b'50 DAL OPERATIONSHigh-Tech Billing System HelpsLove Field Collect New Landing FeesBY MIKE SCHWANZ A previous investment in anHughes. There were automated aircraft identificationfive people involved in FACTS&FIGURESand billing system is paying newthe billing process, and dividends at Dallas Love Field (DAL).all of them had many Project: Billing & Collecting Landing Fees other responsibilities. The technology, PlanePass by Vector Location: Dallas Love FieldAirport Systems, was initially installedWe were lucky to 2021 Annual Operations: 211,370 in 2016 to detect and bill Customscollect 70% of the fees Automated System: PlanePass, from Vectoroperations. But after the system proved itsowed to the airport.SHENEICE HUGHESAirport Systems worth, DAL executives expanded its use inThe PlanePass Equipment: 7 camera pods, placed along criticalJanuary 2019 to cover all general aviationsystem DAL deployed combines data from taxiways & overlooking Customs area and nonsignatory commercial operations.traditional flight tracking sources such as Equipment Cost: $137,581 Since then, the airport has realized savingsADS-B, radar, multilateration and flight plans, Ongoing Cost: Airport pays Vector about 13% ofand captured significant amounts ofwith data from Vectors aircraft identification landing fees collected previously uncollected revenue, reportscamera pods, which capture tail numbers of Project Timeline: System originally deployed inSheneice Hughes, assistant director ofaircraft landing at the airport 24 hours a day 2016 for Customs operations; expanded in 2019 toAdministration and Customer Engagement.in all weather conditions. Combining multiple cover all general aviation/commercial traffic Before 2015, the Customs operationtechnologies allows the Vector system to Key Benefits: Increased revenue from previouslywas pretty inefficient. Our Operationscapture all operations and maximize the uncollected general aviation landing fees; improvedpeople, who already had many otherairports revenue, Hughes explains. Customs fee revenues; less staff time requiredresponsibilities, were in charge of doing allThe PlanePass system uses freestanding, for billing; ability to audit self-reported data from commercial airlinesthe billing for Customs fees as well, sayssolar-powered day/night wireless camera July | August 2022AirportImprovement.com'