manager320 Commerce, suite 200, irvine, Ca 92602Ph: 714-508-2619Email: [email protected]: www.arcadis-us.comArcadis is an international firm providing planning, design, construction management, environmental and Asset Management Services around the world. The company experience includes Terminals, Security Screening, Baggage Handling Systems, Information Technology, airfield pavements, NAVAIDS, Sustainable construction practices.

ccI enGIneerInG ServIceSms. Joyce Johnson, President2323 w. 5th ave., ste. 120Columbus, oH 43204Ph: 614-485-0670, fax: 614-485-0677Email: [email protected]: www.ccitechs.comCCI provides civil engineering and engineering technology services to the transportation, utili-ties and construction industries. These services include roadway and bridge design, pavement design and management, electrical engineering,

airport GIS, Building Information Modeling (BIM), BIM coordination, Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) and Primavera Project Scheduling/Contract Manager.

Futron corPoratIonmr. dave fleettechnical director, airport operations4410 East Claibourne square ste 334Hampton, va 23666Ph: 317-490-0050Email: [email protected]: www.futron.comFutron Corporation is a leader in providing inno-vative Decision Management Solutions (DMS). Founded in 1986, Futron combines business, technical, and management expertise with analyti-cal capabilities creating solutions for improved decisions, performance, and results. Futron pro-vides subject matter expertise to airports in the areas of Safety Management Systems, Enterprise Management Systems, and Risk Management.

IP DeSIGn GrouPmr. Brant yantzer, Chief operations officer1102 douglas st, omaha, nE 68102Ph: 402-346-7007, fax: 402-346-9576Email: [email protected]: www.ipdesigngroup.comIP Design Group is a leading consultant of sur-veillance, electronic access control, acoustics, communications systems, information systems, physical infrastructure, and master planning for airports. We enable clients to transform informa-tion into action through a proven interactive plan-ning process with key stakeholders and facilitate implementation from design to performance verification.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSnavtech raDarmr. daniel flynn, Consultant5 windjammer Point, merritt island, fl 32952

Ph: (321) 427-8873, fax: (321) 222-1330Email: [email protected]: www.vtr-tech.comNavtech Radar has been a leading manufacturer of security radars since 1999. Radar is the most effective perimeter surveillance technology for airports, because of the flat terrain and line of sight. Ten European airports are using Navtech, and the FCC has recently opened the frequency for use in U.S. airports.

PreMIer cPG (conStructIon ProDuctS GrouP)mr. Claudio manissero, PresidentP.o. Box 3112, Huntersville, nC 28070Ph: 704-907-5463Email: [email protected]: www.premiercpg.comPremier CPG supplies novel specialty concrete admixtures to prevent shrinkage cracking, pre-vent curling and increase durability of concrete. Company also supplies novel green cements and products for construction at terminals that assist in meeting LEED requirements and fast setting patching cements for rapid repairs of runways and taxiways.

ServIcetec InternatIonaL, Inc.mr. Philip mcdonoughtitle: director of Business development12007 sunrise valley dr., ste. 355reston, va 20191Ph: (703) 259-4015, fax: (703) 259-4001Email: [email protected]: www.servicetec.comServiceTec provides comprehensive Managed IT Services system solutions to ensure reliability, increase efficiency, contain costs and enhance customer satisfaction. We work with many of the world’s largest and busiest airports to deliver services tailored to meet their specific requirements and objectives, synergizing our knowledge and expertise with their unique environment.

12

envIronMentaL ScIence aSSocIateS (eSa) has moved its corporate headquarters and flagship san francisco office from 225 Bush street to 550 Kearny street, in san francisco, California. more than 120 of the firm’s 350 staff, including planners, scientists, engineers, hydrologists, and corporate services will occupy 32,000 square feet on the 8th and 9th floors. founded and head-quartered in the Bay area since 1969, Esa has grown into a broad-based environmental science and planning firm with a nationwide presence. Critical to the firm’s success is the depth of tech-nical resources in local offices along with support from firmwide national practices including water, community development, biological resources and land management, airports, energy, renewable resources, and cultural resource management.

SSI, Inc. has acquired the professional aviation consulting services practice of its partner company aviaEd and will now offer these services as part of a total training solution to the aviation industry. from stand-alone on-premise training systems with highly customized courseware, to subscription based on-demand courses, ssi provides its clients with the most innovative

products to meet tsa and faa guidelines. By adding consulting services for airport security, emergency and certification plans, along with expert-facilitated classroom training for security coordinators, safety managers and credentialing staff, ssi is well positioned to meet the dynamic needs of their growing client base.

