Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery...or Deception
In preparing this issue, I needed information about Harry Reid International, so I typed the airport name into my browser. The first URL on the list was vegasmeansbusiness.com. The second was las-vegas-airport.org. Also appearing on the list were las-vegas-airport.com and harryreidairport.com.
Which is the real/official airport website? In this case, there were two, not one. Vegasmeansbusiness.com and harryreidairport.com are the real McCoy, I mean McCarran, no Reid. But all four websites displayed photos and information about the airport. To the untrained eye, the two imposters can look legit, even though the sites do confess (in smaller fonts) that they are not official.
This online sleight of hand is not unique to LAS. It is something many commercial airports are dealing with. Airports that need to inform their own passengers and public have to compete with entrepreneurs with websites designed purely to cash in on very visible public assets. Naturally, the more traffic you bring to your website, the more valuable it is.
Websites are now in the same category as Rolex watches and Gucci handbags: buyer/user beware.
Are we destined to wave the white flag and put up with this? Not at all! Make it clear in every conceivable way which is the real airport website. The best defense is to provide more and better information than the wannabes.
One of the first places I would start is looking closely at the content provided by your competitors. Make sure that any features and benefits are better on your website than theirs. Also, check how easy it is to connect with the leaders/departments at your airport. Many of you do an excellent job providing contact information. But there is still a large contingent of airport websites without any clues about who is running the various departments and how to get ahold of them.
Competition can be a real pain in the butt. However, it also invariably makes us better. Let’s make our websites better.
Cheers!
-Paul
New Podcast Series: Airport Chatter with Jonathan Norman
Integration of GIS with CMMS & EAM Systems
A growing number of Airports, Warehouses, private and public utilities today are implementing Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems. In 2019, the CMMS software market was worth $0.92 billion. By 2027, it is expected to reach $1.77 billion, increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.58% during 2020-2027.
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Project Nominations
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Airport Industry Headlines
- BLUE GRASS AIRPORT BEGINS MASTER PLANNING PROCESS
- Ontario International Airport extends run topping pre-pandemic passenger volume
- Breeze Airways to Begin Phoenix Sky Harbor Service in November
- Breeze Airways Announces Nonstop Service from Syracuse to Tampa
- Jacmel Growth Partners Announces Strategic Partnership with Arora Engineers
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Airside Projects
- Tampa Int’l Plots New Course to Enhance Airfield Safety
- Huntingburg Airport Builds Highway Tunnel to Prepare for Next Runway Extension
- Blizzard of Off-Season Work Keeps Maintenance Crews at Minneapolis-St. Paul Int’l Plowing Ahead
- Spirit of St. Louis Shines Brightly With New Lighting System
- Hollywood Burbank Airport Repaves Ramp with Advanced Asphalt
Baggage Projects
- New Concourse at Phoenix Sky Harbor Features Advanced Baggage Handling System
- New Baggage System at Orlando Int’l Features Individual Totes and Upper-Level Claim Area
- Experience Pays Off in Fourth Baggage Inspection System Project at Fort Lauderdale Int’l
- Baggage Handling Takes Center Stage at Salt Lake City Int’l
- San Francisco Int’l Installs First Tote-Based Baggage System in U.S.
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Cargo Projects
- Halifax Stanfield Builds Cargo Park With Cold Chain Capabilities
- Extensive Cargo Growth at Cincinnati Int’l Boosts Revenues, Diversifies Business Base
- FedEx Expands at Ontario Int’l to Support Growing E-Commerce Demand
- Winnipeg Int’l Adds Multiuse Facility to Enhance Cargo Operations
- Space Constraints, Rapid Growth Spark New Cargo Facilities at Ontario Int’l
Concessions/Retail Projects
- Toronto Pearson Int’l Developing Uber Eats Option for In-Airport Pickups
- Los Angeles Int’l Achieves Diversity Milestone in Concessions Ownership
- Greenville-Spartanburg Int’l Brings Select Food/Beverage Concessions in House
- Silicon Valley Donor, Industry Firms and Local Children’s Museum Create New Play Area at San Jose Int’l
- New Lounge at Dallas Fort Worth Int’l Offers Shower Suite and Gourmet Eats
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Emergency Operations Projects
- New Facility at Coastal Carolina Regional Consolidates ARFF Ops, Boosts Efficiency
- Casper Int’l Upgrades ARFF Training Center at Opportune Time
- San Diego Int’l Installs New Engineered Material Arresting System
- Greenville-Spartanburg Int’l Builds Bigger, Better ARFF Station
- Central Nebraska Regional Builds New ARFF Station for New Fire Truck
Environment/Sustainability Projects
- Sanford Seacoast Regional Provides Airfield Land for Large Solar Farm
- When Funding Became Available, Harrisburg Int’l Was Ready to Go With Levee Project
