Baggage Handling Update FAA Simulates A380 Spacing Schiphol Tests Robotic Baggage System
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www.aaae.org/magazine | October/November 2006 Baggage Handling Update FAA Simulates A380 Spacing Schiphol Tests Robotic Baggage System
Volume 18/ Number 6 | October/November 2006
M A G A Z I N E
features
cover: Signage in the Digital Age| 22 EDITORIAL BOARD
WILLIAM G. BARKHAUER
Aesthetics, emergency communications and advertising revenue can all play a part
Morristown, New Jersey
in implementing new signage. And what about plasma, LCD and LED technology? BRYAN ELLIOTT
22 Charlottesville, Virginia
BILL HOGAN
Magazine Dedication| 16 Reynolds, Smith, & Hills
Tom Suzuki shaped the very first issues of Airport Magazine. JAMES E. JOHNSON
Odessa, Florida
RANDY D. POPE
baggage handling Burns & McDonnell
16
Expediting the Baggage Handling Process | 30 AAAE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As airports demand higher-speed baggage conveyance systems—and as the
CHAIR
TSA demands more security—new baggage handling systems are being tested ELAINE ROBERTS, Columbus, Ohio
and installed. The result? Less lost luggage, higher delivery speeds and
FIRST VICE CHAIR
improved security. KRYS T. BART, Reno, Nevada
30 SECOND VICE CHAIR
airport innovation JAMES P. ELWOOD, Aspen, Colorado
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Schipol Studies Robotic Automation For Baggage JOHN K. DUVAL, Boston, Massachusetts
Handling Tasks | 36
FIRST PAST CHAIR
KLM and Schiphol Airport have implemented a pilot robotic baggage loading and R. LOWELL PRATTE, Louisville, Kentucky
unloading system that both lightens the load for employees and automates the
SECOND PAST CHAIR
baggage handling process. WILLIAM G. BARKHAUER, Morristown, New Jersey
ground operations BOARD OF DIRECTORS
STEPHEN J. ADAMS, JR., Manchester, New Hampshire
LORI L. BECKMAN, Denver, Colorado
FAA Simulates Potential Pavement Problems And ATC JAMES E. BENNETT, Washington, D.C.
Delays For A380 | 42 RANDALL D. BERG, Salt Lake City, Utah
Computer simulations developed for the Airbus A380 at the FAA Technical BENJAMIN R. DECOSTA, Atlanta, Georgia
Center will help airports deal with the increased weight load and longer in-trail KEVIN A. DILLON, Manchester, New Hampshire
BRYAN O. ELLIOTT, Charlottesville, Virginia
spacing mandated by ICAO.
LINDA G. FRANKL, Columbus, Ohio
MICHAEL J. HANEY, Moline, Illinois
GARY L. JOHNSON, Stillwater, Oklahoma
PAULA JORDAN, DFW Airport, Texas
ALEX M. KASHANI, Washington, D.C.
PARKER W. MCCLELLAN, Orlando, Florida
departments MICHAEL A. MUSCA, Modesto, California
ROBERT P. OLISLAGERS, Englewood, Colorado
JEANNE M. OLIVIER, New York, New York
Inner Marker 6
LISA A. PYLES, Addison, Texas
Up Front 8 GARY T. RICE, Santa Maria, California
Corporate Outlook 18
CHAPTER PRESIDENTS
Market Scan 20 MIKE D. SHAHAN, Denison, Texas
ALVIN L. STUART, Salt Lake City, Utah
General Aviation 29 ROD A. DINGER, Redding, California
Retail Spotlight 34 DAVID N. EDWARDS, Fletcher, North Carolina
THOMAS M. RAFTER, Hammonton, New Jersey
Airport Spotlight 40 CHARLES J. GOODWIN, Columbus, Ohio
Airport Tech 46
Billboard 48 POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE
THELLA F. BOWENS, San Diego, California
Advertisers’ Index 49 MARK P. BREWER, Warwick, Rhode Island
Advertisers’ Index 50 TIMOTHY L. CAMPBELL, Baltimore, Maryland
CHERYL COHEN-VADER, Denver International Airport
LARRY D. COX, Memphis, Tennessee
ALFONSO DENSON, Birmingham, Alabama
KEVIN C. DOLLIOLE, St. Louis, Missouri
KENT G. GEORGE, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
MICHAEL A. GOBB, Lexington, Kentucky
coming in Airport Magazine CHARLES J. ISDELL, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Architecture/Engineering/Planning Trends (December/January) THOMAS R. JARGIELLO, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Parking Update (December/January) THOMAS J. KINTON, JR., Boston, Massachusetts
DAVID KRIETOR, Phoenix, Arizona
LYNN F. KUSY, Mesa, Arizona
ERIN M. O’DONNELL, Chicago, Illinois
MORTON V. PLUMB, Anchorage, Alaska
MARK M. REIS, Seattle, Washington
LESTER W. ROBINSON, Detroit, Michigan
JAMES R. SMITH, Newport News, Virginia
Cover Design: Daryl E. Humphrey
PRESIDENT
CHARLES M. BARCLAY, Alexandria, Virginia
im inner marker
Airports As Economic Engines
discussed in this space, in a previous issue, the As an added economic development bonus to
I advent of Very Light Jets (VLJs), their positive
impact on our industry and their potential
impact on our airspace and airports.
Gainesville, Eclipse is building a 61,000 square foot
maintenance facility at the airport. The factory
service center is slated to open in early 2007. Half
of the $11.2 million construction project was fund-
An additional positive aspect of VLJs was brought
to my attention recently in a meeting with Rick ed by the Florida Department of Transportation
Crider, CEO of Gainesville Regional Airport, in (FDOT) Aviation Work Program, with the other half
Florida. Crider and I got together at the annual funded by traditional bank financing. Crider says
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) con- that tax incentives were also part of the package
vention in Orlando, as this issue was going to press. offered to Eclipse and DayJet.
