Individual airport facilities of varying sizes, serving various purposes comprise a complex system we call civil airports. Discuss the range of rules, regulations, and policies administered on civil airports from varying levels of government.

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Home >Business & Finance homework help >Operations Management homework help >Individual airport facilities of varying sizes, serving various purposes comprise a complex system we call civil airports. Discuss the range of rules, regulations, and policies administered on civil airports from varying levels of government.

Part I

Airports and airport systems

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1 Airports and airport systems:

An introduction

Outline • Introduction

• Airports in the United States—An overview

• The national administrative structure of airports

• Airport management on an international level

• The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems

• Commercial service airports

• General aviation airports

• Reliever airports

• The rules that govern airport management

• Organizations that influence airport regulatory policies

Objectives The objectives of this section are to educate the reader with information to:

• Discuss the ownership characteristics of airports in the United States and internationally.

• Describe the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) and its application to categorizing public-use airports in the United States.

• Describe the governmental administrative organizations in the United States that oversee airports.

• Identify federal regulations and advisory circulars that influence airport operations.

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4 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

Introduction It is often said that managing an airport is like being mayor of a city. Similar to a city, an airport is comprised of a huge variety of facilities, systems, users, workers, rules, and regulations. Also, just as cities thrive on trade and com- merce with other cities, airports are successful in part by their ability to suc- cessfully be the location where passengers and cargo travel to and from other airports. Furthermore, just as cities find their place as part of its county’s, state’s, and country’s economy, airports, too, must operate successfully as part of the nation’s system of airports. In this chapter, the airport system in the United States will be described in a number of ways. First, the national airport system, as a whole, will be described. Next, the various facilities that make up the airport system will be described. Finally, the various rules and regulations that govern the airport system will be described.

Airports in the United States—An overview The United States has by far the greatest number of airports in the world. More than half the world’s airports and more than two-thirds of the world’s 400 busiest airports are located in the United States. There are more than 19,000 civil landing areas in the United States, including heliports, seaplane bases, and “fixed-wing” landing facilities. Most of these facilities are privately owned, and for private use only. Such facilities include helipads operated at hospitals and office buildings, private lakes for seaplane operations, and, most common, small private airstrips that accommodate the local owners of small aircraft operations. Many of these facilities are nothing more than a cleared area known as a “grass strip.” Never- theless, they are recognized and registered as civil-use landing areas and are, at least, operationally part of the United States system of airports.

There are approximately 5,200 airports that are open for use to the general public, nearly all of which have at least one lighted and/or paved runway. Of the 5,200 public-use airports in the United States, approximately 4,200 are pub- licly owned, either by the local municipality, county, state, or by an “authority” made up of municipal, county, and/or state officials. The remaining 1,000 are privately owned, by individuals, corporations, or private airport management companies (Fig. 1-1).

A few states, notably Alaska, Hawaii, and Rhode Island, own all the airports within the state, operating as a broad airport system. The federal government used to operate airports, including Ronald Reagan Washington National Air- port and Washington Dulles International Airport, but ownership has since been transferred to an independent public authority known as the Metropoli- tan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). Many airports in the United States were originally owned by the federal government, specifically the military, as they were created for military use during World Wars I and II. Since then, many

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Introduction 5

such airports were transferred to local municipal ownership. The transfers of most of these airports were made with provisions that permit the federal gov- ernment to recapture its interest under certain conditions and also to review and approve any transfer of formal federal properties destined for nonairport use. Approximately 600 civil airports have these encumbrances. In addition, Army, Air Force Reserve, and National Guard units operate out of many civil airports, usually under some type of lease arrangements. These airports are known as joint-use civil-military airports.

The vast majority of the public-use civil airports in the United States, whether publicly or privately owned, are actually quite small, each serving a very small portion of the nation’s number of aircraft operations (takeoffs and landings) and even a smaller portion of the total number of commercial air transportation passengers. Much of the activity that occurs at these airports includes opera- tions in small aircraft for recreational purposes, flight training, and transporta- tion by individuals and small private groups. Although most of the flying public rarely, if ever, utilizes many of these airports, the smaller airport facilities play a vital role in the United States system of airports (Fig. 1-2).

Airports are often described by their levels of activity. The activity, services, and investment levels vary greatly among the nation’s airports. The most common measures used to describe the level of activity at an airport are the number of passengers served, the amount of cargo carried, and the number of operations performed at the airport.

The number of passengers served at an airport is typically used to measure the level of activity at airports that predominately serve commercial passengers traveling on the world’s air carriers. Measuring passenger activity provides air- port management with information that will allow for the proper planning and management for facilities used by passengers, including passenger terminals, parking garages, gate areas, and concessions.

Figure 1-1. Number of existing and proposed airports by ownership and use (January 2008). (Figure courtesy FAA)

5,190 Open to Public

4,150 Public Owned

1,040 Private Owned

14,625 Closed to Public

19,815 Total U.S. Airports

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6 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

Specifically, the term enplanements (or enplaned passengers) is used to describe the number of passengers that board an aircraft at an airport. Annual enplanements are often used to measure the amount of airport activity, and even evaluate the amount of funding to be provided for improvement projects. The term deplanements (or deplaned passengers) is used to describe the number of passengers that deplane an aircraft at an airport.

