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New Satellite Concourse Provides Efficient Gate Expansion at Nashville Int’l
New Satellite Concourse Provides Efficient Gate Expansion at Nashville Int’l
To accommodate increased passenger demand, Nashville International Airport® (BNA®) recently constructed a standalone Satellite Concourse adjacent to its main terminal. The 89,000-square-foot structure opened in October 2023 and now houses operations primarily for Allegiant Air and Spirit Airlines.
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Dallas Fort Worth Int’l Bolsters Employee Security Screening Program
Dallas Fort Worth Int’l Bolsters Employee Security Screening Program
Efficiency and efficacy are the watchwords for employee security screening at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
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Denver Int’l Completes State-of-the-Art West Security Checkpoint
Denver Int’l Completes State-of-the-Art West Security Checkpoint
In the last two decades, passenger volume has nearly doubled at DEN, and security technology has changed considerably. As part of the airport’s Great Hall Program, a $2.1 billion capital improvement project, all checkpoints are moving up a level—both physically and technologically.
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Harry Reid Int’l Tests Self-Service Checkpoint
Harry Reid Int’l Tests Self-Service Checkpoint
For 23 years, TSA has screened passengers and their belongings at U.S. airports to help keep air travel safe. The traffic is staggering, with an average 2.5 million people passing through checkpoints at more than 430 airports each day, and even more during holidays and other surges.
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Safety Management Systems: Lessons from the Airline Sector
Safety Management Systems: Lessons from the Airline Sector
Nearly a decade ago, the FAA Safety Organization issued a final rule requiring Part 121 certificated operators—scheduled commercial airlines—to implement Safety Management Plans. The goal was to help carriers detect and correct safety risks before they become hazards.
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Historic Wildfires Prompt Kelowna Int’l to Move Commercial Flights From Day to Night
Historic Wildfires Prompt Kelowna Int’l to Move Commercial Flights From Day to Night
With wildfires raging throughout British Columbia last summer, two things kept Kelowna International Airport (YLW) ahead of the game: good working relationships with the provincial and national governments, and partners such as Nav Canada.
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Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Completes Five-Gate Addition
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Completes Five-Gate Addition
With an eye on growth and a heightened commitment to passenger comfort, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) unveiled a 30,000-square-foot terminal expansion in mid-February.
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New ARFF Facility Boosts Efficiency, Paves Way for New Terminal at Monterey Regional
New ARFF Facility Boosts Efficiency, Paves Way for New Terminal at Monterey Regional
A new $9.9 million aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) station is enhancing operational efficiency at Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), as well as providing a more comfortable environment for the personnel that call it home for days at a time.
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Punta Gorda Closes Runway, Powers Through Rebuild Project
Punta Gorda Closes Runway, Powers Through Rebuild Project
File it under “good things come to those who wait.” The roughly year-long reconstruction and rehabilitation of the primary runway at Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) was a welcome improvement that took patience, planning and lots of enabling projects.
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Moving Walkways Replace Decades-Old Monorail at Tampa Int’l
Moving Walkways Replace Decades-Old Monorail at Tampa Int’l
Guests at Tampa International Airport (TPA) can now use a series of moving walkways to quickly travel through the long-term parking garage to the adjacent main terminal, and vice versa.
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New Outdoor Deck Relieves Passenger Congestion at Charlottetown Airport
New Outdoor Deck Relieves Passenger Congestion at Charlottetown Airport
While some airports have struggled to recover passenger traffic lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, the opposite is true at Charlottetown Airport (YYG) on Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada. In 2023, the airport recorded 402,686 passengers—an increase of more than 18% from 2022.
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Southwest Hangar Complex at Gulf Shores Int’l is Full
Southwest Hangar Complex at Gulf Shores Int’l is Full
If Gulf Shores International Airport (JKA) were a hotel, management could hang up a “No Vacancy” sign regarding its available hangar space. Airport Director Justin Fletcher proudly reports that all 13 sites of JKA’s Southwest Corporate Hangar Complex are filled.
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Hawaii Provides State-Owned Airports with Online Platform for Environmental Systems Management
Hawaii Provides State-Owned Airports with Online Platform for Environmental Systems Management
Recognizing the need for robust environmental systems management, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Airports Division provides a cloud-based, no-code system for its 15 state-owned and state-operated airports.
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Art Without Borders - San Diego International Airport (SAN)
Art Without Borders - San Diego International Airport (SAN)
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is celebrating that longtime binational bond with a temporary art exhibit titled Espacios & Lines.
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Terminal Modernization at Boston Logan Has Passengers and Locals Seeing Red, But in a Good Way
Terminal Modernization at Boston Logan Has Passengers and Locals Seeing Red, But in a Good Way
Nearly 250 years after Paul Revere rode out of Boston warning of a pending advance by British Redcoats, a shimmering red coat of paint warmly welcomes international visitors to the modern airport in his colonial hometown.
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DFW Adds Hands-On A380 Training to its Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting Curriculum