VLJs are the subject of much conversation and Crider makes it clear that Gainesville’s success
speculation here at the convention because they story is the hard-won product of a cooperative
are relatively new and because they have attracted effort by the airport authority, Eclipse and DayJet
significant amounts of capital investment from officials, the local Chamber of Commerce, and
both traditional aviation and non-aviation sources. regional and state government. A host of individu-
Several rosy general aviation industry forecasts als played a part and many people will benefit from
were released this week at the convention, most of the creation of new business and new jobs, with a
them taking into account the introduction of VLJs potential of 160 employees at the Eclipse mainte-
to the marketplace. Although the various forecasts nance base and 60 at the DayJet dayport. A large
present slightly different numbers, they are all number of the jobs are high-paying, skilled labor
extremely positive. jobs. According to DayJet, the combined average
Crider has an airport success story to tell, economic impact to the community of both the
which involves VLJs, Eclipse Aviation and DayJet base and the Eclipse facility during the first
Gainesville Airport. DayJet, one of the first-to- three years of operation will be more than $26 mil-
market on-demand air taxi services employing lion—an impressive number.
the Eclipse 500 VLJ, has picked Gainesville as Crider’s advice to other airports looking to build
one of nine “dayports” located in Florida. their economic base: “Gainesville Airport is seen as
Gainesville Airport, which serves three sched- an economic engine. Be flexible and look for new
uled airlines and a lot of general aviation traffic, business paradigms and evolving trends.” Solid
was selected for its strong business climate and advice from someone who knows.
demand for direct regional access. The city is also
home to the University of Florida, a community
college and a major medical center.
The concept behind DayJet is to offer per-seat, on-
demand service primarily to business travelers
making short trips—or in other words, making the Clif Stroud
convenience of corporate jets available to a much Editor
broader market than traditionally has been the case. clif.stroud@aaae.org
6 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006
M A G A Z I N E
INTERIM EDITOR
CLIF STROUD
clif.stroud@aaae.org
PUBLISHER
JOAN LOWDEN
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
ELLEN P. HORTON
DEPUTY EDITOR
BARBARA COOK
NEWS EDITOR
HOLLY ACKERMAN
ASSISTANT/SPOTLIGHTS EDITOR
BETSY WOODS
ART DIRECTION
DARYL HUMPHREY
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER
SEUNG HEE LEE
CONTRIBUTORS
ATAA ALY
SCOTT CATTRAN
JENNIFER MICHELS
HENRY PETERS
ALISON SMITH
STAFF CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
ERYN TRAVIS
Director of Communications, Federal Affairs
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
JAMES MARTIN
STAFF VICE PRESIDENT
SALES AND MARKETING
SUSAN LAUSCH
susan.lausch@aaae.org
DIRECTOR
SALES AND MARKETING
GREG MIHELIC
greg.mihelic@aaae.org
EDITORIAL OFFICE
601 Madison Street, Suite 400
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(703) 824-0500, Ext. 126
Fax: (703) 820-1395
Internet Address: www.aaae.org/magazine
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Airport Magazine is published bimonthly
by the AAAE Service Corporation Inc.,
a wholly owned subsidiary of the American
Association of Airport Executives, and the
Airport Research and Development Foundation.
Subscription price for AAAE members is included
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non-members is $45 for one year. International rate
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Copyright 2006 by AAAE.
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Statements of fact and opinion are the
responsibility of the authors and do not
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POSTMASTER
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Airport Magazine
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Airport Magazine | October/November 2006 7
uf up front
LANGUAGE LINE SERVICES
Sea-Tac Translation
Service Aids
International
Travelers
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
has responded to growing foreign lan-
guage interpretation needs with a lan-
guage access program that uses dual
handset phones to provide passen-
gers with information in their
own language.
The airport used to be served only
by a Japanese visitor center and some
on-site interpreters assigned to spe-
cific flights. In the last few years,
however, Sue Hansen Smith, the air-
port’s customer service manager,
noticed a much wider spectrum of
international visitors, and saw the
need for the airport to update its lan-
guage access program to include
additional languages.
To create a cost-effective, user-
friendly way to serve a growing num- Language Line dual-handset phones allow Sea-Tac to provide translation services in
ber of multi-lingual travelers, Hansen 170 languages.
Smith began working with Language
Line Services, an interpretation serv-
ice, to integrate Language Line dual- in their native languages, which Phoenix Sky Harbor
handset phones throughout the air- makes it much easier for passengers
port. These phones enable passengers to understand the Customs and Opens Areas of
to have a three-way conversation Immigration process, enhance securi- Rescue For People
with an airport customer service ty procedures and expedite passenger
agent and interpreter. The phones are processing.” With Disabilities
readily available in customs, immi- The Language Line Service has sig-
gration, agriculture and the main ter- nificantly increased the number of Phoenix Sky Harbor International
minal, along with cordless versions travelers who can be accommodated, Airport has created areas of rescue
in other locations. providing translations in 170 lan- assistance to be used by people in
“We want international travelers to guages. wheelchairs or those with limited
feel welcome when they arrive at Sea- “Language Line Services receives mobility in the event of an emergency,
Tac Airport,” said Port of Seattle hundreds of call a month from Sea- when elevators may be shut down,
Commission President Patricia Davis. Tac,” Louis Provenzano, Language leaving only stairs by which to exit the
“Language Line Services’ dual hand- Line Services president and chief building. The areas of rescue are well-
set phones make it possible to pro- operating officer. “In August alone, marked with a sign showing a wheel-
vide interpreter services to passen- Sea-Tac requested interpreters in chair symbol, and most often are locat-
gers in languages we were not able to 29 different languages, the most ed in the landings of stairwells.
accommodate in the past. We’re able popular being Korean, Vietnamese During an emergency, firefighters
to provide travelers with information and Mongolian.” will check the areas of rescue for peo-
8 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006
news briefs
ple who need to be transported or currently being planned for U.K.-based National Express Group PLC
need assistance down stairs. In addi- Terminal 3. When the project is fin- announced that it is talking to interested
tion, each area is equipped with an ished, there will be four areas of res- parties about assuming the remainder of
intercom system that provides two- cue in Terminal 3. They will be the lease the company now holds for
way communication with the Sky located on balconies extending from New York's Stewart International
Harbor Communications Center. stairway landings, off of Level 2 in Airport. National Express said it deter-
Instructions are located at each site the lobby area. In Terminal 4, there mined to exit the airport lease to focus
telling visitors what to do in case of an are six in the stairwells off the lobby in on its core bus and train business.
emergency. In addition, there are area of Level 3 (pre-security) and "Airports are not planned to be part of
Braille-enhanced “You are here” maps several also available behind security. the core portfolio long term," the com-
in these areas. When the communica- pany said. National Express said it
tions center is contacted via intercom expects to make a selection in the near
from one of these locations, the dis- Los Angeles term of the new lease holder, and com-
patchers can automatically identify
the location of the caller. The inter-
Airport Receives plete the transaction by year-end…. The
New Orleans Aviation Board has adopt-
com allows the person in need of Alternative-Fuel ed a relief package to assist small busi-
assistance to talk to the communica-
tions center dispatcher.
