As expected, this year’s guidelines are very similar to the prior years. One change from the prior year is the US DOT is limiting the length of the application to 25 one-sided pages. This requirement excludes the SF-424, cover sheet, Summary Information, and support letters. The US DOT has also categorized the selection criteria into “Priority Selection Criteria” and “Secondary Selection Criteria.” The priority criteria focuses on airfares, program cost sharing from non-airport sources, and the public-private partnership. The secondary criteria is broader with focus on innovation, participation, location and other factors. The US DOT anticipates announcing grant awards in August. Feel free to give us a call if you need assistance or have questions on the grant process. To all those submitting, best of luck!

May 20-22 is expected to be an exciting time in Galveston (TX) as planners and aviation professionals from across the country take part in the 8th Annual National Aviation System Planning Symposium at the Hotel Galvez.

Join Regan Massey and Zachary Puchacz from Mead & Hunt’s Aviation Planning Staff on Tuesday, May 22nd  when the symposium hosts a lunchtime poster session, emphasizing the success of recent TRB ACRP projects.

Regan and Zach will be on hand to present posters on two of our recent ACRP Reports:  Report 27 – Enhancing Airport Land Use Compatibility and Report 65 – Guidebook for Airport Irregular Operations (IROPS) Contingency Planning.

Included in the new class are:

Maj. Gen. William A. Henderson – Flew 125 combat missions over South Vietnam, Laos, and North Vietnam. He later went on to be a corporate pilot and director of flight operations for General Motors Corp.

Col. Cass S. Hough (1904-1990) – During WWII, he flew regular missions escorting bombers over Europe and was assigned by Gen. Jimmy Doolittle to head a unit to solve operational problems. Later, he went on to serve as a member, acting director, and chariman of the Michigan Aeronautics Commission.

Maurice R. Hovious – Served in the US Air Force for 4 years as a crew chief of Boeing B-47 Bombers. Later, he went on to form several aviation companies in Michigan including Hov-Aire, Inc. that specializes in major repairs and restorations of Ford Tri-Motors and Piper Malibu/Mirage aircraft.

Dr. Richard Upjohn Light (1920-1994) – In 1934, he flew around the world in a Bellanca Skyrocket. Later, he served as the first chairman of the Kalamazoo’s Airport Advisory Commission.

Preston S. Parish - Awarded the Bronze Star for “heroic and meritorious achievement against enemy forces in Peleliu Island” during the South Pacific Campaigns. In 1977, he co-founded the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, now known as the Air Zoo and he currently serves as chairman on its Board of Directors.

1st Lt. Karl W. Richter (1942-1967) – Youngest US pilot and third F-105 pilot to shoot down a MiG in air-to-air combat. At the time of his death, while in combat, he had flown more missions in North Vietnam than any other airman.

Lt. Col. Washington D. Ross – A member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. He flew P-47s and P-51s in 63 long-range bomber escort missions and later became a B-25 instructor.

Lt. Gen. Donavon F. Smith (1922-1974) – Flew 123 missions in P-47s and was a fighter ace with eight victories, as well as being part of the first US overseas deployment of the F-80 Shooting Star.

We join the Hall of Fame in honoring these outstanding men who are wonderful examples of those with a passion for aviation!

At a national aviation conference this spring, a panel of airline representatives admitted that the impacts of instituting baggage fees were not fully vetted. As one airline explained it, the fees were put in place to offset the rising costs of doing business. In that regard, this tactic was wildly successful. Adding to their windfall was the fact that the collected revenues were not subject to sharing with the various airports since this was not a part of intact operating agreements. The profits were a sorely needed boost to the airlines, which had suffered multiple setbacks in the past decade.

Now for the unintended consequences.

Those passengers who paid baggage fees for checked luggage were immediately resentful that other passengers were bringing similar-sized luggage onto the airplanes to place in the overhead bins. When baggage fees were first put in place, national load factors (percentage of occupied seats) were lower. As the numbers of flights were reduced on a national scale (capacity), the load factors began to rise due to sheer demand. Economics 101 in play here. Flights were now becoming substantially full throughout the entire system.

Conceptually, most airplanes do not come with an equal amount of overhead bins as seats. They certainly are not prepared to store oversized roller luggage, plus-sized laptops bags and jackets. When they fill up or the bags do not fit, the passengers have to move upstream against boarding passengers and gate-check their items. This can impact on-time departures, which in turn affects customer satisfaction. And the lost revenue to the airlines for all those trying to bring their bags on board for free can be significant.

To deal with the unintended consequence of delays and to speed up the boarding and disembarking process, Allegiant Air recently became the second airline to charge for carry-on bags placed in the overhead bins, following Spirit Airlines initiation of carry-on bag fees. One can only imagine that the other airlines will watch the public’s reaction with bated breath. Anything short of a wholesale mutiny will probably encourage them to implement yet another fee to the growing ala carte offerings. Airports will demand that the pie is shared and revised agreements will be the new battleground between the two aviation partners.

What’s next, you ask, for revenue generation for the industry? One needs only to look at the basic services that are included in the cost of an airline ticket and wonder.

If you are new to these reports, we’re happy to share them with you. Mead & Hunt sends this data to our clients and contacts quarterly at no cost.

For airport managers reading this information, please note that due to sample size and the inclusion of only domestic data, you may find that enplanements reported do not match your records. The primary value of the information is that it provides a benchmarking tool for you to compare general industry trends.

