@irports update -- Feb. 3, 2010

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	Feb. 3, 2010



			This Week In Summary Obama Present Fiscal Year 2011 Budget» Teamsters to the Senate: Pass FAA Reauthorization Now» ACI-NA Chairman Pushes Senators on FAA, PFC and AMT» Regional ACI Directors Meet in Hong Kong» ACI-NA to Host JumpStart Webinar on Feb. 9» ACI-NA to Host Feb. 25 Webinar on Contingency Planning for Irregular Operations» FAA sets Feb. 22 as AIP Notification Deadline» Bushelman Award Nominations Sought» GAO Releases Report on Regional Airport Planning» Kemp Elected to Bar Leadership Post» O'Hare Recognized As Best Airport in North America» Implement your own Online Testing Centre» In The News Vancouver Airport Readies Itself For Olympic Traffic» As Bag Fees Rise, are Airlines Improving Baggage Handling?» User Fees Axed From Proposed FAA Budget» Call Grows for Safety Review of Flight 253»


			Hot Topics
			Obama Present Fiscal Year 2011 Budget On Monday, the Obama Administration released a $3.8 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2011. The proposal includes a three-year freeze on domestic discretionary spending, which is estimated to produce $20 billion in savings in its first year and $250 billion in savings over 10 years. Congress would determine how to institute the freeze in order to produce the savings called for in the budget. The Defense, Homeland Security, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid budgets will not be subject to the freeze, though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has called for including discretionary defense spending in the freeze. The budget request for the Federal Aviation Administration totals $16.4 billion, an increase of almost $500 million over the 2010 funding level appropriated by Congress. The Administration provided level funding of the Airport Improvement Program at $3.5 billion, and ACI-NA President Greg Principato stated “We are pleased that in these difficult economic times the Airport Improvement Program has escaped reductions from currently appropriated amounts. However, the President’s budget speaks directly to the need to have an FAA reauthorization bill signed into law that increases authorization amounts for AIP and increases the limit on the passenger facility charge. The AIP and the PFC play important roles in improving safety, security and customer service at airports. Critically, they also create tens of thousands of jobs in communities around the country.” The budget did provide a 32 percent increase, resulting in $1.1 billion being provided for NextGen. Principato noted that, “Since NextGen begins and ends at the airport, we are glad to see that the President has included $1.1 billion to help speed the development and implementation of a modernized air traffic control system. Airports look forward to working with the Administration and FAA on providing the ground infrastructure necessary to make NextGen a reality.” The Department of Homeland Security’s budget is funded at $56.3 billion, a 2 percent increase over the current fiscal year. Aviation security received particular attention in the budget including $214.7 million for the purchase and installation of 500 advanced imaging technology units at airport checkpoints. The 2011 proposed funding, when combined with TSA’s plans to purchase and install approximately 500 units this fiscal year, will provide 1,000 new units by September 2011. Increased funding was also provided for Federal Air Marshals, the purchase of 800 additional Explosive Trace Detection machines and additional Customs and Border Patrol agents. Principato stated that, “This increased funding will help the nation in addressing the security needs of our transportation systems. Airport operators look forward to continuing their work with the Administration and the Department of Homeland Security to maintain a multi-layered security system that protects the nation’s airports and aviation system from terrorist and criminal activities.” Contact ACI-NA’s Jane Calderwood for more information» Teamsters to the Senate: Pass FAA Reauthorization Now Posted Jan. 29 by Jane Calderwood on Centerlines Blog James P. Hoffa, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, called on the U.S. Senate to pass the FAA reauthorization bill today. He stated that “one of the things the FAA bill does is help pay for airport construction” and airport construction, as we all know, equals jobs. Hoffa estimates the bill will provide 125,000 jobs a year. Read the complete blog posting» ACI-NA Chairman Pushes Senators on FAA, PFC and AMT Posted Jan. 28 by Jane Calderwood on Centerlines Blog ACI-NA Chairman Hardy Acree participated in the Senate Democratic Steering Committee’s discussion on rebuilding America’s infrastructure Wednesday. He joined 16 other participants ranging from trade unions to the U.S. Council of Mayors in a vigorous discussion of ways to invest in roads, airports, railways and building construction in an effort to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Read the complete blog posting» Regional ACI Directors Meet in Hong Kong Sonia Liu, ACI Asia-Pacific; S.L. Wong, ACI Asia-Pacific; Ali Tounsi, ACI-Africa; Angela Gittens, ACI World; Maggie Kwok, ACI Asia-Pacific; Greg