Airport Planning Courses 2014

Four years ago, I did a post about the Airport Planning Courses that I was aware of.  It became the 2nd most popular post on my blog.  Since then I have tried to update it yearly. 

United States
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1. UC Berkeley - Airport Systems Planning and Design.  Offered by Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) Berkeley.  This course is offered by the National Center of Excellence for Aviation Operations Research (NEXTOR).  4 day course that tends to be held in Nov.  Look under short courses in the Nextor website. The last one was held on 28 Oct - 31 Oct 2013. (Early Bird USD2000, Standard Rate USD2100, FAA USD1500)  There are no published dates for 2014 at this point.

2. ACC/ACI-NA/FAA - Airport Planning Workshop - 3 day course. Held annually or once every 2 years.   First one was held in Dec 2009. The last one was held 9 - 11 Dec 2013.  It tends to be jointly held with the NEPA workshop.  It is orientated to the US airport industry and rules.  (ACI USD720, Non-member USD825)  There are no published dates for 2014 at this point.

4. AAAE Accreditation or Certified Member - If you are American or work in the US Airport Industry, this is also a good option as it ties in with FAA regulations and the unique characteristics of the American Airport Industry.  It is a self-study program with a Multiple Choice exam.  There are 4 modules in the Body of Knowledge, one of them is pertaining to Planning, Construction and Environmental.  The other modules are Finance and Administration; Operations, Security and Maintenance; Legislative Affairs, Marketing and Communications, and Air Service Development.  There is also a week long course (AAE/Certification Academy) that helps you go through the material and prepare you for the exam. (9 - 15 Mar 2014 USD1800 Dallas,TX)

In addition, there are a number of aviation schools throughout the country that use Alexander Wells book "Airport Planning and Management" as a textbook for their undergraduate classes.


International
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1. IAAE Airport Systems Planning - IAAE Canada is hosting a 2 day Airport Systems course by Dr McCoomb, formerly Transport Canada and GTAA from 13 - 14 Mar 2014 in Tucson, Arizona. (click here) (CDN2500 non-members, CDN2250 members)

2. Cranfield University - Cranfield offers a MSc Program in Airport Planning and Management. Some of the modules of the MSc Program are offered as short courses. (click here) Go to "Professional Development tab" to check it out. Cranfield MSc started when Loughborough University ended their MSc program which was running for more than 20 years.

3. Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA) - SAA is the training arm of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.  SAA has held Airport Engineering courses annually for many years.  SAA is currently offering a 9 week Airport Engineering Programme jointly organised by Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Berkeley and Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA).  The next course is 4 Aug - 3 Oct 2014 (USD14,200).  The 2015 course runs from 3 Aug to 2 Oct 2015.  The course can also be taken in 3 week parts with each part costing USD6250.  (Airport System and Planning, Airport Design and Construction, Airport Maintenance)

4. IATA - Airport Master Planning - This 5 day course is run annually in Montreal. The next class is 20 Oct to 24 Oct 2014.  (Non-members USD3700, Members USD3145, Developing Countries USD2590)  There are also 4 other locations where the course will be offered as well in 2014.  Prague (31 Mar - 4 Apr), Beijing (16-20 Jun 2014), Singapore (1-5 Sep 2014), London (8-12 Dec 2014).

5. ACI-World - Airports Council International (ACI) Global Training also has a 5 day training course on Airport Master Planning. The next classes are 14-18 Jul 2014 and 17-21 Nov 2014 in Incheon, Korea (USD1450 members, USD2100 non-members).

No longer available / discontinued?
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1. UT Austin - 3 day course at UT-Austin. (Center for Lifelong Engineering Education, look under Civil/Transportation) Typically run in Aug/Sep time of the year. I think it has been going on for more than 10 years. There are also courses on Airport Pavements, Airport Engineering & Management, Airport Noise and Air Quality models. Each one is not always run annually. The last course was in 2010.  It seems to have discontinued.

2. Harvard - 3 day course last held in Jul 09 under the auspices of the Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education Program. Not sure if this is a one off. The theme was "Next Generation Airport Design: Toward a Customer Friendly, Efficient, Safe, and Secure Passenger Airport"

3. MIT Airport Systems Planning - This 5 day/3 day course was previously held every 2 years at MIT. It is from an Airports Systems perspective. The last one was in 2006. For some reason, there has not been one since then at MIT.  However, IAAE Canada has started conducted a annual training on 'Airport Systems Planning' using MIT Professor de Neuville book on Airport Systems.

ACI Online Learning Centre Diploma and Certificate Programs

Having researched airport planning and management courses available in previous posts, I decided to see what online options are available to airport planners and airport staff in general.

