Commissioners Conference is only Two Weeks Away
Join airport directors, board, commissioners and authority members to gain critical insight and a better understanding of the aviation industry by attending the  ACI-NA Airport Board and Commissioners Conference in Pasadena on April 22-24. The conference will kick off with presentations covering airport industry metrics and government affairs, as well ACI-NA’s policy campaign to empower airports for the future.  Additionally, attendees will get to preview the Commissioners Orientation Program, a unique online training program for new commissioners being developed in consultation with ACI World’s Online Learning Center. Other important topics to be covered include a policy presentation from FAA’s Office of Airports, understanding demographics and how it can better assist your community in attracting future air service.

Call The Westin Pasadena directly at (626) 792-2727 to reserve your room.

Airport Deicing Management Conference: Regulatory Update Workshop
The 2012 ACI-NA/A4A Airport Deicing Management Conference, May 23-24, in Washington, D.C. offers the Deicing Effluent Limitation Guidelines Update Workshop. This workshop will provide a forum to learn about recent aviation deicing regulatory updates, new technologies and best management practices. The joint ACI-NA – A4A conference will convene representatives from airports, airlines, associations, service providers and government agencies. Register now and join industry peers to discuss the latest deicing issues, research, development and innovative projects.

May 1 is the last day for the early bird registration discount and the special group rate of $199 at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel. Call the hotel directly at 202-682-0111 to reserve your room.

Save the Date for the 2012 Small Airports Conference
Mark your calendars for the ACI-NA Small Airports Conference held July 16-17 in Grand Rapids, Mich. This conference provides the opportunity for small airport executives to come together and discuss important issues affecting small and non-hub airports in North America. The agenda will include air service and marketing development, airport funding, and airport regulatory requirements.

June 22 is the last day for the early bird registration discount and the special group rate of $159 at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids. Call the hotel directly at (616) 242-1500 to reserve your room.

ACI-NA’s Operations & Technical Affairs Committee, otherwise known as Ops/Tech, has been very busy for the past four months covering topics ranging from NextGen to airport project delivery systems to airport emergency contingency plans.

First and foremost, the committee worked to put together the final agenda for next week’s Spring 2012 Operations & Technical Affairs Conference, which will be held in conjunction with ACI-NA’s Environmental Affairs Conference in Las Vegas.  Airport operations and safety will be a central theme of the conference, with sessions dedicated to safety management systems and airport surface management systems.  The conference will be the first that is fully integrated with members of the Canadian Airport Council’s Operations, Safety, and Technical Affairs Committee. Other event highlights include interactive breakout sessions for the committee’s five working groups: Planning, Construction and Project Delivery, NextGen, Facilities and Maintenance, and Safety and Operations.

In February, the committee hosted a webinar for members with Boeing to discuss airport design issues associated with the new B787 aircraft.  A recording of this webinar is available for those that were not able to participate.

Another important committee work effort was the development of a template that airport operators can use to develop Airport Emergency Contingency Plans, which are required under the provisions of the Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.  In its Feb. 24, Federal Register notice, the DOT stated that the operators of all large, medium, small, and nonhub airports must submit Emergency Contingency Plans.  These plans must be submitted to the DOT by May 14 for their review and acceptance.  According to the act, these plans need to be updated and resubmitted for DOT approval every five years.

On a related subject, on March 21, ACI-NA, AAAE, Airlines for America, the International Air Transport Association, the Regional Airlines Association, the National Air Transportation Association’s Airline Services Council, and the FAA convened a day-long workshop to discuss how the industry can improve the ways and types of data that are shared during irregular operations and diversion events.  The workshop grew out of discussions and industry forums associated with the Oct. 29 winter storm that affected the Northeast U.S. and resulted in significant diversions and extended tarmac delays.

Committee members and ACI-NA staff have also continued to coordinate with the FAA Office of Airports regarding several pending advisory circulars and regulatory efforts, including safety management system, airport geographic information systems, and airport design.

Up north, the Canadian committee members have been continuing to work on issues unique to Canada, including pending requirements from Transport Canada for runway end safety areas, new winter operations requirements, the status of the Canadian SMS program, and the development of occupational competency standards for airport operations staff.

Contact ACI-NA’s Chris Oswald or Matt Griffin for more information.

Oakland: Powering Jobs, Empowering Communities
The Port of Oakland rolled out the key findings of an economic impact study by launching a new jobs brochure, “Powering Jobs, Empowering Communities”, which illustrates the port’s positive economic impacts locally, regionally and nationally. It noted that its airport, Oakland International Airport, generated 3.3 jobs for every 1,000 passengers.

