The Naples Airport Authority made APF the first airport in Florida to transition its aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles to fluorine-free foam that does not contain controversial PFAS.
When Colorado Springs Airport (COS) took a close look at its services during a 2020 branding exercise, it learned a lot of interesting things. One key finding was that many travelers who were airport lounge members used the membership’s parking component more than they used the lounge itself.
Coping with such change is essential, but staying ahead of it is ideal. Boulder City Municipal Airport (BVU) in Nevada is ahead of the change curve with its novel, yet pragmatic and efficient, use of drone technology to help determine the ideal site and height of its proposed air traffic control tower.
Major international airports receive countless requests every day from the millions of travelers they serve each year. Many of the requests are routine, but given the sheer number of people involved, there’s no telling what travelers may need. For example, how about storing a fresh set of moose antlers, urns with ashes of passengers’ loved ones, or 10-foot-tall carved wooden doors from Bali?
Effective strategies to reduce aircraft noise must be based on accurate information. Whatever the strategy, precise information is always the starting point. To collect the best possible noise data about Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), the Metropolitan Airports Commission developed a machine learning technology that received a U.S. patent in late February 2023.
When officials at Martha’s Vineyard Airport (MVY) became aware that groundwater in and around the airfield may have been contaminated with toxic chemicals from firefighting foam, they took action’even though federal or state regulations did not require it.
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is taking a new industry-leading step by piloting a new kind of testing strategy’one that doesn’t involve swabbing the noses of passengers or airport workers. A lab established at the airport is testing wastewater samples collected from terminals 1 and 3 and samples from the aircraft waste collection area Triturator for a wide range of viruses such as COVID, influenza and mpox.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is balancing these challenging factors by implementing Mobile ID, a program that allows Arizona residents with TSA Pre- PreCheck® status to load their state-issued identification information onto their mobile phone or through Apple Wallet for use at TSA checkpoints. It’s all part of a TSA field assessment pilot program, and PHX led the way when it became the first U.S. airport to adopt Mobile ID in March 2022.
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) has embarked on a comprehensive program to take its information technology (IT) network far into the future. The vision is to create and own a seamless, standardized network that optimizes the passenger experience and provides efficient service for carriers and tenants. If all goes according to plan, the new network will eventually produce additional revenue.
The new Ground Transportation Center that opened this spring at Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) in Islip, NY, combines facilities for rental car agencies with space for local buses, hotel courtesy shuttles and private vehicles working through Uber, Lyft and other app-based ride-hailing services.
If there is one through line for the new rental car and ground transportation center at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), it is convenience. Chief Executive Officer Candace McGraw describes the 1.57 million-square-foot facility as ‘a walkable solution’ that saves travelers time by connecting them directly to the baggage claim and ticketing areas, and eliminating the need to ride shuttles to get rental cars.
When Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) unveiled the details of its $1.4 billion Terminal Modernization Program a few years ago, one feature marked a striking design departure for the airport.
There has been an unconventional participant at the table as San Diego International Airport (SAN) plans its Terminal 1 replacement project, scheduled for construction from 2022 to 2026. Artist James Carpenter, who is designing T1’s south façade, is serving on the design-build team alongside Turner Construction and Flatiron Construction, joint venture partners for the project that bring considerable industry experience in terminal/concourse and airside construction.
A concerted, collaborative effort has turned empty land at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport (SFM) in rural Maine into a privately financed 50-megawatt solar farm. The $120 million array, which went live in November 2020, is one of the largest airport-based solar energy farms in the United States, as measured by annual megawatt, alternating current (MWac) production.
As U.S. airports prepare to turn the corner on the pandemic and the harsh winter of 2020-2021, some still face a significant long-term challenge: the rise in sea levels resulting from climate change. Although the biggest risk is to airports located along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts, experts predict secondary effects for inland airports as well.
As airports across North America feel the squeeze of a tight labor pool, Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) recently unveiled an appealing perk to help attract and retain employees. In September, a daycare center inside its landside terminal opened under the management of nationwide chain La Petite Academy.
Sometimes a parking garage is more than just a place to park vehicles. A case in point is the five-story structure at Albany International Airport (ALB). The new garage and associated terminal upgrades completed last spring signal important changes unfolding at the eastern New York airport. Other changes include a new state-funded interstate exit that serves ALB.
The Ocean City, NJ, area is known for beaches, boardwalks and unspoiled hiking areas. But some of the very features that make it attractive for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts make it difficult for the local general aviation airport. Located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Great Egg Harbor Bay, Ocean City Municipal (26N) is prone to erosion problems from high tides and safety hazards from birds.
By their very nature, airports require nimble communication teams. One day, it’s a routine personnel announcement or upbeat ribbon-cutting ceremony; but the next can bring an all-out media frenzy about COVID-19. The topics airports must address run the gamut, and so do their communication strategies.
Commercial growth, safe aircraft operations and environmental sensitivity go hand-in-hand at Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Toward that end, the airport’s 2018 master plan update dovetails with its wildlife hazard management program. A big part of the equation is environmental stewardship and managing wildlife hazards to enhance airfield safety.
Chattanooga Metropolitan (CHA) has managed to turn unused land alongside its runways and taxiways into an environmentally sound source of electricity that powers the same amount of energy that CHA facilities at the Tennessee airport use each year.
Removing foreign object debris (FOD) from its four runways, 18 major taxiways, ramps and other airfield areas is a constant priority for the Tennessee airport. Last year alone, crews removed nearly 400 pieces of FOD, thus preventing the items from being ingested into aircraft engines and causing costly damage.
Visitors at Nashville International Airport (BNA) will have new and more diverse food/beverage and retail options in the new year. The concessions update focuses on adding locally authentic options and signals a change for the Tennessee airport that serves 14.9 million passengers annually.
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.
