- Gold Coast Airport (OOL) Master Plan (at the bottom of the linked webpage)
Friday, December 31, 2010
Links to Major Canadian Airport Master Plans and Development Plans
Click on the document names to go to the relevant webpage.
- Ottawa International Airport (YOW) Master Plan (powerpoint and open house)
Links to United States Airport Master Plans
The airports in the United States are typically owned by the government. From ACRP reports, this breaks down to approximately one third City Governments (e.g. City of Chicago, City of Atlanta, City of Houston), one third Airport Authorities (e.g. Nashville, Raleigh-Durham) and the rest are owned by other type of governments. (e.g.Honolulu-state government, Fort Lauderdale-Broward County)
Because of this, many of the airports make their Airport Master Plans available to the public on the internet. I have done a search for them and have placed links to them here for your convenience. Most of the Airports are the largest 50 airports by passenger numbers but I have included a few of the smaller airports as well. Most of them link to the full master plans, some to summaries. Click on the Airport Name to assess the relevant webpages.
- Detroit Airport Master Plan (DTW)
- Honolulu Airport (HNL)
- Lincoln Airport Master Plan (LNK)
- Memphis Airport Master Plan (MEM)
- Nashville Airport Master Plan (BNA)
- Oakland Airport Master Plan (OAK)
- South Suburban Airport Master Plan (Chicago)
- Cleveland Hopkins Airport Master Plan (CLE) (in progress)
- Philadelphia International Airport Master Plan (PHL) (in progress)
Let me know if any of the links are broken. Thanks.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
What do Airport Planners do? Profile of an Airport Planner at Atlanta Airport
This is in the context of the American Airport Industry. This video I found on Youtube profiles an Airport Planner working at Atlanta Airport, the busiest airport in the world. Click here.
Airport Planners that work for consultants and those that work for an airport do different things. Broadly, the Airport Planners working for Airports do the upfront work and scope out the work that enable a Request for Proposal (RFP) to be issued to the consultant community. The consultant airport planner is hired for a specific task or tasks. The Client Airport Planner represents the Airport and works with the consultant to achieve the goals outlined by the Airport.
The work done by Airport Planners at Airports vary depending on how the airport is organized, the stage the facility is in (old, new), what is the immediate pressing problem (noise, airfield capacity etc.). It also depends on whether the airport does the work in-house or not.
What does an Airport Planning Consultant look like?
This is not an endorsement for this airport planning consultant firm but I thought it would be interesting for people unfamiliar with the airport planning industry to watch a video about an airport planning consultant firm. Click here.
The other players in the industry include Leigh Fisher, AECOM, PBS&J, URS, RS&H, Ricondo, HNTB etc. Check out Airport Consultants Council for a full listing.
Each of them are strong in different regions and have varying specialties. Also, the staff move between companies and the companies merge so there is always constant change. Some of the companies only do airport planning while others run the whole gamut.
Tokyo Narita Airport's uncompleted second Runway
Ever wondered about why the Tokyo Narita Airport has a short and uncompleted second runway? There are 8 farmers that are still living on land where the rest of the second runway is supposed to be. Click here for the Youtube video that gives some background on this.
Airport Planning Presentation: Implications for South Florida in the Next 20 years
This presentation was posted on Nov 17, 2010 posted by Florida Atlantic University. Jamie and Dan are Airport Planners at Fort Lauderdale (FLL). Their presentation about airport planning comes in six parts on Youtube.
The audience appears to be urban planners involved in City Planning which are not familiar with airport planning so this is a good introduction to Airport Planning.
The sound quality is not very good but should be OK if you use headphones.
The first portion gives an introduction to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Airport. Then it goes through general airport planning: Airport System, Purpose of Planning, Airspace, Airfield Planning, Noise, Bird strikes, Solar, Terminal Space Planning, Ground Transportation, Security.
The third portion is about Fort Lauderdale Airport and the Master Plan Process and upcoming Construction Projects.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sustainable Aviation Resource Guide by SAGA
If you are looking for resources about Airport Sustainability in the US, this is a good place to start - Sustainable Aviation Guidance Alliance (SAGA) website. (click here)
Who are they?
"The Sustainable Aviation Guidance Alliance (SAGA) is a broad volunteer coalition of aviation interests formed in 2008 to assist airport operators of all sizes in planning, implementing, and maintaining a sustainability program."
