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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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Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Welcomes the World via New International Arrivals Facility

Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Welcomes the World via New International Arrivals Facility
Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) recently passed a significant mile marker in its ongoing quest to earn top marks from passengers. Earlier this year, the airport gained a fourth star in its Skytrax rating, and Managing Director Lance Lyttle is confident that a new International Arrivals Facility will help SEA earn a perfect five-star rating and achieve other key customer satisfaction goals.

New Baggage System at Orlando Int’l Features Individual Totes and Upper-Level Claim Area

New Baggage System at Orlando Int’l Features Individual Totes and Upper-Level Claim Area
The South Terminal Complex that Orlando International Airport (MCO) is scheduled to unveil this September will include several noteworthy features, including 100% facial recognition for international arrivals and departures, large-screen interactive digital media and the first fully integrated terminal in the U.S. for rail, air and ground transportation.

Springfield-Beckley Municipal Attracts Unmanned Flight Testing

Springfield-Beckley Municipal Attracts Unmanned Flight Testing
Springfield–Beckley Municipal Airport (SGH), located between Dayton and Columbus, has become one of the hottest spots in the United States for testing and flight of advanced air mobility aircraft. Unmanned drones and electric vertical takeoff/landing (eVTOL) aircraft are just two types of systems currently sharing the airspace above SGH. And an $8.2 million project is in the works to accommodate even more innovation.

Atlanta Int’l Leverages GIS Mapping for Indoor Terminal Areas

Atlanta Int’l Leverages GIS Mapping for Indoor Terminal Areas
While it’s not the biggest airport in the world—not even Top 10, in fact—Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) has consistently been the busiest in passenger traffic for about two decades. In 2019 alone, it served more than 100 million travelers. And all those passengers, plus 60,000 or so employees, are tucked neatly into a 6.8 million-square-foot terminal complex.

Runway Replacement at Nashville Int’l Presents Sustainability Opportunity That Saved About $6.4 million

Runway Replacement at Nashville Int’l Presents Sustainability Opportunity That Saved About $6.4 million
Some say it isn’t easy being green, but Nashville International Airport (BNA) certainly makes it look effortless. When the Music City airport opened Concourse D in 2020, the project achieved LEED Silver certification for a sustainable, wellness-oriented design and construction process. It is one of just nine airport facilities in the world to earn LEED Silver under the U.S. Green Building Council’s v4 standards.

9-Story Office Building Open for Business at Tampa Int’l

9-Story Office Building Open for Business at Tampa Int’l
Tampa International Airport (TPA) is officially a heavy hitter in the Florida Gulf Coast real estate market. SkyCenter One, a 272,000-square-foot facility on the south side of the airport, contains nine floors: just more than five for commercial leasing, three for airport staff, and ground floor amenities including a café with outdoor seating and a large fitness center for all tenants.

Digital Taxi Dispatching at San Diego Int’l Frees Up Land, Reduces Traffic Congestion

Digital Taxi Dispatching at San Diego Int’l Frees Up Land, Reduces Traffic Congestion
Airport operators short on usable real estate might want to check out what’s happening at San Diego International (SAN), an airport that is boxed in by both land and water. Using a digital system to dispatch taxis has allowed SAN to significantly decrease the land needed for its taxi hold lot and freed up valuable space for other uses.

New Pipeline Helps Assure Fuel Supply at Harry Reid Int’l and Other Vegas Airports

New Pipeline Helps Assure Fuel Supply at Harry Reid Int’l and Other Vegas Airports
A 3.5-mile pipeline snaking beneath the streets of Las Vegas is the final component of a multi-phase fuel system project at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), formerly known as McCarran International. The roughly $70 million initiative, funded entirely by the local fuel consortium, dates back to the early 2000s, when Clark County Department of Aviation began looking for ways to expand storage and throughput of the system that feeds aviation fuel to LAS and four smaller airports that serve Southern Nevada.

New Terminal at Lafayette Regional Was a True Community Effort

New Terminal at Lafayette Regional Was a True Community Effort
Officials at Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) don’t consider the new terminal they unveiled in January to be theirs. Executive Director Steven Picou takes great pride that it was a project of the people, by the people and for the people of the Louisiana communities LFT serves.

Digital Software Improves Productivity at Des Moines Int’l and Waco Regional

Digital Software Improves Productivity at Des Moines Int’l and Waco Regional
It was 2019, and Clint Torp had just started his new job as director of Operations at Des Moines International Airport (DSM) in central Iowa. As the new kid on the block, Torp began familiarizing himself with the facility’s operations and processes. And it didn’t take long before he realized the data collection system DSM had in place wasn’t providing enough data or the right data. As a self-professed “data guy,” Torp knew straight away that he wanted to make some changes.

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FREE Whitepaper

Fairbanks International Airport Baggage Transport Conveyor Enhanced With Mod Drive™ System


Fairbanks International Airport Baggage Transport Conveyor Enhanced With Mod Drive™ System

Airports face a host of unique industry challenges, such as meeting efficiency regulations and seeking out the best maintenance practices to reduce costs and keep operations flowing. In today’s current economic climate, any potential cost savings can go a long way. 