The term total passengers is used to describe the number of passengers that either board or deplane an aircraft at an airport. At many airports, the number of total passengers is roughly double the number of annual enplanements. How- ever, at airports where the majority of passengers are transfer passengers, the number of passengers is more than double the number of enplanements. This is because transfer passengers are counted twice, once when deplaning their arriving flight, and then again when boarding their next flight. Because of this distortion, passenger volumes are not often used to estimate passenger activity at an airport, although the largest airports serving as airline hubs often use the passenger volumes to advertise their grandeur. To remove this bias, most official measures of airport passenger activity are given in terms of enplanements.

Cargo activity is typically used to measure the level of activity at airports that handle freight and mail. Airports located near major seaports, railroad hubs, and

Figure 1-2. Many airports are no more than private grass strips. (Photo by Seth Young)

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Introduction 7

large metropolitan areas, as well as airports served by the nation’s cargo carriers (such as FedEx and UPS) accommodate thousands of tons of cargo annually.

The number of aircraft operations is used as a measure of activity at all air- ports, but is the primary measure of activity at general aviation (GA) airports. An aircraft operation is defined as a takeoff or a landing. When an aircraft makes a landing and then immediately takes off again, it is known as a “touch and go” and is counted as two operations. This activity is common at many GA airports where there is a significant amount of flight training. When an aircraft takes off and lands at an airport without landing at any other airport, the air- craft is said to be performing local operations. An itinerant operation is a flight that takes off from one airport and lands at another.

Another, albeit, indirect measure of airport activity is identified by the number of aircraft “based” at the airport. A based aircraft is an aircraft that is registered as a “resident” of the airport. Typically, the owner of such an aircraft will pay a monthly or annual fee to park the aircraft at the airport, either outside in a designated aircraft parking area or in an indoor hangar facility. The number of based aircraft is used to indirectly measure activity primarily at smaller airports where private “general” aviation is dominant. At airports that primarily handle the air carriers, relatively few aircraft are actually based.

Operations and based aircraft are measures of activity that influence the plan- ning and management primarily of the airside of airports, such as the planning and management of runways, taxiways, navigational aids, gates, and aircraft parking areas.

In general, airport management measure the activity levels of their airports on the basis of all levels of passenger, cargo, operations, and based aircraft activity; virtually all airports, especially the largest airports in the nation, accommodate passengers and cargo, as well as air carrier and private aircraft operations.

The national administrative structure of airports All civil-use airports, large and small, in one way or another, utilize the United States’ Civil Aviation System. The civil aviation system is an integral part of the United States’ transportation infrastructure. This vital infrastructure is adminis- tered through the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), led by the secretary of transportation (Fig. 1-3).

The DOT is divided into several administrations that oversee the various modes of national and regional transportation in the United States. Such administra- tions include:

FHWA—The Federal Highway Administration

FMCSA—The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

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Airport management on an international level 9

FRA—The Federal Railroad Administration

FTA—The Federal Transit Administration

MARAD—The Maritime Administration

NHTSA—The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The administration that oversees civil aviation is the Federal Aviation Admin- istration (FAA). The FAA’s primary mission is to oversee the safety of civil aviation. The FAA is responsible for the rating and certification of pilots and for the certification of airports, particularly those serving commercial air carri- ers. The FAA operates the nation’s air traffic control system, including most air traffic control towers found at airports, and owns, installs, and maintains visual and electronic navigational aids found on and around airports. In addition, the FAA administers the majority of the rules that govern civil aviation and airport operations, as well as plays a large role in the funding of airports for improve- ment and expansion. The FAA is led by an administrator who is appointed by the secretary of transportation for a 5-year term.

The FAA is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Headquarter offices within the FAA include the offices of Air Traffic Services (ATS), Office of Security and Haz- ardous Materials (ASH), Commercial Space Transportation (AST), Regulation and Certification (AVR), Research and Acquisitions (ARA), and Airports (ARP).

Within the Office of Airports lies the Office of Airport Safety and Standards (AAS) and the Office of Planning and Programming (APP). It is in these of- fices where Federal Aviation Regulations and policies specific to airports are administered.

The FAA is also divided into nine geographic regions, as illustrated in Fig. 1-4. Within each region are two or more Airport District Offices (ADOs). ADOs keep in contact with airports within their respective regions to ensure compli- ance with federal regulations and to assist airport management in safe and efficient airport operations as well as in airport planning.

Many civil-use airports, including those that are not directly administered by the FAA, may be under the administrative control of their individual states, which in turn have their own departments of transportation and associated offices and regions. Airport management at individual airports should be famil- iar with all federal, state, and even local levels of administration that govern their facilities.

