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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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Central Nebraska Regional Builds New ARFF Station for New Fire Truck

Central Nebraska Regional Builds New ARFF Station for New Fire Truck
Central Nebraska Regional Airport (GRI) was ready to retire its old 1982 Oshkosh fire truck. But when airport officials considered replacing it with a new Oshkosh Striker 4x4, they realized they had a “big” problem: The existing aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) facility would be too small for the new equipment. Their solution? Build a bigger new station.

Symbiotic Relationship With State University Helps Propel Salina Regional Into the Future

Symbiotic Relationship With State University Helps Propel Salina Regional Into the Future
Some say that when one door closes, another one opens. Turns out that when one Air Force base closes, a lot of doors can open. Salina Regional Airport (SLN), located about 175 miles west of Kansas City, is currently a thriving municipal airport fed by a busy industrial park and a satellite campus of Kansas State University. But that wasn’t always the case.

Improvements to Bulk Fuel Farm at JFK Int’l Include First New Tanks in Almost 50 Years

Improvements to Bulk Fuel Farm at JFK Int’l Include First New Tanks in Almost 50 Years
Beatlemania, bell bottoms and lava lamps. These were all the rage in the ’60s, when most of the bulk fuel farm at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) was built. It contains 62 tanks varying from 250,000 to 500,000 gallons each because it was designed for the way airlines worked at the time, with different grades of jet fuel and fuels with different tax status stored separately. But today, with comingled fuel and improved metering technology, the fuel farm is just as outdated as bell bottoms.

Dulles Int’l Adds Separate Pickup Area for TNC Traffic

Dulles Int’l Adds Separate Pickup Area for TNC Traffic
Recognizing the need to improve ground transportation flow, the airport operations team zeroed in on traffic from app-based transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Lyft and Uber. In mid-August, IAD debuted what it calls the third curb, an area dedicated solely to TNC pickups. The new system is designed not only to relieve congestion at the curb, but also to make it easier for passengers using app-based ride services to connect with their drivers.

New Concourse Positions Eagle County Regional for Growth

New Concourse Positions Eagle County Regional for Growth
Construction moved ahead, but not without challenges. From the airport’s perspective, it was crucial for the project team to communicate frequently and coordinate effectively to keep daily operations running smoothly. Hensel Phelps stressed the importance of updating stakeholders about the construction schedule, especially when work transitioned between the two phases.

Paine Field Saves Time & Money by Fast-Tracking Ramp Repairs

Paine Field Saves Time & Money by Fast-Tracking Ramp Repairs
Paine Field (PAE), just north of Seattle, saved an estimated quarter of a million dollars and two months of time on recent ramp repairs by suspending commercial passenger flights and closing the terminal to complete the project while traffic was already slow due to COVID-19. The strategy also spared its airlines and passengers the service disruptions such work typically causes.

Regina Int’l Boosts Concessions Sales With Interim Renovations

Regina Int’l Boosts Concessions Sales With Interim Renovations
Late last year, Regina International Airport (YQR) in Saskatchewan added a glass wall, and concessions sales promptly jumped. Liquor sales doubled, and post-security food receipts increased by more than 50%. By installing the new wall, the Canadian airport shifted the crucial dividing line between its pre- and post-security areas, and increased the volume and variety of food service options for passengers after they clear the screening checkpoint.

Huntsville Int’l Completes Comprehensive Security Upgrade

Huntsville Int’l Completes Comprehensive Security Upgrade
Huntsville International (HSV) didn’t plan for its new security system to go live during one of the greatest periods of unrest the U.S. has seen. But that’s how the project schedule unfolded. The new $9 million integrated security system was commissioned in January, reaffirming the Alabama airport’s commitment to protect the flying public no matter what is going on.

Baggage Handling Takes Center Stage at Salt Lake City Int’l

Baggage Handling Takes Center Stage at Salt Lake City Int’l
When Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) opened the first phase of its $4.1 billion redevelopment project in mid-September, one of the most critical aspects had been commissioned about six months earlier. It was imperative for the new baggage handling system to be ready to serve passengers on day one, and SLC officials report that it came through in spades.

Fitchburg Municipal Courts Bizjets With Longer Runway & 24/7 Fuel

Fitchburg Municipal Courts Bizjets With Longer Runway & 24/7 Fuel
Recognizing its airport’s potential as an economic magnet, the city of Fitchburg, MA, recently built a new runway capable of handling corporate jets. The $14.7 million project was backed and largely financed by the FAA. Fitchburg Municipal Airport (FIT) opened the new 5,001-foot runway in late May. It replaces a 30-year-old, 4,510-foot runway that had large cracks and was disintegrating in spots.