Airfield Buses nesses and subtenants participating in
the gifts and concessions program at
The area of rescue assistance proj- Louis Armstrong New Orleans
ect started in Terminal 2, where Los Angeles International Airport International. When Hurricane Katrina
there are five such locations behind (LAX) has received 12 high-capacity struck in August 2005, the small busi-
security in the gate areas. There also airfield buses from North American ness owners/subtenants of New Orleans
are ramps from the lobby to the exits Bus Industries (NABI) that operate on Air Ventures, the airport's news and gifts
of Terminal 2. Areas of rescue are compressed natural gas. master concessionaire, were earning a
net cash flow of approximately $365,000
PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
annually. Since Katrina, with the down-
turn in passenger traffic, the annual net
cash flow has been reduced to approxi-
mately $60,000, a $300,000 negative
impact, the board said. The relief pack-
age approved for the concessionaires is
expected to total more than $1.1 million
in additional cash flow over four years.
The program is expected to cost the avi-
ation board approximately $250,000
annually….IBM has been chosen to pro-
vide a new IT system for Letiste Praha
a.s. (Prague Airport) in the Czech
Republic. The new IT system will enable
the airport to improve service and lower
costs, IBM said. As part of the three-
and-a-half year agreement, IBM will
implement the solution over the next
16 months, and maintain and manage
the system….
Retail Breifs are on pg 35.
Areas of rescue will allow emergency personnel to locate and assist disabled individu-
als more quickly.
Airport Magazine | October/November 2006 9
up front
LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
New, longer buses at LAX will help the airport accommodate passengers from the larger A380, and transport those passengers
more efficiently than current buses.
At a cost of $659,000, each bus has diversion for on-airport activity,” said Horizon serves PDX travelers about
seating for 22 plus standing capacity Mark Baskin, a bus operator supervi- 600 cups of coffee each day. All that
of 80 with carry-on bags, including sor. “LAX bus operations logged 659 coffee generates a lot of coffee
space for wheelchairs and strollers. operations carrying 123,282 passen- grounds that are now being turned
There are two wheelchair ramps. gers in April alone so these buses will into compost as part of the PDX food-
The new higher-capacity airfield more easily accomplish that.” waste diversion program. United
buses are needed to accommodate the Built in Anniston, Alabama, by Airlines is supporting the program by
arrival of new large aircraft, such as NABI and driven to the facilities of its collecting food scraps from employee
the Airbus 380, that will begin serv- regional service division in Ontario, lunchrooms at PDX.
ice at LAX. Seven international air Calif., as part of the company’s road Collecting food waste from airlines
carriers have announced plans to test program, the buses were then is the newest phase of the expanding
operate the A-380, starting in late delivered to LAX. food waste diversion program. Since
2007 or early 2008 through 2010. The There are nine cameras on each bus its launch by the Port of Portland in
A-380 can carry between 555 and 800 for security purposes. 2003, the program has sent about 550
passengers, depending upon seating tons of food waste to a regional com-
configuration. posting facility. This year alone, the
The 60-foot-long buses will trans- Horizon Air, program will divert from landfills an
port passengers between the termi- estimated 240 tons of food waste,
nals and the remote boarding gates
United Airlines including food preparation scraps,
more efficiently than the airport’s Help Expand coffee grounds, plate scrapings, food-
existing fleet of 20 airfield buses that soiled paper napkins and towels, and
accommodate 60 to 80 passengers
PDX Food Waste other compostable paper fibers like
each. These new buses replace five Diversion Program waxed cardboard. The food waste
22-year-old diesel buses that are at comes from about two dozen PDX
the end of their operating service life. restaurants, hotels and flight
Portland International Airport (PDX)
“The new buses are state-of the-art, kitchens, and now from airlines.
is expanding its food-waste diversion
alternative fuel, ADA compliant, These companies and others also
program with assistance from
fully air-conditioned and will be use- recycle paper, cardboard, glass,
Horizon Air and United Airlines.
ful on and off the airfield if there is a metal, plastic bottles, pallets and
10 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006even cooking grease, airport offi- also help create a valuable commodi- is processed at Cedar Grove
cials noted. ty—compost.” Composting facilities, located in
“We like to use our resources wise- Horizon collects its coffee Maple Valley and Everett, Wash.
ly,” said Nikki Meler, Horizon Air grounds in five-gallon buckets. Once processed, waste from the air-
food and beverage supervisor. Employees then dump the loose cof- port may wind up in a nearby home
“Contributing our coffee grounds to fee grounds into food-waste contain- improvement store as high-quality
the food waste diversion program is a ers provided by the port. The port compost and soil amendment.
great opportunity to not only avoid sends food waste to the Metro trans- Gresham Sanitary Service, the
sending material to the landfill, but fer station, and from there the waste port’s food waste hauler, collects
food scraps from PDX and partner
businesses located near the airport
PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
as part of one collection route,
rather than making separate hauling
trips. That approach offers partici-
pating businesses reduced trans-
portation costs, and helps reduce air
emissions. Gresham Sanitary
Service exclusively uses Biodiesel
(B20) in all of its waste hauling
trucks, further protecting air quality,
officials noted.
USA3000 Launches
Flying Billboard
Promotion
USA3000, St. Petersburg-Clearwater
International Airport, and the St.
Petersburg-Clearwater Convention
and Visitors Bureau are launching a
new advertising promotion to cele-
brate the airline’s third anniversary of
service at the airport–—a flying bill-
board. Mounted on the tail of
a USA3000 A320 aircraft is a
wrap-around photo of one of
Pinellas County’s beaches with
www.Floridasbeach.com on one side
and the airport’s tagline, “Your
Gateway to Tampa Bay,” and
web address, www.fly2PIE.com, on
the other.
“We are thrilled to team with
USA3000 on this unique promotion-
al idea,” said Carole Ketterhagen,
executive director of the convention
and visitors bureau. “This is a fun,
creative way to generate exposure
for our brand and our destination.”
The airline said it has been suc-
cessful at the airport, prompting it
A Horizon Air employee empties coffee grounds into food waste containers provided by to bring back in-flight meal service
the Port of Portland. as of October 1. USA3000’s first in-
flight magazine, Roam, also debuted
Airport Magazine | October/November 2006 11up front
USA 3000
Aircraft operations have more than
doubled, from 242,000 in 1990, to
over 500,000 in 2005.
The main terminal train station is
being built on the airfield side, 60 feet
below ground. It will span the entire
length of the terminal—1,600 feet.
