@irports update -- Nov. 4, 2009

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	Nov. 4, 2009



			This Week In Summary NextGen—It's Airport-Centric» Senate Panel Troubled by FAA's Response to NTSB's Most Wanted List» FAA Says Burbank Can't Close at Night» Indianapolis Looses its Appeal of FAA's Initial Decision» Agriculture Department Withdraws User Fee Increases» News from the ACI Annual Assembly in Kaula Lumpur:» Airports and MIT Global Airline Consortium» Look For @irports Update Next Tuesday» ACI Training Opportunities:» In The News NextGen Panel Warns Of Obstacles» Airlines Challenge Canadian Passenger Rights Bill» TSA to Communicate With Wireless 'Whispers'» Delta Lease at Hartsfield-Jackson Hits Turbulence»


			Hot Topics
			NextGen—It's Airport-Centric Posted Oct. 30 on Centerlines Blog by Chris Oswald During the Oct. 28 House Aviation Subcommittee’s hearing regarding the Next Generation Air Transportation System —or NextGen— the findings of the RTCA NextGen Task Force were described as “airport-centric.” The task force took a detailed look at the business case behind proposed NextGen capabilities and prioritized capabilities that promise high benefits at reasonable cost. ACI-NA served as the primary representative of the airport community and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also participated directly. As those of you that attended our NextGen session at ACI-NA’s 18th Annual Conference know, ACI-NA firmly believes that NextGen begins and ends at airports. This message was echoed in the testimony presented by RTCA President Margaret Jenny and FAA Air Traffic Organization CEO Hank Krakowski at the hearing. Both Jenny and Krakowski noted that the Task Force’s recommendations were “airport-centric,” with specific focus on improving the efficiency of surface, runway, and terminal airspace operations. Read Chris Oswald’s complete blog entry» Senate Panel Troubled by FAA's Response to NTSB's Most Wanted List During an Oct. 30 Senate Commerce Aviation Subcommittee hearing on the reauthorization of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Chairman Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) expressed concern over the lack of connection between the NTSB and the agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), when it comes to taking action on safety recommendations. Specifically, he expressed concern with the lack of action by the FAA on NTSB’s icing recommendations which are over a decade old. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) noted that the FAA has six unacceptable responses on the board’s Most Wanted List, including one on crew fatigue that is nearly 30 years old. Dorgan said the subcommittee will hold a hearing with the FAA to determine why there is a lag in implementing safety recommendations, given that half of the NTSB’s outstanding recommendations were FAA-related. During the hearing, several questions were raised about Northwest Flight 188, which overshot its destination by 150 miles. Members expressed concern over the cockpit voice recorder on the flight which was capable of recording only 30 minutes. NTSB Chair Debbie Hersman explained in 2010 all new aircraft will be required to have recorders capable of recording for two hours. Retrofitting of existing planes will begin in 2012. View the committee’s hearing page» Read Matt Griffin’s Centerlines Blog posting of his recent tour of the NTSB’s labs» Contact ACI-NA’s Jane Calderwood for more information» FAA Says Burbank Can't Close at Night Burbank Airport Authority on Oct. 30 was denied permission to close all of its operations at night. The airport has been seeking the blessing of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose a full nighttime curfew because of complaints from area residents. FAA Acting Associate Administrator for Airports Catherine Lang determined that the airport had only met two of the six required conditions for an overnight curfew. The airport had provided adequate opportunity for public comment and the restriction would not place an undue burden on the national aviation system. One of the four areas the airport fell short is in proving the curfew would not have caused an undue burden on interstate commerce. The airport may revise its noise restrictions and resubmit them to the FAA. Contact ACI-NA’s Monica Hargrove Kemp for more information» Indianapolis Looses its Appeal of FAA's Initial Decision The Indianapolis Airport Authority on Oct. 27 lost an appeal of an earlier Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrative decision that the airport had won. In August, the FAA dismissed a complaint that the airport’s signatory airlines had filed against the airport. The airlines contended that a 2006 agreement with Federal Express should have been submitted to the signatory airlines for their approval. The FedEx agreement provided the air courier service with a landing fee rent credit in exchange for a new hangar facility and a pledge to increase its Indianapolis operations. The FAA determined the airport was in compliance with its federal grant agreements and thus there was no issue