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Featured Video

Improvements to Bulk Fuel Farm at JFK Int’l Include First New Tanks in Almost 50 Years

Improvements to Bulk Fuel Farm at JFK Int’l Include First New Tanks in Almost 50 Years
Beatlemania, bell bottoms and lava lamps. These were all the rage in the ’60s, when most of the bulk fuel farm at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) was built. It contains 62 tanks varying from 250,000 to 500,000 gallons each because it was designed for the way airlines worked at the time, with different grades of jet fuel and fuels with different tax status stored separately. But today, with comingled fuel and improved metering technology, the fuel farm is just as outdated as bell bottoms.

Dulles Int’l Adds Separate Pickup Area for TNC Traffic

Dulles Int’l Adds Separate Pickup Area for TNC Traffic
Recognizing the need to improve ground transportation flow, the airport operations team zeroed in on traffic from app-based transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Lyft and Uber. In mid-August, IAD debuted what it calls the third curb, an area dedicated solely to TNC pickups. The new system is designed not only to relieve congestion at the curb, but also to make it easier for passengers using app-based ride services to connect with their drivers.

New Concourse Positions Eagle County Regional for Growth

New Concourse Positions Eagle County Regional for Growth
Construction moved ahead, but not without challenges. From the airport’s perspective, it was crucial for the project team to communicate frequently and coordinate effectively to keep daily operations running smoothly. Hensel Phelps stressed the importance of updating stakeholders about the construction schedule, especially when work transitioned between the two phases.

Paine Field Saves Time & Money by Fast-Tracking Ramp Repairs

Paine Field Saves Time & Money by Fast-Tracking Ramp Repairs
Paine Field (PAE), just north of Seattle, saved an estimated quarter of a million dollars and two months of time on recent ramp repairs by suspending commercial passenger flights and closing the terminal to complete the project while traffic was already slow due to COVID-19. The strategy also spared its airlines and passengers the service disruptions such work typically causes.

Regina Int’l Boosts Concessions Sales With Interim Renovations

Regina Int’l Boosts Concessions Sales With Interim Renovations
Late last year, Regina International Airport (YQR) in Saskatchewan added a glass wall, and concessions sales promptly jumped. Liquor sales doubled, and post-security food receipts increased by more than 50%. By installing the new wall, the Canadian airport shifted the crucial dividing line between its pre- and post-security areas, and increased the volume and variety of food service options for passengers after they clear the screening checkpoint.

Huntsville Int’l Completes Comprehensive Security Upgrade

Huntsville Int’l Completes Comprehensive Security Upgrade
Huntsville International (HSV) didn’t plan for its new security system to go live during one of the greatest periods of unrest the U.S. has seen. But that’s how the project schedule unfolded. The new $9 million integrated security system was commissioned in January, reaffirming the Alabama airport’s commitment to protect the flying public no matter what is going on.

Baggage Handling Takes Center Stage at Salt Lake City Int’l

Baggage Handling Takes Center Stage at Salt Lake City Int’l
When Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) opened the first phase of its $4.1 billion redevelopment project in mid-September, one of the most critical aspects had been commissioned about six months earlier. It was imperative for the new baggage handling system to be ready to serve passengers on day one, and SLC officials report that it came through in spades.

Sign of the Times - San Diego International (SAN)

Sign of the Times - San Diego International (SAN)
Leave it to San Diego International (SAN) to commission artwork specifically for the age of COVID-19.

Fitchburg Municipal Courts Bizjets With Longer Runway & 24/7 Fuel

Fitchburg Municipal Courts Bizjets With Longer Runway & 24/7 Fuel
Recognizing its airport’s potential as an economic magnet, the city of Fitchburg, MA, recently built a new runway capable of handling corporate jets. The $14.7 million project was backed and largely financed by the FAA. Fitchburg Municipal Airport (FIT) opened the new 5,001-foot runway in late May. It replaces a 30-year-old, 4,510-foot runway that had large cracks and was disintegrating in spots.

Noise Study at San Diego Int’l Reveals Surprising Results

Noise Study at San Diego Int’l Reveals Surprising Results
Plenty of unknown challenges emerged when COVID-19 turned the industry upside down in a matter of weeks. San Diego International Airport (SAN) also found an opportunity. While air traffic is at record lows due to the global pandemic, the metropolitan airport is analyzing how the noise data it routinely collects correlates with the number of noise complaints from the community. Spoiler alert: The relationship is not what you might expect.

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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?

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...
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