Atlanta the World's Busiest Airport in Terms of Passengers and Movements

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International holds the proud title of being the world s busiest passenger airport. In 2004 it handled 83.6 million passengers and averaged 2,643 daily movements, and in 2005 this figure increased to 85,907,423 and 980,197 movements, thus cementing its position at the top spot.

The Georgia city is home to Sky Team's Delta Air Lines and although the US major is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the airline has every intention of maintaining traffic activity levels atits main base and hub --where it and its regional partners account for 77% of traffic. Florida-based budget carrier, Air Tran, also has aconsiderable presence here accounting for 13% of traffic handled.

To sustain future growth, Atlanta is investing the largest sum of any US airport on a series of expansion projects. Yet it has to do this within the confines of a relatively small--by US standards--3,750 acre (1,517ha) site. This land area is a fraction of that available to rival airports, such as Dallas Fort Worth, Denver or Orlando.

A midfield terminal complex covers 130 acres (52.6ha) or 5.8 million square feet (538,820[m.sup.2]). The main terminal building is the point of access for ground transportation and is linked to six parallel concourses by an automated underground train system. To handle theairport's domestic and international traffic patterns there are fivedomestic concourses: T, A, B, C and D in addition to the single international Concourse E. These offer approximately 148 domestic and 28 international gates.

The main terminal is divided into north and south terminals, the southern being used almost exclusively by Delta. A ground transportation centre lies to the west of the main terminal Just inside the building is the MARTA station from where trains regularly connect with downtown Atlanta.

When Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics it of course resultedin increased international passenger traffic but since then the figures have more than doubled to around seven million in 2004. And with the US domestic market now fully recovered from 9/11, the airport hasput in place the largest airport investment plan in US history. Backin 1999 the Hartsfield-Jackson Improvement Program (H-JDP) mapped out an ongoing $6+ billion ten-year investment. In April 2001 the project took its first major step when ground was broken on a fifth parallel runway, and work on this is now nearing completion. To provide an adequate view of the runway for controllers a new $31 million 398ft (121.3m) tower will become operational this spring in time for the runway's opening.

The next major phase will be a ten-gate extension to the international concourse that will be joined by an underground people-mover to the existing Concourse E. The airport's old tower will be demolished to make way for the new facility. Adesign contract for this expansionproject had been awarded but when the developer's plans came in lateand $140 million over budget, Atlanta's General Manager Ben DeCosta dismissed the consortium involved. Mr DeCosta is confident a new dealwill soon be reached with another company, but now the new facility is unlikely to be ready before 2010.

Vast improvements to car rental facilities, currently the fourth busiest in the US, should be completed in April next year. At a cost of $479 million a new consolidated rental car area (CONRAC) will covera total 90 acres (36.4ha). The 8,700-car CONRACsite is located to the west of existing facilities on the other side of Interstate 85. Upon its opening, the shuttle bus service to car rental lots will be replaced by an automated people-mover, thereby removing a considerable amount of bus traffic from local roads.

The Central Passenger Terminal Complex (CPTC) is due for a major renovation. This is necessary because it was originally designed to handle 55 million passengers but reached 85,907,423 in 2005. Plans havebeen made to upgrade the CPTC to increase efficiency and provide better customer service standards. Some elements of this plan have already been completed, such as replacing 24 automated people-mover vehicles with larger capacity ones, the installing of new centralised FIDS throughout all concourses, and expanding some airside gate areas. Thework is ongoing and is being funded to the tune of $476 million between 2000-2009. It should be finished by 2015.

One other project that could take place after 2010 will be demand driven. This is the South Passenger Complex, which would be built to handle domestic traffic if growth levels require it after 2010-12. The new complex would be situated between the new fifth runway and the existing southerly runways and would initially add an extra 30 gates at a cost of $1.8 billion.

To help alleviate delays caused by aircraft holding on the in-field taxiways between the two 08 runways, a new end-around taxiway extension will be built. It is intended that this multi-million dollar project will pay for itself within two years through reducing delays.

The new fifth runway is urgently needed to ease air traffic delays--Atlanta currently handles around 2,600 movements a day, a figure that is expected to rise to 3,400 by 2015. To cope with this the additional 9,000ft (2,743m) CAT III runway has been placed 4,200ft (1,280m)south of the existing southern parallel runways thereby allowing three simultaneous approaches to be flown. The project required the airport to acquire 950 acres (384.5ha) of land at a cost of $390 million.

