Late on Jan. 14, the White House announced some easing on travel and remittances to Cuba.  In order to implement the changes, President Obama has directed the Secretaries of State, Treasury and Homeland Security to issue modified regulations in the Federal Register within two weeks.

On Feb. 7, ACI-NA will be host a webinar for ACI-NA Members and World Business Partners to continue the discussion of the FAA’s proposed rule for Safety Management Systems at certificated airports.

The International Aviation Snow Symposium is soliciting nominations for its annual Balchen/Post Awards for excellence in airport snow and ice control during this winter. The awards will be presented to the personnel of the airport snow and ice control teams who have throughout this past winter demonstrated determination for excellence in their efforts to keep their airports open and safe. The awards will be presented at the symposium in Buffalo on April 20. The application deadline is March 1, 2011.

ACI-NA has discontinued the use of the ".aero" domain. While the formal change was made several years ago, many of our members have recently experienced undeliverable emails from using the .aero domain.  We appreciate you updating all contact information associated with ACI-NA email/web usage to the ".org" domain so we can continue to provide you the latest industry information.

ACI-NA Commissioners Reception: Tickets are Now Available
Tickets are now available for the 2011 ACI-NA Commissioners Congressional Reception, to be held Feb. 2 in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will be honored next month by ACI-NA’s Commissioners Committee with the 2011 Commissioners Congressional Leaders Award. The commissioners selected Reid for his ongoing support of the aviation industry. Reid has been a strong advocate for aviation and airport issues, including his on-going efforts to successfully waive the Alternative Minimum Tax on new private airport activity bonds.  The reception will be held in conjunction with the ACI-NA/AAAE Washington Legislative Conference from 6-8p.m. Registration for the Washington Legislative Conference does not include a ticket to the reception.

ACI-NA/AAAE Workshop: Implementing SMS at Your Airport
The ACI-NA/AAAE Workshop: Implementing SMS at Your Airport on March 20-22 in San Antonio  will offer airports an overview of the issues associated with implementing SMS as well as offer practical advice on how to do so. Representatives and consultants from airports will offer the benefit of their experiences and practical advice on the details, costs and benefits of implementation.The latest agenda has been posted.

Feb. 25 is the last day to obtain the special group rate of $129 at Sheraton Gunter Hotel. Call the hotel directly at (210) 227-3241 to reserve your room.

2011 Operations & Technical Affairs Conference: Registration is Open
Operations & Technical Affairs Conferencewill be held on April 4-7 in Kansas City. With all that’s happening in the industry—from the deployment of advanced imaging technologies at security checkpoints to pending safety management system rules to the uncertain status of FAA Reauthorization, these are conferences you cannot afford to miss.

March 4 is the last day to obtain the Early Bird rate of $595 and the special group rate of $149 at Hyatt Regency Crown Center. Call the hotel directly at (402) 592-6464 to reserve your room.

2011 Public Safety and Security Spring Conference: Registration is Open
The Public Safety and Security Spring Conferencewill be held on April 4-7 in Kansas City. This conference will be held concurrently with the Operations and Technical Affairs Conference, enabling airport safety, security, operations, planning, and engineering professionals to come together in one industry-leading forum. Join fellow airport and industry colleagues for informative and in-depth discussions on some of the most critical issues facing airports in public safety and security.

March 4 is the last day to obtain the Early Bird rate of $595 and the special group rate of $149 at Hyatt Regency Crown Center. Call the hotel directly at (402) 592-6464 to reserve your room

ACI-NA's Small Airports Committee provides a singe forum to address issues and concerns faced by airports in North America, with a special emphasis on the development of programs and policies to assist the smaller airports that have limited resources and staffs.  Airport funding, air service development, regulatory flexibility, and small business impacts are some of the continuing concerns generally discussed at committee meetings.  The committee also participates in developing comments in regulatory rulemaking by the various federal agencies.

In conjunction with the ACI-NA/AAAE Washington Legislative Conference, the Small Airports Committee will hold its next meeting on Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill.

The annual Small Airports Conference will take place June 27 – 28 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cincinnati.

Contact ACI-NA's Paul Eubanks for more information.

Mica Tries to Land FAA Authorization
FleetOwner, Jan. 18, By Brian Straight
In a recent interview, Rep. John Mica, R-FL, the new chair of the House’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he intends to focus on getting an FAA reauthorization bill passed first before tackling the long-term surface transportation bill.

Many Favor Gas Drilling on Airport Property
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jan. 17, By Len Barcousky
Letting energy companies drill for natural gas near Pittsburgh International Airport seems like a good idea to several local political leaders.

They say they want to make sure, however, that any drilling is done safely and the money raised through leases benefits Allegheny County taxpayers.

Canadian Court Rules in Favor of IATA in Dispute with Sabre
Air Transport World, Jan.17, By Perry
IATA won what it called "a major court victory" in its dispute with Sabre over IATA's use of billing and settlement data stored in GDS databases for its PaxIS airline intelligence product when the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed Sabre's claim that PaxIS violated confidentiality obligations. Sabre filed the suit in 2006.