When the final phase of the
AeroTrain system is complete—
designed as one continuous loop
between the main terminal, the four
midfield concourses and a future
South Terminal—there will be 10 sta-
tions, 63 vehicles and more than
seven miles of track. The train will
travel at 42 mph, with an estimated
travel time between stations of 72
seconds. Waiting time for a train will
be 1.9 minutes.
In order to minimize the disruption
to current buildings and airport activ-
ity, a new Austrian tunneling method
is being employed that grinds the
rock face in layers. Shotcrete is then
applied immediately to reinforce the
USA3000 is promoting its service to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International with a
exposed tunnel walls. The boring
“billboard” on the tail of an A320 aircraft.
machine, known as a “mole,” bores
through solid rock about 55 feet
over the summer. The carrier construction program in response to below grade. Pre-cast concrete wall-
serves St. Petersburg-Clearwater the significant growth the 12,000- lining segments are put into place by
International with 25 flights a week acre airport has experienced in the the mole as it moves forward. Width
to seven destinations. past 16 years. In 2005, the airport of the tunnels is 21 feet; depth is up
served 27 million passengers, com- to 51 feet.
pared to 10.4 million in 1990. The AeroTrain system includes a
Dulles Moves Ahead maintenance facility, which is being
MWAA
With AeroTrain
Development
Construction on the Washington
Dulles International Airport
AeroTrain system is moving apace,
with a planned launch of the first
phase of the project in 2009.
Designed to replace most of the
mobile lounge “people movers” that
have been used since the airport
opened in 1962, AeroTrain is a rubber
tired, automated train system that
will run underground and connect
the airport’s main terminal to all the
concourses.
The train system is part of the
Dulles Development expansion proj- When completed, the Dulles AeroTrain system will include 10 stations, 63 vehicles and
ect dubbed “D2,” a long-term capital more than seven miles of track. constructed southwest of runway 1R.
12 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006it’s a comfort to know
We’re quietly behind the scenes making airports more secure. You can rely on Honeywell’s
security solutions to help solve core operating issues. We provide a single, expert source for
your fire detection, environmental controls and security needs. Our systems can be found
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feeling to know. Go ahead and put our sixty years of aviation experience to work for you.
For more information, call 1-800-728-1187 or visit www.honeywell.com/homelandsecurity
©2006 Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.up front
SOUTHEASTERN AIRPORTS DISASTER OPERATIOINS GROUP
It will accommodate 24 train cars
inside the building, and an addition-
al 20 cars in the yard, and will also
house the train system’s operations
control center.
An additional part of the expansion
is a new 9,500-foot runway, which
will be the airport’s third parallel
north/south runway. It is scheduled
for completion in 2008. An environ-
mental impact study has been com-
pleted for a future fifth runway.
Dulles Development “is a massive
public-works project when taken in
its totality,” commented James
Bennett, A.A.E., president and CEO
of the Metropolitan Washington
Airports Authority. “We are con-
structing a train system, building pas-
senger facilities, building a new run-
way and reconstructing the entire
security screening area in our main
terminal to improve service to our
customers, make the passenger expe- The SEADOG communications trailer provides computer work stations, wireless Internet
rience much more efficient and to capabilities and VHF radio communications that allow it to serve as a mobile command
reduce the lines that crowd our ticket center and temporary ATC tower.
counter level.”
In 2005, more than $450 million
seven-kilowatt generator, air condi- FDOT awarded the FAC a $9,000
was spent on Dulles Development,
tioning system, computer work sta- grant to purchase the satellite com-
employing 2,600 people in construc-
tions, weather sensors and confer- munications system and to fund
tion-related jobs.
ence area and VHF radio communica- estimated operational costs associat-
tion station capable of patching mul- ed with activation and satellite sys-
tiple aircraft frequencies and serving tem utilization (air time). Several
SEADOG Ready as a temporary tower. companies equally contributed their
For Emergency With the purchase of an Inmarsat services and products to equip the
Broadband Global Area Network trailer, including the Southeast
Communications (BGAN) system, the trailer has, in Chapter of AAAE, which is arrang-
addition to serving as a temporary ing for $3,000 in additional comput-
The Florida Airports Council (FAC) working environment, the capability er equipment.
and the Southeastern Airports of providing the following communi-
Disaster Operations Group (SEADOG) cation abilities without reliance on
have joined forces to ensure that air- area infrastructures: six phone lines San Diego
ports in their region have communi- for voice or fax communication,
cations in times of emergency. That Internet access and e-mail at 464 kbps
Airport Offers
communication comes in a 20-foot- for computer workstations; wireless Braille Screening
long, tandem-axle trailer equipped to Internet and e-mail within 500 yards
provide a portable communications of the trailer; cordless telephone abil-
Assistance Cards
platform for airport operators when ities and data streaming at 128 kbps
normal communication channels are for video, audio or file transfer. San Diego International Airport
down. The trailer, previously used in The Inmarsat BGAN system oper- reports it has become the first air-
a NASA test program, was donated to ates through a dedicated satellite port in the nation to use Braille and
Pensacola Regional Airport by the launched in 2006 and has redundant large-format text assistance cards to
Florida Department of Transportation receiving points in Georgia and make the security screening process
(FDOT) and Harris Corp. California. The trailer has a dedicated at airport checkpoints easier for air-
The trailer is a self-sufficient phone number assigned for incoming line passengers with hearing and/or
mobile command center that houses a calls or faxes. visual disabilities.
14 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006The cards—with messages written New Computer Station LLC, Austin-Bergstrom is the
in Braille and repeated in extra large sixth airport nationwide to receive
font size—cover the 12 most fre- Stations Help the stations.
quently asked questions at the securi- Travelers Stay PowerPort stations have four walk-
ty screening checkpoints at San Diego up computer stations and two laptop
International Airport. The assistance Connected At stations. Customers can rent laptops
cards are available for use by TSA Austin-Bergstrom that may be used anywhere inside the
screeners at all the airport’s security airport. For Internet access, users
checkpoints. must stay within 300 feet of the
The cards were developed by the PowerPort computer stations now PowerPort station. Charging bays
San Diego County Regional Airport offer passengers at Austin-Bergstrom allow customers to leave their laptop,
Authority, which operates the air- International Airport a new way to cell phone, or other electronic items
port, with assistance from local TSA stay connected and productive while in a secure, locked bay while they are
staff. Proposed questions were then traveling through the airport. The being charged.
shared with several organizations automated stations supply Internet All major credit cards are accept-
that represent people with disabili- access, laptop rentals, battery and ed, and cash is accepted for the walk-
ties for input, including the cell phone chargers (most cell phone up computer stations only. Prices
American Association of the Deaf- charger cords provided), USB ports range from $2 for 10 minutes of walk-
Blind, the American Council of the for uploading files, the ability to up Internet access using your own
Blind, the California State download music, and free printing. laptop to $2.50 for 10 minutes using a
Independent Living Council, the city PowerPort computer stations are PowerPort computer and $6.95 per
of San Diego Disability Services located on the concourse across from hour for a wireless laptop rental and
Program, the National Organization Gate 6 and between Gates 15 and 17. Internet use. A
on Disability and the San Diego Owned and operated by Power
Center for the Blind.
