“Airports are more than simply points of departure and arrival. They are complex businesses in their own right,” said Angela Gittens, director general of Airports Council International World, at this year’s Airport Service Quality Awards ceremony.
Passengers touching down on Runway 4R at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County International Airport (DTW) probably assume that the long, plain structure off the end of Runway 22L is a fence or billboard space ready for advertisers. (See photo)
Walk down the aisle of any flight lasting more than an hour, and you can probably guess what titles are topping the New York Times best-seller list with surprising accuracy. Airline passengers are highly vested in reading; and so are the airports they pass through.
Airport officials who insist that environmental programs are a) too expensive; b) disruptive to operations; c) largely ineffective; or d) all of the above could learn a lot from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Last year, it handled 34.8 million passengers...
Catastrophic sinkhole incidents are horrific events that take victims by surprise and leave onlookers shaking their heads in disbelief. From the Florida man who was killed when his bedroom floor collapsed beneath him last year to eight cars being swallowed from the...
Ride-share services entered the transportation marketplace with barely an introduction, other than superlative promises to potential customers and drivers about revolutionizing the way people get around town. Passengers began using Uber's smartphone app in 2009 to...
Something special occurs as passengers gaze out the aircraft window when landing at their destination and taxiing to the terminal. An inherent optimism and enthusiasm about things to come takes over visitors, and the warm embrace of returning home floods locals. Abu...
Pizza makers, football teams and brew houses certainly aren't the most common sources of non-aeronautical revenue; but they're exactly the kind of businesses currently adding to the bottom line at some airports. The type of airports benefiting from...
When Formula 1 racing returned to the United States in 2012 after a five-year absence, it drew 265,000 fans to the Circuit of the Americas complex in Austin, TX — a new 1,500-acre facility built just two miles from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)....
If TSA has its way, the new year will bring new security responsibilities - and their associated costs - to U.S. airports. As usual, some have already mobilized resources to meet the anticipated requirements while others are taking a "wait-and-see" approach....
As an airport manager, you've likely been approached about building a solar array on airport property. You're not alone. Since 2007, federal and state tax credits designed to encourage green energy production have prompted private companies to seek out public...
Airport operators can spend millions on new construction, renovations and the latest customer amenities, but none of it affects a traveler's satisfaction more than an extended wait time. Of course, air travel is full of opportunities to wait - from the time it...
In March, Orlando International Airport (MCO) hosted the largest full-scale emergency exercise in Florida history. The four-hour training event included more than 1,200 participants - 600 volunteer victims, each with a specific injury; 400 first responders from four...
factsfigures Project: New Rental Car Vendor Location: Dallas/Fort Worth Int'l Airport Concessionaire: Silvercar Points of Difference: Company only rents silver Audi A4s; renters use smartphone app to check cars in & out Facility: 1,000 sq. ft. of...
It's hard to overestimate the importance of a good baggage claim system. According to Jim Gaz, senior director of travel and entertainment at J.D. Power and Associates, "Baggage claim has the greatest impact on overall satisfaction, along with airport...
Lakeland Linder Regional (LAL) in central Florida has all the markings of a typical general aviation/small commercial airport: repair shops, refurbishment centers and shuttle flights in Cessna 172s that load directly on the tarmac. But it also has two other elements...
A new breed of customer service representatives is popping up in a handful of eastern U.S. airports. They speak to passengers in a clear, pleasant voice and maintain a steady, predictable level of patience and enthusiasm — even though they work 24/7....
