Following the FAA Safety Organization’s final rule for Part 121 airline operators in 2015, the agency published its final ruling on Safety Management Systems (SMS) for some Part 139 airports in February 2023.
Nearly a decade ago, the FAA Safety Organization issued a final rule requiring Part 121 certificated operators—scheduled commercial airlines—to implement Safety Management Plans. The goal was to help carriers detect and correct safety risks before they become hazards.
With wildfires raging throughout British Columbia last summer, two things kept Kelowna International Airport (YLW) ahead of the game: good working relationships with the provincial and national governments, and partners such as Nav Canada.
Coping with such change is essential, but staying ahead of it is ideal. Boulder City Municipal Airport (BVU) in Nevada is ahead of the change curve with its novel, yet pragmatic and efficient, use of drone technology to help determine the ideal site and height of its proposed air traffic control tower.
A new glycol recycling facility opened at Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) featuring first-of-its-kind deicing technology for the United States. In addition to recovering and recycling glycol from aircraft deicing operations, the new $19.4 million system significantly enhances the process by producing glycol for reuse at the upstate New York airfield.
Kansas City International Airport (MCI) recently underwent a transformative expansion, not only reshaping its terminal but also nearly tripling the size of its apron. In true domino fashion, those improvements created the need for a whole new approach to snow removal. Previously, the apron spanned about 2.5 million square feet.
There's something inherently exciting and interesting about airports. That's why it can be incredibly effective when an airport allows people outside the industry onto its property for fundraising events such as car shows or an old-fashioned tug of war against a 757 cargo plane.
The master planning process is about provisioning for the future, and St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) is a prime example of why it's so important. Currently, the middle America airport serves 15.6 million annual passengers, but that number is expected to grow to 21 million by 2040'34% over STL's peak in 2019.
Form over function, or function over form' It's an age-old debate with no definitive answer. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and its project partners chose both for the recently completed $20 million renovation of Concourse D.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has experienced an increase in unhoused people seeking shelter within its facilities. With a portion of that population suffering from mental health issues, there have been assaults to passengers and airport employees as well as security breaches or other incidents that cause facility shutdowns or flight delays.
The new terminal project at Des Moines International Airport (DSM) is a once-in-a-generation undertaking nearly a decade in the making. But it's also expected to be an overnight success'that is, in terms of closing the existing terminal one day and starting operations in the new one the next.
Gathering some of the world's busiest executives in the picturesque Idaho setting makes it easier for them to connect'and also creates spectacular traffic management challenges in the air and on the ramp at SUN. On a typical day, the small airport averages about 70 arrivals and departures, a mix of general aviation flights and commercial service. But traffic surges dramatically during the annual Sun Valley Conference.