TSA has indicated to the airport
authority that use of the cards at San
Diego International may be a model
for similar programs at major airports
nationwide.
“We are pleased to be at the fore-
front of providing innovative cus-
tomer service initiatives like this for
our guests with visual and/or hearing
disabilities,” said Thella Bowens,
president/CEO of the airport authori-
ty. “This program is in the same spir-
it of many other innovative programs
we’ve launched at San Diego
International Airport, including an
assistance animal and pet relief area,
a training guide for communicating
with people with disabilities, airport
familiarization tours, and more. It’s
another step forward in accomplish-
ing our goal of 100% accessibility for
all our customers.”
The idea for the specialized assis-
tance cards was originally conceived
following the 2003 bi-annual confer-
ence of the American Association of
the Deaf-Blind, which was held in
San Diego.
Airport Magazine | October/November 2006 15dedication
Tom Suzuki
A True Original
T
his issue of Airport Magazine is dedicated to But Tom was much more than an art director to
Tom Suzuki, the founding art director of the anyone who came in contact with him. He was a
publication who died a few weeks ago after teacher of art and of life. His interests were endless,
a short illness. Thanks to Tom, our association pro- as was his patience. Tom initiated me into the mag-
duced a magazine that, from day one, received azine world and, I am sure, used a lot of that
many design awards and has been used as a stan- patience teaching me the rules of magazine design.
dard for association publications. But, as usual, But never, even at 4 a.m. before the first issue was
there is much more to the story than that. to be sent to the printer and we were still making
In 1988, when AAAE decided to publish a changes, did Tom’s enthusiasm wane. In fact, I
bimonthly magazine, expectations were high. think as the hour grew later, Tom got even more
AAAE wanted a first-class product, but our plan philosophical about the important things in life —
was for it to be designed entirely on a computer, like type fonts, for example. Perfection was infi-
thinking that it would be easier to produce. nitely more important than sleep!
While that might not sound like a tall order, it One of Tom’s strengths was that he made design
was in 1988. At that time, magazines were work for the reader. He never forgot that design
designed by hand, with only a few small pieces should always enhance readability. And his disci-
produced using a computer. All the graphic design- pline resulted in a magazine that was a joy to read.
ers I interviewed said a top-notch magazine could The knowledge that Tom Suzuki shared with me
not be designed on a computer. and the Airport Magazine staff will never be forgot-
Enter Tom Suzuki. Among his long list of accom- ten. But, more importantly, we will never forget the
plishments, Tom was the founding art director for man himself. His chosen profession was art direc-
the highly acclaimed Psychology Today, and the tor, but the way he lived his life was the true gift to
former art director at Time-Life Books. Tom all who knew him. His keen intellect was paired
responded to our challenge with gusto, which was with a passion for sharing his ideas and an almost
his approach to all things in life. Not once did he try child-like excitement about the world around him.
to dissuade us from our mission. Instead, he proved Thank you, Tom, for helping create Airport
the others wrong and created an elegant, well- Magazine and for all you have done for us and our
designed publication produced entirely on a com- readers over the years. You will be deeply missed
puter — and on time. and never forgotten. A — Joan Lowden
16 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006co corporate outlook
Dynamic Signage Leads The Way
ynamic Signage is a subject that conjures up tion rich, and with the use of liquid crystal dis-
D many images and ideas in the minds of air- plays (LCD) or plasma video screens provide a
port management. There are many aspects plethora of information in a graphical or visual
to dynamic signage based on the solution it pro- nature, but are not effective in all locations or
vides. There are many areas in and around airport other applications.
terminals where directing, guiding and informing These locations or applications are what I would
travelers is challenging. Most airports have service refer to as decision-making points for the traveler.
representative groups to handle just this aspect of For example, “Where do I park?” “Where do I go
traveler assistance. In many cases legacy terminal for …?,” “Where is my airline drop-off and pickup
design, subsequent renovations and the mix of new location?” Many of these questions need to be
and old complicate wayfinding and providing answered well ahead of decision-making points on
By Dewayne Anderson
timely information. crowded roadways, at parking facility entrances or
Several factors have created new needs and chal- exits, and curbside. Inside the terminal, this same
lenges for traveler guid- information needs to
ance and information. guide travelers to secu-
One is the increased rity screening, con-
volume of travelers Dynamic signage can be courses, airline gates,
since September 11, customs inspection
which has added con- controlled via automated, counters, travel servic-
gestion and delays to es and amenities.
getting where one
integrated AOIS systems or
Large and small air-
needs to go. Changes in through dedicated stand-alone ports also support
airline food services many airlines that oper-
and security issues control systems. ate only on certain days
require public spaces to of the week. And many
accommodate travelers terminals have multiple
during longer dwell parking facilities collo-
times and layovers. And the last and most signifi- cated near a terminal supporting a group of air-
cant trend is the growing number of airline carriers lines. These are two other examples where LCDs or
and how airports serve the traveling public with a Plasma screens are not effective and cannot
broader range of choices. address outdoor locations or larger groups.
The traditional use of Flight Information Display Dynamic signage can provide many useful pur-
Systems (FIDS) has evolved over the last five years poses. It can guide and direct travelers with sta-
to incorporate new technology and capabilities. tus, promotional, emergency and airline directory
We now see many flat-panel video screens in vari- listings that inform travelers where to go, and
ous locations at gates and holding areas that pro- when and how to proceed. Dynamic signage can
vide far more information than basic be controlled via automated, integrated AOIS sys-
arrival/departure times and locations. New multi- tems or through dedicated stand-alone control
user FIDS (MUFIDS) are no longer provided exclu- systems. Light emitting diode-based dynamic sig-
sively by the airlines and require airports to pro- nage can be incorporated into or combined with
vide this information for all carriers. In addition, static signage providing a flexible and effective
new content such as local weather, visual paging tool to communicate with the traveler. A
and advertising have become an integral add-on
to flight information. These systems are informa- DeWayne Anderson is Aviation Market Manager for Daktranic.