Airport management on an international level Internationally, the recommended standards for the operation and manage- ment of civil-use airports are provided by the International Civil Aviation

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10 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

Organization (ICAO). ICAO, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is a membership-based organization, comprised of 188 contracting states that span the world. ICAO came into existence as a part of the 1944 Chicago Con- vention on International Civil Aviation for the purpose of providing a source of communication and standardization among participating states with respect to civil aviation operations. ICAO publishes a series of recommended policies and regulations to be applied by individual states in the management of their airports and civil aviation systems.

In most individual countries, airports are managed directly by the federal government, most often under the ministry of transport. In some countries, including the United States, many airports are privately owned and operated, although, despite private ownership, they are still subject to much of the coun- try’s regulations regarding aviation operations.

The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems Since 1970, the FAA has recognized a subset of the 5,400 public-use airports in the United States as being vital to serving the public needs for air transporta- tion, either directly or indirectly, and may be made eligible for federal funding to maintain their facilities. The National Airport System Plan (NASP) was the first such plan, which recognized approximately 3,200 such airports. In addi- tion, the NASP categorized these airports on the basis of each airport’s number

AAL Alaska

Anchorage

Seattle

ANM Northwest Mountain

AWP Western Pacific

Los Angeles Oklahoma City

ASW Ft. Worth

Atlanta ASO

Southern

Kansas City

ACE Central

AGL Great Lakes

Chicago New York

AEA Eastern

Atlantic City

Washington DC

Regional Office Make Monroney Aeronautical Center FAA Technical Center National Headquarters

ANE New England

Boston

Southwest

Figure 1-4. FAA regions.

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The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems 11

of annual enplanements and the type of service provided. The NASP catego- rized airports as being “commercial service airports” if the airport enplaned at least 2,500 passengers annually on commercial air carriers or charter aircraft. Commercial service airports were subcategorized as “air carrier” airports and “commuter” airports, depending on the type of service dominant at a given air- port. Airports that enplaned less than 2,500 passengers annually were classified as “general aviation airports.” In 1983, the final year of the NASP, a total of 780 commercial service airports (635 air carrier airports and 145 commuter airports) and 2,423 GA airports were recognized under the NASP.

With the passage of the Airport and Airway Act of 1982, the FAA was charged with preparing a new version of the NASP, to be called the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). The NPIAS revised the method of clas- sifying airports, primarily to reflect the extreme growth in annual enplanements that a relative few of the largest airports were experiencing at the time. As of 2008, a total of 3,411 airports in the United States were included in the NPIAS.

The categories of airports listed in the NPIAS are:

1. Primary airports

2. Commercial service airports

3. GA airports

4. Reliever airports

Figure 1-5 provides a geographic illustration of NPIAS airports through- out the United States (numbers include Alaska and Hawaii, although not illustrated).

The NPIAS includes all commercial service, reliver (high-capacity general aviation airports in metropolitan areas), and select general aviation airports.

Primary Commercial Service Reliever General Aviation

Figure 1-5. NPIAS airports. (Figure courtesy FAA)

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12 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

Commercial service airports Commercial service airports are those airports that accommodate scheduled air carrier service, provided by the world’s certificated air carriers. Virtually all of the 770 million passengers who boarded domestic and international com- mercial aircraft in the United States in 2009 began, transferred through, and ended their trips at commercial service airports. Commercial service airports operate under very specific regulations enforced by the FAA and Transporta- tion Security Administration (TSA), as well as state and local governments. In addition, other federal and local administrations, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, and local economic development organizations, indirectly affect how commercial service airports operate. The goal of commercial service airports, of course, is to provide for the safe and efficient movement of pas- sengers and cargo between population centers through the nation’s aviation system. In 2008, there were a total of 522 commercial service airports through- out the United States striving to fulfill this mission.

Primary airports are categorized in the NPIAS as those public-use airports enplaning at least 10,000 passengers annually in the United States. In 2008, there were 383 airports (less than 3 percent of the nation’s total airports) categorized as primary airports.

Within this exclusive group of airports, the range of airport size and activity level is very wide, and the distribution of passenger enplanements is highly skewed. About half the primary airports handle relatively little traffic; the vast majority of passengers are enplaned through relatively few very large airports. This phenomenon is a direct result of the airline routing strategy, known as the “hub and spoke” system that was adopted by several of the nation’s largest carriers. In fact, the top five airports in the United States, in terms of annual enplanements, boarded nearly 25 percent of all the passengers in the United States. The top two airports, the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare Field, enplaned nearly 80 million (nearly 10 percent) of the nation’s commercial air travelers in 2009 (Table 1-1).

Because of this wide range of size within the primary airport category, the NPIAS subcategorizes these airports into “hub” classifications. It should be noted that the term “hub” used by the FAA in the NPIAS is very different than the term used by the airline industry. Whereas the airline industry uses the term “hub” as an airport where the majority of an airline’s passengers will transfer between flights to reach their ultimate destinations, the FAA defines hub strictly by the number of annual enplaned passengers to use the airport (Table 1-2).

