@irports update -- Feb. 17, 2010

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	Feb. 17, 2010



			This Week In Summary Austin Tops North American Airports in 2009 ASQ Ratings» The Senate's Jobs Agenda» Appeals Court Upholds Denver Victory in Deicing Case» Be a Federal Advisor» JumpStart Webinar Now Available» ACI-NA to Host Feb. 25 Webinar on Contingency Planning for Irregular Operations» FAA Reaching Out to Fill Key Compliance Post» Bushelman Award Nominations Sought» Next AELP Class Forming» ACI Certificate in Airport Environmental Management Now Online» In The News Delta CEO Blasts DOT for Slot Decision» Tarmac Rules Get Flights Dropped» TSA Takes Explosives Screening to Fliers» U.S. Airlines Jump at First Opportunity at Haneda»


			Hot Topics
			Austin Tops North American Airports in 2009 ASQ Ratings Austin-Bergstrom International Airport earned the top North American ranking in the 2009 ACI Airport Service Quality index ranking released on Tuesday. Worldwide, the top five airports were all in the Asia Pacific region with Seoul Incheon International Airport as the top airport. ACI Director General Angela Gittens notes the Asia Pacific sweep is a reflection of the region’s strong customer service culture, airport management commitment to service delivery and the high quality of modern passenger facilities at each of these airports. The top five North American airports: Austin, Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, Jacksonville International Airport and Portland International Jetport. Best airport by size (North American only): (under 5 million passengers) Halifax, Ottawa, Portland, Me., and Jackson, Miss.; (5-15 million passengers) Austin, Jacksonville; (15-25 million) Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport; (over 40 million) Denver International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Houston Intercontinental Airport. View the complete list of winners» The Senate's Jobs Agenda When Congress returns to Washington after the Presidents’ Day recess, the Senate is going to turn its attention immediately to the first of what is expected to be a series of jobs bills. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had planned to consider jobs legislation the week of Feb. 9, but two major snow storms and efforts to build a bipartisan consensus ending up pushing the bill off until next week. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) offered a bipartisan proposal, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, but it was rejected by Reid several hours after it was made public. Reid did not, according to press reports, like the inclusion of tax extenders in the package for energy and other issues, saying they would be dealt with later. The Baucus-Grassley proposal also included $1.5 billion in agriculture disaster relief and extended expiring provisions in the U.S. Patriot Act as well as some federal flood insurance provisions. The proposal to be brought before the full Senate by Reid will include provisions to create tax incentives to spur immediate job growth, help small businesses grow and hire more workers, and provide a one year extension of the authorization for the highway trust fund in order to give Congress more time to work out the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill. In December, the House considered the Jobs for Main Street Act as a follow on to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. ACI-NA lobbied Secretary Ray LaHood for more Airport Improvement Program funding before the White House Jobs Summit at the beginning of December, the House’s bipartisan Jobs Now! Caucus and the leadership of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee based on the airport industry’s track record of success with the funding provided by the first stimulus bill. The Jobs for Main Street Act, as passed by the House, includes $500 million for AIP. ACI-NA has been working with the Senate on this issue as well, and we know the Senate Commerce Committee included funding for AIP in the list they sent to the Democratic Leadership of what could and should be done in the next jobs bill. Funding for aviation infrastructure is included on the Leadership’s jobs proposal list for transportation infrastructure improvements, which is expected to be considered in a separate jobs bill in the near future. Contact ACI-NA’s Jane Calderwood for more information» Appeals Court Upholds Denver Victory in Deicing Case The trial court victory of Denver International Airport in a suit contesting its deicing practices was recently upheld by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. A citizen suit had attempted to stop Denver from full-plane deicing at its Concourse B. The plaintiffs, including a former United Airlines employee, had contended that the deicing practices were producing hydrogen-sulfide gas that was endangering human health at Concourse B. The suit was filed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976. In the trial, the airport demonstrated it no longer permits full-plane deicing at the gates. The trial court found that the airport’s deicing practices did not present an “imminent and substantial endangerment to health.” Furthermore, the court found that the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act did not apply in this case because the deicing now took place away from the gates and the practice is governed by permits issued under the Clean Water Act. The appellate court upheld the trial court’s decision because the plaintiffs failed to show that the airport’s deicing practices were endangering human health, and because plaintiffs were unable to prove an imminent threat of the airport’s resumption of full-plane deicing at Concourse B. Because the plaintiff failed to show an endangerment, the appellate court did not need to address the trial court’s determination regarding the interplay of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Clean Water Act. View the appellate court decision» Contact ACI-NA’s James Briggs for more