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New Satellite Concourse Provides Efficient Gate Expansion at Nashville Int’l
New Satellite Concourse Provides Efficient Gate Expansion at Nashville Int’l
To accommodate increased passenger demand, Nashville International Airport® (BNA®) recently constructed a standalone Satellite Concourse adjacent to its main terminal. The 89,000-square-foot structure opened in October 2023 and now houses operations primarily for Allegiant Air and Spirit Airlines.
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Dallas Fort Worth Int’l Bolsters Employee Security Screening Program
Dallas Fort Worth Int’l Bolsters Employee Security Screening Program
Efficiency and efficacy are the watchwords for employee security screening at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
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Denver Int’l Completes State-of-the-Art West Security Checkpoint
Denver Int’l Completes State-of-the-Art West Security Checkpoint
In the last two decades, passenger volume has nearly doubled at DEN, and security technology has changed considerably. As part of the airport’s Great Hall Program, a $2.1 billion capital improvement project, all checkpoints are moving up a level—both physically and technologically.
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Harry Reid Int’l Tests Self-Service Checkpoint
Harry Reid Int’l Tests Self-Service Checkpoint
For 23 years, TSA has screened passengers and their belongings at U.S. airports to help keep air travel safe. The traffic is staggering, with an average 2.5 million people passing through checkpoints at more than 430 airports each day, and even more during holidays and other surges.
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Safety Management Systems: Lessons from the Airline Sector
Safety Management Systems: Lessons from the Airline Sector
Nearly a decade ago, the FAA Safety Organization issued a final rule requiring Part 121 certificated operators—scheduled commercial airlines—to implement Safety Management Plans. The goal was to help carriers detect and correct safety risks before they become hazards.
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Historic Wildfires Prompt Kelowna Int’l to Move Commercial Flights From Day to Night
Historic Wildfires Prompt Kelowna Int’l to Move Commercial Flights From Day to Night
With wildfires raging throughout British Columbia last summer, two things kept Kelowna International Airport (YLW) ahead of the game: good working relationships with the provincial and national governments, and partners such as Nav Canada.
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Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Completes Five-Gate Addition
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Completes Five-Gate Addition
With an eye on growth and a heightened commitment to passenger comfort, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) unveiled a 30,000-square-foot terminal expansion in mid-February.
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New ARFF Facility Boosts Efficiency, Paves Way for New Terminal at Monterey Regional
New ARFF Facility Boosts Efficiency, Paves Way for New Terminal at Monterey Regional
A new $9.9 million aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) station is enhancing operational efficiency at Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), as well as providing a more comfortable environment for the personnel that call it home for days at a time.
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Punta Gorda Closes Runway, Powers Through Rebuild Project
Punta Gorda Closes Runway, Powers Through Rebuild Project
File it under “good things come to those who wait.” The roughly year-long reconstruction and rehabilitation of the primary runway at Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) was a welcome improvement that took patience, planning and lots of enabling projects.
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Moving Walkways Replace Decades-Old Monorail at Tampa Int’l
Moving Walkways Replace Decades-Old Monorail at Tampa Int’l
Guests at Tampa International Airport (TPA) can now use a series of moving walkways to quickly travel through the long-term parking garage to the adjacent main terminal, and vice versa.
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New Outdoor Deck Relieves Passenger Congestion at Charlottetown Airport
New Outdoor Deck Relieves Passenger Congestion at Charlottetown Airport
While some airports have struggled to recover passenger traffic lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, the opposite is true at Charlottetown Airport (YYG) on Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada. In 2023, the airport recorded 402,686 passengers—an increase of more than 18% from 2022.
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Southwest Hangar Complex at Gulf Shores Int’l is Full
Southwest Hangar Complex at Gulf Shores Int’l is Full
If Gulf Shores International Airport (JKA) were a hotel, management could hang up a “No Vacancy” sign regarding its available hangar space. Airport Director Justin Fletcher proudly reports that all 13 sites of JKA’s Southwest Corporate Hangar Complex are filled.
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Hawaii Provides State-Owned Airports with Online Platform for Environmental Systems Management
Hawaii Provides State-Owned Airports with Online Platform for Environmental Systems Management
Recognizing the need for robust environmental systems management, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Airports Division provides a cloud-based, no-code system for its 15 state-owned and state-operated airports.
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Art Without Borders - San Diego International Airport (SAN)
Art Without Borders - San Diego International Airport (SAN)
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is celebrating that longtime binational bond with a temporary art exhibit titled Espacios & Lines.
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Terminal Modernization at Boston Logan Has Passengers and Locals Seeing Red, But in a Good Way
Terminal Modernization at Boston Logan Has Passengers and Locals Seeing Red, But in a Good Way
Nearly 250 years after Paul Revere rode out of Boston warning of a pending advance by British Redcoats, a shimmering red coat of paint warmly welcomes international visitors to the modern airport in his colonial hometown.
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Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Enhances Facilities With Runway Extension & Other Improvements

Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Enhances Facilities With Runway Extension & Other Improvements
South Carolina’s historic Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport (SPA) has undergone an extreme makeover of sorts in the last seven years to enhance its economic development role and help it better compete with neighboring airports. The multi-project effort was capped by a $30 million runway rehabilitation and extension that opened in October 2018.