The hub classifications used by the FAA in the NPIAS are:

1. Large hubs

2. Medium hubs

3. Small hubs

4. Nonhubs

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The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems 13

Table 1-1. Passengers Boarded at the Top 50 U.S. Airports

Rank Airport

2008 Total Enplaned

Passengers

1 Atlanta, GA (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International)

43,238,440

2 Chicago, IL (Chicago O’Hare International) 31,351,227

3 Dallas, TX (Dallas/Fort Worth International) 26,830,947

4 Denver, CO (Denver International) 23,919,713

5 Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles International) 22,439,873

6 Las Vegas, NV (McCarran International) 19,887,290

7 Houston, TX (George Bush Intercontinental) 19,239,836

8 Phoenix, AZ (Phoenix Sky Harbor International 19,209,392

9 Charlotte, NC (Charlotte Douglas International) 17,185,243

10 New York, NY (John F. Kennedy International) 16,955,540

11 Detroit, MI (Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County) 16,794,472

12 Minneapolis, MN (Wold-Chamberlin International) 16,302,227

13 Orlando, FL (Orlando International) 16,122,383

14 Newark, NJ (Newark Liberty International) 16,105,083

15 San Francisco, CA (San Francisco International) 15,727,533

16 Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia International) 15,257,081

17 Seattle, WA (Seattle-Tacoma International) 15,206,521

18 Miami, FL (Miami International) 13,577,782

19 Boston, MA (Logan International) 11,588,988

20 New York, NY (LaGuardia) 11,159,038

21 Fort Lauderdale, FL (Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International)

10,370,421

22 Baltimore, MD (Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall)

10,078,747

23 Washington, DC (Dulles International) 9,917,944

24 Salt Lake City, UT (Salt Lake City International) 9,877,540

25 San Diego, CA (San Diego International) 8,931,211

26 Tampa, FL (Tampa International) 8,689,410

27 Washington, DC (Ronald Reagan Washington National)

8,599,934

28 Chicago, IL (Chicago Midway) 8,012,938

(continued)

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14 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

Large hubs are those airports that account for at least 1 percent of the total annual passenger enplanements in the United States. In 2008, there were 30 large hub airports in the NPIAS. These 30 large hub airports accounted for nearly 70 percent of all passenger enplanements in the United States. Medium hubs are those airports that account for at least 0.25 percent but less than 1 percent of the total annual passenger enplanements. In 2008, there

Table 1-1. Passengers Boarded at the Top 50 U.S. Airports (continued)

Rank Airport

2008 Total Enplaned

Passengers

29 Honolulu, HI (Honolulu International) 7,785,515

30 Portland, OR (Portland International) 6,942,236

31 St. Louis, MO (Lambert-St. Louis International) 6,626,545

32 Cincinnati, OH (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International)

6,480,292

33 Oakland, CA (Oakland International) 5,482,324

34 Memphis, TN (Memphis International) 5,375,733

35 Kansas City, MO (Kansas City International) 5,346,702

36 Cleveland, OH (Cleveland-Hopkins International) 5,277,778

37 Sacramento, CA (Sacramento International) 4,891,967

38 Raleigh, NC (Raleigh-Durham International) 4,741,753

39 San Jose, CA (Norman Y. Mineta, San Jose International)

4,698,523

40 Nashville, TN (Nashville International) 4,615,999

41 San Juan, PR (Luis Munoz Marin International) 4,546,996

42 Santa Ana, CA (John Wayne - Orange County) 4,462,999

43 Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh International) 4,264,809

44 Austin, TX (Austin Bergstrom International) 4,255,238

45 Houston, TX (William P. Hobby) 4,224,294

46 Dallas, TX (Love Field) 4,030,509

47 Indianapolis, IN (Indianapolis International) 4,025,647

48 New Orleans, LA (Louis Armstrong International) 3,976,840

49 San Antonio, TX (San Antonio International) 3,949,819

50 Milwaukee, WI (General Mitchell Field) 3,824,181

Courtesy RITA

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16 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

were 37 airports classified as medium hubs. Small hubs are defined as those airports accommodating greater than 0.05 percent but less than 0.25 percent of annual U.S. enplanements. Seventy-two NPIAS airports were categorized as small hubs. Nonhub primary airports are those airports that enplane at least 10,000 annual enplanements but less than 0.05 percent of the annual total U.S. enplanements. In 2008, 244 primary airports fell into the nonhub primary category.

Airports that handle at least 2,500 but less than 10,000 annual enplanements are categorized as nonprimary airports, or simply commercial service airports. In 2008, there were 139 nonprimary airports included in the NPIAS.

General aviation airports Those airports with fewer than 2,500 annual enplaned passengers and those used exclusively by private business aircraft not providing commercial air car- rier passenger service are categorized as general aviation (GA) airports. Although there are over 13,000 airports that fit this category, only a subset is included in the NPIAS. There is typically at least one GA airport in the NPIAS for every county in the United States. In addition, any GA airport that has at least 10 aircraft based at the airport and is located at least 20 miles away from the next nearest NPIAS airport is usually included in the NPIAS. In 2008, a total of 2,564 GA airports were included in the NPIAS.

