Financial

Mead & Hunt has the capability and experience to provide a mix of airport financial services.  Our staff is especially sensitive to the link between airport goals and the financial matrix that is key to accomplishing these goals.  Airport master plans, cost centers rates and fees, leases, passenger facility charges (analysis and process), and audits must work together to see that the airport remains financially healthy, attains its goals, and maintains a positive public image.  Mead & Hunt’s hands-on experience with these elements of airport finances can be useful in a variety of situations.  Our staff has both public and private financial experience that is key to managing airport development projects.

Airport benchmark studies
Airport benchmarking is a relatively new tool that has been used primarily at large- and medium-hub airports, but it is becoming more accepted as a method of measuring relative performance between similar airports regardless of size.  Mead & Hunt staff conducted benchmarking exercises at more than 30 airports.  Airport benchmark studies “size-up” airport performance against similar airports in three areas: airport operational statistics, airport revenue, and airport expenses.  It is a useful tool for identifying areas of financial strength and weakness, and a very effective method for providing supplemental perspective on rates-and-charges discussions.

Master plan-financial plans
In the airport master plan process, the airport’s ability to generate future revenues sufficient to cover future operating expenses, and its ability to fund the proposed capital projects through a combination of federal, state and local airport funds must be examined.  Mead & Hunt conducts financial feasibility analyses including a review of an airport’s existing financial structure, a schedule for implementation of proposed capital projects, projections of capital funding sources, such as the FAA’s AIP and PFC programs, and projections of revenues, expenses, and net cash flows from the operation of the airport over the planning period.  The output of a financial feasibility analysis is a detailed cash flow analysis for the planning period identifying the sources and uses of funds applied to the CIP as recommended by the airport master plan.