Mr. Dean cox has joined atkins as business development manager in seattle. Cox will be responsible for developing relationships with new and existing aerospace clients for atkins in north america. Cox brings to atkins more than 20 years’ experience in the aerospace industry, most recent-ly as project technical leader for Boeing. His broad aerospace background includes various senior roles at Boeing, airbus north america, Hawker Beechcraft, Crane aerospace, and sonaCa. Cox’s addition to the team follows an exciting first year for atkins’ aerospace business in north america. twelve months after opening its doors, atkins’ aerospace office in seattle has expanded into new, larger office space in the seattle suburb of Kirkland, washington; and has already delivered its first major projects for U.s. clients.

Mr. nIchoLaS JohnSon has joined steven Baldwin associates, llC as an associate. Johnson joins the firm with several years’ experience in the operations department of albany international

airport as operations supervisor, where he was tasked with ensuring the safe and efficient opera-tion of the airport. Prior to his employment at albany, mr. Johnson attended florida institute of technology where he earned his bachelor’s degree in aviation management as well as his Commercial Pilot and Certified flight instructor certificates. mr. Johnson will be based in the albany office and will be assisting with ongo-ing projects as well as providing aviation-related expertise for the firm.

MS. kara Lentz has been named a senior Project manager in the aviation group of Parsons Brinckerhoff. in her new position, ms. lentz will be responsible for managing all airport design and construction activities in the rocky mountain states region. Prior to joining Parsons Brinckerhoff, she was a senior Project manager for the avia-tion division of a major consulting firm. Her recent project experience includes managing the startup, scoping and planning for a $500 million airport redevelopment program at denver international airport. Prior to her denver work, ms. lentz was at dulles international airport as lead project manager/resident engineer for a 15-gate terminal expansion and automated people mover station at concourse B. lentz will be based in the firm’s denver office.

new Members

On the Move

a c c m E m b E r s

ExECuTIvE MEMBERS


o u t & a b o u t w i t h a c c

November 11 – 13, 2013

w w w . d e l t a a i r p o r t . c o m

DELTA AIRPORTCONSULTANTS, INC.

Congratulations to Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World

Recipient of the 2012 ACC Aviation Award of Excellence

LoEWS VENTANA CANyoNTucson, AZ

on the horizon…


c o v E r s t o r y

because airlines — due to liberalization — are able to make route and route frequency choices on short notice. Airlines have be-come pretty successful at making their costs more variable so that they have more flex-ibility, so that each plane can be counted on to make a certain amount of money and they can quickly choose which markets will be most lucrative. Even some public airports in the U.S. have become kind of corporatized, somewhat analogous to what has happened in the rest of the world. Even if they are part of the government, their relationship with the airlines has had to shift and many of them are operating as quasi-businesses.

Related to some extent, the financial squeeze on airlines and their embrace of technol-ogy has enabled airlines to reduce service to their passengers. Airlines have pretty much retreated to just serving passengers on the airplane. There’s more self-service and fewer airline employees at airports, so when unusual situations occur, the airline is no longer available to take care of the passenger. Similarly, in these situations, the airline is no longer there to plan and work with airports. The airport has increasingly had to take or assume more control over the overall platform. It’s a strange situation be-cause while the airport has to do more with the passenger, they don’t know who these passengers are. That is their conundrum. If they are going to assume more responsibility for the passengers at their airport, they need to start learning who these people are and what it is they want. I see that as a trend. Whether by default or entrepreneurial spirit, airports are going to be in the position of assuming more care and concern for the pas-senger experience, and learning more about those passengers and technology is going to continue to enable that.

ACC: Are there other future trends you see impacting airports?

AG: Yes. I think we’re going to see more liberalization in route selections. There are still some large pockets of the market that are not very liberalized. Africa and, frankly, Canada is another. There are parts of Asia that are not too liberalized. As these mar-kets come along with the rise of the middle class, you are going to see a proliferation of change, and change in these countries versus the U.S. and Europe will not necessarily be

the same. They’ll have their own stamp on it. You’re starting to see it in Latin America with some of the mergers of carriers from different countries creating global carriers. There’s a lot of growth in some of these countries. The U.S. and Western Europe are dealing with slow growth and a mature market, but there is a whole lot of growth in Eastern Europe and non-EU Europe. There’s double-digit growth in places like Turkey and Russia. Obviously, there is steady growth in Brazil. Some of this growth has slowed, but it has slowed down to eight percent, not two percent! China and India are obviously two huge markets that are just developing, but you are going to see it elsewhere as well. For your membership, this means there’s a whole big world out there and a lot of openness to change and doing things differently.

