AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT Magazine

Serving more than 100 million passengers annually, it’s no secret that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is a critical piece of the worldwide aviation network. So when the busy airport requires expansion or renovation, one of the biggest considerations is minimizing impact to operations. When it was determined that Concourse D, at 40+ years old, would require improvements to continue meeting current and future demand, officials recognized it would take innovation and creativity to make it happen. Opened in 1980, Concourse D is one of five original concourses in ATL’s domestic terminal. It is the airport’s narrowest concourse, with a circulation corridor of 18 feet and holdroom seating for 5,400 passengers. The concourse was originally designed with 40 gates to handle 19 regional aircraft and 21 larger aircraft. But even after renovations over the decades, Concourse D remains dramatically undersized. Click to read more about the current expansion program scheduled for completion in 2029: https://buff.ly/3RG9lOf

In Part Two of our two-part series on Safety Management Systems, we focus on Federal Aviation Administration requirements for airports. Early adopters are reporting positive results, and—spoiler alert—collaboration will be key to compliance. Following the FAA Safety Organization’s final rule for Part 121 airline operators in 2015, the agency published its final ruling on Safety Management Systems (SMS) for some Part 139 airports in February 2023. Click to read the full article: https://buff.ly/3zn5lMf

Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, in cooperation with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), announces the launch of BNA PASSport, a new offering for non-ticketed guests to access dining and retail at the airport beyond the checkpoint. Beginning July 1, visitors can explore various activities at BNA that not only include shopping and dining but also plane-watching, art exhibits, and the opportunity to meet a loved one at the gate. Click to learn more: https://buff.ly/3VNGLf9

A new $7 million ground run-up enclosure is boosting safety and operating efficiency at Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport (OSC), a general aviation airport in northeastern Michigan, along the Lake Huron shoreline. The roughly five-story structure was completed in February 2024 by Kalitta Air, the airport’s largest tenant and employer. The ground run-up enclosure (GRE) provides the cargo carrier with a safe place to test jet engines running at full bore without endangering personnel and smaller aircraft that might accidentally come too close to a powerful blast of engine exhaust. Click to read more about this project: https://buff.ly/3xLnAua

On June 21, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and officials from American Airlines, Envoy Air, WHILL, and the Miami-Dade Aviation Department announced ten new autonomous power chairs that Envoy Air is now using to transport American Airlines passengers with limited mobility at Miami International Airport (MIA). This spring, MIA became the first U.S. airport to receive the autonomous chairs developed by WHILL, Inc. Self-driving mobility devices transport customers to their desired gate after they select their destination on a touch screen, providing users with more freedom, confidence, independence, and an improved customer experience. An average of 120 American Airlines passengers per day use the chairs inside concourses D and E at MIA. Read more at: https://buff.ly/45JUIiB

Airports with significant service from Alaska Airlines are now dotted with new self-serve machines for passengers. The Seattle-based carrier recently removed ticketing kiosks and replaced them with stations solely dedicated to printing tags for checked baggage. The initiative affected 79 airports throughout the U.S, including the airline’s five hubs. The move to self-service bag tag stations was made to provide a simpler, faster check-in experience for travelers while reducing paper use/waste and shifting toward a more paperless system. On average, passengers previously spent three to four minutes at Alaska Airlines ticketing kiosks. Now, most generate their boarding passes on cellphones or at home and spend just 45 seconds per transaction at the new bag tag stations. Click to read more about this project: https://buff.ly/4ci61kG

Fort McMurray Airport Authority announces Amy Keller-Rempp’s Sky Dance Series as the third of four digital art exhibits to be showcased throughout the Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM) in 2024. The exhibit will be kicked-off with a launch event on Thursday, August 1, from 1 – 2 p.m. on Arrivals, Level 1. FMAA invites the community to attend. Guests will hear from the artist herself, the inspiration she drew from to create the series and opportunity to network, enjoy live music and mingle with fellow lovers of the arts. Read more at: https://buff.ly/3L25SFZ

Last September, a long-time regional transportation plan became reality when Orlando and Miami were connected with high-speed rail service. The new route provides an attractive new option for airline travelers throughout the state, and Orlando International (MCO) staked its claim as the first U.S. airport with high-speed intercity passenger rail service adjacent to the terminal. Click to read more about this project: https://buff.ly/4cGRnTT

Long Beach Airport (LGB) kicked off its annual Careers Taking Flight Externship Program this week, doubling the size of the program in its second year with two, 12-student cohorts from Cabrillo and Jordan high schools learning about a wide variety of aviation careers and how to make themselves competitive for future positions. Read more at https://buff.ly/4cBXSr2

Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (RNO) opened a newly expanded Ticketing Hall in April, doubling its queue space with an additional 10,000 square feet. Beyond adding more room for queues, the Nevada airport also remodeled and upgraded its existing 35,000-square-foot hall with new public restrooms, ticketing kiosks, wayfinding signage and space for oversized baggage. A higher ceiling brings in natural daylight, improved sightlines and aesthetics—as well as more energy-efficient lighting. The expansion is the first completed phase of the MoreRNO Infrastructure Program, the airport’s billion-dollar, multi-year project aimed to meet growing demand for air travel in the area. Read more about this project in our newest issue at https://buff.ly/2LDhIKY