New Arrestor Bed at DeKalb-Peachtree Signals Industry Change

New Arrestor Bed at DeKalb-Peachtree Signals Industry Change
The recently completed engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) is significant because it provides Atlanta’s primary airport for business aircraft with an FAA-compliant runway safety zone. As one of the last U.S. installations by the system manufacturer, the project also has industrywide implications.

Mitchell Int’l First in Industry to Host Goodwill Internship Program

Mitchell Int’l First in Industry to Host Goodwill Internship Program
An internship program at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is literally changing lives by providing invaluable work experience for young adults with disabilities. The initiative also enhances the airport’s culture and provides concessionaires with a new pool of candidates to meet their workforce needs.

Charleston Int’l Blankets Pre-Security Areas With Gunshot Detection Sensors

Charleston Int’l Blankets Pre-Security Areas With Gunshot Detection Sensors
There’s a poignant art exhibit at Charleston International Airport (CHS) about the church shooting that rocked the South Carolina city in 2015. The memorial includes a Bible open to the passage that victims were studying the night of the tragedy. For most, the multimedia display is a tribute to the nine people killed and five wounded in the racially charged incident.

Love Field Improves Checked Bag Resolution Area & Invests in RFID Tracking

Love Field Improves Checked Bag Resolution Area & Invests in RFID Tracking
In late 2018, Dallas Love Field (DAL) wrapped up an $8.8 million renovation to ease congestion in its Checked Baggage Resolution Area (CBRA). Looking beyond traditional fixes, the project team deployed Mobile Inspection Tables to speed the area’s flow and improve conditions for the TSA personnel who work there.

Dynamic Digital Display Illuminates New Check-in Canopy at Richmond Int’l

Dynamic Digital Display Illuminates New Check-in Canopy at Richmond Int’l
When Richmond International Airport (RIC) built its new terminal in 2007, the original budget included funds for an array of state-of-the-art digital displays in the passenger check-in area. However, escalating construction costs and subsequent value engineering resulted in a much different outcome.

Denver Int’l Expands Bag Drop Options With Valet Service at Remote Parking Lots

Denver Int’l Expands Bag Drop Options With Valet Service at Remote Parking Lots
As a follow-up to its popular transit station bag drop, Denver International Airport (DEN) debuted free luggage drops at two remote parking lots in November. The new sites up the ante with valet-style service. Earlier this year, the parking lot bag drops were handling about 3,500 pieces of luggage per month.

O’Hare Builds Central Deicing Facility to Improve Ground Flow

O’Hare Builds Central Deicing Facility to Improve Ground Flow
If Tom Petty is right and waiting really is the hardest part, winters just got easier at O’Hare International Airport (ORD). A new aircraft deicing facility is helping carriers cycle gates more quickly by moving the crucial pre-flight process away from the terminal to the west side of the airport. As a result, passengers should spend less time waiting on the tarmac and in holdrooms.

Concourse Expansion at Charlotte Douglas Int’l Fuses Technology & Artistry

Concourse Expansion at Charlotte Douglas Int’l Fuses Technology & Artistry
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) claimed a spot on the industry’s architectural and design map for “placemaking” with a nine-gate concourse expansion it debuted last summer. Architects, designers, consultants and CLT staff collaborated to make the 230,000-square-foot development a destination in and of itself. Together, the team revolutionized the visual aspect of Concourse A with sweeping high-tech windows, digital artwork and new customer amenities.

Prevention Figures Prominently into FOD Program at Memphis Int’l

Prevention Figures Prominently into FOD Program at Memphis Int’l
Removing foreign object debris (FOD) from its four runways, 18 major taxiways, ramps and other airfield areas is a constant priority for the Tennessee airport. Last year alone, crews removed nearly 400 pieces of FOD, thus preventing the items from being ingested into aircraft engines and causing costly damage.

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FREE Whitepaper

Fairbanks International Airport Baggage Transport Conveyor Enhanced With Mod Drive™ System


Fairbanks International Airport Baggage Transport Conveyor Enhanced With Mod Drive™ System

Airports face a host of unique industry challenges, such as meeting efficiency regulations and seeking out the best maintenance practices to reduce costs and keep operations flowing. In today’s current economic climate, any potential cost savings can go a long way. 

In 2019, Alaska’s Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) sought to modernize its equipment and operations. They were dissatisfied with the performance of the gearmotors on their baggage transport conveyors and began searching for new suppliers. Regal approached FAI with a solution that could improve equipment performance and simplify maintenance, with the added benefit of energy cost savings: the Hub City® MOD Drive™ system.

