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
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Airport Industry Headlines
- San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is Named The Bond Buyer’s 2022 Deal of the Year Award for the Far West Region
- MSP Airport Selects Artist for Next Major Public Art Project
- Naples Airport Authority Increases the Fight Against Human Trafficking
- VPorts to Create the First International Advanced Air Mobility Corridor Between Syracuse, NY and Québec
- Arora Welcomes Barry A. Rondinella, AAE, CAE, Transportation Development Director
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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
- Long Beach Airport Adds Permanent Checked Baggage Inspection System and Improves Ticketing Building
- 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
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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
- Raleigh-Durham Int’l Opens Industry’s First Multi-Restaurant Ghost Kitchen
- 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
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Emergency Operations Projects
- Hybrid Fire Station at San José Int’l Provides Emergency Services for Airport and Surrounding Area
- 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
Environment/Sustainability Projects
- Santa Maria Airport Takes Common Sense Approach to PFAS Testing
- Philadelphia Int’l Follows Envision Program for Major Taxiway Rehab
- Airport Apiaries Foster Crop Pollination, Support Land Stewardship
- Sanford Seacoast Regional Provides Airfield Land for Large Solar Farm
- When Funding Became Available, Harrisburg Int’l Was Ready to Go With Levee Project
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Fuel Operations Projects
- New Hydrant System Will Boost Fueling Efficiency and Safety at LaGuardia Terminal B
- Fuel Farm Improvements Position Eisenhower Nat’l for Further Growth
- 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
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
- Philadelphia Int’l is Updating - and Monetizing - Its Information Technology Network
- 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
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
- Louisville Int’l Installs Geothermal System to Substantially Reduce Energy Costs, Carbon Footprint
- Rogue Valley Int’l Implements New Stormwater System
- Moncton Int’l Partners With City and Local Wastewater Treatment Plant to Resolve Glycol Issue
- Millinocket Municipal Slashes Snow Removal Time
- Cherry Capital Airport Controls Its Own Fate With Ownership/Governance Change
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
- Bradley Int’l Builds New Ground Transportation Center
- 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
Runway/Ramp Projects
- Another End-Around Taxiway Yields Many Benefits at Dallas Fort Worth Int’l
- Van Nuys Runway Project Requires Precise Scheduling
- New Airside Layout Completes $4 Billion Terminal Overhaul at LaGuardia
- Jackson Hole Airport Reconstructs Runway During 78-Day Closure
- Project Team at Pope Army Airfield Demonstrates Military Schedule Discipline During Runway Reconstruction
Security Projects
- Phoenix Sky Harbor Pioneers Field Assessment of TSA Mobile ID
- 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
Terminal Projects
- Portland Int’l Taps Local, Renewable Resource for Seismically Resilient Wooden Roof
- 'Open-Airport Surgery' Raises the Roof at Fort Lauderdale Int’l
- 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
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