Ask ACI-NA

 

 

Q. What is Ask ACI-NA?

A.  The feedback we received in the 2007 membership survey is that both members and associate members wanted a quick and easy way to ask a question of ACI-NA staff experts. This feature is an answer to that request.

So for those quick questions that don’t require long technical explanations, please ask away. Need a nice simple answer to pass onto one of your passengers, please ask away.

You will find earlier questions and their answers as you scroll down. We also have a series of questions-and-answers from a passenger’s perspective in our Airport FAQs.

Send your question to AskACI-NA@aci-na.org


Q. Is ACI-NA in favor of the Registered Traveler program?

A. ACI-NA is of the opinion that each individual airport must decide whether or not Registered Traveler (RT) is a good fit for the respective facility and passenger base it serves. While ACI-NA does not take a position on the benefits of RT, the association firmly believes that RT should not in any way diminish the existing security, service, quality, or wait times at regular security lanes.
 

Developed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and private industry, the RT program has been designed to expedite security screening for passengers who have been vetted by TSA to confirm that they do not pose a threat to transportation or national security.

 

Since the first pilot at Orlando International Airport in July 2005, pre-screened and approved passengers participating in the RT program generally encounter minimized wait times through the use of modified airport configuration including dedicated or integrated lines and lanes. Today, RT is a maturing program nearing 20 airport participants. 
 

For more information on ACI-NA’s views on the RT program, see The Voluntary Credentialing Industry Coalition’s white paper: Registered Traveler Lanes: How They are Financed and Their Negligible Impact on Non-RT Lanes. While the coalition referenced in the document no longer exists, the points endorsed in the white paper by ACI-NA remain valid.

 

Earlier Questions and Answers

 

Q. What happens to used deicing fluids at airports?

 A. Through a variety of means, airports and airlines are responsible for capturing and disposing of the deicing fluids once used.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires deicing of aircraft and airfield pavement to ensure safe flight operations during winter weather.

Airports’ pavement deicing activity coupled with the aircraft deicing measures taken by airlines accomplishes safe conditions through a combination of physical removal techniques and the application of specialized deicing products. Deicing products -- many are composed of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol -- are regulated by FAA and must meet stringent Society of Automotive Engineers performance specifications.


Unfortunately, used deicers when mixed with storm water can cause environmental damage in waterways. As a result, deicing storm water discharges are regulated under the Clean Water Act with some type of controls on deicing runoff specific to the airport environment.

Environmental requirements for deicing runoff discharges vary from state to state and airport to airport. Most large airports and those situated on sensitive waterways have already implemented deicing runoff control programs designed to address site-specific needs. The controls in place at each airport are tailored for such factors as operation needs, size, and weather, but overall aim to minimize environmental impacts while maintaining safe operations. Examples of such controls include gate collection systems, deicing pads, glycol collection vehicles, methods to reduce deicer usage, and associated storage and treatment systems.

Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing guidelines for airport deicing discharges that are expected to establish minimum national technology-based requirements to control deicing effluent discharges.  ACI-NA is tracking EPA’s progress and reports regularly to its members.

Q. What is the relationship between airports and airlines?

A. The relationship between airports and airlines is similar to that of a landlord-tenant agreement. A portion of rentals, fees, and charges for the lease and use of the airport are assessed to airlines to help cover operating expenses and debts incurred by airport operators.

 
Generally, an agreement between an airline and airport stipulates the rights, privileges, and obligations of the airport and of the airlines serving it. These agreements also highlight how charges paid by the airlines are calculated and adjusted.

 
While some agreements give airlines the opportunity to review and approve how airport capital can be spent, others set spending rates by ordinance or regulation policy. In all cases, the U.S. government prohibits discrimination in regard to airport charges. When there isn’t an airport-airline agreement or if there is dispute over spending, the Federal Aviation Administration document, “Policy Regarding Airport Rates and Charges” governs airport rates.

 
For more information on airport-airline relationships, visit the Airport Cooperative Research Program’s Synthesis on Innovative Finance and Alternative Sources of Revenue for Airports, a PDF File on this website.