Principato; Olivier Jankovec, ACI Europe and Patti Chau, ACI Asia-Pacific ACI-NA President Greg Principato last week attended a meeting of ACI regional directors in Hong Kong. ACI Director General Angela Gittens instituted these meetings when she became director general of ACI World and they have served to enhance the reach and effectiveness of ACI as the acknowledged global “Voice of Airports.” At this meeting, the regional presidents worked on such issues as security, facilitation, environment, duty free sales and the protection of airport proprietors’ economic rights. The groups also addressed a number of issues that will strengthen the ACI regions and ACI World’s ability to speak as the global “Voice of Airports.” See Greg’s Facebook album of the meeting» Read Greg’s four blog postings from his trip» ACI-NA to Host JumpStart Webinar on Feb. 9 On Feb. 8, the 2010 JumpStart^® Air Service Development Program’s Meeting-Matching Website will be activated for airports to begin their “wish lists” for the June 8-9 JumpStart meetings in San Diego. And on Feb. 9, ACI-NA will be hosting a Webinar to offer suggestions as to how to best use the meeting website. This live online session is scheduled for noon on the East Coast, 11 a.m. in the Central time zone; 10 a.m. in the Mountain time zone and at 9 a.m. along the Pacific Coast. To participate in the Webinar, you must first register for the call and comple all of the requested information. Once registered, you will receive the log-in instructions. An archived copy of the Webinar will be maintained on the JumpStart website along with a tip sheet. 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 sets Feb. 22 as AIP Notification Deadline Airports have until Feb. 22 to notify the Federal Aviation Administration of their intent to use all of the 2010 AIP funds allocated to them for AIP-eligible projects. If an airport sponsor does not meet the Feb. 22 deadline, FAA cannot award the funds or “protect” them as carry-over funds. View the Federal Register posting» Contact ACI-NA’s Liying Gu 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» GAO Releases Report on Regional Airport Planning The Government Accountability Office recently released a report, National Airspace System: Regional Airport Planning Could Help Address Congestion If Planes Were Integrated with FAA and Airport Decision Making The report reiterated FAA’s prediction that the national airspace system will become increasingly congested in coming years, imposing costs of delay on passengers and regions. While transforming the current air traffic control system to NextGen may provide additional en route capacity, the report notes that many airports still face constraints at their runways and terminals. In light of these forecasts, GAO evaluated regional airport planning in metropolitan regions with congested airports. Specifically, GAO assessed how regions with congested airports use regional airport planning and decision making and identified factors that hinder or aid in the development and implementation of regional airport plans. The report recommends that DOT should direct the FAA to develop a review process for regional airport systems plans to ensure that they meet FAA standards and airport system planning guidance, as well as provide technical support for regional planners undertaking such planning. The report also recommends giving funding priority to airport projects that are consistent with regional airport systems. Contact ACI-NA’s Paul Eubanks for more information» Kemp Elected to Bar Leadership Post ACI-NA’s General Counsel, Monica Hargrove Kemp, was elected to be the 2010 treasurer of the Transportation and Transportation Security Law section of the Federal Bar Association. Kemp is the only non-governmental attorney among the six elected to lead this section of the Federal Bar. The transportation section is concerned with the operation and improvement of the nation's transportation system, and comprises six committees addressing various transportation modes and issues. Included in the section's scope of interest are legislative, judicial and administrative law developments that affect air, rail, motor and water transportation both within the United States and on movements between the U.S. and other countries. Contact ACI-NA’s Monica Kemp Hargrove for more information» O'Hare Recognized As Best Airport in North America O'Hare International Airport again was awarded the 2009 Global Traveler Award for Best Airport in North America. O'Hare was recognized by business travelers who participated in a Global Traveler magazine survey conducted between January and August 2009. The airport has won the honor annually since 1998. Implement your own Online Testing Centre Deliver your own web based training, testing and certification program from as little as $500 per month. The ACI Online Learning Centre provides a fully managed, web based eLearning platform that allows airports to: Create online tests and assessments to certify staff competency on any topic Deliver online training and testing using existing training manuals and documents Track staff progress and maintain all training records for audit and compliance purposes Contact the OLC Manager Eddie Ragauskas for more information» ^ Back to top