18 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006ms market scan
Data provided by OAG Worldwide
Experts in global travel content
www.oagdata.com
Top 25 Departure Airports Worldwide
November 2001 vs November 2006
Ranked by Available Seats
Available Seats Available Flights
Rank Rank
Airport 2006 2001 Nov. 2001 Nov. 2006 Variance Nov. 2001 Nov. 2006 Variance
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International 1 1 4,700,701 4,578,330 -3% 35,890 39,819 11%
Chicago O’Hare International 2 2 4,416,959 3,933,411 -11% 38,552 37,934 -2%
London Heathrow 3 4 3,640,190 3,719,926 2% 18,996 19,517 3%
Los Angeles International 4 3 3,802,521 3,192,623 -16% 27,589 23,981 -13%
Tokyo Haneda 5 6 3,048,183 3,061,486 0% 10,841 12,947 19%
Dallas/Fort Worth International 6 5 3,416,892 3,041,035 -11% 31,332 27,224 -13%
Paris Charles de Gaulle 7 7 2,843,248 3,024,240 6% 19,676 19,879 1%
Frankfurt International 8 8 2,780,775 2,902,739 4% 17,055 18,365 8%
Madrid Barajas 9 10 2,241,883 2,550,300 14% 15,261 17,705 16%
Hong Kong International 10 18 1,966,496 2,474,080 26% 7,176 9,587 34%
Bangkok International 11 19 1,951,472 2,454,420 26% 7,586 10,851 43%
Denver International 12 13 2,138,771 2,409,091 13% 18,365 23,365 27%
Phoenix Sky Harbor International 13 11 2,204,364 2,376,122 8% 17,569 18,937 8%
Las Vegas McCarran International 14 20 1,946,586 2,348,946 21% 13,496 16,652 23%
New York J F Kennedy International 15 24 1,788,436 2,347,853 31% 10,812 16,300 51%
Amsterdam 16 16 2,013,734 2,140,940 6% 16,289 16,015 -2%
Houston George Bush Intercontinental 17 17 2,006,627 2,132,003 6% 18,283 23,247 27%
Singapore Changi 18 23 1,812,091 2,092,002 15% 6,826 8,351 22%
Detroit Wayne County 19 9 2,244,091 2,016,846 -10% 20,433 19,062 -7%
Tokyo Narita 20 33 1,530,457 1,868,118 22% 4,520 6,675 48%
Newark Liberty International 21 15 2,099,079 1,866,748 -11% 17,644 16,643 -6%
Munich International 22 36 1,492,669 1,864,629 25% 13,627 16,153 19%
Minneapolis International 23 14 2,130,475 1,863,346 -13% 18,905 17,112 -9%
Philadelphia International 24 25 1,732,003 1,835,295 6% 16,598 18,708 13%
Beijing Capital 25 37 1,443,134 1,777,596 23% 7,061 8,909 26%
Totals 61,391,837 63,872,125 4% 430,382 463,938 8%
source: OAG MAX (www.oagmax.com)
20 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006Introducing…the new,
upgraded ANTN Digicast!
www.antndigicast.com
• On-line Training accessible any time from any Internet connec-
tion—at your desk, at home, and on the road
• On-Demand Library with thousands of hours of training videos
• Automatic logging/tracking of employee training credits
through the Airport Training and Safety Institute (ATSI)
• A.A.E.’s can earn CEU Credits
• More features, easier access, no equipment to buy and at the
same monthly rates
24-hour training includes:
Airports A-Z, ARFF, SIDA, HR, Aviation News Today, Part 139,
Legislative Updates, Movement and Non-Movement Area Driver
Training, and much more
For more information, contact Joan Lowden
at (703)824-0500, Ext. 137, e-mail
joan.lowden@aaae.org or Pat Raker at
Ext. 125, pat.raker@aaae.orgsignage
BY CLIFTON STROUD
EDITOR
SIGNAGE
IN THE DIGITAL AGE
clear: the same digital screen tech-
AESTHETICS, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS nology making its presence known in
the home consumer market, in the
AND ADVERTISING REVENUE CAN ALL PLAY form of crystal-clear, flat-screen tele-
visions, is quickly establishing a
A PART IN IMPLEMENTING NEW SIGNAGE. solid presence in the world’s airports.
In some ways, the choices for air-
AND WHAT ABOUT PLASMA, LCD AND ports are more strictly defined
because of the specialized require-
LED TECHNOLOGY? ments. With the possible exception of
some of the smaller signs in baggage-
claim areas and curbside pickup and
A
irport language is only enact semioticised territories but drop-off areas, most signs must be rel-
a spectacle, an also directly intervene into the mate- atively large, easily readable from dis-
interface for rial machinic processes of traveling.” tances as great as 1,000 feet, easily
social relations So wrote Gene Fuller in his research updated and durable enough to run
between humans paper, “The Arrow—Directional 24/7. Colors come into play, too.
and machines. Semiotics: Wayfinding in Transit.” More than eight percent of the male
Signage intensi- That’s all well and good—and population is color blind and has dif-
fies social relations—reconfiguring maybe a bit too esoteric—but when it ficulty distinguishing between red
territories of geophysical/architectur- comes to installing airport Flight and green. A smaller percentage of
al space into territories of recognition Information and Display Systems men suffer from a deficiency in per-
that speak to a productive power of (FIDS) and directional signs—either ceiving the difference between blue
language that is fundamentally non- as part of an airport terminal renova- and yellow. Less than one percent of
representational. Airports are tion or a new terminal construction women suffer from any form of color
walked, the signs don’t accompany or project—the decision for airport man- blindness. It’s not an issue that one
reflect upon the airport, they are agers may be succinctly summarized might expect to deal with in terms of
machined into it. The traveler navi- as this: how to get the most sharp, designing signs—until you realize
gates through a highly textually visible and readable displays at a rea- that red is often associated with emer-
mediated space where the signs not sonable cost. But one thing seems gency notification—a real possibility
22 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006TORONTO’S PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
TORONTO’S PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Recent Trans-Lux installations at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport include LED displays in the baggage claim area and arrivals and departures.