They have published a 57 page Sustainable Aviation Resource Guide. (click here)
Airports in Asia
I have started another blog with an emphasis on Southeast Asian Airports. Check it out.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Closing an airport - Edmonton City Centre Airport
I had written earlier about the closing of the municipal airports and what they had become. (Austin Mueller and Denver Stapleton). Closing an airport is never straightforward. There people who want the municipal airport closed when the bigger newer airport further from the city is opened and there are others who want the smaller airport near the city center to stay open.
Edmonton in Alberta Canada is a case in point. The larger airport was opened in 1960. In 1995, it was decided that all scheduled jet passenger service will be consolidated at the larger airport (Edmonton International Airport-EIA). EIA is located 16 miles (26km) from downtown Edmonton.
The Edmonton City Centre Airport plays an important role in air ambulance service for the province of Alberta and for general aviation. It also host aviation related activities. However, it hinders commercial development in the downtown area as the 2 runways causes significant height restrictions that prevents the growth of the downtown area. The Airport is in the top left corner of the picture and the downtown area is in the bottom right corner of the picture on the north bank of the river.
In 2009, the City Council decided on a phased closure of the airport and on Aug 3, 2010, the north-south runway (16/34) was closed.
From the Edmonton City Government website:
City Council voted in July 2009 to implement a phased closure of the City Centre Airport after 18 months of study, analysis and public input.
Status quo was not an option:
- one of the runways would have required up to $10M in capital upgrades to remain operational other upgrades were estimated at up to $35M over the next 5-10 years
- revisiting the cap on passenger traffic would have incurred significant legal liabilities
Current status:
- One runway has been closed, one runway remains open.
- The open runway can remain operational until Council determines the land is needed for redevelopment, based on market demand.
- Air ambulance services (mostly patient transfer) continue to operate at the City Centre Airport, and can do so for the foreseeable future.
Why close?
In making their decision, Council requested an analysis of five main perspectives: historical importance, economic impact, market feasibility, medevac, and public consultation.
Council also discussed the potential of the land for the citizens of Edmonton. Redeveloping the land into a family-focused, residential/commercial community that will be a world leader in environmental, cosmopolitan development would benefit Edmonton by:
- helping rein in urban sprawl and create family-focused neighbourhoods in the heart of our city
- modeling an environmentally sustainable community where people can walk to their work, amenities, parks, recreation and services.
- eliminating height restrictions on development elsewhere in the downtown core.
- increasing revenue to the City over the long term (between $91M and $486M), which helps reduce the burden on taxpayers. The City received $1.1M in taxes annually from businesses on the land.
Council voted for a phased closure of the airport, over time, with the following considerations:
Medevac:
- Changes to medevac will only occur when Alberta Health Services has sufficient plans and facilities in place to ensure patient safety and undisrupted service.
- Emergency helicopters can land at Edmonton hospital helipads. The majority of air ambulance flights that land at the City Centre airport are fixed-wing aircraft that carry patients for medical appointments.
Economic impact
- The City will be the land developer and gain the revenue from the development and from business and property tax.
- The Edmonton Economic Development Corporation supports the closure of the Edmonton City Centre Airport (ECCA) because the redevelopment of the ECCA land "is in the economic best interest of the city." Read more
Redevelopment:
- The City has announced five finalists in an international design competition for the lands. Each will receive a $50,000 honorarium for further developing their proposals, but the 33 submissions did not receive any payment.
- The public will have the chance to review the design proposals and public consultation will help shape the final neighbourhood development.
Environment:
- Remediation would have to occur regardless of future use of the land - as an airport or neighbourhood.
- From preliminary tests, which covered more than half the property, only three small areas may have limited environmental contamination.
Historical importance and preservation
- The City will incorporate our aviation heritage in the community development, such as with street and neighbourhood naming, and by using aviation facilities for museum space.
- The Aviation Museum is an integral part of our City’s heritage and the City aims to enhance the museum’s role and to advance the concept of a Mall of Museums on the site.
You can get a taste of the ongoing situation at the following links:
Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) aka Whole Body Imaging
There has been a lot of discussion recently about Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines at TSA checkpoints for passenger screening. These were formerly known as Whole Body Imaging (WBI) machines. There are basically two types of machines that have been deployed. The first is made by Rapiscan and the second by L-3.
Rapiscan Secure 1000 Single Pose deployed at airports requires 2 Rapiscan Secure 1000s.
