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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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Daytona Beach Int’l Rehabilitates Its Longest, Busiest Taxiway

Daytona Beach Int’l Rehabilitates Its Longest, Busiest Taxiway
After decades of continuous use by commercial and student aircraft, the taxiway parallel to the primary runway at Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) was exhibiting multiple pavement distresses. The most prominent issues were weathering and longitudinal and transverse cracking. Pavement cores revealed that many of the cracks extended completely through the asphalt.

When Funding Became Available, Harrisburg Int’l Was Ready to Go With Levee Project

When Funding Became Available, Harrisburg Int’l Was Ready to Go With Levee Project
The recent rehabilitation of an aging levee will help protect Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) from flooding for decades to come. In the meantime, the $22 million project also offers a valuable lesson about the benefits of planning ahead.

O’Hare Nearing End of Monumental Airfield Initiative

O’Hare Nearing End of Monumental Airfield Initiative
O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is in the final leg of a long journey to completely reconfigure its airfield. Soon, Chicago’s primary airport will have six east-west parallel runways and two crosswind runways—with far fewer intersections. Last November, ORD moved one step closer to an improved configuration when officials opened the airport’s first new runway since fall 2015.

St. Pete-Clearwater Int’l Expedites Rehab Project by Shifting Commercial Traffic to Crosswind Runway

St. Pete-Clearwater Int’l Expedites Rehab Project by Shifting Commercial Traffic to Crosswind Runway
When it came time for St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) to rehab its primary air carrier runway, closing the airfield was not an option. Officials needed a plan to keep commercial aircraft flying in and out of the Florida airport. Airport officials brainstormed with consulting engineer Kimley-Horn and other project partners to devise a way to complete most of the work during daytime hours.

San Diego Int’l Installs New Engineered Material Arresting System

San Diego Int’l Installs New Engineered Material Arresting System
SAN was nearing the end of a $10 million project to replace the aging engineered material arresting system (EMAS) at the departures end of its runway with a brand new model. The safety feature is a bed of crushable materials to help stop aircraft overruns. If a plane enters the bed, its tires will sink into the crushable materials to help decelerate the aircraft. The original EMAS was “aging out” right on schedule, and airport officials were thrilled that an aircraft had never entered it.

Huntingburg Airport Builds Highway Tunnel to Prepare for Next Runway Extension

Huntingburg Airport Builds Highway Tunnel to Prepare for Next Runway Extension
When corporate customers expressed a desire to operate larger, longer-range jets at Huntingburg Regional (HNB) Airport, Manager Travis McQueen found a way to provide the extra runway length they would need.

Runway Replica - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl. Airport (AVP)

Runway Replica - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl. Airport (AVP)
One of the most popular paintings at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl. strays far from the predictable fare of regional landscapes and local landmarks.

Homegrown Talent - Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL)

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is putting the spotlight on homegrown talent with an exhibit that features artwork by its employees and others who work at the South Florida airport.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is putting the spotlight on homegrown talent with an exhibit that features artwork by its employees and others who work at the South Florida airport.

Lincoln Airport Reaps Long-Term Benefits From Temporary Relocation of Air Force Base Operations

Lincoln Airport Reaps Long-Term Benefits From Temporary Relocation of Air Force Base Operations
The original runway at Offutt Air Force Base just south of Omaha, NE, was built back in 1941 and extended to its current 11,700-foot length in the mid-1950s. It received repairs in fits and starts during the intervening 80 years, and the Air Force finally decided it was time for a total overhaul four years ago. That set in motion a complex plan to temporarily relocate operations of the Air Force’s 55th Wing...

Airports Throughout Maine Roll Out New System to Record Aircraft Data

Airports Throughout Maine Roll Out New System to Record Aircraft Data
When an aircraft is involved in a crash, finding the “black box” flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder is imperative to subsequent investigations. If an accident takes place at a general aviation airport without a control tower, or when personnel are not on duty, it is much harder to analyze the communications and conditions that preceded the accident.

