Category - Runway/Ramp

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.

After a series of surface-level fixes throughout the years, it was high time the runways and related infrastructure at Oshawa Executive Airport (YOO) in Ontario received the upgrades they truly required. The only question for the project team was how to make up for nearly 80 years of patchwork solutions in just 35 days.

Key West may be a small town of only 25,000 residents, but it’s a thriving tourist spot that’s growing in popularity. As a result, passenger traffic at Key West International Airport (EYW) is also projected to rise—to the tune of 2.4% per year for the next 20 years. Airport executives estimate that 750,000 travelers will pass through their island facility by the end of 2018.

Flagler Executive Airport (FIN) in Palm Coast, FL, recently completed a $12.2 million project to relocate and extend its main runway. In doing so, management remedied several safety issues in one comprehensive construction program.

A $14.1 million runway extension project at Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH) will enhance safety and allow the South Carolina airfield to accommodate larger aircraft. At the same time, the project also offers a practical blueprint for how to address local sentiment that runs counter to FAA recommendations.

Since 2006, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) has been incrementally transitioning its airfield lighting from incandescent to light emitting diode (LED) technology. Dave Garrett, the airport authority’s electrical department manager, explains that the switch has several benefits, including energy savings, product longevity and—to a certain degree—reduced maintenance.

As a joint-use airport, Charleston International (CHS) serves a diverse mix of traffic. On any given day, the South Carolina airfield accommodates a variety of commercial airliners and U.S. Air Force aircraft, including mammoth C-17 transporters. It also has enough general aviation traffic to support two fixed-base operators and is home to Boeing's only final assembly plant for the 787 Dreamliner outside of Everett, WA. The unique blend of traffic at CHS is evident whenever a new Dreamliner taxis by the main terminal for a test flight or ground evaluation, and passengers in the boarding lounges buzz with excitement.

Closing a runway for any amount of time is hardly a popular idea. However, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) recently found that a series of weekend closures was the best way to perform necessary upgrades at its busy airfield safely and efficiently.

Completing airfield construction around the hustle and bustle of fully operational commercial service is challenging enough. But the margin for error is almost nonexistent when flights are grounded right before Christmas and the work window is just 15 days.

Sitting on a small, exclusive island off the southeast coast of Georgia, McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport (SSI) serves an upscale population of private aircraft operators. Nevertheless, the airport faced a distinct financial quandary when it needed to resurface its badly deteriorating secondary runway: such projects are not eligible for FAA Airport Improvement Program funds.

In metropolitan Atlanta, locals commonly refer to the complex roadway intersection where Interstate 85 meets Interstate 285 as Spaghetti Junction. But it's not the only interchange to earn the descriptive moniker.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) recently completed the reconstruction of one of its primary arrivals runways, 4L-22R, and several associated taxiways. Major construction began in April 2016, and the runway reopened just seven months later in early November.