ACC: What are the biggest issues that ACI World is currently working on, and which do you believe will be resolved in the short- versus long-term?

Ag: The biggest thing that we’re working on is helping airports in developing coun-tries to improve their management and op-erations, particularly with regards to safety. We have historically produced manuals, guidance and training in all these areas, but we’re now going further. Guidance manuals are now available in more languages, and our training offerings have quadrupled in the last three years. We are now working on the Airport Excellence (APEX) safety program, where we have peer review site visits to help airports identify and address

their safety vulnerabilities. The airports that want the peer reviews really see it as an advantage and are often in countries without the rigorous safety oversight that the U.S. has. Particularly when there are not a lot of airports, let alone international airports, in a country, it is hard to have a roster of inspectors. Beyond guidance, this peer review helps airports identify the steps they need to take to gain certification within their country or regain certification if they have lost it. We’ve had a lot of interest from the civil aviation authorities — because, while this is not an audit, it covers much of what is needed in an audit. And whether you call it an audit or peer assistance, the objective is improved safety performance. The airport needs to be — at the very least — a convener for the various stakeholders on the airport. You can’t just look at what you, the airport operator, are responsible for. You need to look at what the ground operators are doing; what the airlines are doing; what the conces-sionaires are doing; what all the pieces are doing because it all goes to the safety perfor-mance of the airport. We’re advocating air-ports setting up runway safety teams so that they communicate on a regular basis and have all of these different players identify their safety issues and have a forum where those issues can be resolved. We finished the pilot program and just launched the full implementation. We’re starting small, but we’re gaining momentum.

ACC: How does ACI World interface with the FAA and ICAO since they too are com-mitted to providing safety-related guidance and assistance?

Ag: We are talking to the FAA and they have offered to help us, so we are figuring out the most strategic and tactical way to take advantage of their offer. Perhaps they could help by training safety inspectors, since they have a very strong safety inspec-tion component. They have already been very supportive in terms of conferences and helping us with guidance material and they have definitely become front and center on the APEX program.

Meanwhile, ICAO has become more inter-ested in implementation. That’s something useful for your members to know. As a result, they have been much more engaged with in-dustry.AsaUNbody,theycanmakepolicy,can do audits and report out deficiencies and

GITTENScontinued from page 1


ACi World direCtor GenerAl AnGelA Gittens

15www.ACConline.org


lack of compliance, but they need industry and government to start doing things. They welcome this kind of initiative and they have been extremely supportive of APEX. We signed a memorandum of cooperation on safety with ICAO where we have mutual as-sistance and share data, including with their Technical Cooperation Bureau. ICAO has the means to start providing airports with some of the assistance necessary and that could be through some of your members.

ACC: Do you have any specific ideas about how ACI World and ACC can collaborate going forward?

Ag: With APEX. As we launch further into this, I think we’re going to be looking beyond just airport experts to help on these peer review visits, and we’ll be looking to the wider portfolio of experts, which includes many of your members. We’d like to draw upon your members as resources to tell airports when to seek mitigation for certain issues. One of the things that is really needed is planning. These airports can get help with the ‘doing’ — a new terminal, a facility — but they need help with planning because it is lacking and is harder to come by. I’d like to see these airports get the kind of advanced planning that they are not get-ting from the resource agencies.

ACC: So, ACI may be able to involve ACC members in these APEX initiatives?

Ag: That’s right. We need to identify the details of how that collaboration would work. We are forming our database, but we’ve seen that some airports are uncom-fortable with having a private company involved, depending on the situation. So, we still need to work that out. I think that is going to be a feature, but I think we would have to identify the role that those participants would play. For example, when we have ICAO present on these visits, they are ICAO auditors using their auditing skill, but not in an ICAO audit capacity, so they do not report findings back to ICAO. So, we need a person available in the capacity of an expert, not as a private consultant.

ACC: It’s obvious that there is a lot of need, but because so often ‘form follows

finance,’ do you see funding becoming avail-able in response to these needs?

Ag: I do. For instance, by dealing with and developing a close relationship with the ICAO Technical Cooperation Bureau, we can start working with them to identify needs from our point-of-view. Our respec-tive lists may not be the same because their clients are the governments of these coun-tries, but I think to the extent that we as ACI World can get into some of these airports and help the airport identify their needs, we can be another voice that says, ‘Before you do that, why don’t you do this first?’ Everybody likes a shiny, new terminal, but maybe they need a wildlife abatement program or new fencing or a habitat mitigation program and that would actually help them more.