Trans-Lux has spent the last three also not designed to display a lot
years installing new signs at Miami of information, such as you need with
International Airport as part of a con- an airport flight information display.
course expansion project. Coyne “With LED you can use large, 2.1-
described the signs, installed in the inch characters and passengers can
ticket-counter areas, international see the signs from a distance,”
arrival terminal, concourses, curb said Coyne.
displays and baggage-claim areas, as The Greater Toronto Airport
“high-bright, amber, LED displays.” Authority (GTAA) recently pur-
“White is better for visibility but chased nine full-color, LED direc-
it’s too expensive,” added Coyne, tional signs for Toronto’s Pearson
“and red and green are not viewable International Airport. They wanted
by color-blind people.” color signs in part because the air-
in our security conscious post-9/11 Coyne detailed the key advantages lines like to see their logos accurate-
environment. Color hue, saturation of LED, or light-emitting diode, signs. ly displayed in full color next to
and brightness are also important. “The life expectancy of an LED sign is their flight arrival and departure
about 100,000 hours, or about 7.5 information. Coyne qualified the
HIGH STAKES years if the sign is on 24/7. Plasma term “full color.”
Gene Coyne is vice president of has a much shorter life expectancy “Our RGB [red-green-blue] dis-
sales with Trans-Lux corporation, a and certain images will eventually play uses 64 colors,” he said, “and a
major manufacturer of displays not burn on to the screen, much as Sony Jumbotron—used mostly for
only for airports but also for casinos, images can be burned on to the older video—uses 16 million colors or
television studios and the New York computer CRT monitors.” shades. If you’re not doing video,
Stock Exchange—harsh, unforgiving Although Trans-Lux sells plasma you don’t need that many colors.”
environments. and LCD (liquid-crystal displays), The Toronto signs are bright
“We’re used to dealing in an air- Coyne makes it clear that they are enough to be “sunlight survivable,”
port environment where there is too designed for other applications such according to Coyne, and to contrast
much at stake for screens to go as videos, and “you must be right on with the front of the new terminal,
wrong,” said Coyne. top of them to read them. They are which is all glass.
Airport Magazine | October/November 2006 23signage
When Toronto was considering the Krum has had these scrolling signs which is that, additional funds—
Trans-Lux display purchase and installed throughout the entire build- other than airport funds—can often
asked about reliability, Coyne told ing, and added that it makes the ter- be found to install these displays.
them that the same signs had been minal building much more attractive. He is a big believer in LCD tech-
installed at Miami for more than two “We took down a lot of nice things to nology. “LCD is really establishing
years and there had not been one make space for this sign,” he said. It’s itself as a technology leader in the
service call. “They were impressed,” essentially a turn-key operation; display market and will be the domi-
he added. Interspace Airport Advertising han- nant player for some time,” Young
The signs are slated to be installed dles all the advertising sales and pro- stated. He maintains that LED tech-
by year-end. Coyne pointed out an duction, and the airport in turn nology is best for outdoor use because
additional advantage with Trans- receives 30 percent of the gross rev- it is fully sunlight readable, whereas
Lux products: the software platform enue generated. These signs have also LCD works best for inside, smaller
is the same for both indoor and out- been used in shopping malls and venues. NEC measures the lifespan of
door displays. have been popular in airports in an LCD display by a half-life of
Europe for some time. 60,000 hours—meaning that after that
REVENUE GENERATION period the display will generate half
In addition to the practical aspects of A HOLISTIC APPROACH of its original brightness—assuming it
signage, generating advertising rev- NEC Unified Solutions, long one of the is running 24/7. NEC will soon intro-
enue for the airport plays a key role leaders in visual display technology in duce a 57-inch LCD display.
in certain signs. Frederick Krum, air- the FIDS market, has recently installed “Plasma is going the way of the
port director of the Akron-Canton LED displays at Denver International, dodo,” emphasized Young. “You just
Regional Airport, described how a Orlando International and Houston can’t get away from the burn factor.”
new scrolling-type of color, backlit Intecontinental airports. The company NEC also now offers touchscreen
sign has not only improved the aes- takes “a holistic approach” to airport systems that allow the user to choose
thetics of the atrium in the main ter- signage, said Russell Young, solutions whichever language they need, some-
minal building but has also generated manager for NEC. thing extremely useful in an interna-
revenue for the airport. “Airport managers are looking for a tional airport environment.
“The movement of the display total solution approach to messag-
attracts the eye and provides better ing,” stated Young, who said that gen- PLASMA CONSENSUS
visibility for the ads, making it a win- erating advertising revenue is impor- Adaptive Micro Systems has tradi-
win situation for everyone,” he said. tant, as is emergency communica- tionally constructed dynamic LED
A translucent sheet with the ad tions. “Signs give you another medi- signs that are used more for outdoor
scrolls down and then is replaced by um to speak to people who might applications such as roadside and
another sheet. “It’s nice and sharp have headphones on or may be deaf. parking areas, but it also makes dis-
from any angle,” added Krum. Every display in the airport can be plays for the ramp, baggage claim
The lack of sharpness from side focused on emergency communica- areas and flight information.
angles—and the image burn men- tions if the need arises.” Young Adaptive has completed recent park-
tioned by Trans-Lux’s Coyne—are fre- stressed another important point ing area and TSA directional sign
quently cited as major issues with about emergency communications, installations at Tampa International,
plasma screens.
A WALL OF LIGHT
UK-based Chamaeleon Technologies installed a color-changing LED display for the “Lightwave Wall,” situated
outside Terminal 3 at London’s Heathrow Airport. According to LED Magazine, the Lightwave Wall is owned by
Paris-based outdoor advertising contractor JC Decaux and was designed and constructed in Tilbury, Essex by
Fab Signs. The wall is designed to change color and harmonize with the different ads. “The primary advertising
facia, and the adjacent curved line of towers carrying the advertiser’s logo, are washed with color using LED
fixtures,” said Chamaelon. The structure is stainless steel, which, according to Chamaelon can be difficult to
light. The lighting had to be strong enough to compete at night with a parking lot, street lights and a gas sta-
tion, as well as car headlights.
24 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006TORONTO’S PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
LED displays at the customs arrival area in Toronto demonstrate GraphixWall technology employed by Trans-Lux.
General Mitchell International in
TORONTO’S PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Milwaukee and Piedmont Triad
International airport in Greensboro,
North Carolina.
“We’re coming out with some mod-
ular products soon—second quarter
of next year—that are designed more
for the indoor market,” said Greg
Byzewski, product manager for the
company. These screens will also
employ LED technology.
Take Byzewski’s comments and
those of others and you start to get a
consensus on the viability of plasma
screens. “Although each technology
has its place, a big plasma screen is
not designed to run for a long period
of time like an LED screen is,” he
said. “Also, with plasma the image
can be burned in, which won’t
continued on pg 28
LED displays are bright, can be seen
from quite a distance and will run
24/7 for years without a problem.
