Highs and Lows

My generation has weathered the lows of our airport industry: Y2K, 9/11, the Great Recession of 2008, and, more recently, the COVID pandemic and widespread traffic disruptions caused by technical glitches.

We’ve also enjoyed the highs of the late ’90s and steady growth during the teens (2013 to 2019).

I think it’s worth noting that throughout the 35 years I’ve been in this industry, the state of aviation has never been better. Since the pandemic has subsided (and because of actions taken during it), we are experiencing the best run imaginable. There’s passenger demand and the money to build and enhance airport infrastructure to meet the demand. Need evidence that this is taking place?

Paul Bowers, Publisher Airport Improvement magazine

Look no further than the issue in your hands or on your screen. This is one of the largest editions of Airport Improvement we’ve ever produced.

The first three projects profiled in this issue (BNA, EWR and MCI) are gorgeous in their scope and architecture. But they also demonstrate passenger demand and the various airports’ ability to pay for infrastructure needed to keep pace with the growth and innovation our market has been experiencing.

This issue is also notable in the way we decided to cover one of the new terminals. Historically, we limit coverage to a single story and perhaps revisit the airport with related articles in a future issue.

To show you the full scope of what’s going on at Kansas City International, we covered the impressive new terminal but didn’t stop there. We’re also sharing details about how MCI is enhancing accessibility for all guests, improving electric shuttle operations and parking facilities, and deploying volunteer airport ambassadors. These four topics deserved exposure, so we devoted extra space to cover them. I hope you enjoy the additional information and, better yet, consider MCI’s experiences in these areas at your own airport.

Finally, I hope all of you find a way to enjoy our current market and what it brings. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming AAAE Annual Conference in Denver.

Cheers,

-Paul