This white paper discusses the hardware deployed, the test results and the annualized expectations for ROI.

 

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Norfolk Int’l Completes Nail-Biter Runway Rehab

Norfolk Int’l Completes Nail-Biter Runway Rehab
The first phase of a multi-part runway rehabilitation project was completed at Norfolk International Airport (ORF) last fall. The $15 million project was closely monitored by many, including commercial and cargo airlines that depend on the Virginia airport every day. vIn early August 2018, it closed Runway 5-23, and 178 workers and 76 pieces of equipment got to work.

Move Over Mardi Gras, New Orleans Int’l is Opening a New Terminal

Move Over Mardi Gras, New Orleans Int’l is Opening a New Terminal
Not that New Orleans needs a reason to party, but the opening of the new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY) will surely merit some hearty celebrations. After nearly four years of construction and four delays of the opening date, the new 35-gate facility is scheduled to open this fall. But before the music plays and confetti flies, the airport has to make the move to its new home on the north side of the airfield.

Appleton Int’l Renovates Terminal, Partners With Local Hospital

Appleton Int’l Renovates Terminal, Partners With Local Hospital
With annual passenger growth of 7% to 25% over the last four years, Appleton International Airport (ATW) knew it was time to renovate its sole terminal. Last year, ATW became the third-busiest airport in Wisconsin and Bloomberg News ranked it as the fourth-fastest growing airport in the country; but it was still operating out of a facility originally built in the 1960s.

Dynamic Parking Prices & Online Reservations Prove Popular at Ontario Int’l

Dynamic Parking Prices & Online Reservations Prove Popular at Ontario Int’l
Ontario International (ONT) wasn’t looking for a digital parking upgrade. In fact, the Southern California airport was focused on adding a new lounge. In the end, it got both by issuing a request for proposals with intentionally wide parameters

Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Enhances Facilities With Runway Extension & Other Improvements

Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Enhances Facilities With Runway Extension & Other Improvements
South Carolina’s historic Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport (SPA) has undergone an extreme makeover of sorts in the last seven years to enhance its economic development role and help it better compete with neighboring airports. The multi-project effort was capped by a $30 million runway rehabilitation and extension that opened in October 2018.

New Arrestor Bed at DeKalb-Peachtree Signals Industry Change

New Arrestor Bed at DeKalb-Peachtree Signals Industry Change
The recently completed engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) is significant because it provides Atlanta’s primary airport for business aircraft with an FAA-compliant runway safety zone. As one of the last U.S. installations by the system manufacturer, the project also has industrywide implications.

Mitchell Int’l First in Industry to Host Goodwill Internship Program

Mitchell Int’l First in Industry to Host Goodwill Internship Program
An internship program at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is literally changing lives by providing invaluable work experience for young adults with disabilities. The initiative also enhances the airport’s culture and provides concessionaires with a new pool of candidates to meet their workforce needs.

Charleston Int’l Blankets Pre-Security Areas With Gunshot Detection Sensors

Charleston Int’l Blankets Pre-Security Areas With Gunshot Detection Sensors
There’s a poignant art exhibit at Charleston International Airport (CHS) about the church shooting that rocked the South Carolina city in 2015. The memorial includes a Bible open to the passage that victims were studying the night of the tragedy. For most, the multimedia display is a tribute to the nine people killed and five wounded in the racially charged incident.

Love Field Improves Checked Bag Resolution Area & Invests in RFID Tracking

Love Field Improves Checked Bag Resolution Area & Invests in RFID Tracking
In late 2018, Dallas Love Field (DAL) wrapped up an $8.8 million renovation to ease congestion in its Checked Baggage Resolution Area (CBRA). Looking beyond traditional fixes, the project team deployed Mobile Inspection Tables to speed the area’s flow and improve conditions for the TSA personnel who work there.

Dynamic Digital Display Illuminates New Check-in Canopy at Richmond Int’l

Dynamic Digital Display Illuminates New Check-in Canopy at Richmond Int’l
When Richmond International Airport (RIC) built its new terminal in 2007, the original budget included funds for an array of state-of-the-art digital displays in the passenger check-in area. However, escalating construction costs and subsequent value engineering resulted in a much different outcome.

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Publisher's Blog

What’s in a Name?
I’m all for improving our airports. But do new names necessarily make them better?
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Industry Insider

Cyberattacks on the Aviation Sector: Threats, Trends and Strategies
The aviation industry has been a prime target for nefarious cyberattacks over the last few years.
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Project Nominations

Know of a project that should be covered in a future issue of Airport Improvement?

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Art Without Borders - San Diego International Airport (SAN)
Art Without Borders - San Diego International Airport (SAN)
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is celebrating that longtime binational bond with a temporary art exhibit titled...
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