Nashville Lauded for Excellence in Financial Reporting
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority has again been recognized by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for its 2011 comprehensive annual financial report.

Moody’s Upgrades Aruba Airport Authority to Baa2
Credit rating agency Moody’s has upgraded the rating of the Aruba Airport Authority N.V. from Baa3 to Baa2. Moody’s last rating of the airport dated from Jan. 26, 2012, when it’s Baa3 rating was placed under review for possible upgrade. This review has now led to the upgrading.

Fresno Celebrates One-Year Anniversary Service to Mexico
Fresno Yosemite International Airport celebrated the one-year anniversary of two international carriers providing non-stop service to Guadalajara, Mexico. 

New Daily Non-stop Service Between Dallas and San Diego
Spirit Airlines has announced it will start non-stop daily service between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and San Diego beginning on June 21.

Miami Welcomes New Barcelona Service
On April 3, Miami International Airport and American Airlines inaugurated service from Miami to Barcelona. The flight will operate five times a week until June 14, when it begins daily service.

Daily Services Resumes Between John Wayne and Calgary
WestJet non-stop daily service will resume between John Wayne International Airport and Calgary, Alberta, Canada on April 29.

Punta Gorda Welcomes Allegiant
As of June 27, Allegiant will be offering service to various destinations from the Punta Gorda Airport including Fort Wayne and South Bend, Ind., and Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Low-Cost Travel Between Fresno and Hawaii
Allegiant  will begin offering once a week service between Fresno Yosemite International Airport and Honolulu International Airport beginning June 30.

Alaska Adds Honolulu Service to Oakland
New daily nonstop service to Honolulu from Oakland International Airport began this week. Alaska Airline’s daily service to Honolulu is its sixth nonstop destination served from Oakland.

Orlando Passenger Traffic Increases in February
A series of special events during the month of February helped boost passenger traffic by almost 5.5 percent at Orlando International Airport.

The presentations from the recent Spring Business Information Technology Conference in Vancouver are now posted on the web.

The ACI online Certificate in Airside Operations course is now available. It consists of seven modules, which will take about 15 hours to complete. Each training module includes an integrated online assessment. Candidates must successfully complete all seven assessments to receive the certificate of completion. Fee: $695. Register online or contact enrolments@olc.aero for more information.

For the first time in 2012, Salt Lake City International Airport in March had the monthly best on-time departures for North American airports. In March, its flights departed 88.82 percent of the time on-time, according to data compiled by Flightstats. In 2011, Salt Lake City held this top spot five times, including a string of three-in-a-row in the fall.

For March, Salt Lake scored a double-win as its monthly on-time arrival rate of 87.07 percent was also the best. It had the best arrival rate score three times in 2011.

In February, Oakland International Airport had the best on-time departure performance score at 90.67 percent and Memphis had the best on-time arrival score of 89.6 percent.

FlightStats each month surveys the 60 largest airports in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for this exclusive ACI-NA report.

Registration for the ACI-NA/World Conference and Exhibition in Calgary on Sept. 9-12 opened today as the Annual’s website was activated.

On the website, please view the welcome videos from ACI-NA President Greg Principato and ACI Director General Angela Gittens.

Early bird registration fees for the Calgary event remain frozen at the same level as the Boston gathering in 2008. Aug. 6 is the deadline to register for the discounted rates.

Aug. 6 is also the deadline to reserve a hotel room at the ACI-NA discounted rates. This year there are five hotels designated as “official hotels” and all are within a short walk of the Calgary Stampede, where the Conference and Exhibition will take place. Rooms are available on a first come, first serve basis and may sell out prior to the cut-off date.

After more than a year in review, the FAA on Monday largely approved Las Vegas McCarran International Airport’s new air service incentive program. The ruling adds “upgauging” to the FAA’s definitions of new service contained in its 2010 Guidebook for Airport Incentive Programs.

In February 2011, after several discussions, the airport petitioned the FAA to approve an interpretation of new service that would include additional flights offered by an air carrier where new seat capacity is offered on a route based on the landed weight of the aircraft and based on the addition of seats when the airline offers a larger plane with additional seat capacity as a substitute for smaller aircraft currently serving that route, this is also known as upguaging.

The FAA determined that the definition of new service should include upgauging of individual flights to the extent that additional passenger seats would be designated in a particular market or in an airline’s overall operation, resulting in an increase in the use of the airport. The FAA expressed a concern that an airline could alternatively consolidate schedules by upgauging and simultaneously reduce services offered to the flying public or limit travel options available in particular markets or from an airport. To ensure against upguaging that does not meet the FAA’s policies underlying its incentive rules, the FAA summarized three conditions that must be met when an airport offers incentives to air carriers for upguaging on a particular route.