Cargo tonnage has risen 31.3% during the past ten years. In 2004 international cargo traffic grew to 349,820 metric tons and by 2015 this is expected to have reached 1.5 million metric tons. The attraction for the airfreight industry is Atlanta's strategic geographical location. Some 200 million Americans (or 80% of US consumers) are withintwo hours' flight or a day's truck drive, and Atlanta currently offers the lowest landing fees of any major US airport for cargo airlines.

Nearing completion is a new 104,000sq ft (9,662[m.sup.2]) warehouse at the south cargo complex, which will start operating shortly. Theadjacent ramp area can handle up to nine 747s. In order to meet the expected increase in cargo flights, the airport is looking to add a further 200,222sq ft (18,601[m.sup.2]) of warehousing over the next nine years.

Further boosting international trade, there is a 260-acre (104ha) Atlanta Tradeport adjoining the airport, providing a variety of facilities for shippers, brokers (over 100) and forwarders (200). Atlanta has been designated as the first US Customs model inland port, allowing most international cargo to be electronically cleared within four hours.

The airport is also the only one in the Southeast USA to be approved by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to apply cold treatment, an environmentally safe alternative to methyl bromide. A Perishables Complex features on-site distribution and transport capabilities, USDA inspection services and a USDA approved fumigation chamber. This covers 42,000sq ft (3,789[m.sup.2]) offering processing and storage space for seafood, flowers, fruit and vegetables. At the end of 2005 anew 9,000sq ft (836[m.sup.2]) propagating plant inspection facility,alongside the perishables complex, was opened enabling carriers to import shrubs, trees, seedlings and a variety of other plants.

The attention of Atlanta's management is obviously currently focused on Delta's Chapter 11 restructuring plans, a point that was highlighted in discussions with Aviation Development Manager Warren Jones. "When Delta introduced 'clockwork', its new continuous flow flight schedules, a few months ago it added about 100 flights a day into the airport. But now with Delta trimming some domestic services in favour of more international routes we shall have to look at how we can accommodate these changes.

"Any international flights can depart from any of our concourses (with the co-operation of customs etc), but incoming international services must obviously arrive at the international concourse (E). But the proposed schedule from Delta spreads out the new flights throughout the day. That should not cause us much of a problem, it is only thetransatlantic flights which all leave in the afternoon that put a high demand on the facilities. We are awaiting the gate requirements from Delta to accommodate their plans, but we are confident that we cancope.

"Looking elsewhere, we would clearly like to get other international services into here, such as from China. Last November we welcomed Cathay Pacific Cargo with a regular Hong Kong freighter service via Anchorage and Dallas. There is a demand for cargo services from China to South America, and during a recent trip to China I was constantly asked what we can offer on routes to South America--hopefully we can generate more business in this area. "Right now we could handle up tofour more cargo carriers utilising 747s up to five times a week. Thedeciding factor is not so much ramp space but warehouse space, but we shall need up to ten more parking spots by 2015." While China is inthe airport's sights, India, the other booming Asian market, is witnessing huge growth, but Warren does not see much short-term demand for passenger schedules to India. However, cargo is a different matter and the potential for developing cargo services to India is considered to be strong. "Although we hope to secure passenger routes to Asia first, I see a direct service to the Middle East, hopefully Dubai, asa real prospect in the next few years."

Atlanta is also keen to expand routes to Europe. As well as Delta's recently-announced European network increases, other airlines have the potential to offer point-to-point services, and Warren recognisesthat there are considerable opportunities to expand schedules into Eastern Europe, either directly through Delta or by a Sky Team partnersuch as CSA Czech Airlines.

Future Star Alliance member, South African Airways, is the sole African representative at Atlanta--but Delta is due to begin its own African services in December 2006. Before the delayed new internationalconcourse comes online, Warren is confident Atlanta could handle up to 15 new international carriers per day by 2010, even if a number were to schedule 747s or A380s.

At present there is no prospect of the A380 making regular visits,however, in the long term, it is a possibility. Warren says that at least two carriers would have to commit to services and be prepared to help fund the necessary modifications to the airport's infrastructure to handle it (Delta's Sky Team partners Air France and Korean Air have ordered the A380--ED). However in an emergency situation, Atlanta could accept an A380 right now.

Atlanta is top of the world's takings for passenger traffic and movements and General Manager Ben DeCosta is confident it will stay there. "We are the world's busiest passenger airport--and we intend to keep this title." With the level of investment and forward planning that the airport has put in place, few would bet against him.

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