Sustainability planning and management for airports is not a new concept. That said, as airports undertake projects to enhance capacity, many are realizing quantifiable benefits...
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is the fastest growing U.S. airport over the past five years. Passenger traffic has increased by 43%, from 32.2 million passengers in 2012 to 46.9 million in 2017. That's the upside. On the downside, the record growth has resulted in crowded gates and aircraft idling on the tarmac waiting for an open slot. The increasing volume has also inspired the Port of Seattle to look for innovative ways to relieve gate congestion and aircraft backups.
The Mobile Airport Authority moved one step closer to shifting commercial service from Mobile Regional Airport (MOB) to Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM) when it unanimously approved an outside feasibility study about the idea in August. Further assessments, planning and approvals are still necessary to make the idea a reality, but officials are excited about the possibilities of moving airline traffic to the city's more conveniently located general aviation facility.
It's not every day that an airport installs a new security video system that covers practically all public areas within the facility. But this is exactly what Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) in Florida has done. The $7.5 million system, which went online in September, tripled the number of cameras in use from 300 views to 1,200 views and made it possible to track passengers throughout the airport, from the parking garage to their planes.
Most passengers don't expect ice skating, lawn games or beer tastings at the airport, but Denver International (DEN) provides them'and much more. For three years running, the airport has hosted an 'Events at DEN' series, and the lineup is proving so popular it also attracts visitors not flying into or out of the airport.
In March 2016, Jeff Huntus, the manager of Medicine Hat Regional (YXH) in Alberta, asked for $12.5 million to replace the airport's main runway. Transport Canada told him not to expect funds until 2018 or 2019. But in 2017, he received notice that the program had been approved'and for $400,000 more than the airport had requested.
Have you met Annie the Astronaut' Can you spot Fred the Fish' Annie and Fred are just a couple of the creations that Orlando International Airport (MCO) presents to visitors on a digital ecosystem that so far includes 1,231 high-definition displays.
Faced with a growing number of international flights, San Diego International Airport (SAN) needed a new international Arrivals Hall and Federal Inspection Station'and it needed them quickly. An aggressive timeline scared away all but one design/build team at the beginning of the project. Ultimately, however, the new 130,000-square-foot facility was completed in just 13 1/2 months.
What began as a 1942 military training facility and group of outdated buildings is now a modern general aviation terminal, fixed base operator and flight school all in one building. In August, Ohio State University Airport/Don Scott Field (OSU) opened its new $15 million Austin E. Knowlton Executive Terminal and Aviation Learning Center.
Plagued by the frequent need to divert flights due to severe weather, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) recently harnessed the collective brain power of the North Texas Irregular Operations Network to improve timeliness and predictability for passengers. The network, which includes all 23 airports in the DFW diversion area, developed a plan to ensure communication, coordination and collaboration between DFW and its diversion airports, airlines and government agencies. The primary goal: to address and mitigate the effects of diversions on passengers.
Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) is always looking for ways to incorporate 'green' elements into its infrastructure development projects and daily operations. It was home to the first solar farm in Tallahassee, and airport officials are redoubling their efforts with another, even larger, farm.
Rehabilitating a runway is always a big challenge, and often takes years of planning and fundraising to accomplish. Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB) in Florida recently reconstructed all three of its runways in just 14 months.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is helping supply construction workers for its massive multi-billion dollar capital improvement project with a free development program that recruits, trains and provides union apprenticeships for local residents. The training provided is in construction trades such as electrical, carpentry, plumbing, sheet metal, drywall and flooring'all critical elements for upcoming construction projects at LAX.