Whereas commercial service airports accommodate virtually of the enplaned commercial passengers in the United States, GA airports account for the major- ity of aircraft operations. GA airports accommodate aviation operations of all kinds, from flight training, to aerial agricultural operations, to corporate pas- senger travel, to charter flights using the largest of civil aircraft. Pipeline patrol, search and rescue operations, medical transport, business and executive flying in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, charters, air taxis, flight training, personal transportation, and the many other industrial commercial and recreational uses of airplanes and helicopters take advantage of GA airports.

Similar to commercial service airports, GA airports vary widely in their char- acteristics. Many GA airports are small facilities, with typically a single runway long enough to accommodate only small aircraft, and are limited in their facili- ties. These small airports primarily serve as a base for a few aircraft.

Other GA airports have facilities and activity that rival their commercial ser- vice counterparts. These airports have multiple runways, at least one long enough to accommodate corporate and larger-size jet aircraft, and have a full spectrum of maintenance, fueling, and other service facilities. Many such GA airports even have rental car, restaurant, and hotel services to accommodate their customers.

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The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems 17

An important aspect of GA airports is that they serve many functions for a wide variety of communities. Some GA airports provide isolated communities with valuable links to other population centers. This is particularly true in areas of Alaska where communities are often unreachable except by air, although many other parts of the United States, particularly in the west also depend heavily on GA as a mode of transportation. In such areas, the GA airport is sometimes the only means of supplying communities with necessities. In addition, the GA airport acts as the vital link to many emergency services.

The principal function of GA airports, however, is to provide facilities for pri- vately owned aircraft to be used for business and personal activities. In most recent years, there has been a significant increase in the amount of small business jet aircraft using GA airports. Because of this growth, GA airports are continuously seeking to upgrade their facilities, from extending runways, to providing more services, to meeting the needs of the corporate jet traveler.

A GA airport is generally categorized as being either a basic utility or general utility facility. Basic utility airports are designed to accommodate most single- engine and small twin-engine propeller-driven aircraft. These types of aircraft accommodate approximately 95 percent of the GA aircraft fleet. General utility airports can accommodate larger aircraft, as well as the lighter, smaller aircraft handled by basic utility airports.

Table 1-3 identifies the busiest airports in the United States in terms of itiner- ant GA activity. Most of these airports fall in the general utility category. As illustrated in Table 1-3, several of these airports do also serve commercial ser- vice operations, and are thus identified in the NPIAS as primary or commercial service airports. Others, however, have no commercial service, and are thus considered GA or reliever airports in the NPIAS.

Reliever airports Reliever airports comprise a special category of GA airports. Reliever air- ports, generally located within a relatively short distance (less than 50 miles) of primary airports, are specifically designated by the NPIAS as “general aviation- type airports that provide relief to congested major airports.” To be classified as a reliever airport, the airport must have at least 100 aircraft based at the airport or handle at least 25,000 itinerant operations. As the name suggests, reliever airports are intended to encourage GA traffic to use the facility rather than the busier commercial service airport, which may be experiencing delays, by providing facilities of similar quality and convenience to those available at the commercial service airports.

In many major metropolitan areas, reliever airports account for a majority of airport operations. In the Atlanta, Georgia, standard metropolitan

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18 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

Table 1-3. Top 50 Airports by # of Itinerant GA Operations, 2008

Rank Airport Name # Ops

1 VNY Van Nuys Airport, CA 258,155

2 DAB Daytona Beach International Airport, FL 232,077

3 TMB Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, FL 139,528

4 FXE Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, FL 137,403

5 RVS Richard Lloyd Jones Airport, OK 136,382

6 FFZ Falcon Field, AZ 135,382

7 LGB Long Beach Airport, CA 133,576

8 DVT Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, AZ 133,150

9 APA Centennial Airport, CO 128,521

10 BFI Boeing Field, Kind County Airport, WA 127,003

11 MYF Montomery Field Airport, CA 124,079

12 PDK Dekalb - Peachtree Airport, GA 121,055

13 CRQ McClellan - Palomar Airport, CA 113,781

14 SNA John Wayne - Orange County Airport, CA 113,763

15 TEB Teterboro Airport, NJ 108,493

16 SDL Scottsdale Airport, AZ 107,351

17 SEE Gillespie Field Airport, CA 103,667

18 ADS Addison Airport, TX 102,286

19 SFB Orlando Sanford International Airport, FL 96,634

20 HPN Westchecster County Airport, NY 96,631

21 VRB Vero Beach Municipal Airport, FL 94,422

22 BED Laurence G Hanscom Field Airport, CT 88,113

23 FRG Republic Airport, NY 87,907

24 ISM Kissimmee Gateway Airport, FL 84,531

25 DWH David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport, TX 83,487

26 SAT San Antonio International Airport, TX 83,412

27 EVB New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport, FL 82,634

28 PRC Ernest A. Love Field, AZ 82,536

29 MLB Melbourne International Airport, FL 82,376

30 APF Naples Municipal Airport, FL 81,794

31 FPR St. Lucie County International Airport, FL 80,291

32 HOU William P. Hobby Airport, TX 80,156

33 GYR Phoenix Goodyear Airport, AZ 78,263

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The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems 19

statistical area (SMSA), for example, the 11 designated reliever airports account for more operations than occur annually at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the nation’s busiest commercial service airport. Of the GA airports recognized in the NPIAS, 270 have been classified as reliever airports. These airports are home to over 28 percent of all GA aircraft.