Q. Why do restaurants and shops vary from airport to airport?

A. Many differences can be seen from one airport’s dining and retail choices to the next. For the most part, this is due to an airport’s age. Older airports, built in an era of generic hot dog stands and sundries shops, often do not have space to add the expansive, mall-type retailers and extensive food and beverage choices found in newer airport terminals.

 

In addition, an airport’s age plays a role when it comes to concession agreements. Concession contracts are awarded for long terms – typically seven to 20 years – enough time to allow winning bidders to make back their investment. Not surprisingly, airports that have recently negotiated concession agreements tend to have more modern offerings than those airports that are on the backend of a 20-year-old contract.

 

Today, airport concession programs have evolved to include nationally known brands, such as Starbucks, Pizza Hut, McDonalds and Sbarro. Another wave of innovation ties airport concessions to well-known regional dinning favorites. In these cases, a famed downtown restaurant will have a branch outlet in the airport.


 Q. What responsibility do airports have in the case of an irregular operations event resulting in extended delay?

A. Irregular, or off-scheduled, operations is the term the aviation industry uses to describe the disruption of service passengers encounter namely when passengers are stranded for extended periods of time, either in the terminal or on an aircraft. Such scenarios may prevent airlines and passengers from maintaining normal, scheduled operations for hours at a time. In such an event, passengers may miss connecting flights due to delays, or even find themselves stranded aboard a plane that has been pushed back from the terminal.

 

In past years, several prominent U.S. carriers have encountered such situations and subsequently received negative public perception. While airports have very little regulatory responsibility in such situations, Airports Council International-North America has been actively conducting meetings between airports, airlines and regulatory authorities to determine how to best cooperate and combine resources to resolve difficulties in these rare situations. Since an initial meeting in September 2007, many airports have researched and developed plans to move from problem identification to implementation of passenger service programs.

 

ACI-NA continues to work closely with the airlines and the Air Transport Association to help in dealing with these situations. An ad hoc Irregular Operations Working Group will continue to meet to address technologies, regulations, legislation and other elements which may affect both airport and airline actions.

View the slideshows presented at a January 2008 workshop on irregular ops that was sponsored by ACI-NA.


Q. What is ACI-NA's role with the Airport Cooperative Research Program?

A.  ACI-NA has had a large part in creating the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), drafting the language in the last authorization bill that established ACRP as a four-year pilot program. ACRP activity commenced in October 2005 when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) executed a contract with the National Academies, acting through its Transportation Research Board (TRB) to serve as manager of the ACRP. Program oversight and governance are provided by representatives of airport operating agencies.

 

The program is set up to mimic the existing Cooperative Research Programs in the highway administration and transit administration with all three programs using the TRB to manage research. Thirteen new fiscal year 2008 ACRP research projects were selected at a meeting of the ACRP Oversight Committee July 22-23, 2007. The committee will be meeting  soon  to review the research proposals  that have been submitted for fiscal year 2009 funding.

 

ACI-NA has been very involved in ACRP’s development, encouraging airport members to participate in ACRP panels and associates to bid on ACRP research projects falling within their respective areas of expertise. ACI-NA maintains a seat on the ACRP Oversight Board that is populated by a number of ACI-NA airport members.

 

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have proposed to continue ACRP in their versions of FAA Reauthorization. FAA currently funds ACRP in the amount of $10 million annually.

 

Q.  What recycling efforts do airports have in place?

A.  A  number of U.S. airports have been working with Environmental Protection Agency on the development of "best practices" guidance for airport recycling programs, but to date, recycling efforts differ with widely varying programs encompassing recycling, reuse, and waste reduction and minimization aspects. These programs may be executed in response to local recycling requirements or implemented voluntarily.

The materials and physical areas included within any airport recycling program can also vary. Materials may include: paper, aluminum, plastics, glass, cardboard, wood pallets, construction and demolition waste, metal, food waste, hazardous waste, light bulbs, batteries, oil, tires, printer cartridges, deicing fluids, etc.  Physical areas may include public spaces, concessions, administrative offices, cargo areas, parking lots, maintenance and operations areas, as well as aircraft.

 If you have a question about airports, please e-mail AskACI-NA@aci-na.org