Author:  Kristen Rindfleisch Published in:  July-August 2024 Reno-Tahoe International Airport (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 comp ..read more

Author:  Jodi Richards Published in:  July-August 2024 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. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is committed to being a global leader in the evolution of mobility, says Chief Executive Officer Kevin Thiba ..read more

Author:  Kristen Rindfleisch Published in:  July-August 2024 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 mor ..read more

Author:  Ken Wysocky Published in:  July-August 2024 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 LLC, 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 ..read more

Author:  Jodi Richards Published in:  July-August 2024 In Part Two of our two-part series on Safety Management Systems, we focus on FAA 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. It applies to airports that are: classified as a hub; or have a three-year rolling average of 100,000 ope ..read more

Author:  Ronnie Wendt Published in:  July-August 2024 Passengers tend to think of airport security as TSA checkpoints and police K9s, but much more goes into keeping the public and airport personnel safe. From increasingly sophisticated terminal cameras and access control technology to employee credentialing and thermal imaging, airport security systems leverage advanced technologies; and even the most innovative and cutting-edge systems eventually wear out or require major upgrades. That’s exactly where Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) found itself a short time ago. I ..read more

Author:  Kristin V. Shaw Published in:  July-August 2024 Nicknamed Treasure Valley for its vast natural resources, Boise, ID, is having a moment. The Boise metro area consistently shows up on lists of the fastest-growing areas in the U.S., and Boise Airport (BOI) is making investments to handle the associated traffic increases. Deputy Director of Parking and Landside Facilities Sean Briggs, a local native and 10-year airport veteran, isn’t surprised that the area is booming. “Boise is a great place to live,” Briggs says. “We have phenomenal weather, and it’s a clean, safe city ..read more

Author:  Paul Nolan Published in:  July-August 2024 Given the daily hustle and demands of operating an international airport, it can be tough finding time to build relationships with the greater community. However, leaders at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) on Florida’s Gulf Coast know that such efforts are not just vital to developing a positive service-oriented identity; they can also be effective early recruitment tools to support the long-term success of the airport. The forward-thinking team at SRQ is grooming future members of its workforce decades in advan ..read more

Author:  Mike Schwanz Published in:  July-August 2024 Located about 40 miles east of Columbus, OH, Newark-Heath Airport (VTA) is in one of the fastest-growing areas in that state. Currently, the general aviation airfield logs about 13,000 operations a year, but traffic is expected to escalate based on Intel’s plans to invest $20 billion in the area, including a large manufacturing plant that will produce semiconductor chips. The company expects to create up to 3,000 new jobs in the next few years—including many high-wage software engineering positions. To meet a likely surge in ..read more

Author:  Nicole Nelson Published in:  July-August 2024 After a long time coming, an updated quick turnaround facility for consolidated rental car operations at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP) became fully operational last fall. “Now that we put it in place, the customer experience has just skyrocketed,” says Carl Beardsley Jr., executive director of the Pennsylvania airport. “It is so much better than it used to be.” An $11 million project transformed a 2.68-acre plot of land that had been an eyesore for decades into a new support center for the six rental car ..read more