I have experienced online training recently in the following areas:
1.  US Airport Security badging process
2.  ACRP webinars
3.  Project Management Professional (PMP) certification process
4.  ANTN digicast Part 139 training and others

I find myself becoming an advocate of online training.  I still prefer face to face training because of the interaction between the instructor and myself, the interaction between course attendees and also the focused nature of whole day training without distractions of office and home.  However, there are distinct benefits of online training because it is substantially cheaper because there is no need to spend money on airline tickets and accommodation.  There is also the added benefit of being available at any time and any where.

Given that I am now outside the United States, I have started looking more carefully at non-US options given that US options tend to focus exclusively on the US Airport Industry and FAA Regulations rather than ICAO regulations.

The ACI Online Learning Centre (OLC) appears to be a good option.  (click here)  I have not had the opportunity to experience any of the courses but they appear to be the only game in town.  Their offices are in Australia and Canada so I expect that the training will be have an Australian and/or Canadian twist.

They offer 5 certificate programs:
1.  ACI Certificate in Airport Environmental Management 04 (Modules 1 to 7)
  - US$695, 14 to 20 hours
2.  ACI Certificate in Airside Operations (Modules 1 to 7)
  - US$695, 15 hours
3.  ACI Certificate in Concession Management (Modules 1 to 3)
  - US$395, 6 hours
4.  ACI Certificate in Project Management (9 modules)
  - US$950, 36 hours
5.  ACI Certificate in Terminal and Landside Operations (Module 1 to 6) (release date early 2013)
  - US$695 (regular) 625.50 (early bird,before 31 Dec 12),  15 hours

They also offer a diploma program:
1.  ACI Operations Diploma Program
  - US$1795 (regular), 1615.50 (early bird, before 31 Dec 12), 45 hours
The Diploma course is essentially 3 of the certificate courses:  Airside Operations, Terminal and Landside Operations (release date Q1 2013), Airport Business Operations (release date Q2 2013). 

None of the courses deal explicitly with Airport Planning but if you are looking for general airport information, the ACI operations diploma program looks like a good place to start learning about airports. ACI Global Training also offers 2 Airport Master Planning Courses, a 5 day option and a 3 day option.  (click here)

ACI OLC also offer other courses in Airport Safety and other areas which can be found in their course catalogue.  Click here.

Please check the ACI OLC course catalogue for the latest information and prices.

Airport Planning and Management Online Courses / Learning Options

There are two online learning options with regards to Airport Planning and Management that I would like to highlight - ANTN Digicast and ACI Online Training Centre (OLC).

In the United States, the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) has an online video training program called ANTN Digicast.  Click here for more information.

Many airports in the US have subscriptions to it.  This allows their employees to log on and watch various training videos from Part 139 to SIDA (Security Identification Display Area) Training to Movement Area Driver Training etc.  As with other aspects of airport planning and management, the videos are focused on FAA and US airports so it does not directly deal with ICAO or non-US airport aspects.

It operates on a monthly subscription model that ranges from $110 for a General Aviation Airport to $795 for a large hub airport.  There is also a non-airport (corporate) rate of $99.  ANTN has also recently established a pay per view option.

The second online learning option is the Online Learning Centre established by ACI.  Click here.  It is operated by Ceventas, a company based in Melbourne, Australia and Montreal, Canada.  This option would be more relevant for people working at non-US airports.  It operates on a pay-per-view model.

Ceventas was originally a subsidiary of Lochard, an Australian company that I was familiar with because of their noise monitoring equipment. 

They also provide training solutions for Queensland Airport and Canadian Airports through the Canadian Airports Online College supported by Winnipeg Airport Authority.  Click here.

A Selection of Books for an Airport Planning Library

I had done a post on the first Airport Planning Books I encountered.  I thought I would do a post about current Airport Planning Books and Airport Management Books that you might want to consider reading.  I have divided the selection into books suitable for US and Non-US audiences.

Books suitable for US and Non-US readers (covers both ICAO and FAA standards, US and non-US airports)

1.  Airport Engineering (Ashford) - Very readable with coverage of both ICAO and FAA standards.  The last edition was in 1992 so I am pleased that it has finally been updated.  This edition was published in 2011.

Publication Date End-2012

2.  Airport Operations (Ashford) - I enjoyed reading the 2nd edition published in 1999.  It has not been updated since then.  This 3rd edition is anticipated to be published at the end of 2012.  I am looking forward to reading the new edition.

Publication Date 2013, current 1st edition (2003)

3.  Airport Systems (de Neuville) -  FAA and American Airport references are the majority in this book but there is still a sizable amount of ICAO and non-US references.  This book is written from an operations research perspective.  It is not easy to read for a novice.