			Industry News Briefs
			Vancouver Airport Readies Itself For Olympic Traffic Airports, Feb. 2, By James Ott They are preparing for an additional 231,000 people to use the airport before, during and after the games, including most of the 6,850 athletes and 12,500 media representatives. The airport’s busiest day ever is projected for March 1, the day after the scheduled close, when 39,000 people and 77,000 pieces of luggage are forecast to go through the airport. (paid subscription required) View the complete article» As Bag Fees Rise, are Airlines Improving Baggage Handling? USA Today, Feb. 2, By Charisse Jones The new round of fee increases is prompting some passengers to ask: If the airlines are charging more to carry bags, shouldn't they do more to make sure they arrive when they're supposed to? View the complete article» User Fees Axed From Proposed FAA Budget Aviation Daily, Feb. 1, By Adrian Schofield FAA’s fiscal 2011 budget request signals that the Obama administration has dropped its plans to introduce aviation user fees, at least for now. View the complete article» Call Grows for Safety Review of Flight 253 The Detroit News, Jan. 30, By Nathan Hurst and Tom Greenwood Airline employees and local law enforcement officials dealing with the aftermath in the failed attack defended their actions Friday, saying the landing followed well-established protocols. View the complete article» ^ Back to top



			Events On Approach
			ACI-NA/AAAE Spring Washington Conference March 2-4 The Omni Shoreham, Washington, D.C. Hotel Cut-off: Feb. 5 ACI-NA Air Cargo Conference March 9-11 The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle. Hotel Cut-off: Feb. 15 ACI-NA/AAAE Spring Washington Conference: Hotel Cutoff is Friday 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 Feb. 5 is deadline for the early-bird registration discount and hotel deadline to receive the special group rate of $269 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. In order to make your room reservation, please call the hotel directly at (202) 234-0700 or toll free (800) 843-6664. Register online before the early-bird cut-off date. More details: Housing, agenda, sponsorships, and more» 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. A primary purpose of the Commissioners Congressional Reception is to honor a member of Congress or the Administration for their support of airports and air transportation. It is also a tremendous opportunity to socialize and network with members of Congress, congressional staff, members of the Administration, and your fellow colleagues. In addition, the winners of the 2010 Commissioner 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: Boeing Tour 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. In addition to the outstanding education sessions, there will be a tour on March 10 of the Boeing Everett facility hosted by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Boeing. The free tour includes the Future of Flight exhibition and the Everett production line. Space is limited to the first 50 who sign up (you must be registered for the conference to participate in the tour). Register online before the early-bird cut-off date. Feb. 15 is the deadline for the early-bird registration discount and hotel deadline to receive the special group rate of $209 at the Fairmont Hotel. Please call the hotel directly to make your room reservation, at (206) 621-1700 ext. 3131 or at (800) 441-1414. More details: Housing, agenda, sponsorships, and more» See upcoming ACI-NA Events» ^ Back to top