Winter Survival Strategies from the USA's Snowiest Airports
USA Today, Jan. 19, By Harriet
Like the plowed snow at many airports, registrations for the 45th annual International Aviation Snow Symposium are beginning to pile up. Held each April, most often in snowstorm-prone Buffalo, the symposium bestows awards on airports that excel in battling the white stuff and offers airport staff a chance to chill out and swap war stories about what went right or wrong, weather-wise, during the previous winter

 

2011 ACRP Speakers Bureau: Airport Cooperative Research Program has updated and added many new speakers to the 2011 ACRP Speakers Bureau. The Speakers Bureau is designed to help conference, workshop, or meeting program organizers identify potential speakers who possess interest and proficiency in presenting ACRP publications and related information to other industry practitioners. ACRP produces dozens of publications each year, and each has a group of individuals who have related subject expertise.

Sustainable Airport Construction Practices: The ACRP report explores a set of best practices, methods, procedures, and materials that if implemented during construction may have a sustainable, positive economic, operational, environmental, or social effect. The report includes the collection of sustainable airport construction practices in a searchable, filterable spreadsheet format on a CD-ROM, which is packaged with the report.

Guide to the Decision-Making Tool for Evaluating Passenger Self-Tagging: The ACRP report provides the information and tools, included on and accompanying CD-ROM, necessary for an airport or airline to determine the appropriateness of pursuing passenger self-tagging should it be allowed in the United States in the future. The tools, in an Excel Spreadsheet format, allow for the input of airport-specific information, such as facility size and passenger flows, while also providing industry averages to assist those airports and airlines that haven’t yet collected their individual information. The decision-making tools provide both qualitative and quantitative information that can then be used to assess if passenger self-tagging meets organizational needs or fits into their strategic plan.  An appendix is a web-only document

ACRP Annual Report on Progress: 2010: ACRP has released its annual report that highlights progress the program has made over the last year, as well as accomplishments since the program began in 2005. In addition, the report provides general background on the program and information on program participants, the research selection process, program management, project panels, contractor selection, funding, recently completed products, and the status of research activities.
 

Contact ACI at enrolments@olc.aero for more information.

Contact ACI at enrolments@olc.aero for more information.

Contact ACI at admin@caoc.aero for more information.

Basic Airside Safety Awareness Training
Designed to be used as initial and recurrent training, this course ensures that all personnel have a minimum understanding of the hazards associated with working on the airside and what they need to do to preserve their own safety and the safety of others.
Estimated Release Date: March 2011

Disability Awareness & Sensitivity Training
This course will provide participants with an understanding of how to respond appropriately to customers with disabilities within an airport environment.
Estimated Release Date: March 2011

Dangerous Goods Awareness Training
This course will provide Dangerous Goods Awareness Training for Ramp, Passenger Handling and Security Screening Personnel.
Estimated Release Date: March 2011

Certificate in Airside Operations
This new certificate program will provide a comprehensive overview of airside operations including Airside Familiarisation, Safety, Security, Emergency Preparedness, Inspections Audits and Investigations and Environmental Management.
Estimated Release Date: April 2011

For more information visit www.olc.aero or contact enrolments@olc.aero

Aircraft take-offs and landings at the 93 Canadian airports with NAV CANADA air traffic control towers and flight service stations decreased 3.1 percent in December compared with the same month a year earlier. These airports reported 346,380 movements in December compared with 357,642 movements in December 2009.

Late on Jan. 14, the White House announced some easing on travel and remittances to Cuba.  In order to implement the changes, President Obama has directed the Secretaries of State, Treasury and Homeland Security to issue modified regulations in the Federal Register within two weeks.

The main changes in the regulations are:

•          Purposeful Travel:  Allow religious, educational, cultural organizations to sponsor travel under certain conditions.
• ·         Remittances:  Allow any U.S. person to send remittances (up to $500 per quarter) to non-family members in Cuba to support private economic activity.
• ·         U.S. airports:  Allow all US international airports to apply to provide services to licensed charters to Cuba, provided that such airports have adequate customs and immigration capabilities and a licensed travel service provider has expressed an interest in providing services between that airport and Cuba.  Previously, charters have only been allowed to operate from Los Angeles, New York JFK and Miami.

This announcement does not affect the restrictions on travel to Cuba by other U.S. citizens (except those in the purposeful travel categories), does not eliminate the prohibition against tourism travel to Cuba, and does not affect the trade embargo.

Contact ACI-NA’s Diane Peterson for more information.

On Feb. 7, ACI-NA will be host a webinar for ACI-NA Members and World Business Partners to continue the discussion of the FAA’s proposed rule for Safety Management Systems at certificated airports.

The webinar will focus on comments that ACI-NA plans to file with the FAA. All comments are to be filed with the FAA docket by March 7.

Contact ACI-NA’s Chris Oswald or Matt Griffin for more log-in information.

The International Aviation Snow Symposium is soliciting nominations for its annual Balchen/Post Awards for excellence in airport snow and ice control during this winter. The awards will be presented to the personnel of the airport snow and ice control teams who have throughout this past winter demonstrated determination for excellence in their efforts to keep their airports open and safe. The awards will be presented at the symposium in Buffalo on April 20. The application deadline is March 1, 2011.

There will be six awards - one to a military airport and five to commercial and general aviation airports.

Contact ACI-NA’s Nancy Zimini at nzimini@aci-na.org for more information.