Many of the more than 2,000 GA airports not formally included in the NPIAS are still recognized by the United States as public-use GA airports. However, those airports not formally in the NPIAS are not eligible for federal money for airport improvements. Of the nearly 1,900 airports open to the public but not in the NPIAS, most do not meet the minimum entry criteria of having at least 10 based aircraft or they may be located within 20 miles of an airport already in the NPIAS, are located at inadequate sites and cannot be expanded and improved to provide safe and efficient airport facilities, or cannot be adequately justified in terms of national interest. These airports are often included in state and local

Table 1-3. Top 50 Airports by # of Itinerant GA Operations, 2008 (continued)

Rank Airport Name # Ops

34 CMA Camarillo Airport, TX 77,974

35 HIO Portland-Hillsboro Airport, OR 76,256

36 TOA Zamperini Field Airport, CA 75,896

37 CHD Chandler Municipal Airport, AZ 75,280

38 PTK Oakland County International Airport, MI 75,097

39 PBI Palm Beach International Airport, FL 74,388

40 FAT Fresno Yosemite International Airport, CA 73,707

41 SAC Sacramento Municipal Airport, CA 73,525

42 OMN Ormond Beach Municipal Airport, FL 73,328

43 MMU Morristonwn Municipal Airport, NJ 73,058

44 DAL Dallas Love Field, TX 72,731

45 FTW Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, TX 72,334

46 GKY Arlington Municipal Airport, TX 71,947

47 IWA Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, AZ 71,903

48 ORL Orlando Executive Airport, FL 70,226

49 ANC Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, AK

69,498

50 CRG Craig Municipal Airport, FL 69,327

Source: AirportJournals.com

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20 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

airport plans, and thus receive some levels of financial support. The more than 12,000 civil landing areas that are privately owned and not open to the general public are not included in the NPIAS, and are not funded by any public entity. They are considered part of the national airport system, however, because each facility is used to access the rest of the nation’s system of air transportation, airways, and airports.

Many of the difficulties in planning a national airport system arise from its size and diversity. Each airport has unique issues, and each airport operator— although constrained by laws, regulations, and custom—is essentially an inde- pendent decision maker. Although airports collectively form a national system, the NPIAS system is not entirely centrally planned and managed. The FAA’s role in planning the system has traditionally been one of gathering and report- ing information on individual airport decisions and discouraging redundant development.

Since 1970, national airport plans have been prepared by FAA regional offices, working in conjunction with local airport management. The NPIAS presents an inventory of the projected capital needs of more than 3,200 airports “in which there is a potential federal interest and on which federal funds may be spent.” Because funds available from federal and local sources are sufficient to com- plete only a fraction of the eligible projects, many of the airport improvements included in the NPIAS are never undertaken.

The criteria for the selection of the airports and projects to be included in the plan have come under criticism. Some have argued that most of the 3,300-plus airports in the NPIAS are not truly of national interest and that criteria should be made more stringent to reduce the number to a more manageable set. On the other hand, there are those who contend that the plan cannot be of national scope unless it contains all publicly owned airports. It is argued that because the NPIAS lists only development projects eligible for federal aid and not those that would be financed solely by state, local, and private sources, the total airport development needs are understated by the plan.

The rules that govern airport management As with any system intended for use by the public, a complex system of fed- eral, state, and often local regulations have been put in place by legislation to ensure the safe and efficient operation of public-use airports. All airports included in the NPIAS are subject to a variety of Federal Aviation Regula- tions (FAR). FARs are found in Title 14 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) (14 CFR—Aeronautics and Space). The 14 CFR series is made up of over 100 chapters, known as parts, each of which provide regu- latory mandates that govern various elements of the civil aviation system,

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The rules that govern airport management 21

including regulations for pilots, GA and commercial flight operations, and, of course, airport operations and management. Within airport management, regulations regarding airport operations, environmental policies, financial policies, admini strative policies, airport planning, and other issues of direct concern to airports are covered.

