International Aviation Issues: Luncheon Speaker Announced
Michael McCormick, Chief Executive Officer, Global Business Travel Association is the keynote luncheon speaker on the agenda for the 2012 International Aviation Issues Seminar which will be held Dec. 6-7 in Washington D.C. The GBTA is the world’s premier business travel and meetings organization with over 5,000 members. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from McCormick about the latest trends in business travel in North America and across the globe. On-site registration is available.

Contact the Mayflower Renaissance Washington Hotel directly at 202-347-3000 or toll free at 1-800-228-7697 to book your room.

Customer Service Seminar
The ACI-NA Customer Service Seminar on Jan. 22-24, just outside of Jacksonville, is not your average customer service conference. The agenda focuses on a number of airport customer service areas including volunteer programs, benchmarking and measuring customer service delivery, branding, community partnerships and much more. This seminar promises to offer airport customer service professionals the tips, tools and interactive opportunities they need to maximize their airports' effectiveness in delivering a first-class customer experience.

Dec. 31 is the last day to receive the early bird rate and special group rate of $185 at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island Hotel. Call the hotel directly at 904-277-1100 or toll-free at 1-800-241-3333.

Register for AirCargo 2013 Conference
The AirCargo 2013 Conference on March 10-12 in Las Vegas is the premier annual trade show and conference for the Air & Expedited Motor Carriers Association, the Airforwarders Association, the Express Delivery & Logistics Association, and ACI-NA, which co-host this conference as a service to the industry. The conference agenda includes a diverse educational program for attendees, outstanding business opportunities for exhibitors and excellent corporate exposure for sponsors. Each year, AirCargo brings together a virtual “who’s who” of the industry within the express delivery, air freight forwarding and expedited motor carrier industries.

Feb. 7 is the last day to receive the early bird rate and special group rate of $175 at The Red Rock Resort. Call the hotel directly at (702) 797-7777.

The ACI-NA U.S. International Air Service Program advances U.S. airport participants’ interests in international air service and defends airport proprietary rights in U.S. international agreements and relations.  The program is supported by a separate dues assessment from interested U.S. airports. Laura Jackson, Denver, is the Chair of the program and Vicki Jaramillo, Orlando, is the Vice Chair for 2012. 

The program will host the annual International Aviation Issues Seminar on Dec. 6 in Washington.  Some of the speakers on the agenda are Robert Letteney, DOT deputy assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs; Dr. Martin Regalia, chief economist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Michael McCormick, chief executive, Global Business Travel Association; John Byerly, former deputy assistant secretary of state for transportation affairs; John Wagner, executive director, admissibility and passenger programs, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Joel Chusid, managing director of North America, Hainan Airlines.  The seminar closes with ACI-NA’s holiday reception. The morning of Dec. 7, there will be business meetings for the members of the ACI-NA U.S. International Air Service Program and ACI-NA Facilitation Committee.

The program has continued to be active in U.S. aviation relations with the European Union and major partners around the world.  ACI-NA staff participated in the U.S/EU Joint Committee meeting in May which dealt with a variety of U.S./EU developments and issues.  ACI-NA joined with other trade associations in supporting legislation directing the Secretary of Transportation to prohibit U.S. operators from participating in the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme if he finds that is in the public interest.  The bill was signed into law by the President on Tuesday.

On Sept. 19, ACI-NA issued a statement applauding the progress reported by the Departments of Homeland Security and State on the visa and entry issue. ACI-NA has long advocated for improvements to visa, entry and screening processes and cooperated with the departments to implement improvements. In early October, ACI-NA and some member airports participated in the State Department’s Strategic Dialogue on International Travel.

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

HMSHost Brings Luxury Shopping to Atlanta
HMSHost and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are welcoming holiday travelers to seven new shops, located on the international Concourse F. Travelers heading overseas will find a row of high-end shops, including Tommy Hilfiger and MAC.

7-Eleven and Petro-Canada Open on Winnipeg Campus
On Nov. 22, the Winnipeg Airports Authority celebrated the grand opening of 7-Eleven and Petro-Canada and officially welcomed the businesses to the airport campus.