information» Be a Federal Advisor U.S. Customs and Border Protection is seeking industry representatives interested in serving on the Airport and Seaport Inspections User Fee Advisory Committee. The purpose of the committee is to provide advice on issues related to the performance of airport and seaport inspections involving agriculture, customs, and immigration concerns. The committee meets semiannually in Washington and consists of industry representatives from airlines, cruise lines, airports, seaports and other stakeholders. The committee currently has 10 members, but is being expanded to 15. The new members appointed through this process will serve a term of 24 months. There is no prescribed application format, but interested persons are requested to submit a statement of interest and reasons for application as well as a complete professional biography or resume. Applications are due March 1 via mailto:traderelations@dhs.gov More information can be found on the committee’s website» Contact ACI-NA’s Christopher R. Bidwell, Diane Peterson or A.J. Muldoon for more information» JumpStart Webinar Now Available The 2010 JumpStart^® Air Service Development Program’s Meeting-Matching Website is now active for airports to begin their “wish lists” for the June 8-9 JumpStart meetings in San Diego. ACI-NA recorded its Feb. 9 Webinar with suggestions as to how to best use the meeting website. View this Webinar» Access the JumpStart website» Contact ACI-NA at JumpStart@aci-na.org for more information» ACI-NA to Host Feb. 25 Webinar on Contingency Planning for Irregular Operations Meeting passenger core needs during Irregular Operations is a critical problem for airports, airlines, and other aviation service providers. Irregular Ops are events that disrupt flight schedules and negatively impact the normal flow of passengers. In the wake of the weather-related multi-hour disruptions in 2007 and 2008, several workshops (including two at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and another in the Washington area) were held to proactively address these challenges of assuring passenger comfort during Irregular Ops and identify best practices within the industry. In late December, DOT announced final regulations requiring airlines to develop contingency plans that include an assurance that the plan has been coordinated with airport authorities at all medium and large hub airports that the airline serves, including medium and large hub diversion airports. On Feb. 25, ACI-NA will host a two hour webinar on Developing Airport Contingency Plans for Irregular Operations to help airports prepare the airline planning sessions. The webinar will feature representatives from the Department of Transportation, airports and airlines to provide guidance and describe best practices in the development of these contingency plans. To participate in this webinar, please send an email to Chris Oswald with the words “IROPS Webinar” in the subject line. FAA Reaching Out to Fill Key Compliance Post The FAA is seeking a manager for its Office of Airport Compliance and Field Operations. The position recently opened up with a retirement. The job may be attractive to those currently or formerly employed by an airport. The duties include responsibility for the administration of agency programs to ensure airport sponsor compliance with obligations in federal airport grant agreements, surplus property deeds and federal statutes relating to airports. The individual will serve as FAA's national expert on FAA policy and procedures regarding the Airport Compliance Program. This manager will develop and implement program goals and policy on airport access, economic discrimination, and use of airport revenue, airport user fees, and other federal requirements. For more information and certain applications forms, please refer to: http://jobs.faa.gov. Vacancy Announcement Number: AWA-ARP-10-ML05496-120136 (current and former federal) and AWA-ARP-10-ML05496-120130 (all sources). Contact ACI-NA’s Monica Hargrove Kemp for more information» Bushelman Award Nominations Sought The Marketing and Communications Steering Committee is now accepting nominations for the Ted E. Bushelman Legacy Award, which will be presented at the committee’s annual conference in San Diego on June 8. Nominations are due on March 5 to Sheila Owens. Review the award criteria» Download a nomination form» Next AELP Class Forming The next session of the ACI Airport Executive Leadership Program is now forming. The eight-week program begins April 17 with three weeks of distance learning. The course will meet for seven days in Montreal May 15-21 to be followed by another four weeks of distance learning via the Internet. The course is an elective for the ACI Airport Management Professional Accreditation Program. The registration deadline is March 1. The fee for the course is €4,500, but accepted applicants can be invoiced in U.S. dollars. View a flyer on this course» Contact ACI’s Nathalie Zulauf or Paul Behnke for more information» ACI Certificate in Airport Environmental Management Now Online ACI is now offering an online seven-part course that leads to a Certificate in Airport Environmental Management. Developed in conjunction with the ACI-NA Environmental Affairs Committee this certificate program provides North American airport staff members with an understanding of the basic principles of sustainable development and environmental management. It covers the key environmental impacts associated with airport operations and growth, the benefits gained from effective environmental management and the essential elements of implementing an Environmental Management System at your airport. The ACI Certificate in Airport Environmental Management is made up of the seven modules, which take about 90 minutes each to complete. The cost of the entire certification program is $695 and each module costs $120. Visit the Online Learning Centre’s website for specific details» Contact the OLC manager Eddie Ragauskas for more information» ^ Back to top