Although all FARs are important to airport management, the following FARs are of specific importance to airport management, operations, and planning, and will be referenced in detail in this text:

14 CFR Part 1 Definitions and Abbreviations

14 CFR Part 11 General Rulemaking Procedures

14 CFR Part 36 Noise Standards: Aircraft Type and Airworthiness Certification

14 CFR Part 71 Designation of Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E Airspace Areas; Airways, Routes, and Report- ing Points

14 CFR Part 73 Special Use Airspace

14 CFR Part 77 Objects Affecting Navigable Airspace

14 CFR Part 91 General Operating and Flight Rules

14 CFR Part 93 Special Air Traffic Rules and Airport Traffic Patterns

14 CFR Part 97 Standard Instrument Approach Procedures

14 CFR Part 121 Operating Requirements: Domestic, Flag, and Supplemental Air Carrier Operations

14 CFR Part 129 Operations: Foreign Air Carriers and Foreign Opera- tors of U.S. Registered Aircraft Engaged in Common Carriage

14 CFR Part 139 Certification of Airports

14 CFR Part 150 Airport Noise and Compatibility Planning

14 CFR Part 151 Federal Aid to Airports

14 CFR Part 152 Airport Aid Program

14 CFR Part 156 State Block Grant Pilot Program

14 CFR Part 157 Notice of Construction, Alteration, Activation, and Deactivation of Airports

14 CFR Part 158 Passenger Facility Charges

14 CFR Part 161 Notice and Approval of Airport Noise and Access Restrictions

14 CFR Part 169 Expenditure of Federal Funds for Nonmilitary Airports or Air Navigation Facilities Thereon (for airports not operated under FAA regulations)

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22 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

In addition to the 14 CFR series, regulations regarding the security of airport and other civil aviation operations are published under Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR—Transportation) and are known as Transporta- tion Security Regulations (TSRs). TSRs are enforced by the TSA. TSRs of specific importance to airport management include:

49 CFR Part 1500 Applicability, Terms, and Abbreviations

49 CFR Part 1502 Organization, Functions, and Procedures

49 CFR Part 1503 Investigative and Enforcement Procedures

49 CFR Part 1510 Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fees

49 CFR Part 1511 Aviation Security Infrastructure Fee

49 CFR Part 1520 Protection of Security Information (replaced FAR Part 191)

49 CFR Part 1540 Civil Aviation Security: General Rules

49 CFR Part 1542 Airport Security (replaced FAR Part 107)

49 CFR Part 1544 Aircraft Operator Security: Air Carriers and Commer- cial Operators (replaced FAR Part 108)

49 CFR Part 1546 Foreign Air Carrier Security (replaced parts of FAR Part 129)

49 CFR Part 1549 Indirect Air Carrier Security (replaced FAR Part 109)

49 CFR Part 1550 Aircraft Security Under General Operating and Flight Rules (replaced parts of FAR Part 91)

The volume of TSRs came into effect on November 19, 2001, with the signing of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. Security regulations and poli- cies under the TSA have been in a constant state of change, as the civil aviation industry adapts to increased threats of terrorism.

To assist airport management and other aviation operations in understanding and applying procedures dictated by federal regulations, the FAA makes avail- able a series of advisory circulars (ACs) associated with each regulation and policies. The ACs specific to airports are compiled into the 150 Series of Advi- sory Circulars. There are over 100 current and historical ACs in the 150 series available to airport management. Those ACs of particular general interest to air- port management are referenced throughout this text. Some of these include:

AC 150/5000-5C Designated U.S. International Airports

AC 150/5020-1 Noise Control and Compatibility Planning for Airports

AC 150/5060-5 Airport Capacity and Delay

AC 150/5070-6A Airport Master Plans

AC 150/5190-5 Exclusive Rights and Minimum Standards for Commer- cial Aeronautical Activities

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Organizations that influence airport regulatory policies 23

AC 150/5200-28B Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS) for Airport Operators

AC 150/5200-30A Airport Winter Safety and Operations

AC 150/5200-31A Airport Emergency Plan

AC 150/5300-13 Airport Design

AC 150/5325-4A Runway Length Requirements for Airport Design

AC 150/5340-1H Standards for Airport Markings

AC 150/5360-12C Airport Signing and Graphics

AC 150/5360-13 Planning and Design Guidelines for Airport Terminal Facilities

AC 150/5360-14 Access to Airports by Individuals with Disabilities

ACs are constantly updated and often changed. The latest available ACs as well as FARs may be found by contacting the FAA. The latest information regarding TSRs may be found by contacting the TSA.

Airports are also subject to state and local civil regulations specific to the air- port’s metropolitan area. In addition, airport management itself may impose regulations and policies governing the operation and administration of the airport. Each airport is encouraged to have a published set of rules and regula- tions covering all the applicable federal, state, local, and individual airport poli- cies to be made available for all employees and airport users on an as-needed basis. A complete list of current and historical Federal Aviation Regulations and Advisory Circulars may be found at the FAA website at http://www.faa.gov.

Organizations that influence airport regulatory policies There are many national organizational and regional organizations that are deeply interested in the operation of airports. Most of these organizations are interested in developing and preserving airports because of their role in the national air transportation system and their value to the areas they serve. The primary goal of these groups is to provide political support for their causes with hopes to influence federal, state, and local laws concerning airports and avia- tion operations in their favor. In addition, these groups provide statistics and informational publications and provide guest speakers and information sessions to assist airport management and other members of the aviation community in order to provide support for civil aviation.

Each of these organizations is particularly concerned with the interests of their constituents; however there are numerous times when they close ranks and work together for mutual goals affecting the aviation community in general. The following is a brief listing of the most prominent associations. A complete

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24 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

listing can be found in the World Aviation Directory published by McGraw-Hill. These organizations, by virtue of the alphabetic acronyms they are most com- monly referred by, make up the “alphabet soup” of aviation-related support organizations.