Airport Magazine | October/November 2006 25SHOWING THE WAY IN SAN JOSE
MINETA SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
As part of a $1.5 billion terminal replacement and enhancement
project, Mineta San Jose International Airport will replace all sig-
nage within the next four years. The project will target the airport’s
new Terminal B, and the Terminal A expansion, along with a new
rental car facility, including garages and roadways. As a result, signs
as old as 20 years will be replaced, according to Tom Esch, head of
the airport’s architectural and mapping section.
The project illustrates the challenges faced by today’s airport
managers to make signs more visible and informative, often with-
in an environment dominated by clutter from advertising, graphics
and artwork.
“All of the signs must comply with a single master plan. They
have to be designed with a consistent look in terms of text, fonts,
colors and terminology,” Esch remarked. “This includes universal-
ly accepted symbols and colors, factoring in placement, and how for computer-controlled dynamic signs, which can easily be mod-
the signs interact with other graphic elements as well.” ified to present different messages, along with emergency com-
At Mineta, signage guidelines were developed for specific munications. This would include multi-user flight data, and bag-
areas—terminals, curbside and ground transportation areas, as gage information display systems.
well as parking facilities and roads. Every sign has to meet detailed “The selections are being driven by cost and message-display
size, graphic and illumination standards based on their position- objectives,” he explained. “All of the dynamic signs will have infor-
ing—overhead, wall or floor-mounted. mation updating capability, through the work of our Airport
Other considerations include overall acquisition and life cycle Technology Services Group. This will be especially important as
costs. “The signs must be built, maintained and replaced at the the airport moves toward a common use environment.”
lowest possible costs. This is determined through what we call a Dynamic signs also present advertising opportunities, as
value engineering process,” said Esch. Esch noted.
According to Esch, the airport is considering the use of LED “Our policy is that airport-owned units may be used to display
(light emitting diode) and LCD (liquid crystal display) technology advertisements or even artwork when they are not being used to
provide information, due to low flight activ-
ity periods, for example,” he said. “Still, we
realize that the purpose of a dynamic sign is
to display specific information for the air-
port user, and there is a limit to inundating
our customers with advertisements.”
Along this line, Esch pointed out that
dynamic signs could also be configured to
display what is in a specific area, such as a
food court or retail shop complex. “We are
going to be rebuilding the food court in
Terminal A, and we are working with the
concessionaires on the signage that will
draw people there,” he said. “This is part of
a big component with signage: How do we
get people to explore what’s in the airport
while waiting for a departing or arriving
flight?” A — Paul Seidenman
continued from pg 25
happen with LED. We’re seeing a small
trend in passengers commenting that plas-
ma screens don’t look that good.”
In sum, planning for new airport signage
requires careful consideration of airport inte-
rior and exterior design aesthetics, advertis-
ing revenue and technology. Signs are some-
thing that most people really don’t give much
thought to (unless they are lost) but that’s
only because of all the careful consideration
that goes into them in the first place. A
28 Airport Magazine | October/November 2006general aviation ga
NASAO Works To Untangle Wildlife And Airports
he National Association of State Aviation
T
by John Croft - Contributing Writer
more often because of the longstanding MOU with
Officials (NASAO) in early October signed the FAA, said USDA biologist Mike Begier. In total,
an agreement with the U.S. Department of USDA assisted 674 airports last year, up from just
Agriculture (USDA) that could help general avia- 42 in 1990. Wildlife Services also maintains the
tion airports counter a growing threat: wildlife and FAA’s wildlife strike database (http://wildlife-miti-
aircraft occupying the same space at the same time gation.tc.faa.gov/public_html/) and writes a yearly
on or near an airport. report on the results.
According to the USDA, there were more than Based on legal reviews, Dolbeer said airport oper-
7,000 wildlife strikes in the U.S. last year, includ- ators have to exercise “due diligence in managing
ing about 700 strikes at general aviation airports, wildlife hazards to avoid potentially serious liabil-
costing civil and military aviation more than $650 ity issues.” That means making an assessment of
million in damages. What’s worse, Richard A. the situation and coming up with risk reduction
Dolbeer, the National Coordinator of the USDA’s strategies that may include capturing, relocating or
Airport Safety and Assistance Program, estimates destroying the animals, actions that may require
that only 20 percent of strikes are reported. He says federal permits. Wildlife Services has about 300
the growth in almost all large bird species and deer employees nationwide trained to work with air-
is related to “highly successful” wildlife conserva- ports in their local areas. The professional biolo-
tion programs, and airports often represent a large gists take a three-day FAA-approved training
“green” area in an otherwise developing landscape. course that familiarizes them with working on air-
“Airports are a natural magnet for wildlife to come ports. Their advice could sometimes be as simple
to,” he says. as fixing a fence, Dolbeer points out, but it could
A prime example is the exploding population of also be more extensive. In those cases, the airport
non-migratory Canada Geese in the U.S. Dolbeer generally pays for the effort through a cooperative
says the number increased from one million in service agreement with the USDA. Either way, ini-
1990 to 3.5 million this year. A recent run-in with tial consultations are free, he adds.
the large birds occurred Sunday, October 1, when Though the USDA has been developing relation-
according to Dolbeer, a Gulfstream V collided with ships with state-level aviation departments in
16 Canada Geese just before landing at the Martin recent years, including programs with North
State Airport, a GA reliever airport north of Carolina, Oregon, Hawaii and Iowa, other states
Baltimore, destroying one of its two turbofan and individual airports may not be aware of the
engines. The aircraft landed safely. expertise available, a problem NASAO is aiming to
The memorandum of understanding, which mir- fix with the MOU. “There are many times when air-
rors an agreement the USDA’s Animal Services ports may be working on these issues,” said Rich
division has had with the Federal Aviation Turner, director of the Vermont Bureau of Aviation
Administration since 1989, aims to give more gen- and past president of NASAO, “and without
eral aviation airports access to USDA advice, the USDA’s help, they may find that it costs them more
lead federal program for managing wildlife issues. time and money down the road.”
Last year, 375 Part 139 airports requested assis- Turner, who signed the MOU with USDA in early
tance, ranging from technical advice to wildlife October, says information will be available either on
removal programs, from USDA’s Wildlife Services NASAO’s website, at www.nasao.org, or on the
experts, but only 213 general aviation airports did USDA’s wildlife damage website, at
the same. Part 139 airports in part make contact www.aphis.usda.gov/subjects/wildlife_damage. A
Airport Magazine | October/November 2006 29You can also read