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) recently enhanced its well-established aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) training program with $29 million of updates and renovations to its Fire Training Research Center. A mockup of an Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger jet, is now center stage.

Collin County Regional Thinks Big with Replacement Runway

Runway 18-36 at Collin County Regional Airport (TKI) is more than a new takeoff and landing surface. It's the centerpiece of $43.4 million in recent airfield improvements and a concrete example of local optimism and support for the North Texas general aviation airport.

Airports Add 21st Century Twist to Customer Service

A new breed of customer service representatives is popping up in a handful of eastern U.S. airports. They speak to passengers in a clear, pleasant voice and maintain a steady, predictable level of patience and enthusiasm - even though they work 24/7. They're never pulled away on a more urgent matter and hold strictly to the "company line" that airport officials want them to convey.

Long Beach Municipal Revamps its Retail & Food/Beverage Program

For Airport Director Mario Rodriguez, the $45 million concourse project nearing completion at Long Beach Municipal (LGB) is about far more than providing enough capacity to move people through the facility. "We want to make sure that they move through in a very nice way," he specifies. "We want to make sure they're comfortable."

Long Beach Municipal Modernizes Airport While Respecting Iconic Terminal

Officials at Long Beach Municipal Airport (LGB) in southern California hope to give travelers an early Christmas present - two new concourses with resort-like amenities and service. The $45 million project designed to provide the "improved passenger experience" includes a new consolidated security screening area, north and south concourses, outdoor spaces and a revamped concessions program with street pricing. Work is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.

Blueprint For the Future

There's a widening gulf in America these days. No, I'm not referring to politics. Lord knows we've heard enough on that topic lately and are ready to take a break, please.

Extending the Life of Pavements

Each year, airports throughout the world spend significant funds to maintain, rebuild and/or add new square footage to their runways and other critical airfield pavements. Without this most critical physical infrastructure, operations are simply not possible.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Int'l Eyes Future With New Fueling Facility

When an airport constructs a new fuel farm, it's generally because the old one is hampered by outdated technology or has reached the end of its useful life. That wasn't the case at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). Its late-1990s Terminal 2-Humphrey Tank Farm was still pumping jet-A and mogas (automotive fuel) effectively, but the facility needed to be removed to make room for future airside and landside expansion.

Bob Hope Airport Begins Online Data Collection to Lay Foundation for Safety Management System

When the FAA issued a draft advisory circular about integrated safety management systems (SMS) in late June, Bob Hope Airport (BUR) was already planning for it. By July, the Burbank, CA, facility had a new data collection system in place to help prepare for the anticipated mandate.

Erie Int'l Plants Slow-Grow Grass to Discourage Wildlife & Reduce Maintenance

In a move that promises to cut mowing to just once a year and reduce wildlife hazards, Erie International Airport (ERI) planted about 95 acres of a special low-growth grass last summer. Although the special species cost about $90,000 more than standard grass, ERI expects to save nearly $800 per acre each year on mowing costs alone.