to be reviewed. While the airport won that decision, it did not like some of the reasoning the agency used to reach the decision. The wording of the August decision is what the airport was appealing and that is the appeal it lost last week in the opinion by Catherine Lang, acting associate FAA administrator for airports. Indianapolis can file an appeal with a federal appeals court. View the Indianapolis order» Contact ACI-NA’s Monica Hargrove Kemp for more information» Agriculture Department Withdraws User Fee Increases The 10 percent hike in all Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection user fees, which were to have gone into effect Nov. 1, was withdrawn on Oct. 30 by Animal and Plant Heath Inspection Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After receiving adverse feedback during two public hearing and in submitted comments, the agency decided to re-revaluate its fee structure. The agency had proposed hiking the fees as an emergency measure instead of following the regular rulemaking procedures. ACI-NA and the airline industry strongly opposed increasing the fees as an emergency in a non-emergency situation. They also criticized the agency for not providing data that would let the industry assess whether the fee increases are justified. Contact ACI-NA’s Diane Peterson for more information» News from the ACI Annual Assembly in Kaula Lumpur: Meeting Kuala Lumpur, the ACI annual assembly of the world’s airport executives on Nov. 4 elected Max Moore-Wilton as the new Chair of Airports Council International (ACI) to serve for a two-year term. He succeeds the current Chair James Cherry on Jan. 1. Moore-Wilton, the current vice chair, is the chairman of Sydney Airport Corporation. He is also chairman of Map Airports Limited. See press release. See Moore-Wilton’s speech Departing Chair James Cherry, CEO of Aéroports de Montréal, in the opening address calls for cooperation, not capitulation. See Centerlines Blog posting. ACI-NA President Greg Principato has been using his blog, Airport Check-In, to report on the proceedings in Kuala Lumpur. Winging out of Toronto on the A380 (Oct. 29) On the road to Kuala Lumpur (Nov. 2) Tourism transfers wealth to the have nots (Nov. 3) Defining the airport-airline relationship (Nov. 4) In her opening remarks, ACI Director General Angela Gittens said that external events have dragged us down – from shuttered financial markets, to global recession, to the outbreak of a new flu virus. All of these led to a downturn in traffic and revenue, and higher costs of capital. See Gitten’s speech. Airports and MIT Global Airline Consortium Posted Oct. 30 on Centerlines Blog by Debby McElroy It is a lovely day at Boston Logan Airport, which is the location from which I am writing this blog. I just left my first meeting of the MIT Global Airline Consortium. ACI-NA is the newest member of the Consortium, which also includes the Air Transport Association, Air Canada, Amadeus, Boeing, Lufthansa Airlines, Boeing and SITA. Today we were briefed on 10 research projects currently underway, covering many issues of importance to airports and the aviation industry. As you might expect, much of the discussion centered on delays and improving the U.S. air traffic management system. But we also talked about the implications of Congressional proposals which would mandate that airlines provide passengers the option to deplane if there was a three hour delay on the tarmac. Read Debby McElroy’s complete blog posting» Look For @irports Update Next Tuesday ACI-NA offices will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veteran’s Day. The next issue of @irports update will be published a day earlier on Nov. 10. There will be extensive coverage of the ACI-NA Concessions Conference in Indianapolis in @irports update and Centerlines Blog. ACI Training Opportunities: Concession Course Now Available Online The Online Learning Centre of ACI's Global Training Hub is now offering a Certificate in Concession Management course designed for staff engaged in managing concessions such as retail, food/beverage, duty free, services, parking and ground transportation and rental cars. Several ACI-NA members, including Atlanta and San Diego, have already used the course. Enrol online» Contact the OLC Manager Eddie Ragauskas for more information» Training Website Re-launched ACI has re-launched its training and staff development website. The Global Training Hub website has been re-written and streamlined for easier navigation. The new link: www.aci.aero/training The Global Training Hub remains a direct link from the ACI-NA home page. View the course catalog for all ACI classes» Next AMPAP's Management Training to be in Houston The next Air Transport System course -- the mandatory first-step in the ACI/ICAO Airport Management Professional Accreditation Program (AMPAP -- will be offered in Houston the week of Dec. 7-11. This class must be completed before students can progress to the rest of the six-course curriculum. Visit the AMPAP website to register on-line» Contact ACI's Paul Behnke for registration or more information» ^ Back to top



