Located about 70 miles northwest of O’Hare International, Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) is often obscured in the shadow of its busier, better-known neighbor. This fall, however, RFD enjoyed a significant moment in the sun, when it opened one of the largest maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in the world.
Meeting annual training requirements for aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) personnel can be particularly challenging at smaller airports with small staffs, where firefighters often perform airfield maintenance in addition to their primary ARFF and operational duties.
Airfield maintenance can be tough at any location, but few places in North America present more challenges than northern Alaska. Keeping runway and taxiway lights working at the remote airfields that dot the state can be extremely challenging, and workers who undertake the job often work in downright punishing conditions.
Lost Nation Municipal Airport (LNN), a reliever for Cleveland Hopkins International, has an unusual business as its major tenant. It’s not a corporate flight department or aircraft maintenance shop, but rather a family sports and recreation facility, complete with basketball courts, indoor soccer fields, batting cages and lots of other facilities designed for fun.
Seattle has long been considered one of the greenest cities in the United States, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is making sure that the ground transportation options it offers passengers live up to that reputation.
Maximizing income from multiple sources is important for all airports, but it’s especially crucial for small general aviation facilities that don’t collect commercial landing fees, or have high-volume potential from parking and concessions.
Raising money for major construction projects is typically a major challenge, but officials at Lafayette Regional (LFT) recently got the job done in short order with a short-term sales tax earmarked to help fund a new terminal.
Getting a new facility approved, funded and built is typically a daunting task. But every now and then, things just seem to fall into place. That was the case for Mark Day, director of engineering and maintenance at Blue Grass Airport (LEX).
Most airport executives love the concept of having a solid long-term capital plan to follow, but creating one is often a significant challenge. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) recently commissioned an unprecedented investment study to help it understand the 20-year capital infrastructure needs of the state’s public airport system.
It’s often a challenge to secure partial funding for major projects, but Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) in Florida received full funding from the state for its recent $2.8 million runway renovation. Typically, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will pay up to 50% of construction expenses at state airports. However, it pays up to 100% of the cost for special demonstration projects.
Removing rubber from runways is a significant maintenance expense at most big-city airports. As such, facility operators are continually debating the relative merits of outsourcing the job or investing in personnel and equipment to handle the ongoing task in-house. Given the cost and safety-sensitive nature of the work, it’s a pivotal decision.
“Going Green” is more than a slogan at Burlington International (BTV); it’s a literal description of the Vermont airport’s recent environmental project. The 500-kilowatt solar array BTV installed on top of its parking garage last year includes a verdant rooftop garden – a fitting feature for the busiest airport in the “Green Mountain State.”
Some travelers rate airport food only a small step above in-flight airline food. Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in New Hampshire is doing its best to change that perception by upgrading its main sit-down restaurant.
In February, customers at Miami International Airport (MIA) began using a new mobile app designed to ease long lines at U.S. Customs stations. Although data is still being collected, preliminary reports indicate that wait times have been cut in half.
Ten years ago, McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas became one of the first U.S. airports to offer passengers free Wi-Fi inside its terminal. Now, the airport is beaming Wi-Fi outside, to passengers sitting on its ramps in arriving and departing aircraft.
Airport managers wanting to maximize revenue while offering passengers an upgraded landside service option may want to take a page from the playbook at Tulsa International Airport (TUL).
In today's post-9/11 world, demand for extensive and realistic emergency responder training has never been higher. A new $35 million facility at Outagamie County Regional Airport (ATW) in Appleton, WI, will help meet that need. Scheduled to open in January, the...
When Ottawa International Airport (YOW) added grooves to one of its main runways last summer, it became the first major Canadian airport to do so. The $360,000 project was undertaken to improve aircraft braking and handling in wet conditions. After operating on the...
The winter of 2013-2014 was a nasty brute. In addition to mercilessly slamming the Midwest and Northeast, it also picked on unwitting areas in the South and Southeast. Icy conditions in Atlanta led the national news for days, and snowfall records were set throughout...
It has been more than five years since US Airways Flight 1549 was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River after running into a flock of geese shortly after taking off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. But the airport industry is still feeling the...
Managing airport leases inherently requires a lot of recordkeeping. Even for a basic T-hangar, airports must document specific dimensions, features and improvements. Necessary tenant information includes the type of plane, amount of rent, payment dates and current...
Getting passengers in and out is a continual challenge at older East Coast airports, where congestion is often a standard element of the local landscape. Hardstands allow them to accommodate more aircraft and passengers than contact gates alone; but they also create...
After approximately 18 months with new self-boarding gates operating in Terminal 3 at McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, sources there report that the state-of-the-art machines have been well received by both airlines and passengers. Travelers using...
With more than 2.45 million passengers and 176 million pounds of cargo to move last year, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) couldn't afford to let weather or wildlife disrupt operations. Fortunately, its Airfield Maintenance Department has developed a...
Most airport executives agree that dealing with governmental bureaucracy is the most frustrating aspect of their job. Between local, state and federal requirements, vital projects can take months, even years, to get approved, not to mention up and running. The state...