However, the FAA denied the airport’s request that its interpretation of new service be broadened so that an air carrier would be eligible for incentives solely based on an increase in landed weight of an aircraft on a particular route. Such an interpretation, the FAA explained, could actually undermine one of the two goals of the FAA incentive policy since an airline could increase landed weight yet reduce the number of flights and number of seats available in a particular market. 

Contact ACI-NA’s Monica Hargrove for more information.

U.S. and Brazilian officials on Monday signed a new aviation partnership and at the same time the two countries committed to improving the visa process.

During the visit of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to Washington, the U.S. announced that the State Department is adding to its consular staff in Brazil as it will open two more consular facilities in Brazil and expand its current facilities. In a White House fact sheet, the U.S. noted that the wait times for visa interviews has been significantly reduced.

Presidents Obama and Rousseff committed that the two countries will work closely to satisfy requirements of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and Brazil’s legislation to allow visa-free travel. 

ACI-NA has been working to improve travel to and from Brazil. As a follow-up to Obama’s March 2011 visit to Brazil, ACI-NA urged the formation of working groups to map a course for Brazil to participate in the visa waiver program. And, earlier this year, AC-NA again advocated for improvements in the visa system in its comments on a National Travel and Tourism Strategy.

The aviation partnership will focus on infrastructure including airports, air traffic management, safety, security, and the environment. The first visit will be by Brazilian aviation officials to the U.S. in June 2012.  In October, the United States Trade and Development Agency will host a Latin American Aviation Summit in Miami.

The two presidents also “noted the convergence of positions regarding the application of the emissions trading system of the European Union, to international air transport. They further emphasized that issues related to international civil aviation emissions should be resolved multilaterally.”

Contact ACI-NA’s Diane Peterson for more information.

On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a series for recommendations for airshows in the wake of its preliminary investigation of the Sept. 16, 2011, fatal crash at the National Championship Air Races in Reno that killed 10 spectators and the pilot.

The NTSB safety recommendations address race course design and layout, pre-race technical inspections, aircraft modifications and airworthiness, FAA guidance on air racing, the effects of gravity or g-forces on pilots, and ramp safety issues.

In the incident, the pilot of a highly modified P-51D airplane experienced an upset while turning between pylons 8 and 9 on the race course. While the investigation is ongoing, Chairman Deborah Hersman provided a detailed interim update that showed that the accident sequence initiated with an upset that preceded the separation of the left elevator trim tab by approximately 6 seconds.

Related findings from telemetry data showed that during the upset; the airplane exceeded the accelerometer's 9-G limit. While the investigation into g-forces and g-tolerance is ongoing, the photographic and telemetry evidence indicates that both the airplane and pilot experienced an unanticipated, rapid onset of high g-forces and appears to support pilot incapacitation.

Contact ACI-NA’s Dick Marchi for more information.

The FAA reauthorization bill directed FAA to initiate a process for establishing six test sites for these unmanned aircraft systems, which were previously referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles, remotely operated aircraft/vehicles, or just unmanned aircraft or in the popular vernacular as drones. These test sites are to be in various locations around the country, taking into consideration geographic and climatic diversity, the location of ground infrastructure and research needs and in consultation with the defense department and NASA. The webinar provided additional information on a March 9 request for comments published in the Federal Register. The FAA anticipates publishing a formal request for site proposals in July. FAA plans to select the six test sites by December.

Contact ACI-NA’s Dick Marchi for more information.

Registration for the 2012 JumpStart Air Service Development Program on June 6-7 in Sacramento closes on Friday. Airports can register on the meeting-matching website now and pay later. Early bird registration payments are due May 15.

So far 27 airlines are confirmed and over 140 airports are registered with the event on track for the largest JumpStart yet. A full list of attendees can be found on the website. Airports are encouraged to submit the full maximum of 10 airlines on their wish list to increase the odds of obtaining a full slate of appointments.

Contact the ACI-NA JumpStart team for more information.F

April 13 is the deadline to submit nominations for the 2012 Ted Bushelman Legacy Award for Creativity and Excellence which will be presented on June 5 in Sacramento at the Marketing and Communications Conference/JumpStart^® Air Service Development Program. This annual award by the ACI-NA’s Marketing and Communications Committee recognizes airport marketers with at least 15 years of airport experiences in media relations, air service development or customer service.

Contact ACI-NA’s Tom Smith for more information.