It’s subtle, but I think the relationship-building that is coming from these programs is the key. It’s not just the visit. The visit is obviously very important, but we airports have put ourselves out there and said we will take some of the responsibility for the safety in our industry. Helping to be a solution provider builds the relationship and cred-ibility, and with that you start to have some influence on how these resource decisions get made.

Safety is the most important thing we do, but I think the other thing that ACI is really engaged in is getting airports accepted as businesses in their own right, not just public providers of local infrastructure. Airports — and not just ones that have been privatized

— are businesses for some of the reasons I’ve

stated. Airports as entities have to be seen as businesses. They have to compete. They are not monopolies. Only about 30 percent of airports turn a profit1. Airports are strategic community assets that produce great exter-nalities. Although the airport itself doesn’t necessarily profit from the externality, the community does. So, airports need to be re-garded as strategic assets, as businesses, and their right to impose rates and charges to recover their costs and return on investment needs to be protected.

Most airports subsidize their aeronautical business, so rates and charges on airlines

— system wide — only cover about 27 per-cent of the cost of providing those services. Airports need to get that money from some-where, and most have pretty strict limits on what they can charge airlines for competitive reasons. These airlines will pick up and go if they can save a dollar somewhere else and still make the revenue.

Airlines have had the sense that all money earned at the airport is theirs, and that air-ports aren’t businesses that need to generate funds in order to make capital investments and pay for their operations. It’s like the youngest child in a family growing up. The older siblings and all the relatives have a hard time recognizing that this child is now an adult. There are a number of players in the air transport industry and airports need to be seen as equals.

ACC: What advice do you have for U.S. firms looking to work globally? Please speak to the reverse as well, since ACC has



ACi World direCtor GenerAl AnGelA Gittens

Top-Flight Leadership

Terry A. Ruhl, PE, F. ASCE, former Board of Directors Chair for the Airport Consultants Council, has been promoted to President of CH2M HILL’s No. 4 Engineering News-Record ranked Transportation business.

Dwight H. Pullen, Jr. has been promoted to Director of CH2M HILL’s global Aviation practice, which includes our new airports and air transport colleagues who joined the firm with the acquisition of United Kingdom-based Halcrow Group.

Dwight is supported in his Aviation leadership role by a veteran team with more than 100 years of combined industry experience: Knute Ruggaard, Business Development; Bill Peduzzi, Operations; David Rose, Technology; and David Stader, International.

ch2mhill.com/aviation

Angela Gittens

ACI World Director General

2012 ACC Aviation Award of Excellence

CH2M HILL Congratulates


member firms in Africa, Russia, Germany, Indonesia and Canada and are looking to do work in the U.S.

Ag: I’m going to take the second part of that question first. What I notice about non-U.S. firms trying to do business in the U.S. market is that they find it very confusing. When coming to the U.S., it’s important to understand and appreciate that you are dealing with a hybrid situa-tion of government that is able to act like private sector in certain capacities, yet airports are still public entities. They have a lot of private sector features like

— the most important one — the ability to raise capital. That is the biggest dif-ference between the U.S. and most other countries. Airports are able to enter the capital market and do so successfully. One of the reasons for frustration and confusion is that the U.S. is the capitalist center of the world and hasn’t privatized their airports. The reason is that they have not had the problem that has led to privatization in other countries — ac-cess to capital. However, they do have to play by governmental rules. This unique arrangement is not always easily under-stood.

U.S. firms going abroad will find a mix-ture of true government that does not act like the private sector — highly political, highly bureaucratic — and alternatively, private-sector arrangements and procure-ment practices. Consulting firms have to learn the specific process. Pay attention and attend regional conferences in inter-national markets. Meeting these airports as well as other businesses is the key for many ACC member firms. Consultants need to be able to deal with many of the local, regional and national businesses in order to do business in that country. Otherwise, it can be too expensive for all but the largest firms to understand the culture and system, to travel to these countries, and to get a foothold and truly understand how things work.

Also, there are a lot of opportunities, and not just at the largest airports. That’s why things like APEX, training courses, or otherwise meeting people and network-ing becomes very important. It’s a very low-cost way to start to understand the

markets. In some places — Latin America, Africa, to some extent Asia — our airport members pay a lot of attention to the exhibitions at conferences because the companies at these events don’t necessar-ily market to smaller countries.