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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

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Featured Video

Huntingburg Airport Builds Highway Tunnel to Prepare for Next Runway Extension

Huntingburg Airport Builds Highway Tunnel to Prepare for Next Runway Extension
When corporate customers expressed a desire to operate larger, longer-range jets at Huntingburg Regional (HNB) Airport, Manager Travis McQueen found a way to provide the extra runway length they would need.

Runway Replica - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl. Airport (AVP)

Runway Replica - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl. Airport (AVP)
One of the most popular paintings at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl. strays far from the predictable fare of regional landscapes and local landmarks.

Homegrown Talent - Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL)

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is putting the spotlight on homegrown talent with an exhibit that features artwork by its employees and others who work at the South Florida airport.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is putting the spotlight on homegrown talent with an exhibit that features artwork by its employees and others who work at the South Florida airport.

Lincoln Airport Reaps Long-Term Benefits From Temporary Relocation of Air Force Base Operations

Lincoln Airport Reaps Long-Term Benefits From Temporary Relocation of Air Force Base Operations
The original runway at Offutt Air Force Base just south of Omaha, NE, was built back in 1941 and extended to its current 11,700-foot length in the mid-1950s. It received repairs in fits and starts during the intervening 80 years, and the Air Force finally decided it was time for a total overhaul four years ago. That set in motion a complex plan to temporarily relocate operations of the Air Force’s 55th Wing...

Airports Throughout Maine Roll Out New System to Record Aircraft Data

Airports Throughout Maine Roll Out New System to Record Aircraft Data
When an aircraft is involved in a crash, finding the “black box” flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder is imperative to subsequent investigations. If an accident takes place at a general aviation airport without a control tower, or when personnel are not on duty, it is much harder to analyze the communications and conditions that preceded the accident.

Raleigh-Durham Int’l Partners With Data Analytics Leader to Improve Passenger Forecasting

Raleigh-Durham Int’l Partners With Data Analytics Leader to Improve Passenger Forecasting
Widespread uncertainty was understandable given the unprecedented circumstances presented by the global pandemic. But passenger forecasts impact nearly every area of operations, from parking lot closures and law enforcement schedules to concession hours and capital improvement projects. So Kenneth Strickland pressed on for clearer answers.

New Receiving & Distribution Center Improves the Way Goods Move Through Salt Lake City Int’l

New Receiving & Distribution Center Improves the Way Goods Move Through Salt Lake City Int’l
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is changing the way people and goods travel through its facilities. A multiphase effort to address its changing operational needs began with an airport redevelopment program that focused on passenger flow, and a $5.6 million Central Receiving and Distribution Center (CRDC) that opened last August.

Fredericton Int’l Updates & Expands its Terminal

Fredericton Int’l Updates & Expands its Terminal
Fredericton International Airport (YFC), in Canada’s far northeast corner, was built more than a half century ago to accommodate 200,000 passengers annually. The original building and facilities served their purpose aptly until about 10 years ago, when the New Brunswick airport began experiencing steady growth.

Ford Int’l Reconstructs & Expands Apron

Ford Int’l Reconstructs & Expands Apron
Earlier this year, contractors finished the final punch list for a much needed $50 million apron reconstruction and expansion project at Gerald R. Ford International (GRR) in Grand Rapids, MI. Casey Ries, engineering and planning director at GRR, was glad to close out the complex project the airport began planning back in 2015. Ries explains that 2018 to 2019 was the ideal time to reconstruct the terminal apron because the physical condition of the pavement was not great and the logistic conditions were favorable.

Detroit Lakes County Airport Expands Main Runway to Attract More Jet Traffic

Detroit Lakes County Airport Expands Main Runway to Attract More Jet Traffic
Turning perception into reality can be tricky, especially when it involves multimillion-dollar budgets. The decision-makers who oversee Detroit Lakes-Becker County Airport (DTL) in northwestern Minnesota faced this classic challenge when building support and securing funds for an approximately $25 million runway expansion and airfield renovation.

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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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