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Featured Video

Airports Add 21st Century Twist to Customer Service

A new breed of customer service representatives is popping up in a handful of eastern U.S. airports. They speak to passengers in a clear, pleasant voice and maintain a steady, predictable level of patience and enthusiasm - even though they work 24/7. They're never pulled away on a more urgent matter and hold strictly to the "company line" that airport officials want them to convey.

Long Beach Municipal Revamps its Retail & Food/Beverage Program

For Airport Director Mario Rodriguez, the $45 million concourse project nearing completion at Long Beach Municipal (LGB) is about far more than providing enough capacity to move people through the facility. "We want to make sure that they move through in a very nice way," he specifies. "We want to make sure they're comfortable."

Long Beach Municipal Modernizes Airport While Respecting Iconic Terminal

Officials at Long Beach Municipal Airport (LGB) in southern California hope to give travelers an early Christmas present - two new concourses with resort-like amenities and service. The $45 million project designed to provide the "improved passenger experience" includes a new consolidated security screening area, north and south concourses, outdoor spaces and a revamped concessions program with street pricing. Work is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.

Blueprint For the Future

There's a widening gulf in America these days. No, I'm not referring to politics. Lord knows we've heard enough on that topic lately and are ready to take a break, please.

Extending the Life of Pavements

Each year, airports throughout the world spend significant funds to maintain, rebuild and/or add new square footage to their runways and other critical airfield pavements. Without this most critical physical infrastructure, operations are simply not possible.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Int'l Eyes Future With New Fueling Facility

When an airport constructs a new fuel farm, it's generally because the old one is hampered by outdated technology or has reached the end of its useful life. That wasn't the case at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). Its late-1990s Terminal 2-Humphrey Tank Farm was still pumping jet-A and mogas (automotive fuel) effectively, but the facility needed to be removed to make room for future airside and landside expansion.

Bob Hope Airport Begins Online Data Collection to Lay Foundation for Safety Management System

When the FAA issued a draft advisory circular about integrated safety management systems (SMS) in late June, Bob Hope Airport (BUR) was already planning for it. By July, the Burbank, CA, facility had a new data collection system in place to help prepare for the anticipated mandate.

Erie Int'l Plants Slow-Grow Grass to Discourage Wildlife & Reduce Maintenance

In a move that promises to cut mowing to just once a year and reduce wildlife hazards, Erie International Airport (ERI) planted about 95 acres of a special low-growth grass last summer. Although the special species cost about $90,000 more than standard grass, ERI expects to save nearly $800 per acre each year on mowing costs alone.

Tulsa Int'l Develops Electronic Airport Layout Plan with Extra 3D Features

FAA-mandated database mapping and electronic airport layout plan (eALP) standards are ramping up for all federally funded airports throughout the country. Under these requirements, physical airport features are collected in the geographic information system (GIS) format, then submitted to Airports GIS through the FAA's web portal. eALPs can then be assembled from the data.

FAA Funds Green Projects at Chattanooga Metro

About 40 years ago, Walter Cronkite characterized Chattanooga, TN, as one of the dirtiest cities in America. Since then, officials have worked to transform it into one of the cleanest, and the airport fully supports its goals of environmental stewardship and sustainability, notes Terry Hart, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA).

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Publisher's Blog

What’s in a Name?
I’m all for improving our airports. But do new names necessarily make them better?
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Industry Insider

Cyberattacks on the Aviation Sector: Threats, Trends and Strategies
The aviation industry has been a prime target for nefarious cyberattacks over the last few years.
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Project Nominations

Know of a project that should be covered in a future issue of Airport Improvement?

Artscapes

Art Without Borders - San Diego International Airport (SAN)
Art Without Borders - San Diego International Airport (SAN)
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is celebrating that longtime binational bond with a temporary art exhibit titled...
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