			Committee Update
			Finance Committee The role of the ACI-NA Finance Committee is to share ideas and exchange information among fellow airport finance and associate member professionals on important industry topics such as benchmarking; airline rates, fees and charges, accounting, budgeting, financing, and passenger facility charges. The Finance Committee currently has three active working groups – Airport/Airline Business (formerly Airline Business/Use Agreement), Strategic Planning and Performance Management (formerly Benchmarking Metrics working group), and Accounting/Financing working groups. In 2010, the Airport/Airline Business Working Group will be focusing on collecting sample use/lease agreements for member access, conducting research on PFC utilization and developing best practices for determining the utilization of PFC funding, and supporting ACRP projects on Airport Capital Plans among others. The Strategic Planning and Performance Management Working Group is responsible for the annual ACI-NA Financial Performance Benchmarking Survey, which has proven to be an invaluable tool for airports in evaluating their operational and financial performance. The working group will be updating the survey form to incorporate the output from the ACRP 01-09 project and provide assistance to the ACRP 01-09 project workshop. The working group leadership will also participate in ACRP 01-13 which will fund creation of a new survey database that may be able to replace and improve the reporting functionality of the current ACI-NA Finance Benchmarking Survey. The Accounting/Financing Working Group will focus on providing timely information to members on a regular basis by hosting a series of webinars that covers the latest municipal bond market, how to prepare for the underwriters’ due diligence and onsite visits related to a bond issuance, and history of derivatives and latest evolution. The working group will also keep abreast of new GASB pronouncements. The Finance Committee also develops, in coordination with other ACI-NA Committees, the agenda for the annual ACI-NA Economics and Finance Conference. The upcoming event to be held in Miami on May 3-5 and will cover hot button issues affecting the industry and likely draw over 200 airport CFOs, finance directors, properties and commercial managers, investment banks, rating agencies as well as representatives from airport concessionaires and financial service consultants. Contact ACI-NA’s Rajni Tripathi for more information» Learn more about ACI-NA Committees and Programs» ^ Back to top



			People on the Move
			Max Fajardo T.Y. Lin International, a full-service infrastructure consulting firm, has hired Max Fajardo as a vice president responsible for leading the operational readiness line of business, focused on the aviation, transportation, and industrial markets. He will be based in Miami. Prior to joining Lin, Fajardo was deputy aviation director for Miami International Airport, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Miami Dade County system of airports. Andrew Cebula Sensis Corp. has hired Andrew Cebula as director of aviation affairs. Based in the company’s Washington’s office, Cebula will be responsible for managing government, legislative and industry affairs for Sensis Air Traffic Systems. Prior to joining Sensis, Cebula served as executive vice president for government affairs for the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association. Robert H. Gleason On Jan. 29, Robert H. Gleason was named the chairman of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Board by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. Gleason was appointed to the board by Sanders last July for a term that ends January 31, 2011. Gleason replaces Bob Watkins as chairman. Watkins term on the board expired Jan. 31. Gleason is chief financial officer and general counsel for Evans Hotels. ^ Back to top



			aci-na.org
			What Happened in Vegas Posted Feb. 2 by Victoria Houghton on Centerlines Blog Last week, approximately 60 airport media relations and public affairs professionals attended the 2010 ACI-NA Media Relations & Crisis Communications Seminar in Las Vegas, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in investing in social media outlets, and to share best practices in media relations and crisis communications. Attendees spent most of Thursday discussing the merits and disadvantages of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs. Airports, both small and large, shared some ideas on how to get started using these tools and how to perfect their usage. Read the complete blog posting» View the presentations from the Media Relations & Crisis Communications Seminar» Updates from the ACI-NA Air Service and Data Planning Seminar Posted Jan. 25 by Sheila Owens on Centerlines Blog The current economic climate is “undoubtedly the most difficult economic environment I’ve encountered in nearly two decades,” Randall Walker of Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport told more than 90 attendees of ACI-NA’s air service and data planning seminar in Las Vegas. In his Jan. 25 welcome remarks, Walker encouraged participants to continue the hard work and make the “intelligent decisions necessary to improve our respective organizations’ positions during these troubled times.” Read the complete blog posting» View the presentations from the Air Service & Data Planning Seminar» Research Posted The Government Accountability Office on Jan. 28 released the following report: Homeland Security: Better Use of Terrorist Watchlist Information and Improvements in Deployment of Passenger Screening Checkpoint Technologies Could Further Strengthen Security. ^ Back to top



			Info Desk
			Canada, U.K. Projected to be Flat in First Quarter; Mexico Travel to Grow Canada bookings to the United States are projected to continue to be flat through the first quarter of 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. United Kingdom bookings to the U.S. were projected to be on par with the first quarter 2009. However, Mexico bookings to the U.S. are projected to begin 2010 with a positive number of visitors to the United States. The U.S. will be a better value and competition for travelers has declined, providing the United States an opportunity to expand market share in Mexico. View the complete release and data tables» ^ 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»


	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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