HMSHost Honored with 2012 Airports Going Green Award
HMSHost received the 2012 Airports Going Green Award for the company’s start somewhere sustainability program. The award was presented during a luncheon at the 5th Annual Airports Going Green Conference held in Chicago.

St. Louis Now Offering Free Vehicle Charging Stations
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport has expanded its highly successful alternative fuels program with new public vehicle charging stations and the use of new electric vehicles for its parking operations.

New Information Kiosks in Columbus Connect Passengers
Port Columbus International Airport is deploying a fleet of new touch-screen information kiosks designed to enhance in-airport way finding and help connect passengers with destinations and experiences throughout Ohio.

HMSHost Unveils New restaurants at Salt Lake City International Airport
On Nov. 15 HMSHost and Salt Lake City International Airport celebrated the grand opening of 13 new restaurants highlighting local and national options. Seven of the 13 new restaurants are Salt Lake City-area eateries, bringing local businesses to the airport.

San Diego Launches First-Ever Nonstop to Tokyo
The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and Japan Airlines will celebrate the inaugural Japan Airlines flight into San Diego from Tokyo on Dec. 2. The new route is the first nonstop link between San Diego and Asia.

Blog: Transportation Brings Us Closer Together
ACI-NA President Greg Principato in a blog posted today recounts recent events within his own family that bring home the message that transportation brings us closer together.

New Research Posted
Expediting Aircraft Recovery at Airports: This Airport Cooperative Research Program report suggests procedures to help airports expedite the recovery of disabled aircraft that are designed to avoid injury to personnel, damage to airport equipment, and secondary damage to the aircraft.

Guidebook for Developing General Aviation Airport Business Plans: This ACRP guidebook is designed to help general aviation airports develop and implement an airport business plan and maximize financial self-sufficiency. The guidebook identifies the role, value, and the compelling reasons for having an airport business plan as it applies to all sizes of airports; highlights the elements of an airport business plan; and addresses each step of the development and implementation process.

Winter Design Storm Factor Determination for Airports: This ACRP report identifies the relevant factors in defining a winter design storm for use in sizing airport deicing runoff management systems and components. The guidebook also provides a decision support tool for identifying an appropriate winter design storm for an airport-specific project; a review of regulations as they pertain to deicing runoff; and suggestions for target levels of service, including the acceptable level of risk of the designed system not meeting performance standards.
 

The release includes a breakdown along state lines by a variety of measures, including transportation mode.

Friday is the deadline for the 2012 Environmental Benchmarking Survey.

The Environmental Benchmarking Survey is sent out every two years by the ACI-NA Environmental Affairs Committee. It is a tool to track progress towards the ACI-NA Environmental Goals, take a snapshot of industry's environmental initiatives, facilitate information exchange and inform the committee priorities.

Contact ACI-NA’s Katherine Preston for more information.

Contact ACI-NA’s Annie Russo for more information.

The Transportation Research Board will host a free webinar on Dec. 6 to review three recent Airport Cooperative Research Program reports on wayfinding and airport roadways. While the 90-minute event is free, advance registration is required. The webinar will begin a 2 p.m. EST.

Planners and designers for all sizes of airports may struggle with designing passenger terminals that provide good value and level-of-service efficiency that meet the criteria of many aspects of airport terminals. The presentations in this webinar will highlight ACRP reports that address these issues.

ACRP Report 25: Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design: Bruce Anderson, Landrum & Brown, will explore best practices that were identified in the passenger terminal planning process. He will outline important criteria and requirements needed to address emerging trends and create solutions for airport passenger terminals.  

ACRP Report 52: Wayfinding and Signing Guidelines for Airport Terminals and Landside. Jim Harding, Gresham, Smith and Partners, will present findings on how airport operators can review, update, enhance, or develop their airport wayfinding and signing plans. At ACI-NA’s upcoming Customer Service Seminar on Jan. 22-24 there will also be a session on improve airport wayfinding.

ACRP Report 40: Airport Curbside and Terminal Area Roadway Operations: Peter Mandle,  LeighFishe, will discuss how airport operators and others can analyze their airport terminal area roadway and curbside operations. He will outline guidelines for estimating airport roadway requirements and capacities, recommended performance measures, valid and useful analytical methods, and potential measures to improve terminal area and curbside roadway operations.

The FAA’s Danielle Rinsler will moderate the webinar.