BRIEFINGS ...
ACI-NA—Airports Council Int’l–North America selects San Francisco Int’l, Portland Int’l, and Dane County (WI) Regional airports as winners of its 2007 Environmental Achievement Awards. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport also won a special recognition award. The Environmental Management Award was given to SFO; the Outreach-Education-Community Involvement award was given to Portland; and the Mitigation Award went to Dane County Regional.
CANADIAN AIRPORTS COUNCIL (CAC)—based in Ottawa applauds the government’s decision to “stay the course” for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), keeping responsibility for CATSA with the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. The CAC says CATSA should remain a crown corporation, with its focus on passenger screening, hold baggage screening, and non-passenger screening.
CLEVELAND HOPKINS INT’L AIRPORT—says it is owed $5.4 million in back property taxes (since 1990) from concessions provider HMSHost. City says HMSHost was never billed and it’s unclear why reimbursement was never sought.
CONCORD (NC) BUCHANAN FIELD—breaks ground for a 33,000-sq. ft. jet hangar, part of an overall effort to attract business aviation. In March, it broke ground on a separate 40,000 sq. ft. jet center that will house seven to 15 jets and offer full-service amenities.
DFW INT’L AIRPORT—is honored with the 2007 Airport Safety Award given by the Flight Safety Foundation, for leadership and achievements benefiting aviation safety, both at the airport and in the wider aviation community. The award was given in Seoul, South Korea during the Flight Safety Foundation’s 60th annual International Air Safety Seminar.
D.O.T SECRETARY MARY E. PETERS—announces that Captain Henry P. (Hank) Krakowski is selected to serve as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the FAA’s air traffic organization. Krakowski will oversee the operational and financial performance of the air traffic control system and the FAA’s research and acquisition programs. His background includes flying, labor relations, air traffic, and scheduling. Position was previously held by Russ Chew, now with JetBlue.
FAYETTEVILLE (NC) REGIONAL AIRPORT—completes improvements as part of its third phase of a terminal renovation. The $2.2 million facelift also includes glossy terrazzo floors and new carpeting on the ground floor and main concourse, as well as new lights, signs, and a conference room.
FEDEX EXPRESS—a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. donates a Boeing 727-200 freighter to the DFW Int’l Airport’s Department of Public Safety Fire Training Center to provide hands-on training experience for aircraft firefighters. Since opening in 1995, the center has trained more than 5,800 firefighters, including representatives from state and federal agencies such as the FBI, DEA and Texas Division of Emergency Management. Since 2000, FedEx has donated 30 of its Boeing 727 aircraft to various organizations for educational purposes.
HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL—approves, in a controversial move over bidding, a contract extension through 2016 with concessionaire JDDA Concession Management, which is required to spend $10 million to improve food courts.
HOUSTON EXECUTIVE AIR-PORT—in Brookshire, TX breaks ground for the construction of Henriksen Jet Center, a full-service fixed base operation named for airport owner, Ron Henriksen, who opened the private-public airports last year some 30 miles west of Houston.
LOS ANGELES INT’L AIRPORT (LAX)—explores having visitors pay a toll to enter its arrival and departure loops, as the city studies congestion pricing. Study will examine congestion pricing for LAX-bound vehicles — drivers would pay more during high-traffic periods.
• Los Angeles City Council approves construction of ten gates to handle international traffic at LAX. Project is the latest modification underway at the airport, including a $723.5 million renovation of the Tom Bradley Int’l Terminal and the recent relocation of the southernmost runway for safety reasons. The new gates, expected to cost $1.2 billion, will be the first built at the airport since the early 1980s.
MCCLELLAN-PALOMAR (CA) AIRPORT—in Carlsbad releases a county-funded report that looks at ways the airport can boost its revenues, upsetting neighbors. Called the Air Service Situation Review, it calls for extension of the runway and associated areas and calls for creating a task force to recruit new commercial airlines and promote the two that already use the airport. Recruiting efforts could add new destinations, including San Francisco to the airport’s offerings, it notes. SH&E International Air Transport Consultancy performed the study, and did one for the county in 2003.
MIDWEST AIRLINES—and North-west Airlines sign an agreement to form a strategic codeshare partnership, formalizing a Memorandum of Understanding the two carriers signed in May.
MILLION AIR TUCSON—a full-service FBO at Tucson Int’l Airport begins construction of a nearly $5 million two-story executive terminal with 20,000 square feet of all-glass office space and amenities, including a state-of-the-art theater room. Development will include an additional 20,000 square feet of hangar space to accommodate aircraft as large as a Gulfstream 550. Facility will be located in the Campbell/Valencia General Aviation Complex, and is scheduled for completion in May 2008.
NAPLES (FL) MUNICIPAL AIRPORT—is told that Delta Air Lines will not provide direct Naples-to-Atlanta service; the community had put forth a $700,000 revenue guarantee to persuade Delta to offer regional service.
NORTHWEST AIRCRAFT—an official distributor and service center for Socata and Piper Aircraft, relocates to a new location at the Aurora (OR) State Airport, with a new building that houses 18,000 sq. ft. of maintenance space and 1,000 sq. ft. of office space.
O’HARE NOISE COMPATIBILITY COMMISSION—and the Chicago Department of Aviation update its “Sound Insulating Your Home” booklet designed to help homeowners sound-insulate their homes and assist municipalities that are developing building codes to include noise reduction measures.
OCEAN AIRE—a full-service FBO located on the R. J. Miller Airpark (MJX) near the New Jersey Coast, completes work on its new 20,000-sq. ft. hangar. Ocean Aire is located midway between New York City and Philadelphia, in Tom’s River, NJ.
SIEMENS—of Atlanta is awarded a $61.9 million contract from Swinerton Builders of Los Angeles for construction of a 100 percent in-line baggage screening system in three north terminals at Los Angeles Int’l Airport (LAX) as a part of the LAX North Project. Overall project completion is scheduled for 2010.
STERLING AVIATION—a full-service aircraft management, charter, acquisition and maintenance company headquartered at General Mitchell Int’l Airport, is named a Future 50 business by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC).
TRAMMEL CROW CO.—of Dallas finalizes a 15-year lease for 81,260 square feet with helicopter manufacturer American Eurocopter at DFW Int’l Airport. Transaction allows American Eurocopter to expand its Texas distributions operations from a current facility in Grand Prairie into the airport’s AirFreight & LogisticsCentreTM 1.
WILLIAMS GATEWAY AIR-PORT—is changing its name to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
