ACI-NA President Featured in Travel Weekly
Posted by Victoria Houghton on March 10, 2010 | No Comments
Greg Principato was featured in Monday’s edition of Travel Weekly’s “The Hot Seat.” Editor Michael Fabey sat down with Greg at the ACI-NA/AAAE 2010 Spring Washington Conference last week to discuss ACI-NA’s top priorities.
Click here to read the article.
FAA Predicts Improvements in Total Air Cargo
Posted by Victoria Houghton on March 9, 2010 | No Comments
The FAA’s annual forecast indicates that total air cargo Registered Ton Miles (RTMs) will increase from 30.8 billion in 2009 to 86.6 billion in 2030 – up an average of 5.0 percent each year. The FAA also expects domestic RTMs to increase 2.1 percent a year.
This is great news for airports as they convene in Seattle for the 2010 ACI-NA Air Cargo Conference to discuss the current air cargo commercial and policy landscape, the business of air cargo, and strategies to enhance air cargo revenue.
Click here to read more.
DHS Deploys Recovery Act-Funded AIT
Posted by Victoria Houghton on March 9, 2010 | No Comments
Last week, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the first 11 airports to receive advanced imaging technology (AIT) units purchased with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds.
Based on security and operational needs, the TSA will deploy AIT units to the following airports:
- Boston Logan International (BOS)
- Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
- Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FFL)
- Kansas City International (MCI)
- Los Angeles International (LAX)
- Mineta San José International (SJC)
- Oakland International (OAK)
- Port Columbus International (CMH)
- San Diego International (SAN)
Advanced imaging technology is intended to screen passengers for metallic and non-metallic threats—including weapons, explosives and other substances hidden under clothing. According to the TSA, several factors are taken into consideration before AIT units are deployed:
- Airport readiness
- Checkpoint infrastructure
- Ability to ensure privacy protections (e.g. capability to include separate, remotely located room for viewing images)
Click here for ACI-NA’s FAQs on the roles and responsibilities Of airports in aviation security. Click here to learn more from DHS.
On a related note, click here to view ACI-NA’s statement on the nomination of Robert A. Harding for TSA Assistant Secretary.
FAA Projects Slower Growth in its Latest Forecast
Posted by Tom Smith on March 9, 2010 | No Comments
The FAA has again scaled back its prediction on the future growth of air travel over the next 20 years. In its 35th annual forecast released today, the FAA predicts that system-wide U.S. passenger air traffic will grow at an annual rate of 2.6 percent.
A year ago, it predicted that the annual growth rate would be 3.8 percent.
The FAA is now projecting that the annual U.S. passenger volume will hit the 1 billion mark in 2023. A year ago, that mark was projected to be reached by 2021. In the 2008 forecast, which was prepared before the spike in fuel prices, the 1 billion mark was projected to be reached by 2016.
This year’s forecast looks out to 2030 with a projection that 1.21 billion will be traveling U.S. airports at that time.
To put this potential congestion into perspective, the FAA calculates that 704 million flew in the U.S. last year.
See also Greg Principato’s blog on the forecast.
The FAA prepares the forecast in part so it can plan its workforce and facilities to meet the demands of growing traveling public. In its forecast book, the agency does not make an assessment of the airports preparation to meet these demands.
One element of intelligence within the forecast for airport planners is the projections of just who will be flying and the type of aircraft that will be used. The bottom line, the FAA projects that regional carriers will continue to fly an ever-increasing percentage of the U.S. passenger load and all of their new planes will be in the 70-90 seat category. Over the next 20 years, the forecast anticipates that all 50-set regional jets will be pulled from the fleet.
The FAA projects that the mainline carriers’ enplanements will decrease by 0.9 percent this year. This is a marked improvement over the past year when enplanements were projected to drop 9.5 percent in 2009. Over the next 20 years, mainline carriers (both network and low-cost) are projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.4 percent.
After a one-year decline in 2009, regional carriers are projected to continue on their growth curve. The FAA predicts the regional passenger enplanements will grow 4.6 percent this year and at an annual rate of 2.9 percent over the next 20 years.
The FAA is projecting that mainline aircraft will increase from 3,666 in 2009 to 5,342 in 2030. In the same timeframe, the FAA projects that the regional jet fleet will grow from 1,710 to 2,441.
And, remember the projections of 400 very light jets entering the market every year? These small personal jets were viewed as potentially “gnats” clogging the skies above major cities. The FAA now projects there will be 440 VLJs entering the U.S. fleet over the next three years and then just 216-a-year for the rest of the forecast period.
Airport directors honor Rep. Richard Neal with leadership award
Posted by Sheila Owens on March 5, 2010 | No Comments
Rep. Richard E. Neal accepts ACI-NA Commissioners Congressional Leadership Award from Elsie Rast Stuart of Columbia (S.C.) Metropolitan Airport
In accepting the ACI-NA 2010 Commissioners Congressional Leadership Award, Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-MA) said he will continue to fight the battle for a permanent waiver of the Alternative Minimum Tax, which was eliminated for two years under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
“I have fought the battle on AMT for more than a decade; I think it’s that important,” Rep. Neal said. “I want to make the AMT holiday for your constituents permanent.”
Along with the support of Rep. Neal on the House Ways and Means Committee and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) on the Senate Finance Committee, ACI-NA’s three-year education and lobbying effort on the AMT has helped achieve a major goal in airport funding with the exemption of new private activity bonds from the AMT in 2009 and 2010. With the exemption, airports have had great success in finding buyers for the bonds and have had the ability to refund some existing bonds.
Airports across the country have taken advantage of the AMT holiday to fund the essential continuation of major infrastructure improvement projects at airports, from terminal renovations to runway improvements. These construction projects have resulted in the creation of thousands of jobs.
“The national subject that is in the foreground for all of us is creating jobs, and the quickest way to get those jobs created is based upon the work that you do,” Rep. Neal told airport directors in accepting his award. “When I hear people complain about airport congestion and then in the next breath they oppose any sort of expansion or growth, it’s inconsistent, and we need to call them on that.”
With airports relying on bonds to finance 53 percent of their capital construction needs for safety, security, and infrastructure projects, making the AMT waiver permanent will continue to be a top priority for ACI-NA in 2010.
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