Current Issue...

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.
READ MORE
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).
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
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.
READ MORE
Pause

Prepaid Parking Online Enhances Customer Experience, Boosts Revenues at Dallas Fort Worth Int’l

Prepaid Parking Online Enhances Customer Experience, Boosts Revenues at Dallas/Fort Worth Int’l
Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW), Air Transport World’s 2019 Airport of the Year, added online prepaid parking to its list of cutting-edge services for travelers last spring, and the program is exceeding all expectations. It’s also helping increase the amount of parking revenue DFW collects.

Proactive Fleet Management & Fiscal Prudence Keep Montréal Trudeau Int’l Prepared for Snowy Challenges

Proactive Fleet Management & Fiscal Prudence Keep Montréal Trudeau Int’l Prepared for Snowy Challenges
Winters at Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) are nothing to trifle with. Snow removal crews provide 24/7 coverage for the airfield from mid-November to mid-April. That’s five long months of physically demanding work in cold, sometimes punishingly frigid, conditions.

Mineta San Jose Int’l Partners with U.S. Customs & Border Protection on Facial Recognition Systems to Screen Arriving & Departing Int’l Passengers

Mineta San Jose Int’l Partners with U.S. Customs & Border Protection on Facial Recognition Systems to Screen Arriving & Departing Int’l Passengers
As the gateway to Silicon Valley, it’s natural for Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) to leverage technology, researched and developed by local tech companies, to solve everyday passenger processing challenges. Of late, the California airport is using biometric facial recognition technology to screen international passengers and is leading the way for other U.S. airports to follow.

Colorado Aeronautics Division Makes Pavement Preservation a Priority

Colorado Aeronautics Division Makes Pavement Preservation a Priority
When it comes to runway renovations and other projects, officials at general aviation airports in Colorado are especially fortunate, because the state regularly offers proactive financial and technical assistance. The Division of Aeronautics, a branch of the Colorado Department of Transportation, makes resources available to many of the state’s 74 public use airports.

Kansas City Int’l Test Drives Asset Management Software in Maintenance Facility

Kansas City Int’l Test Drives Asset Management Software in Maintenance Facility
In November 2017, local residents voted in favor of building a new terminal at Kansas City International Airport (MCI), with a resounding 75% saying yes to the project. The terminal is scheduled to open at the end of 2023 on the site of the now-closed Terminal A.

San Antonio Int’l Solicits Broad Community Involvement for 50-year Master Plan San Antonio Int’l Solicits Broad Community Involvement for 50-year Master Plan

San Antonio Int’l Solicits Broad Community Involvement for 50-year Master Plan
When it came time for San Antonio International Airport (SAT) to update its master plan, officials knew that many in the growing city felt there was no room left to expand at the airport’s current site. One reason for the debate was the tremendous growth that has taken place at SAT since airport officials turned their focus to securing new air service in 2015.

San Diego Int’l Takes In-House Approach to Energy Management

San Diego Int’l Takes In-House Approach to Energy Management
At San Diego International Airport (SAN), energy planning and management runs in parallel with sustainability goals. As the airport has grown in recent years, officials identified the need for increased utility capacity and redundancy.

Denver Int’l Takes Deep Dive into Power System to Ensure Reliability & Resilience

Denver Int’l Takes Deep Dive into Power System to Ensure Reliability & Resilience
Like many other airports throughout the industry, Denver International (DEN) was unnerved when Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) experienced a massive power outage in December 2017. In addition to causing an 11-hour blackout at the nation’s busiest airport, the outage impacted air travel throughout the country and prompted airports around the globe to take a second look at their own power systems.

LaGuardia Opens New Concourse in Terminal B

LaGuardia Opens New Concourse in Terminal B
When the Western Concourse is completed, Terminal B will include a total of 35 gates and feature dual pedestrian bridges that span active taxi lanes and connect the main departures and arrivals hall (known as the headhouse) with the two island concourses. In all, there is 1.3 million square feet of new space. The larger project also includes a central hall, central heating and refrigeration plant, parking garage, associated airside development, roadway/bridge infrastructure serving the entire airport and utility upgrades.