 Books primarily for non-US audience (ICAO and non-US standards)

4.  The Air Transport System (Hirst) - This is not an airport planning book but provides an airport planner with base knowledge of the air transport system. Written by a British author.

5.  Managing Airports (Graham) - This book is not about airport planning but might be useful for airport planners to understand how airports are managed.  Written by a British author.

6.  The independent airport planning manual (Bradley) - I have not read this book but the blurb for the books says that the author was the editor for the IATA Airport Development Reference Manual.

Books primarily for US audience (FAA and US airport-centric)

7.  Airport Planning & Management (Young, Wells) - This is a very readable book and an easy read, good for beginners.  It is updated regularly.  However, it is written for a US audience so a reader outside the US might not find all the information in the book applicable for their context.

8.  Planning & Design of Airports (Horonjeff) -  This is a classic for Airport Engineers.  I have not read it recently but based on my memory, it was heavy on the civil engineering side. 

9.  Airport Planning A Practical Guide for Planners and Airport Managers (Bezilla) - This book was written by the former Director of Planning and Environmental Services of Baltimore Airport.

What is the best book to learn about managing an Airport?

If you want to learn about the various aspects of Airport Management in the United States, I would point you to the American Association of American Executives' (AAAE) Body of Knowledge (BOE).

The BOE is made up of 4 volumes about managing and operating an American Airport. The current version was published in 2010 so it is up to date. The BOE is the material used for testing for the AAAE's Accredited Airport Executive and Certified Member Programs. You must be on the programs in order to get access to the BOE.

1. Finance and Administration (151 pages)

2. Planning, Construction and Environmental (210 pages)

3. Airport Operations, Security and Maintenance (129 pages)

4. Legislative Affairs, Marketing and Communications, Air Service Development (73 pages)

Click here for an outline of the of each of the 4 volumes.

In my view, the BOE gives a more detailed view of managing and operating an airport whereas a college textbook like "Airport Planning & Management" by Seth Young gives a more broad overview of managing an airport. The BOE provides more specifics than a college textbook.

For an airport outside the United States, learning about the US system can be challenging because of there are many pieces of the puzzle but learning about how the US operates their airports can generate many potential learning points and ideas.

Related Posts:
Books for Airport Planners

Where do Airport Planners come from?

Another way to ask this question would be "How do I become an Airport Planner?".

Based on my experience, Airport Planners broadly come from 3 kinds of academic/professional backgrounds:

1. Engineering and Construction - Civil Engineering, Construction etc.

2. Urban Planning - Geography

3. Aviation/Operations - people who aspired to become pilots or were previously from Airport operations

Airport Planning Courses

Click here for latest update of this 'Airport Planning Courses' page

 
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If you are asking, where can I learn about airport planning? Here are some courses which I am aware of. Let me know if you are aware of any more out there.

(Updated 8 July, 2012)

United States
-----------------
1. UC Berkeley - Airport Systems Planning and Design.  Offered by National Center of Excellence for Aviation Operations Research (NEXTOR).  4 day course that tends to be held in Nov.  Look under short courses in the Nextor website. The next one is 8 Oct - 11 Oct 2012. (Early Bird USD1850, Standard Rate USD1950, FAA USD1000)

2. ACC/ACI-NA/FAA - Airport Planning Workshop - 3 day course. Held annually or once every 2 years.   First one was held in Dec 2009. The last one was 5 - 7 Dec 2011.  It tends to be jointly held with the NEPA workshop.  It is orientated to the US airport industry and rules.  (ACI USD590, Non-member USD690)

3. MIT - This 5 day/3 day course was held every 2 years. It is from an Airports Systems perspective. The last one was in 2006. For some reason, there has not been one since then.  IAAE Canada is hosting a 3 day Airport Systems course by MIT Professors de Neuville, Odoni and Belobaba from 22 - 24 Aug 2012 in Montreal. (click here) (CDN2500 non-members, CDN2250 members)

4. AAAE Accreditation or Certified Member - If you are American or work in the US Airport Industry, this is also a good option as it ties in with FAA regulations and the unique characteristics of the American Airport Industry.  It is a self-study program with a Multiple Choice exam.  There are 4 modules in the Body of Knowledge, one of them is pertaining to Planning, Construction and Environmental.  The other modules are Finance and Administration; Operations, Security and Maintenance; Legislative Affairs, Marketing and Communications, and Air Service Development.  There is also a week long course (AAE/Certification Academy) that helps you go through the material and prepare you for the exam.

In addition, there are a number of aviation schools throughout the country that use Alexander Wells book "Airport Planning and Management" as a textbook for their undergraduate classes.


