Creating a better workspace was the driving force in early 2020 when executives at Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) committed to building a new operations center. In addition to housing everyday operations functions and equipment, the $8.5 million building includes an upgraded emergency operations center for the Grand Rapids, MI, airport.
This summer, Rogue Valley International'Medford Airport (MFR) in southwestern Oregon completed the installation of an innovative stormwater detention and drainage solution that mimics nature to wick and clean rainwater before returning it to the ground and nearby waterways.
A $21.7 million geothermal heating and cooling system currently being installed at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) is the first of its magnitude at a U.S. airport. The project is designed to reduce the Kentucky airport's energy costs for natural gas and electricity by roughly $400,000 annually. It also should reduce SDF's carbon footprint by about 80%.
Winter weather in central Maine has changed significantly over the last few decades, prompting Millinocket Municipal Airport (MLT) to update its snow removal equipment to meet the new airfield maintenance challenges.
A previous investment in an automated aircraft identification and billing system is paying new dividends at Dallas Love Field (DAL). The technology, PlanePass by Vector Airport Systems, was initially installed in 2016 to detect and bill Customs operations. DAL executives expanded its use in January 2019 to cover all general aviation and nonsignatory commercial operations.
When Costco Wholesale Corp. came knocking at Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), it took four years for the local airport commission to open the door. The warehouse giant wanted to build its first store in western Michigan on land at the Traverse City airport, but red tape made it a long process.
While it's not the biggest airport in the world'not even Top 10, in fact'Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) has consistently been the busiest in passenger traffic for about two decades. In 2019 alone, it served more than 100 million travelers. And all those passengers, plus 60,000 or so employees, are tucked neatly into a 6.8 million-square-foot terminal complex.
Springfield'Beckley Municipal Airport (SGH), located between Dayton and Columbus, has become one of the hottest spots in the United States for testing and flight of advanced air mobility aircraft. Unmanned drones and electric vertical takeoff/landing (eVTOL) aircraft are just two types of systems currently sharing the airspace above SGH. And an $8.2 million project is in the works to accommodate even more innovation.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) may not regularly deal with icing conditions, but that doesn't mean they are not a concern for its airlines and airport management. As the busiest passenger airport in the United States, roughly 6% of all U.S. enplanements occur at ATL. So when operations slow there, the rest of the country is impacted.
Several years ago, YSB started investing in larger pieces of equipment that do the work of multiple machines to help its small, but seasoned, staff remove more snow in less time. That, in turn, allows the airport to allocate its 15 snow removal employees and seasonal workers more efficiently. To handle copious amounts of snow with a relatively small snow removal staff, the Ontario airport takes a tactical approach that emphasizes advanced equipment and machines that boost productivity and efficiency.
Hundreds of airports are harnessing the power of cooperative purchasing for everything from pencils to multimillion-dollar fire trucks to airfield striping services, and they're enjoying streamlined procurement and often better pricing as a result.