• Aerospace Industries Association (AIA)—founded 1919. Member compa- nies represent the primary manufacturers of military and large commercial aircraft, engines, accessories, rockets, spacecraft, and related items.

• Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA)—founded 1939. With more than 400,000 members, AOPA represents the interests of general aviation pilots. AOPA provides insurance plans, flight planning, and other services, as well as sponsors large fly-in meetings. In addition the AOPA’s Airport Support Network plays a large role in the support and develop- ment of all airports, with particular support to smaller GA airports.

• Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)—founded 1931. The Air Line Pilots Association is the oldest and largest airline pilots’ union, supporting the interests of the commercial pilots and commercial air carrier airports.

• Airports Council International–North America (ACI–NA)—founded 1991. First established as the Airport Operators Council in 1947, the ACI–NA considers itself the “voice of airports” representing local, regio- nal, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial air- ports throughout the United States and Canada. As of 2003, 725 member airports throughout belong to ACI–NA. The mission of the ACI–NA is to identify, develop, and enhance common policies and programs for the enhancement and promotion of airports and their management that are effective, efficient, and responsive to consumer and community needs.

• Air Transport Association of America (ATA)—founded 1936. The ATA represents the nation’s certificated air carriers in a broad spectrum of technical and economic issues. Promotes safety, industrywide pro- grams, policies, and public understanding of airlines.

• American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)—founded 1928. A division of the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce at its inception, the AAAE became an independent entity in 1939. Membership includes individual representatives from airports of all sizes throughout the United States, as well as partners in the aviation industry and academia.

• Aviation Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ADMA)—founded 1943. Represents the interests of a wide variety of aviation firms including fixed-base operators (FBOs) who serve GA operations and air- craft component part manufacturers. The ADMA is a strong proponent of aviation education.

• Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)—founded 1953. The EAA, with over 700 local chapters, promotes the interests of homebuilt and

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Organizations that influence airport regulatory policies 25

sport aircraft owners. EAA hosts two of the world’s largest fly-in con- ventions each year, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Lakeland, Florida.

• Flight Safety Foundation (FSF)—founded 1947. The primary function of the FSF is to promote air transport safety. Its members include airport and airline executives and consultants.

• General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA)—founded 1970. GAMA’s members include manufacturers of GA aircraft, en- gines, accessories, and avionics equipment. GAMA is a strong propo- nent of GA airports.

• Helicopter Association International (HAI)—founded 1948. Members of HAI represent over 1,500 member organizations in 51 countries that operate, manufacture, and support civil helicopter operations.

• International Air Transport Association (IATA)—founded 1945. IATA is an association of more than 220 international air carriers whose main functions include coordination of airline fares and operations. IATA annually assesses international airports for their service quality and publishes their findings industrywide.

• National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA)—founded 1967. As the voice of the aerial application industry, NAAA represents the interests of agricultural aviation operators. The NAAA represents over 1,250 mem- bers including owners of aerial application businesses; pilots; manufactur- ers of aircraft, engines, and equipment; and those in related businesses.

• National Air Transportation Association (NATA)—founded 1941. First known as the National Aviation Training Association and later Trades Association, NATA represents the interests of FBOs, air taxi services, and related suppliers and manufacturers.

• National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO)—founded 1931. The NASAO represents departments of transportation and state aviation departments and commissions from 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam. NASAO encourages cooperation and mutual aid among local, state, and federal governments.

• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)—founded 1947. The NBAA represents the aviation interests of over 7,400 companies that own or operate GA aircraft as an aid to the conduct of their business, or are involved with some other aspect of business aviation.

• Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA)—founded 1972. PAMA promotes the interest of airframe and power plant (A&P) technicians.

• Regional Airline Association (RAA)—founded 1971. The RAA repre- sents the interests of short- and medium-haul scheduled passenger air carriers, known as “regional airlines,” and cargo carriers.

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26 Airports and airport systems: An introduction

Concluding remarks As described in these introductory remarks, the complex system of civil airports is made up of individual airport facilities of varying sizes, serving various purposes, all organized into plans of regional, national, and interna- tional levels. The range of rules, regulations, and policies, administered from varying levels of government, cover the full spectrum of airport and aviation system operations. Furthermore, a large number of professional and industry organizations play a large part in influencing the policies by which airport management must operate their facilities. By understanding where an airport manager’s airport falls within the civil aviation system, what rules must be fol- lowed, and what sources of support and assistance exist, the task of efficiently managing the complex system that is an airport, becomes highly facilitated.

Key terms

joint-use civil-military airports

enplanements

deplanements

transfer passengers

aircraft operations

local operations

itinerant operations

based aircraft

Department of Transportation (DOT)

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Airport District Office (ADO)

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

National Airport System Plan (NASP)

National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS)

commercial service airport

primary airport

standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA)

large hub

medium hub

small hub

nonhub

general aviation (GA) airport

basic utility facility

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