			Industry News Briefs
			NextGen Panel Warns Of Obstacles Aviation Daily, Nov. 2, By Kerry Lynch Washington and industry officials have committed to taking necessary steps to implement the next generation air traffic management system (NextGen), but those officials warn that a number of issues, such as providing operators incentives to equip their aircraft, must be addressed before progress can be made. View complete article» Airlines Challenge Canadian Passenger Rights Bill Canwest News Service, Nov. 2, By Sarah Schmidt Canada's main airlines tried again Monday to thwart a proposed passenger bill of rights for Canadian air travelers by arguing ticket prices will soar and safety could drop. View complete article» TSA to Communicate With Wireless 'Whispers' Aviation Daily, Nov. 2, By James Ott Airport checkpoint officers will soon be equipped with wireless headsets and discrete point-to-point ICOM America radios that enable them to quietly communicate with one another and with passengers to help them avoid potential confrontations during screening. (paid subscription required) View complete article» Delta Lease at Hartsfield-Jackson Hits Turbulence Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov. 1, By Jim Tharpe and Kelly Yamanouchi The proposed renewal of a long-term lease with Delta Air Lines has major implications for the world's busiest airport, the planet's biggest airline and possibly for millions of passengers who fly out of, or through, Atlanta. View complete article» ^ Back to top



			Events On Approach
			International Aviation Issues Seminar Dec. 3-4 The Fairfax Embassy Row, Washington Hotel Cut-off: Nov. 13 Airport Planning Redefined Course Dec. 7-9 and NEPA Practitioners Workshop Dec. 9-10 Westin Crown Center, Kansas City Hotel Cut-off: Nov. 15 Airport Concessions Conference: Starts Monday Join ACI-NA’s Commercial Management Committee at the annual Airport Concessions Conference Nov. 9-12 at the Westin in Indianapolis. The conference features educational sessions on the latest trends and updates in the industry, roundtable discussions, speed dating, networking sessions, and the Richard A. Griesbach Excellence in Airport Concessions Awards luncheon. View the most up-to-date agenda Advanced registration is closed. Onsite registration is available. Registration will be located in the Grand Ballroom Foyer. Registration hours: Nov. 9 3 – 6 p.m. Nov. 10 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Nov. 11 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. More details: Housing, agenda, sponsorships, and more» International Aviation Issues Seminar: Hotel Cut-off Nears Join ACI-NA at the annual International Aviation Issues Seminar Dec. 3-4 at The Fairfax Embassy Row in Washington, DC. This annual seminar brings together top airport and airline management, government officials and consultants, to explore the latest developments in international air travel and trade, government air transport policies and negotiations and facilitation policies/procedures which impact airports' ability to retain and secure new international air service The ACI-NA Holiday Reception will be Dec. 3 at the Fairfax. All of the seminar sessions will be held at The Fairfax at Embassy Row. The cut-off date to receive the special group rate of $234 is Nov. 13. In order to make your room reservation, please call the hotel directly at (202) 293-2100. View the most up-to-date agenda Register online and save $35 More details: Housing, sponsorships, and more» ACI-NA/ACC/FAA Airport Planning Redefined Course and ACI-NA/ACC/FAA NEPA Practitioners Workshop: Discount Deadline Approaches ACI-NA, ACC, and the FAA will host this first Airport Planning Redefined Course at The Westin Crown Center in Kansas City from Dec. 7-9. The course will go beyond the Master Plan advisory circular to provide insights that will enable professionals involved in planning airport improvements to be more effective and better prepared in today’s environment. On the final day of the Planning Course there will be a half day joint session with attendees of the annual ACI-NA/ACC/FAA NEPA Practitioners Workshop scheduled for Dec. 9-10. This workshop will use detailed presentations along with interactive and collegial activities to educate you on key tenants of the NEPA process. Expect interactive discussion and workshop projects. All of the seminar sessions will be held at The Westin Crown Center. The cut-off date to receive the special ACI-NA group rate of $125 or the government per diem rate of $107 is Nov. 15. In order to make your room reservation, please call the hotel directly at (888) 627-8538. View the Planning Course agenda. View the NEPA Workshop agenda Register for Airport Planning Course Register for NEPA Workshop 2010 Insurance & Risk Management Conference The 2010 Insurance and Risk Management Conference will be held Jan. 13-15 at the Omni San Diego in San Diego. Join airport risk managers and insurance professionals for an in-depth program focused on critical risk management, insurance, and employee safety issues facing the industry. All of the seminar sessions will be held at Omni San Diego Hotel. The cut-off date to receive the special ACI-NA group rate of $219 is Dec. 21. In order to make your room reservation, please call the hotel directly at (800) THE-OMNI. View the agenda. Register online and save $35 More details: Housing, sponsorships, and more» See upcoming ACI-NA Events» ^ Back to top



