Blog Archives
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Let's Talk Politics
By Ronnie Garrett - Wednesday May 22, 2013In my family, you don’t talk politics, especially over a nice Christmas dinner. The ensuing argument, fists pounding on tables, and loud angry voices would definitely kill the Christmas spirit. (Did I mention we’re German?) But it seems such conversations are unavoidable of late in aviation. In one month’s time, we’ve seen the following: Yes to knives. Oops. No. Wait a minute. We changed our minds Once in awhile, governmental agencies adopt policies that are logical, based in fact and research, and meant to truly make a difference. This is not what happened here. In March, the FAA said it would allow knives with blades shorter than 2.36 inches, golf clubs, hockey sticks and more on planes. Then in April, like a... -
Why I Love Aviation
By Brad McAllister - Wednesday January 16, 2013
I have comprehensively experienced nearly all segments of the aviation industry in my four and a half years at Airport Business magazine. Before my time here, I had very limited exposure to the industry, apart from a stint my brother made in pursuing a professional piloting career years ago. Despite that, I have always been interested in powered flight — from the first time as a young boy seeing airliners approaching O'Hare when my father would take us kids to an occasional Twins/Sox game in Chicago. I am not a pilot, although I did participate in an introductory flight lesson as part of my initial foray as assistant editor for this publication (my trainer was Wisconsin Aviation's Jim Quinn) — yet, the aviation 'bug' has me firmly... -
Industry Events Showcase Airport Leaders In Retail & Concessions, Sustainability
By Brad McAllister - Wednesday November 21, 2012
In early November, I made my way to the annual Airports Going Green conference, held each year in downtown Chicago and organized by the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and the Amercian Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). I have attended this event for the past three years, and I don't intend to stop. It seems that the program is more comprehensive each year — and attendance is growing, bringing in more than 300 airport and aviation professionals from the U.S. as well as from abroad in 2012. The agenda included an airport sustainability directors track and a technology and innovation track. One session, 'Closing the Loop: Toward a Net Zero Airport,' featured key case studies of net-zero programs at airports today, like... -
At NBAA 2012, Cautious Optimism Persists
By Brad McAllister - Tuesday October 30, 2012Attendance seemed down slightly on opening day, probably due somewhat to the temporary TFR in affect for Obama's shortened visit to Florida ... and mostly due to superstorm Sandy, which blasted the East Coast on Monday and Tuesday causing thousands of commercial flight cancellations. For many FBOs I spoke with at the National Business Aviation Association's (NBAA) 65th annual meeting and convention in Orlando this week, fuel sales and aircraft activity has not yet returned to pre-recession levels. That said, aircraft service companies are cautiosly optimistic for the near-term, and operators that have diversified their service offerings say the additional profit centers have helped supplement the decline in activity in recent... -
Slow Growth And The Acceleration Of Regionalization ...
By Brad McAllister - Wednesday September 26, 2012
This event keeps getting bigger each year ... more attendees, more industry CEOs, and more for me to talk about. The underlying message from Mike Boyd (Chairman, Boyd Group International) at this year's forecast summit: Airline strategies have eclipsed economic factors as drivers of passenger levels. Airlines are essentially flying at capacity, says Boyd, and airline operating strategies will lead to slower passenger growth in the U.S. "It's one airline system," he comments. "Forecasting major and regional systems are meaningless." While the replacement of regional jets by mainline carriers will spike traffic at several markets, air access to and from a particular region will focus on fewer airports, he adds. Carriers are... -
At The ACI-NA/World Conference In Calgary ...
By Brad McAllister - Wednesday September 12, 2012
No doubt that these days, I can't draft a story that doesn't have some element of technology underpinning various airport operations processes and communication strategies. That's fine by me, as I am one of those techy nerds that eats this stuff up -- and I like to think that I get it, with regard to how business is inherently reliant on technological development. At this year's ACI-NA/World annual event, technology seemed to show up more than I have seen in past years. Everything from surface management solutions that incorporate collaborative decision making (CDM), to interactive wayfinding solutions that give airline passengers -- scratch that, airport customers -- the most critical day-of-travel information in real-time. Yes... -
Life After NATA, Bizav's Recovery, And 2012 Election Prospects ...
By Brad McAllister - Wednesday August 29, 2012
After 18 years leading the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), president James Coyne announced last March that 2012 would be his last year. Coyne spoke to a irport business recently; following are edited excerpts: airport business: Describe some of the biggest changes that have occurred in the industry during your tenure? James Coyne: One of my great interests has always been to make the industry as friendly to our customers and pilots as we possibly can, and to encourage more people to become pilots and to charter airplanes — to encourage more people to own and operate airplanes. Anything that is done that creates a barrier between a customer and our industry is a bad thing. And clearly 9/11 has created... -
'If You've Seen One Airport Security Checkpoint ... '
By Brad McAllister - Wednesday August 15, 2012
Comments CLEAR chairman and CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker, "Everyone says, ‘If you’ve seen one airport, you’ve seen one airport.’ The same applies for airport security checkpoints." One benefit of the CLEAR solution is the standardization of the airport security experience - an area of air travel where many would welcome standardization, me included. According to the company, CLEAR offers a secure identification process giving members certainty of speed, predictability, and service through the airport security experience. Today the service is available at four airports: Orlando, Denver, San Francisco, and Dallas; the company launched SFO in May and DFW in June. Recently, an RFP for White Plains Westchester County Airport has... -
In A Conversation With Thomas Kinton ...
By Brad McAllister - Wednesday August 1, 2012
Former Massachusetts Port Authority CEO for five years and director of aviation for 13 years, Thomas Kinton spent 35 years at Massport in a variety of positions, the most prominent being director of operations under Jane Garvey, who later became head of the FAA. There's a lot of history in that tenure — the good, the bad, and the ugly, relates Kinton. He was there during 9/11, and lost two airplanes that took down the World Trade Center buildings; he was right in the middle of the sea change that occurred in aviation security as a result of the attacks; and he oversaw the complete rebuild of Logan Airport, on top of itself — a $4.5 billion undertaking involving a multitude of challenges with regard to keeping the airport open and... -
Boston Logan Introduces 'Carla', Virtual Assistant For Checkpoint Security
- Thursday June 28, 2012
Says Brad Martin, airport deputy director of aviation customer service at Boston Logan International, "We are finding that passengers will pay attention to this hologram concept." That is, a projection of a human being relating the same messages as the static signs located at the main security checkpoint in Terminal E (Logan's primary international checkpoint). "Passengers pay attention and listen, and intuitively follow-though with what ‘Carla’ says about the checkpoint security procedure and the divesting process," he adds. The Tensator Virtual Assistant cost was approximately $26,000. The company has received good response from installations in Europe; passengers are being processed slightly quicker through the checkpoint...
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- 05/21/13 - 05/23/13
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Training, Lewistown, PA
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- 06/04/13 - 06/05/13
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Conference/Expo, Atlanta, GA
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- 06/05/13 - 06/06/13
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Conference/Expo, London,