Paine Field Adds Commercial Service in Stylish New Terminal

Paine Field Adds Commercial Service
After decades serving business and general aviation traffic, Paine Field-Snohomish County Airport (PAE) is adding scheduled passenger service out of a polished new terminal owned and operated by a private operator. The Everett, WA, airport will have 24 daily roundtrip flights to nine western U.S. markets when its schedule is in full swing this spring.

Pages

2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Report of Achievement

Giving back to the community is central to what Charlotte Douglas International Airport and its operator, the City of Charlotte Aviation Department, is about, and last year was no different. 

Throughout 2022, while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued our efforts to have a positive impact on the Charlotte community. Of particular note, we spent the year sharing stories of how Connections Don't Just Happen at the Terminal - from creating homeownership and employment opportunities to supporting economic growth through small-business development and offering outreach programs to help residents understand the Airport better.

This whitepaper highlights the construction projects, initiatives, programs and events that validate Charlotte Douglas as a premier airport.

Download the whitepaper: 2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Report of Achievement.

 

 

Featured Video

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.

Prepaid Parking Online Enhances Customer Experience, Boosts Revenues at Dallas Fort Worth Int’l

Prepaid Parking Online Enhances Customer Experience, Boosts Revenues at Dallas/Fort Worth Int’l
Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW), Air Transport World’s 2019 Airport of the Year, added online prepaid parking to its list of cutting-edge services for travelers last spring, and the program is exceeding all expectations. It’s also helping increase the amount of parking revenue DFW collects.

Proactive Fleet Management & Fiscal Prudence Keep Montréal Trudeau Int’l Prepared for Snowy Challenges

Proactive Fleet Management & Fiscal Prudence Keep Montréal Trudeau Int’l Prepared for Snowy Challenges
Winters at Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) are nothing to trifle with. Snow removal crews provide 24/7 coverage for the airfield from mid-November to mid-April. That’s five long months of physically demanding work in cold, sometimes punishingly frigid, conditions.

Mineta San Jose Int’l Partners with U.S. Customs & Border Protection on Facial Recognition Systems to Screen Arriving & Departing Int’l Passengers

Mineta San Jose Int’l Partners with U.S. Customs & Border Protection on Facial Recognition Systems to Screen Arriving & Departing Int’l Passengers
As the gateway to Silicon Valley, it’s natural for Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) to leverage technology, researched and developed by local tech companies, to solve everyday passenger processing challenges. Of late, the California airport is using biometric facial recognition technology to screen international passengers and is leading the way for other U.S. airports to follow.

Colorado Aeronautics Division Makes Pavement Preservation a Priority

Colorado Aeronautics Division Makes Pavement Preservation a Priority
When it comes to runway renovations and other projects, officials at general aviation airports in Colorado are especially fortunate, because the state regularly offers proactive financial and technical assistance. The Division of Aeronautics, a branch of the Colorado Department of Transportation, makes resources available to many of the state’s 74 public use airports.

Kansas City Int’l Test Drives Asset Management Software in Maintenance Facility

Kansas City Int’l Test Drives Asset Management Software in Maintenance Facility
In November 2017, local residents voted in favor of building a new terminal at Kansas City International Airport (MCI), with a resounding 75% saying yes to the project. The terminal is scheduled to open at the end of 2023 on the site of the now-closed Terminal A.

San Antonio Int’l Solicits Broad Community Involvement for 50-year Master Plan San Antonio Int’l Solicits Broad Community Involvement for 50-year Master Plan

San Antonio Int’l Solicits Broad Community Involvement for 50-year Master Plan
When it came time for San Antonio International Airport (SAT) to update its master plan, officials knew that many in the growing city felt there was no room left to expand at the airport’s current site. One reason for the debate was the tremendous growth that has taken place at SAT since airport officials turned their focus to securing new air service in 2015.

Featured Video

Digital Issue:

May/June Digital Issue

Connect

Twitter



Publisher's Blog

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

# # #

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.
more >>

Project Nominations

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

Artscapes

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...
more >>

# # #

# # #

# # #

# # #

# # #

# # #

# # #

# # #


# # #
 

# # #