			Committee Update
			Operations & Technical Affairs Committee The ACI-NA Operations & Technical Affairs Committee has been busy preparing for Airport Planning Redefined, an intensive training course that will be held in Kansas City from Dec. 7-9. The course, which is being co-sponsored by the Airport Consultants Council (ACC)and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is focused on providing airport planning practitioners with practical and effective guidance about how to approach today’s airport planning challenges. Core topics that will be discussed include strategies for involving stakeholders in planning processes, the importance of clearly defining planning goals and objectives at the outset of planning efforts, how to prepare bulletproof alternatives analyses, and the best ways to build bridges between planning efforts and subsequent National Environmental Policy Act processes. The course also includes a number of sessions that are focused on new frontiers in airport planning including how the FAA’s NextGen program will impact airport planning, the evolving importance of land use considerations both on- and off-airport, and the impacts that coming FAA safety management system requirements could have on airport planning. Airport Planning Redefined will provide planning practitioners—especially mid-career professionals—with the tools they need to plan airport facilities in today’s rapidly changing aviation environment. Through partnership with ACC and the FAA, there will be a diverse set of experts—airports, consultants, and the federal government—together in one place. Contact ACI-NA’s Chris Oswald for more information» Learn more about ACI-NA Committees and Programs» ^ Back to top



			People on the Move
			Richard Ham The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has promoted Dr. Richard Ham to be the deputy general manager for compliance programs within the Office of Security Operations. Ham most recently was to the assistant federal security director for inspections in Little Rock, Ark. Ham has worked on the national staffing model for inspectors and other projects at headquarters since joining the agency in 2002. He has a background as an air traffic controller, airfield manager, college professor and military officer. ^ Back to top



			aci-na.org
			Our Blogs ACI-NA President Greg Principato observes “sometimes I think I have the best job in the world.” See Airport Check-In» ACI-NA’s Jane Calderwood, a native of Maine, writes about the Maine Troop Greeters at the Bangor International Airport and an upcoming PBS documentary. See Centerlines blog» New Research Posted DHS and TSA Have Researched, Developed, and Begun Deploying Passenger Checkpoint Screening Technologies, but Continue to Face Challenges: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on TSA research, development and deployment of checkpoint screening technologies. Specifically, the report analyzes the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Science and Technology and TSA to research, develop, test, evaluate and deploy emerging technologies for use at airport passenger screening checkpoints. TSA officials acknowledged the need to improve relationships with external stakeholders and have hired an Industry Outreach Manager. Posted: 11/2/09. NextGen: FAA Faces Challenges in Responding to Task Force Recommendations: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that while FAA has begun to explore the use of the private sector to help develop procedures, issues related to public use of these procedures and oversight of developers remain. According to stakeholders and Task Force members, and as GAO has previously reported, FAA faces cultural and organizational challenges in implementing NextGen capabilities. Posted 11/2/09. Aviation Safety: Information on the Safety Effects of Modifying the Age Standard for Commercial Pilots: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that a review of FAA’s accident and incident data and NTSB’s accident data from December 2007 through September 2009 showed that no accidents or incidents resulted from the health conditions of pilots 60 years or older. Posted: 11/2/09. Safety Management Systems for Airports, Volume 2: Airport Cooperative Research Program explores what constitutes an airport safety management system (SMS). The report examines SMS components and their interactions, and offers guidance in the planning, implementation, and operation of an airport SMS. It also provides detailed information on how to carry out each of the necessary SMS processes. Posted: 11/3/09. ^ Back to top



			Info Desk
			Transborder Traffic Down 3.5% in 2008 In 2008, more than 16.4 million passengers traveled on scheduled air services between Canada and the United States, down 3.5 percent compared with 2007, according to a recent Statistics Canada report. The distribution of transborder traffic varied slightly from province to province compared with 2007. Half of the provinces showed losses in traffic in 2008 while half showed gains in passengers traveling on scheduled passenger air services between Canada and the United States. Variations ranged from a decline of 6 percent in both Ontario and Quebec to an increase in transborder traffic of 22.8 percent in Newfoundland and Labrador. Alberta experienced the largest gain in passenger traffic (+97,330 passengers) while Ontario experienced the largest traffic loss (-594,210 passengers). Nevertheless, 40.6 percent of all traffic still went through Ontario, down 6 percent compared with 2007. View the statistical report» ^ Back to top