This presentation gives a good summary about AIT and the AT machines and its impact on existing facilities. (click here)
The following is an extract from the presentation by Gresham, Smith and Partners at the ACI Operations/Technical Spring Conference 2010:
•AIT Portals can add from 1400 lbs to 2000 lbs of additional structural load per scanner
•AT X-ray can add from 1200 lbs to 2100 lbs of additional structural load per x-ray
•Existing checkpoint footprints may need to increased to accommodate advanced technologies
•AIT throughput can impact queuing lengths and wait times
Fitch Ratings - Criteria for Airports
Financing is a important part of airport development. Bond Ratings by companies (e.g.Fitch Ratings) determine the ability to sell the bonds and the interest rates among other things. I came across this in an Airport Business Article that talked about the Fitch Ratings' Criteria for Airports. (click here)
The following is an extract from the 24 page Fitch Ratings Article "Criteria for Airport". It requires a registration (that is free) to access. Please register with them to read the full article.
" This criteria report provides an overview of Fitch Ratings’ analytical approach to evaluate debt issued by airports across the globe and should be read in conjunction with the agency’s report, “Rating Criteria for Infrastructure and Project Finance”, published on 16 August 2010 at www.fitchresearch.com. The rating levels discussed in this report relate to Fitch’s international credit rating scale and reflect standalone creditworthiness without considering external credit enhancement or government support.
The criteria apply both to standalone airports and multi-airport systems in full operation with an active commercial service and an operational history. They also apply to multiple forms of ownership, governance, and legal status, whether in the form of a listed company, private corporation, special-purpose project company, or public law entity. The criteria also cover specific rating drivers for new airport construction or those airport-related facilities that have substantial construction and completion risks. In such cases, the rating rationale may be influenced more by completion-related factors.
For standalone project financings within an airport (i.e. non-recourse terminals, fuel facilities, rental car centers, and cargo facilities), the ownership framework, structural protections, and completion risk will be more relevant rating considerations than is the case for financings secured by a broad pledge of airport revenue. The corporate rating of key counterparties and corporate tenants, as well as the legal or economic ability to substitute defaulting or departing tenants, will also play a central role in analyzing such financings.
Two critical concepts are developed throughout the criteria: 1) the resilience of demand; and 2) airport flexibility to offset historical volatility associated with the airline industry. Each individual airport will have varying degrees of resilience and flexibility. The stronger credits tend to be the large gateway and hub airports as they demonstrate less volatile demand and more flexibility in recovering costs from airline counterparties and maintaining stable net revenues. Regional airports and secondary hubs are generally more volatile and have less financial flexibility. Fitch’s ratings reflect a combination of relative volatility and flexibility that is strengthened or weakened by degrees of financial risk, structural protections, and leverage."
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There is also a cross reference to another 24 page report "Rating Criteria for Infrastructure and Project Finance" by Fitch Ratings. The following is an extract. Please register with them to read the full article.
" Fitch Ratings’ rating approach to infrastructure and project finance debt instruments is used where repayment is dependent upon cash flows from the construction, operation and in some cases handover of a standalone project (which may encompass several project assets in different locations). Additionally, for these criteria to apply, the assets and operation of the project would be within a project vehicle or achieve an equivalent segregation of project cash flows such as a separate enterprise fund within a governmental entity; in either case referred to as a single‐purpose project (SPP) in this report. Such projects typically arise in the power, transportation, telecommunications, oil and gas, industrial, mining and social infrastructure sectors.
Fitch’s analysis firstly addresses the potential of the project to generate a stable cash flow based on its legal framework and fundamental economics together with any political or macroeconomic risks. The agency then considers the financial structure to form an opinion on the capacity of those cash flows to service the rated debt instruments in accordance with their terms. Some risk factors in this report may not always be applicable depending upon the nature of the project or debt instrument.
Fitch’s global infrastructure and project finance ratings under these criteria are assigned to individual debt instruments and are therefore issue ratings. They take account of timeliness of payment, reflecting the instrument’s terms, and do not incorporate recovery prospects given a default.
When analysing the project, a Fitch analyst will consider factors such as project rationale, the sponsor and legal structure, completion risk, technology risk, operating and maintenance risk plus risks to project gross revenue from volume, price or availability. Sovereign, political and industry risks are also considered here together with future capital expenditure and information quality. Risk allocation is a key feature of project finance and Fitch will assess its impact on the SPP, as appropriate for each risk factor, which in most cases will include a minimum level of creditworthiness consistent with the significance of the allocated risk."
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