- Mitigating the Negative Effects of Firefighting Foam is Personal for Nantucket Memorial
- High Seas, High Stakes: Coastal Airports Respond to Climate Change
- San Diego Int’l Captures Stormwater Runoff for Reuse at Rental Car Center
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Fuel Operations Projects
- New Pipeline Helps Assure Fuel Supply at Harry Reid Int’l and Other Vegas Airports
- Resourceful Financing Helps Build New Jet Fuel Facility at Tucson Int’l
- Bigger, Better Fuel Farm Comes Online at St. Louis Int’l
- McCarran & Oakland Int’l Complete Pilot Tests of New Fuel Farm Management Platform
- Improvements to Bulk Fuel Farm at JFK Int’l Include First New Tanks in Almost 50 Years
General Aviation Projects
- Punta Gorda Airport Expands General Aviation Facilities
- Felts Field, Centennial Airport Share Their Master Planning Strategies
- Colorado Springs Airport Rehabs Key Runway in 90 Days
- Twin Cities Reliever Airports Live Up to Name
- Lincoln Airport Reaps Long-Term Benefits From Temporary Relocation of Air Force Base Operations
Ground Support Projects
- O’Hare Moves Aircraft Deicing From Gates to High-Tech Centralized Facility
- Ground Power Upgrades in the Works at Newark Int’l
- Long Beach Airport & Airline Partners Phase Out Fossil Fuels for Ground Support Equipment
- Columbus Int’l Installs System to Tighten Accountability & Efficiency of Ground Transportation Providers
- Edmonton Int’l Turns Tech Partnership into Business Opportunity
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Hangar Projects
- Stennis Int’l Adds Hangar Space to Help Boost Local Economy
- Lehigh Valley Int’l Opens the Doors on New Bulk Hangar
- Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport Updates 50+-year-old Hangar
- Regional Development Spurs & Supports Hangar Construction at Spokane Airports
- Huge Fabric-Roof Hangar Under Construction at Honolulu Int'l
IT/Communications Projects
- LaGuardia and Toronto Pearson Int’l Leverage Passenger Tracking Software to Manage Queues, Improve Flow
- Greenville-Spartanburg Int’l Produces Podcasts to Showcase Airport and Region
- Digital Software Improves Productivity at Des Moines Int’l and Waco Regional
- Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Leverages Artificial Intelligence to Improve Visibility, Management of Ground Operations
- Airports Offer Virtual Queuing to Improve Predictability and Flow at Security Checkpoints
Landside Development Projects
- 9-Story Office Building Open for Business at Tampa Int’l
- Forward-Thinking Business Park Sets Stage for Success at Colorado Springs Airport
- Retro-Style TWA Hotel Debuts at JFK Int’l
- Piedmont Triad Int’l Grows Up & Brings Region Along for the Ride
- Naval Air Station Oceana Maintains Operational Volume While Converting to LED Airfield Lighting
Operations Projects
- Cherry Capital Airport Controls Its Own Fate With Ownership/Governance Change
- High-Tech Billing System Helps Love Field Collect New Landing Fees
- Springfield-Beckley Municipal Attracts Unmanned Flight Testing
- Atlanta Int’l Leverages GIS Mapping for Indoor Terminal Areas
- Greater Sudbury Airport Boosts Snow Removal Efficiency by Embracing New Technology
Parking Projects
- Los Angeles Int’l Adds New Economy Parking Facility
- Parking Expansion and Enhancements at San Jose Int’l
- Parking Improvements at Louisville Muhammad Ali Int’l
- Nashville Int’l Increases Parking Capacity to Match Passenger Growth
- New Parking Ramp Prepares Minneapolis-St. Paul Int’l for Post-Pandemic Rebound
Passenger Transport Projects
- New Rental Car Center at Columbus Int’l Improves Experience for Passengers, Rental Companies
- Final Stage of Train System Project at Phoenix Sky Harbor Connects to Rental Car Center
- Consolidated Ground Transportation Center at Long Island MacArthur Facilitates Cascade of Other Improvements
- Digital Taxi Dispatching at San Diego Int’l Frees Up Land, Reduces Traffic Congestion
- Cincinnati Int’l Invests in the Future With New Transportation Center, Roadway Improvements
Runway/Ramp Projects
- Central Wisconsin Airport Takes First Step in Decoupling Runways
- Asheville Regional Endures Multiple Delays in Runway Replacement Project
- Persistence Yields 100% Federal Funding for Runway Rehab at Dunsmuir Municipal
- Runway Replacement at Nashville Int’l Presents Sustainability Opportunity That Saved About $6.4 million
- Indianapolis Int’l Rehabs Main Crosswind Runway
Security Projects
- Innovation Checkpoint at Harry Reid Int’l Provides Proving Ground for New Screening Technologies
- New Processing Building at Tijuana Int’l Facilitates Increased Passenger Traffic to/from U.S.
- Yellowstone Regional Safeguards Security With New Wildlife Fence
- Miami Int’l is First Airport in North America to Dispatch COVID-19 Detection Dogs
- Columbus Municipal Partners With Tenants, FAA to Improve Access Control
Terminal Projects
- Kona Int’l Invests in Future with New Federal Inspection Services Facility and Terminal Upgrades
- Denver Int’l Nearing End of $2.3 Billion Gate Expansion Program
- Modular Construction Saves Time, Money During Gate Replacement at Dallas Fort Worth Int’l
- Minneapolis-St Paul Int’l Expands and Transforms Concourse
- Orlando Int’l Prepares to Wow Customers With New C Terminal
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