A variety of airside systems at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) still feel shiny and new to passengers and staff alike after improvements to several ground support functions were completed last spring. What began with boarding bridges blossomed into a $65 million initiative that included the glycol system for pre-conditioned air, ground power unit infrastructure and associated electrical, security and access control systems—a classic case of dovetailing projects to increase efficiency and reduce operational disruptions.
It all started with a facility assessment in 2019 that indicated it was time to replace the nearly 30-year-old passenger boarding bridges in Concourse B that were approaching the end of their useful life. Aligning with the airport’s operational goals, the project aimed to update the aging equipment, enhance efficiency, reduce maintenance costs and improve the overall passenger experience through cleaner finishes and better temperature control. Work to replace the 28 bridges began in June 2023 and lasted 11 months at a cost of $1.5 million to $2 million per bridge.
However, taking the opportunity to complete other upgrades at the same time made overall logistics inherently more complex. “After the design matured, we were a little off on some of the budgeted components, so we had to realign,” shares Damian Weller, senior construction project manager at CVG.
 facts&figures
Project: Airside Improvements Location: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Int’l Airport Scope: Replacing 28 boarding bridges in Concourse B; upgrading preconditioned air & ground power unit systems Total Cost: $65 million (including new infrastructure for glycol & ground power unit systems) Boarding Bridges & Equipment: Funding: Capital funds; $14 million FAA entitlement funds Design: Aug. 2022-June 2023 Installation: June 2023-May 2024 Design/Build General Contractor: AERO BridgeWorks; Passenger Boarding Bridges, Gate Monitoring & Air Handling Units: Oshkosh AeroTech/JBT Ground Power Units: ITW Hose Management & Retrieval System: BoomAir, by Twist Aero Polypropylene Piping for Glycol System: Aquatechnik Motor-Operated Valves: Belimo Central Plant Controls: Automated Logic Chillers: Carrier Heat Exchangers & Pumps: Xylem Key Benefits: Updated technology; improved operational efficiency & resilience; enhanced comfort for passengers; faster aircraft turn times |
The construction schedule was complicated by production times for several project components—especially the bridges and ancillary equipment. After learning that the bridges could take several months to fabricate, CVG ordered the first nine and moved ahead with design for the glycol and ground power unit systems.
“You can’t do enough preplanning up front,” Weller says, referring to long-lead items of specialty equipment.
Getting On Board
Design for the boarding bridge replacement project began in 2022 and pulled in participation from airline ground handling teams and various CVG departments, including Facilities, Passenger Experience and Concessions. “Our Facilities folks really helped hammer out the features and the components they would like to have, along with input from the airlines to make the equipment more efficient,” Weller says. “We were looking for the most efficient, improved technology.”
Input from personnel who would operate and repair the equipment was especially helpful, he adds. The project team also consulted other airports that had recently undertaken similar projects, including McGhee Tyson Airport near Knoxville, TN.
As prime contractor, AERO BridgeWorks was responsible for the overall program scope, coordination and project delivery. AERO Systems Engineering provided design services as its subconsultant.
“CVG had a great vision at the start of this project to use industry-leading technology, innovative products and an efficient design/build approach,” says Jeff Bailey, general superintendent at AERO BridgeWorks.
The airport installed Jetway passenger boarding bridges, air units and ground power units from Oshkosh AeroTech. The new equipment features improved technology and safety features that will allow CVG and its airline partners to better serve passengers and help meet the airport’s sustainability and efficiency goals, notes Weller. A bag lift, various sensors and protection devices assist bridge operators and protect staff and equipment in and around the bridge. Newer technology and equipment improve efficiency and reduce downtime.
“Ensuring that the product they have is up-to-date helps their overall operational efficiency to service their airlines,” says John Thompson, vice president of sales for Oshkosh AeroTech.
Seemingly small details received careful consideration. The airport worked with Twist Aero to improve hose management on the ramp. The company’s Boom Air® system is controlled by a handheld remote and stores up to 135 feet of hose for preconditioned air, enabling personnel to deliver only the amount of hose needed for each aircraft.
“It makes operations a lot smoother and easier on the groundhandling folks,” Weller says. “You hook it up to the aircraft and then it retracts back into position, whereas in the past, they had to drag the hose around.”
The new system helps the airport meet its goals of reducing auxiliary power usage, improving energy efficiency and ensuring consistent gate operation and a positive passenger experience, he adds.