While we will still e-mail these reports to those of you on our contact list, they will also be included on this blog each quarter. If you want to join the e-mail list for your specific region, please e-mail Trina Froehlich.

Click the links below to access the calendar year 2011 regional reports:

Central Region (Airports in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) Relative to the calendar year ended in 2010, passenger traffic in the Central region increased 1 percent, while airline revenue, average fare, and yield increased 9, 9, and 8 percent, respectively.

East Region (Airports in Washington DC, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) Relative to the calendar year ended in 2010, passengers increased less than 1 percent while revenue, average fare and average yield each improved 10 percent.

Great Lakes Region (Airports in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) Relative to the calendar year ended in 2010, passenger traffic in the Great Lakes region increased 2 percent, airline revenue 1 percent, while airline revenue, average fares and average yield increased 11, 10, and 9 percent, respectively.

Northwest Region (Airports in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) Relative to the calendar year ended in 2010, passenger traffic in the Northwest region increased 4 percent, airline revenue increased 3 percent, while airline revenue, average fares, and average yields increased 11, 8, and 8 percent, respectively.

Southeast Region (Airports in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Tennessee) Relative to the calendar year ended in 2010, passenger traffic in the Southeast region increased 2 percent, while airline revenue, average fares, and yield increased 10, 9, and 9 percent, respectively.

Southwest Region (Airports in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas) Relative to the calendar year ended in 2010, passenger traffic in the Southwest region increased increased 2 percent, while airline revenue, average fares, and average yields increased 11, 9 and 8 percent, respectively.

West Region (Airports in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada) Relative to the calendar year ended in 2010, passenger traffic in the West region increased 2 percent, while airline revenue, average fares, and average yields improved 11, 9, and 9 percent, respectively.

New airports in cold weather areas that have more than 10,000 jet departures a year (primary hubs) will need to capture 60 percent of aircraft deicing fluids used.  If the captured deicing fluids are treated and discharged to surface waters, the discharge must meet EPA limits.

For primary hubs in cold weather areas, the final rule calls for them to participate in a five-year “Voluntary Pollution Reduction Program.”  This program will identify appropriate pollution reduction technologies and document their costs and benefits.  A report will be prepared for the EPA with this information and a quantitative pollution reduction goal for the industry using these technologies.

Tim Astfalk, one of our wastewater and storm water engineers, has been designing deicing solutions for Mead & Hunt’s airport clients for more than 20 years. He will be reviewing the final rule and discussing its implementation at the Airports Council International and Airlines for America Airline and Airport Deicing Management Conference May 23-24 in Washington, D.C.

Be sure to say hello to Tim if you are at the conference, or you can also learn more about the EPA’s ruling by contacting him at tim.astfalk@meadhunt.com.

The following ACRP reports related to ramp and runway safety will be discussed:
ACRP Synthesis 26: Current Airport Inspection Practices Regarding FOD (Foreign Object Debris/Damage) Attendees will learn more about the elements that comprise a comprehensive FOD management program. Panelists will discuss current practices, techniques, and available tools being used by airports for FOD inspections.

ACRP Synthesis 29: Ramp Safety Practices The current state of ground handling practices will be discussed, focusing on safety measures and training. Attendees will learn about ramp safety operations; staff roles and responsibilities; safety training; audit and inspection programs; safety violation programs; and collaborative safety initiatives, such as foreign object debris programs.

ACRP Research Results Digest 15: Use of Towbarless Tractors at Airports—Best Practices Attendees will receive practical planning guidance designed to enhance the safe operation of towbarless tractors at airports.

We’re happy to continue our support of the Wisconsin aviation community as a sponsor and exhibitor at this year’s conference, May 7-9, at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

A number of Mead & Hunt staff will be attending the conference and would love for you to stop by and visit with: Greg Stern, Paul Strege, Lisa Kinsman, Laura Morland, Chris Reis, Matt Dubbe, Mark Breukink, Tom Janssen, Kevin Sielaff, Matt Wagner and Helena Ziegler.

For the first time, the 30-minute one-on-one meetings will begin Wednesday morning instead of Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday, Allegiant will host general sessions to update airports on existing service and future operational plans. The KA’ Cirque Du Soleil show ending the evening will be sure to please all in attendance!

The remaining one-on-one meetings wrap up on Friday. If you currently have Allegiant Air service, this conference is a must-go event. Allegiant puts on a class-act affair and the information you will gain from the conference will truly be worth your while.

Mead & Hunt is very happy to have the Barnard Dunkelberg & Company (BDC) join our family, helping us enhance and expand our airport planning and environmental services. 

BDC, which has offices in Tulsa and Denver, is a leader in airport master planning and environmental consulting.  They will bring their dynamic approach to our firm and will deliver plans and programs for airports that will continue to exceed expectations. Their vision fits right in with Mead & Hunt’s and is reflected in part in their motto: “Be exceptional!” Having worked with the firm on a number of projects, we’ve seen this motto in action. With each assignment, they provide exceptional and individual solutions that address present challenges and meet future needs.

Bob Barnard, Ryk Dunkelberg, and Peter Van Pelt will be with us at Booth #956 during the conference. Stop by and congratulate them on bringing their outstanding staff into the Mead & Hunt family.  Accompanying Bob, Ryk and Peter at the Mead & Hunt booth will be Andy Platz, Ron Engel, Jon Faucher, Damon Smith, Tim Callister, Matt Dubbe, Rose Agnew, and Victoria Garmy.