ACC: You’ve given us a wealth of infor-mation, but before we let you go, do you have specific advice for U.S. airports?

Ag: Yes. U.S. airports really need to start accepting their position as leaders on the airport platform for some of the reasons I described earlier, and some have been doing just that. But U.S. airports have leases with airlines, so the airline then controls space and gates and termi-nal facilities. This is not the case in the rest of the world. As a result, U.S. airports have tended to distance themselves from responsibility for those activities. Part of the reason for this is the state of civil liability in the U.S. It’s a different legal system, but I think U.S. airports need to assume more leadership for the passenger experience at the airport, similar to what is happening in other parts of the world. The trend of airlines shrinking their responsibility is going to continue, and some airports need to look at the practice of leasing space and handing over control to specific airlines, putting themselves and their communities in the hands of companies that are very flexible and can pick up and go at any time. Why sign into


a lease that does not bind the other party, but does bind you?

ACC: It’s fascinating to hear your thoughts on the industry, because 20 years ago this conversa-tion would have been very different.

Ag: Very different, yes. I just read an article about Pittsburgh because the terminal is 20 years old. When this was being planned — more than 20 years ago — who would have thought what the changes in the industry could have brought? It’s certainly difficult for airports to be flexible and resilient because they are place-bound, but they have got to gain as much resilience as pos-sible and make decisions that properly position them if there is change. You don’t know what the change is going to be. I’ve outlined here what I think, but there is so much disruption from technology and other issues that trajectories can change all the time in this business.

An airport has to try to be as flexible as possible. Most of the costs are fixed. It’s hard to make this a variable cost business, but you must avoid decisions that will only work if nothing changes. It’s difficult because you are dealing with com-munities and businesses that don’t understand or encounter the risks you’re taking. But airports

— and U.S. airports in particular — must really position themselves as resilient businesses.

1This statistic comes from the ACI Airport Economics Survey 2011.


CongratulationsAngela Gittens

ACC 2012 Aviation Award of Excellence Recipient

From

Miami International Airport

www.miami-airport.com

More courses are anticipated. Stay tuned to www.ACConline.org for updates.

For more information email T.J. Schulz, ACC: [email protected].

For event details and registration, go to www.ACConline.org or call (703) 683-5900.

upcoming aCC events

ACC EvENTS

February 6 – 8, 2013 aCC/aaae airport planning, Design and Construction symposium new orleans, la

July 16, 2013 aCC security Capabilities Day arlington, va

July 17 – 18, 2013 aCC summer Workshop series arlington, va

november 11 – 13, 2013 aCC annual Conference and exhibition tucson, aZ

December 3 – 4, 2012 aCC Global business summit Washington, DC

march 5 – 6, 2013 aCC Construction administration and observation training Course memphis, tn

December 3 – 4, 2012begins monday at 1 Pm . Includes monday evening reception and all-day Tuesday.

WashIngTon, D.c.

2012 Global business summit

Preliminary toPiCS

» What’s It Like Out There? Global markets and lessons learned

» A Better Way to Pay?Privatization and Public Private Partnerships

» Teaming for Success the Global/local Balance

» Lost in Translation Knowing the language and Culture

» How Much is Too Much? the international design Competition

» Know Before You Go safety, security, travel logistics and legal issues

» With a Little Help from Your Friends Government agencies and international monetary support

» The ACC Global Airport Development Toolkit your Guide to success

STEEring CommiTTEESTEvE RIANO, Lead, Bechtel

STEvE PElHAm, Vice Lead, RS&H

globAlizATion CommiTTEEmIKE DEvOy, Chair, RW Armstrong

DAvID STADER, Vice Chair, CH2M HILL

For morE inFormATion ConTACT PAulA HOCHSTETlER, ACC President [email protected]

“I attended the first ACC Globalization Conference a number of years ago. International work now represents over 60 percent of our firm’s revenue. We have used techniques discussed during the conference to minimize fee risks and therefore have no horror stories to share!”

—mike Kluttz, President, robert and company

“We’re very pleased by the participant feedback and success of the 2011 event. Any company that is doing work or interested in doing work internationally should attend this event.”

—David stader, aviation Program manager, ch2m hILL, 2011 global business summit Lead

www.ACConline.org

SAVE THE DATE SEE THE WORLD

Winter 2012/2013 AirportConsulting

Documents

Transcript of Winter 2012/2013 AirportConsulting