Danielle Katterhenry, marketing and project manager at Twist Aero, notes that the Boom Air hose management system integrates with installed boarding bridges and can support aircraft of all sizes. It is also designed to withstand demanding ramp conditions and enable faster turnarounds, with compatibility across a variety of configurations—including single- and dual-hose pre-conditioned air connections, which were both implemented at CVG.
The hose system supports the airport’s sustainability goals by helping reduce fuel burn, emissions and noise. “As CVG continues to expand, this infrastructure helps future-proof the airport, keeping it competitive, green and ready for higher traffic volumes,” Katterhenry says.
Phasing the Installation
To maintain operations and the expected passenger experience, airport leaders linked associated boarding bridge projects.
Phase One, from June to November 2023, included replacement of the first nine passenger boarding bridges. During a roughly 20-day rotation, AERO BridgeWorks replaced two bridges and related gate equipment at a time to minimize impact on airline operations. The work was completed around active airfield operations and required close coordination with CVG, airlines and other project stakeholders. The remaining two phases of boarding bridge installation were completed during 2024.
After the boarding bridges were installed, ramp striping modifications proceeded in eight phases. Changes in seasonal temperatures drove the construction phasing for preconditioned air cooling and heating systems.
Aero BridgeWorks replaced 28 passenger boarding bridges, two at a time, over the course of 11 months.
As with the entire project, the glycol system replacement had to be phased in a manner that kept existing systems operating. “There was a lot of technical, detailed timing to figure out about when we would turn off one system and have the new system up and running,” Weller comments.
For example, temporary chillers were used to maintain aircraft cooling during equipment installation. Parallel distribution piping for preconditioned air was installed so crews could connect new air handlers to the existing system while they finished installing new distribution piping on the roof. The project team then ran both old and new systems to swap gate equipment over to the new roof piping.
In a similar fashion, temporary electric feeds were used to supply the new ground power units until crews completed installing new electrical infrastructure.
Cost-Savings Comparison
Airport personnel invested time and effort to compare the expected lifecycle costs of central preconditioned air and point-of-use equipment. The research by CVG staff supported by AERO Systems Engineering indicated that a central system would last longer, be more durable and provide resilient, expandable infrastructure to serve CVG now and well into the future, Weller reports.
Constructed with insulated, triple-walled polypropylene piping, the airport’s new central system is expected to last more than 30 years. The polypropylene piping is designed to resist corrosion and provide better insulation than steel piping. Additionally, an insulated glycol delivery system across passenger boarding bridges is expected to improve thermal performance of cooling aircraft.
Other operational benefits of the central system include:
- Dual-compressor chillers allow maintenance or repair on half of the chiller while still running at 50% capacity.
- Redundant pumps keep the system 100% operational while workers repair or maintain single pumps.
- Smart valves optimize glycol flow to each air handling unit by monitoring the flow and inlet/outlet temperatures.
- Excess flow valves at each gate automatically shut off glycol flow in the event of a hose failure.
Implementing and Learning the New System
Weller notes that detailed planning sessions and continued communication with airlines and CVG Facilities personnel were critical to coordinating the use of gates during construction. “Communication, phasing and moving bridges around was the toughest task,” he recalls. “With the help of the airline operations teams, passengers weren’t affected severely because the majority of the work we did wasn’t in the concourse.”
Bailey, from AERO BridgeWorks, emphasizes the same strategies: “The AERO and CVG project teams remained flexible and were in constant communication. This approach to teamwork allowed the project to successfully coordinate work around other capital projects, active gate operations and stakeholder requirements.”
Twist Aero’s Katterhenry credits CVG for fostering a strong collaborative environment. “Working closely with AERO BridgeWorks and the airport team allowed Twist to stay in sync from planning through install,” she remarks.
After the new systems were installed and commissioned, the project was still not over for airport personnel. Training was a significant factor because the new bridges include technology that is essentially 30 years more advanced than what airline ground service crews were accustomed to using at CVG. To tackle the long, but necessary, education process, the airport set up several instructional packages, including a “train the trainer” program. “We put on more training sessions than we ever dreamed we would have to,” Weller reflects.
Despite these challenges, he notes that the project team successfully minimized impact on airline operations and passenger experience. Moreover, the 28 new boarding bridges and systems that support them are resonating with travelers and staff alike.