	In This Issue • Hot Topics» • Industry News Briefs» • Events On Approach» • Committee Update» • People on the Move» • aci-na.org» • Info Desk»


	ACI-NA Concessions Conference Nov. 9-12 Indianapolis Airport Planning Redefined Dec. 7-9 Kansas City NEPA Practioniers Workshop Dec. 9-11 Kansas City ACI-NA International Aviation Issues Dec. 3-4 Washington



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	About ACI-NA Airports Council International-North America is the "Voice of Airports" representing local, regional and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. ACI-NA Associate members represent a wide variety of businesses that provide products and services to the aviation and airport industry.



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	ACI-NA 2009-10 Board of Directors Executive Committee G. Hardy Acree Chairman Director of Airports Sacramento County Airport System Sacramento, Calif. Frank R. Miller First Vice Chair Aviation Director San Antonio Aviation Department San Antonio, Texas Thella Bowens Second Vice Chair President/CEO San Diego County Regional Airport Authority San Diego, Calif. Thomas J. Kinton, Jr. Secretary-Treasurer CEO & Executive Director Massachusetts Port Authority Boston, Mass. John D. Clark, III Immediate Past Chairman CEO Indianapolis Airport Authority Indianapolis, Ind. Barry Rempel Ex-Officio President & CEO Winnipeg Airports Authority Winnipeg, Manitoba Directors Iftikar Ahmad Director of Aviation Dayton Department of Aviation Dayton, Ohio David. N. Edwards, Jr. Executive Director Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport Greer, S.C. Robert A. Hazel Partner Oliver Wyman Reston, Va. David Jennings Commissioner Charleston County Aviation Authority Charleston, S.C. Bradley S. Livingston Airport Director Dane County Regional Airport Madison, Wis. Richard McConnell Airport Director Boise Airport Boise, Idaho Reginald K. Milley President and CEO Edmonton Regional Airports Authority Edmonton, Alberta Brad Penrod Executive Director/CEO Allegheny County Airport Authority Pittsburgh, Pa.. Raul Regalado President & CEO Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Nashville, Tenn. Mark Reis Managing Director Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Seattle, Wash. William Restall President & CEO Saskatoon Airport Authority Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Maureen Riley Executive Director Salt Lake City Department of Airports Salt Lake City, Utah Brian Searles Director of Aviation Burlington International Airport Burlington, Vt. Elsie Rast-Stuart Commissioner Columbia Metropolitan Airport Columbia, S.C.. William Vanecek Director of Aviation Buffalo Niagara International Airport Buffalo, N.Y. Mark VanLoh Director of Aviation Kansas City Aviation Department Kansas City, Mo. ACI-NA President Greg Principato 2009 World Business Partners/ Associates Board of Directors Executive Committee Robert A. Hazel Chair Partner Oliver Wyman Reston, Va. Laddie E. Irion Vice Chair Vice President/Director, Air Transportation URS Tampa, Fla. Immediate Past Chair Vacant Randall H. Walker ACI-NA Board Liaison Director of Aviation Clark County Department of Aviation Las Vegas, Nev. Directors Donald G. Andrews Vice President – Aviation Reynolds, Smith and Hills Houston, Texas Steven T. Baldwin Senior Vice President The Louis Berger Group Albany, N.Y. Leslie K. Cappetta President and CEO SSP America Lansdowne, Va. Armen DerHohannesian General Manager Armen DerHohannesian & Associates Hampton, N.H. Bruce Feuer Vice President, Business Development The Paradies Shops Atlanta, Ga. Kurt Krummenacker Assistant Vice President/Analyst Moody's Investors Service New York, N.Y. Deborah T. Meehan Chief Operating Officer SH&E Cambridge, Mass. David Naleway National Sales Manager, Aviation Jacobs Cypress, Calif. Mark A. Perryman President Landrum & Brown, Inc. Cincinnati, Ohio Randy D. Pope Associate Vice President, Aviation & Facilities Group Burns & McDonnell Kansas City, Mo.



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