International
---------------
1. Cranfield University - Cranfield offers a MSc Program in Airport Planning and Management. Most of the modules of the MSc Program are offered as 5 day short courses (GBP1370). Go to "Short Courses in Air Transport" to check it out. Cranfield MSc started when Loughborough University ended their MSc program which was running for more than 20 years.

2. Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA) - SAA is the training arm of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.  SAA has held Airport Engineering courses annually for many years.  They appear to be transitioning to a new 9 week Airport Engineering Programme jointly organised by Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Berkeley and Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA).  The next class is 30 Jul - 28 Sep 2012 (USD14,800).  There is also another class from 29 Jul to 27 Sep 2013. 

3. IATA - This 5 day course appears to be run annually in Montreal. The next class is 15 Oct to 19 Oct 2012.  (Non-members USD3700, Members USD3145, Developing Countries USD2590)

4. ACI-World - Airports Council International (ACI) Global Training also has a 3 day training course on Airport Master Planning. The next class is 17-19 Oct 2012 in Brussels (EUR650) and 7-11 Oct 2012 in Abu Dhabi (EUR1000).

No longer available / discontinued?
-------------------------------------------
1. UT Austin - 3 day course at UT-Austin. (Center for Lifelong Engineering Education, look under Civil/Transportation) Typically run in Aug/Sep time of the year. I think it has been going on for more than 10 years. There are also courses on Airport Pavements, Airport Engineering & Management, Airport Noise and Air Quality models. Each one is not always run annually. The last course was in 2010.  It seems to have discontinued.

2. Harvard - 3 day course last held in Jul 09 under the auspices of the Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education Program. Not sure if this is a one off. The theme was "Next Generation Airport Design: Toward a Customer Friendly, Efficient, Safe, and Secure Passenger Airport"

Related Posts:
Airport Planning and Management Online Training 

Books for Airport Planners
ACRP Reports for Airport Planners

Airport Journals and Magazines

My first Airport Planning Books

What is the best book to learn about managing an Airport (United States)

Airport Journals and Magazines

What magazines do Airport Planners read? Every month at the start of the month, a whole slew of magazines arrive. That's when I review my last month's magazines and decide that it's time to get that cleared off. My current strategy is to read it over lunchtime when I am eating. I hope that works.

My list of magazines not necessary in order of preference:
1. Airports International (UK based magazine, gives a more global perspective)
2. Airport (AAAE magazine I get because I am a AAAE member)
3. Business and Commercial Aviation
4. Air Transport World (more airline news)
5. Passenger Terminal World (UK based publication with nice pictures but quite a lot of advertisements)
6. Airport Business (US centric magazine. Have not got a physical copy for quite a while)

7. Centerlines (by ACI-NA)

8. Future Airport

Others
1. Jane's Airport Review (I don't receive it but would like to read it if I can get a complimentary copy)
2. Design & Construction Building
3. Planning (Magazine of the American Planning Association)
4. Airport World (ACI World)

Journals
1. Journal of Airport Management
2. Journal of Air Transportation

What other magazines do Airport Planners read? Let me know what you think.

Related Posts:
Books for Airport Planners

Cranfield University MSc Airport Planning & Management

Course video about the Cranfield University Masters in Airport Planning and Management. (Click here)

This is the successor course to the Loughborough University MSc (Airport Planning and Management) which had a history of more than 20 years. There are many graduates of that program. These graduates can be found throughout the world. (Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, Oceania etc.)

I believe that this is the only Airport Planning and Management Masters program in the English speaking world. Most of the modules are also offered as stand alone short courses.

My first Airport Planning Books

When I first started on this Airport planning journey 10 years ago, these were the first few books I came across.  Please note that all the books have new editions so please buy the latest editions.
Please see my post on current Airport Planning books (click here)

1. Airport Engineering (Norman Ashford)
- This edition was published in 1992.   I found it to be more readable than other airport engineering books when I first started. It gives a good international view rather than just an American view.  There is a new edition that was published in 2011.

2. Airport Planning and Management (Wells)
- An American view of US Airports and the US Airport System. but very easy to understand.  It is updated every few years.  There has been a new edition published so please make sure you buy the new edition.

3. Airport Operations (Ashford)
- This is the 1999 edition.  Again, very readable but unfortunately not updated.  There is a new edition expected to come out at the end of 2012.

4. Airport Systems (deNeuville)
- This is the 2003 edition.  A bit harder to understand than the other 3 books at first, but it gets better as you get used to the airport industry. A operations research point of view and it gives both an American and international view of the world with some comparison between the American and international ways of doing things.  There is a new edition expected to be published in 2013.