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LanzaJet
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University of North Dakota
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
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Jacobsen Daniels Associates
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St. Louis Lambert International Airport
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Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
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City of Phoenix (AZ)
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Morristown Municipal Airport
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Ricondo and Associates, Inc.
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Southwest Airlines
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Federal Aviation Administration
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Eugene Airport
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American Association of Airport Executives
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Airlines for America
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National Association of State Aviation Officials
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Airport Consultants Council
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Transportation Research Board
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Victoria Sheehan
Transportation Research Board
___________________
* Membership as of May 2024.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
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CHAIR: Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston
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Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre
Hani S. Mahmassani, W.A. Patterson Distinguished Chair in Transportation; Director, Transportation Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
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___________________
* Membership as of May 2024.
AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 263
Creating Self-Directed Resiliency Plans
for General Aviation Airports
Amanda Witt
Alexis Lollar
Lavanya Desai
Bridget Smith
Mia Stephens
THE CADMUS GROUP LLC
Waltham, MA
Kim Fabend
Mia Held
C&S ENGINEERS, INC.
Syracuse, NY
Subscriber Categories
Aviation • Security and Emergencies
Research sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration
AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in transportation of people and goods and in regional, national, and international commerce. They are where the nation’s aviation system connects with other modes of transportation and where federal responsibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations intersects with the role of state and local governments that own and operate most airports. Research is necessary to solve common operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the airport industry. The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the airport industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it.
The need for ACRP was identified in TRB Special Report 272: Airport Research Needs: Cooperative Solutions in 2003, based on a study sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ACRP carries out applied research on problems that are shared by airport operating agencies and not being adequately addressed by existing federal research programs. ACRP is modeled after the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). ACRP undertakes research and other technical activities in various airport subject areas, including design, construction, legal, maintenance, operations, safety, policy, planning, human resources, and administration. ACRP provides a forum where airport operators can cooperatively address common operational problems.
ACRP was authorized in December 2003 as part of the Vision 100—Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. The primary participants in the ACRP are (1) an independent governing board, the ACRP Oversight Committee (AOC), appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation with representation from airport operating agencies, other stakeholders, and relevant industry organizations such as the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), Airlines for America (A4A), and the Airport Consultants Council (ACC) as vital links to the airport community; (2) TRB as program manager and secretariat for the governing board; and (3) the FAA as program sponsor. In October 2005, the FAA executed a contract with the National Academy of Sciences formally initiating the program.
ACRP benefits from the cooperation and participation of airport professionals, air carriers, shippers, state and local government officials, equipment and service suppliers, other airport users, and research organizations. Each of these participants has different interests and responsibilities, and each is an integral part of this cooperative research effort.
Research problem statements for ACRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the AOC to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects and defining funding levels and expected products.
Once selected, each ACRP project is assigned to an expert panel appointed by TRB. Panels include experienced practitioners and research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including airport professionals, the intended users of the research products. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, ACRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Primary emphasis is placed on disseminating ACRP results to the intended users of the research: airport operating agencies, service providers, and academic institutions. ACRP produces a series of research reports for use by airport operators, local agencies, the FAA, and other interested parties; industry associations may arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, webinars, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by airport industry practitioners.
ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 263
Project 02-92
ISSN 2572-3731 (Print)
ISSN 2572-374X (Online)
ISBN 978-0-309-70991-0
Library of Congress Control Number 2024939348
© 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.
NOTICE
The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors.
The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.
The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the Airport Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.
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AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
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The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 263
Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Marci A. Greenberger, Manager, Airport Cooperative Research Program
Edward K. McDonald III, Senior Program Officer (retired)
Jordan Christensen, Senior Program Officer
Stephanie L. Campbell-Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant
Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications
Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications
Kristin Sawyer, Editor
ACRP PROJECT 02-92 PANEL
Field of Environment
Curt G. Castagna, Aeroplex/Aerolease Group, Long Beach, CA (Chair)
Joe Behling, Immaculate Flight, Grand Rapids, MI
Michael William Buening, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indianapolis, IN
Patricia Anne Ryan, Decision Services International, LLC, Melbourne, FL
Kelli White, Emergency Response Partners, LLC, Burlingame, CA
Catherine L. Young, Connecticut Airport Authority (retired), Groton, CT
Thomas Cuddy, FAA Liaison
FOREWORD
By Jordan Christensen
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
ACRP Research Report 263: Creating Self-Directed Resiliency Plans for General Aviation Airports is a guide and toolkit that prepares general aviation (GA) airports to respond to, adapt to, and recover from all varieties of stressors and shocks while maintaining operations. Specific tools were created for GA airports to identify shocks and stressors, conduct risk assessments, and determine potential impacts to the airports. A PowerPoint slide deck provides an overview of the Resiliency Toolkit and is available for stakeholder presentations, and a flyer that explains the benefits of GA airports engaging in resilience planning is available for distribution. This guide and toolkit will aid GA airport sponsors, too, in the resilience-planning process and in creating or strengthening their plans.
There are nearly 3,000 GA airports that are important to the communities in which they operate and are key contributors to the successful network of the national airport system. GA airports are uniquely positioned assets in any community, and it is therefore essential for GA staff to understand, predict, and address shocks (e.g., airplane accidents, severe weather, and utility outages) and stressors (e.g., employment challenges, aging infrastructure, and climate change impacts) before they happen. GA airports typically have limited resources and staff to address these issues, making self-directed resiliency-planning guidelines (without the aid of consultants and costs) imperative.
Under ACRP Project 02-92, “Creating Self-Directed Resiliency Plans at General Aviation Airports,” the Cadmus Group, with support from C&S Engineers, Inc., was asked to develop products GA airports of various categories and sizes can use to enhance their resilience. The research included a review of resources, outreach to GA airports to identify current resilience practices and what they need or are interested in regarding those practices, airport interviews, and case studies. The resilience handbook and accompanying tools were created to guide GA airports through the resilience-planning process, including identifying shocks, stressors, and mitigation actions.
Featured in this report are a quick-start guide for the Self-Directed Resiliency Toolkit and a resilience handbook. Tools A through N are included as supplements and include a risk-assessment analysis tool; templates for communication and briefing strategies to engage with community stakeholders; and a stress-test exercise that GA airports could conduct to test their emergency plans, policies, and procedures. The tools that do not appear in print within this guide (the PowerPoint slide deck and the “Self-Directed Resiliency Toolkit for GA Airports” flyer) are available on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) by searching for ACRP Research Report 263: Creating Self-Directed Resiliency Plans for General Aviation Airports and then reviewing “Resources at a Glance.”
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CONTENTS
Quick-Start Guide Self-Directed Resiliency Toolkit
Resilience Handbook Creating Self-Directed Resiliency Plans for General Aviation Airports
Why Should GA Airports Care About Resilience?
Introduction to the Self-Directed Resiliency Toolkit
How to Integrate Resilience into Planning
Resilience Plan Development Checklist
Tool B Overview of Identified Shocks and Stressors
Tool C Risk-Assessment Analysis Tool
Tool D Mitigating Actions to Address Shocks and Stressors
Tool F Emergency Communications Plan Template
Tool G Airport Emergency Plan Template
Tool H Incident Mitigation Plan Template
Tool I Stakeholder Engagement Checklist Template
Tool J Incident Command System Template
Tool K Communications and Collaboration Guidelines
Tool L Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Letter of Agreement Template
Tool M Airport Resiliency Stress-Test Exercise-in-a-Box
Tool N Incident After-Action and Corrective-Actions Template
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