			Industry News Briefs
			Delta CEO Blasts DOT for Slot Decision Atlanta Business Chronicle, Feb. 12, By J. Scott Trubey Delta Air Lines Inc. CEO Richard Anderson blasted the U.S Department of Transportation Friday for picking winners and losers in its oversight of airlines, and called for further deregulation of the industry. View the complete article» Tarmac Rules Get Flights Dropped USA Today, Feb. 16, By Alan Levin The nation's recent onslaught of flight cancellations is a harbinger of what passengers can expect from airlines looking to avoid new multimillion-dollar fines for leaving people stranded on grounded planes in bad weather, according to federal data and aviation experts. View the complete article» TSA Takes Explosives Screening to Fliers USA Today, Feb. 17, By Thomas Frank Airport screeners for the first time will begin roving through airports taking chemical swabs from passengers and their bags to check for explosives, the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday. View the complete article» U.S. Airlines Jump at First Opportunity at Haneda Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, Feb. 17 Haneda Airport with its close proximity to Tokyo's central business district, is expected to be opened to U.S. and other foreign airlines later this year, for the first time in over 30 years, under the December 2009 Japan-U.S. open skies agreement. View the complete article» ^ Back to top



			Events On Approach
			ACI-NA Commissioners Conference April 11-13 The Mansion on Forsyth Park, Savannah Hotel Cut-off: March 12 ACI-NA/AAAE Spring Washington Conference: Two Weeks Away The annual Spring Washington Conference will be held March 2-4 at The Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C. Participants will discuss crucial airport issues and how they can be accomplished in today’s ever changing political environment. View the agenda Register online. Commissioners Congressional Reception: Tickets and Sponsorships Now Available The ACI-NA Commissioners Congressional Reception is held annually in conjunction with the Spring Washington Conference. This year’s reception will be held on March 3 in the Rayburn House Office Building from 6-8 p.m. This year, the Commissioners Committee selected U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) as the 2010 recipient of the Commissioners Congressional Leadership Award. Neal has been a true champion for aviation issues, including his recent efforts to successfully waive the Alternative Minimum Tax on new private airport activity bonds. In addition, the winners of the 2010 scholarship will be recognized at the event. Registration for the Spring Washington Conference does not include a ticket to the Commissioners Congressional Reception. Separate ticket purchase is required Obtain sponsorship information» Air Cargo Conference: Brooks is the keynoter This year’s Air Cargo Conference will be held March 9-11 at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle. The conference will feature sessions that will examine current air cargo commercial and policy landscape, discuss the business of air cargo, and share strategies to enhance air cargo revenue. This year’s keynote luncheon session on Thursday, March 11, will feature Dave Brooks, president of the cargo division at American Airlines. He will discuss cargo security, his vision of the domestic cargo market, the impact of fuel price increases, tactics to increase yields, and his thoughts about the future of cargo security. Register online to save $35 More details: Housing, agenda, sponsorships, and more» Airport Board Members & Commissioners Conference: Registration Open The Airport Board Members and Commissioners Conference will be held April 11-13 at The Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah. Meet and network with others in the unique position of airport governing board members. Join airport directors, board, commission and authority members to discuss the complex issues related to effective planning and management of an airport. March 12 is the Early Bird discount deadline and the last day to obtain the special group rate of $219 at The Mansion on Forsyth Park. Call the hotel directly at (912) 238-5158. Register online to save $35 More details: Housing, agenda, sponsorships, and more» See upcoming ACI-NA Events» ^ Back to top



			Committee Update
			Public Safety and Security Committee ACI-NA’s Public Safety and Security Committee represents more than 400 airport and associate members whose mission is to enhance the safety and security of airports by providing recommendations to industry and government for aviation safety and security policies. This includes identifying and promoting best practices and identifying and/or developing educational and technological resources that help accomplish airport safety and security objectives. The committee has recently been involved in: Survey on Advanced Imaging Technology – ACI-NA is currently surveying its members to better understand the advantages and challenges associated with Advanced Imaging Technology, also known as Whole Body Imaging. General Aviation Assessment Survey – ACI-NA participated in the review of TSA’s General Aviation Assessment survey and asked that TSA ensure that the airport responses are protected from public disclosure. 2010 Spring Conference – This year’s spring conference agenda will comprehensively address the nexus of safety, security and information technology. Committee chairs representing Public Safety and Security, Technical Affairs and Business Information Technology are working to initialize a robust agenda. In-depth Security Review Task Force – After two successful meetings with airports, airport industry associations, and several key officials from the Transportation Security Administration, the task force will hold its third meeting to review a consolidation of TSA and industry recommendations for improving and revitalizing security measures—some dating back to 2001. Airport Assistance to Haiti - ACI-NA is working together with ACI-Latin America/Caribbean to marshal the experience and capabilities of the North American airport community to provide assistance. Several members of the Public Safety and Security committee have participated in providing mutual aid assistance to airports in the time of crisis. ACI-NA has been in close touch with the Departments of State and Transportation, and the FAA, and the Canadian Airports Council has been in touch with the Canadian government. There will be many needs that have to be met in the days and weeks ahead, and the airport community in North America is prepared to do its part. Contact ACI-NA’s Christopher Bidwell or Lydia Kellogg for more information» Learn more about ACI-NA Committees and Programs» ^ Back to top



