Welcome Friends

It's an exciting time to be part of the North American airport market. Records for passengers processed and revenue earned continue to be posted and summarily surpassed. The compounding growth has placed unprecedented demands on our airport infrastructure, and we're all working hard and fast to keep pace.

Last year, you spent $17.5 billion on capital development. According to ACI-NA, more than 850 airside construction projects are currently under way or on the drawing board. Landside development is similarly active.

Sharing accounts of these projects is what Airport Improvement is all about. We're dedicated to providing targeted information about airport development to the people charged with making it all happen. And we'll do it in a way no other publication does - by chronicling the best practices of diverse industry insiders. You'll not only hear from airport managers and their consultants, you'll also get tips directly from architects/designers and their key suppliers. You'll see what's going on behind the scenes at large metro airports and small airfields alike.

Just as airport directors rely on a gamut of professionals to make their facilities successful, I have a similarly broad team helping publish Airport Improvement. The airport community is truly a family, and I feel fortunate to be a member. This publication has been a long time coming, and I'm both grateful for and humbled by the overwhelming support I've received during its development.

Thank you to all the advertisers in this premier issue who trusted me to deliver a marketing piece that will provide a valuable return on their investment. Thank you to the article subjects who trusted us to tell their stories. Thank you to the truly incredible staff who put this premier issue together. Thank you to my mentor, Mike Murrell, who brought me into aviation and helped with this huge undertaking. And finally, thank you to my former colleagues at Cygnus Publishing. Without them, this wouldn't have been possible.