In 2019, Alaska’s Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) sought to modernize its equipment and operations. They were dissatisfied with the performance of the gearmotors on their baggage transport conveyors and began searching for new suppliers. Regal approached FAI with a solution that could improve equipment performance and simplify maintenance, with the added benefit of energy cost savings: the Hub City® MOD Drive™ system.

This white paper discusses the hardware deployed, the test results and the annualized expectations for ROI.

 

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Digital Taxi Dispatching at San Diego Int’l Frees Up Land, Reduces Traffic Congestion

Digital Taxi Dispatching at San Diego Int’l Frees Up Land, Reduces Traffic Congestion
Airport operators short on usable real estate might want to check out what’s happening at San Diego International (SAN), an airport that is boxed in by both land and water. Using a digital system to dispatch taxis has allowed SAN to significantly decrease the land needed for its taxi hold lot and freed up valuable space for other uses.

New Pipeline Helps Assure Fuel Supply at Harry Reid Int’l and Other Vegas Airports

New Pipeline Helps Assure Fuel Supply at Harry Reid Int’l and Other Vegas Airports
A 3.5-mile pipeline snaking beneath the streets of Las Vegas is the final component of a multi-phase fuel system project at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), formerly known as McCarran International. The roughly $70 million initiative, funded entirely by the local fuel consortium, dates back to the early 2000s, when Clark County Department of Aviation began looking for ways to expand storage and throughput of the system that feeds aviation fuel to LAS and four smaller airports that serve Southern Nevada.

New Terminal at Lafayette Regional Was a True Community Effort

New Terminal at Lafayette Regional Was a True Community Effort
Officials at Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) don’t consider the new terminal they unveiled in January to be theirs. Executive Director Steven Picou takes great pride that it was a project of the people, by the people and for the people of the Louisiana communities LFT serves.

Digital Software Improves Productivity at Des Moines Int’l and Waco Regional

Digital Software Improves Productivity at Des Moines Int’l and Waco Regional
It was 2019, and Clint Torp had just started his new job as director of Operations at Des Moines International Airport (DSM) in central Iowa. As the new kid on the block, Torp began familiarizing himself with the facility’s operations and processes. And it didn’t take long before he realized the data collection system DSM had in place wasn’t providing enough data or the right data. As a self-professed “data guy,” Torp knew straight away that he wanted to make some changes.

Indianapolis Int’l Rehabs Main Crosswind Runway

Indianapolis Int’l Rehabs Main Crosswind Runway
Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is enjoying the benefits of rehabilitating Runway 14-32, its main crosswind runway that also happened to be one of its oldest. Associated connector taxiways were upgraded with new pavement and lighting as well.

Cincinnati Int’l Invests in the Future With New Transportation Center, Roadway Improvements

Cincinnati Int’l Invests in the Future With New Transportation Center, Roadway Improvements
​If there is one through line for the new rental car and ground transportation center at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), it is convenience. Chief Executive Officer Candace McGraw describes the 1.57 million-square-foot facility as “a walkable solution” that saves travelers time by connecting them directly to the baggage claim and ticketing areas, and eliminating the need to ride shuttles to get rental cars.

Innovation Checkpoint at Harry Reid Int’l Provides Proving Ground for New Screening Technologies

Innovation Checkpoint at Harry Reid Int’l Provides Proving Ground for New Screening Technologies
With a high volume of unseasoned travelers passing through its terminals every day, Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas provides an ideal working laboratory for new screening equipment. Currently, TSA is putting several technologies and procedures through the paces at its Innovation Checkpoint on the lower level of Terminal 3.

Going Green - Edmonton International Airport (YEG)

At Edmonton International Airport (YEG), an installation made of plants literally adds tons of oxygen to the terminal every year and removes common airborne toxins.

Greater Sudbury Airport Boosts Snow Removal Efficiency by Embracing New Technology

Greater Sudbury Airport Boosts Snow Removal Efficiency by Embracing New Technology
Several years ago, YSB started investing in larger pieces of equipment that do the work of multiple machines to help its small, but seasoned, staff remove more snow in less time. That, in turn, allows the airport to allocate its 15 snow removal employees and seasonal workers more efficiently. To handle copious amounts of snow with a relatively small snow removal staff, the Ontario airport takes a tactical approach that emphasizes advanced equipment and machines that boost productivity and efficiency.

New Processing Building at Tijuana Int’l Facilitates Increased Passenger Traffic to/from U.S.

New Processing Building at Tijuana Int’l Facilitates Increased Passenger Traffic to/from U.S.
When the CrossBorder Xpress terminal opened about six years ago, officials knew its pedestrian bridge directly linking Tijuana’s General Abelardo L. Rodriguez International Airport (TIJ) and the U.S. would be popular. What they didn’t expect was a 100% increase in passenger traffic.

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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?

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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...
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