			aci-na.org
			Airport Directors are Heroes ACI-NA President Greg Principato reports in his most recent blog post on the CEO Forum that ACI-NA hosted last week in Houston. Researchers Needed Guidebook for Airport Irregular Operations Contingency Planning: The Airport Cooperative Research Program has issued a request for proposals to produce a guidebook for commercial passenger service airports of all sizes to help develop, continually evaluate, and/or update contingency plans for procedures pertaining to irregular operations that may cause significant disruptions to customers. Proposals are due April 1. Integrating Aviation and Passenger Rail Planning: ACRP has issued a request for proposals to develop guidance, and potential methods and tools designed to help improve the integration of rail services with airports, particularly in congested corridors. Proposals are due April 1. Aircraft Taxi Noise Database for Airport Noise Modeling: ACRP has issued a request for proposals to develop a noise-power-distance and spectral class database for nominal taxi, break-away, and idle thrust levels for use in the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's Integrated Noise Model as it transitions into the Aviation Environmental Design Tool. Proposals are due April 6. ^ Back to top



			Info Desk
			November 2009 Airline Traffic Data: System Traffic Up Over November 2008 The number of scheduled domestic and international passengers on U.S. airlines in November 2009 increased by 1.6 percent from November 2008, increasing by 800,000 to 54.9 million, the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported on Tuesday. November was the second month in the last three to show an increase from 2008 but last year's numbers were already reduced from 2007. The November 2009 passenger total was 11.3 percent below November 2007. View the complete release and data tables» ^ Back to top



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


	Spring Washington Conference March 2-4 Commissioners' Congressional Reception March 3 ACI-NA Air Cargo Conference March 9-11.



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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 2010 Board of Directors Executive Committee G. Hardy Acree Chairman Director of Airports Sacramento County Airport System Sacramento Frank R. Miller First Vice Chair Aviation Director San Antonio Aviation Department San Antonio Thella Bowens Second Vice Chair President/CEO San Diego County Regional Airport Authority San Diego Thomas J. Kinton, Jr. Secretary-Treasurer CEO & Executive Director Massachusetts Port Authority Boston John D. Clark, III Immediate Past Chairman CEO Indianapolis Airport Authority Indianapolis Barry Rempel Ex-Officio President & CEO Winnipeg Airports Authority Winnipeg, Manitoba Directors Iftikar Ahmad Director of Aviation Dayton Department of Aviation Dayton Kim Day Manager of Aviation Denver Department of Aviation Denver 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 Reginald K. Milley President and CEO Edmonton Regional Airports Authority Edmonton, Alberta Brad Penrod Executive Director/CEO Allegheny County Airport Authority Pittsburgh Raul Regalado President & CEO Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Nashville Mark Reis Managing Director Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Seattle William Restall President & CEO Saskatoon Airport Authority Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Maureen Riley Executive Director Salt Lake City Department of Airports Salt Lake City 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 Mark VanLoh Director of Aviation Kansas City Aviation Department Kansas City ACI-NA President Greg Principato 2010 World Business Partners/ Associates Board of Directors Executive Committee Laddie E. Irion Chair Vice President/Director, Air Transportation URS Tampa Steven T. Baldwin Vice Chair Senior Vice President The Louis Berger Group Albany Robert A. Hazel Immediate Past Chair Partner Oliver Wyman Reston, Va. John D. Clark, III ACI-NA Board Liaison CEO Indianapolis Airport Authority Indianapolis Directors Roddy L. Boggus Executive Vice President, Aviation Gresham, Smith and Partners Dallas Paul Bowers Publisher Airport Improvement Magazine Brookfield, Wis. 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 Kitty P. Freidheim President Freidheim Consulting Chicago Evan C. Futterman President and CEO Futterman Consulting Springfield, Va. Kurt Krummenacker Assistant Vice President/Analyst Moody's Investors Service New York Randy D. Pope Associate Vice President, Aviation & Facilities Group Burns & McDonnell Kansas City



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