Centerlines - December 2008 - (Page 7)

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Three Is Not Enough! Additional airport capacity is needed to support future demand W E ’ V E J U S T C E L E B R A T E D the opening of three new run- centerlines Airports Council International– North America 1775 K Street NW Suite 500 Washington, DC 20006 (202) 293-8500 www.aci-na.org ® ways, but the truth is that we still do not have adequate airport facilities to smoothly handle the nation’s travelers. Airports want to provide runways, taxiways and terminals that facilitate a safe, secure and on-time travel experience for passengers—with a minimal amount of hassle and inconvenience. We also want to ensure there is enough capacity for air cargo, which is critically important for our economy. Unfortunately, pressing issues like the fuel and credit crisis have obscured this long-term goal. However, we can never forget that along with putting out the short-term fires, we need to address the long-term needs of airline passengers and our communities. Because Congress did not enact a multi-year Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill with increased funding for airports, there is a concern that airports may not be able to add new capacity that will certainly be needed in the long term. I understand that this may not be a popular view with some, but we are an industry that must look decades out in order to plan, finance and build new airfield and terminal facilities. We simply cannot afford to adopt a short-term, short-sighted perspective. The cyclical nature of the industry masks the system’s needs. In 2000, the national air transportation network tried to handle 750 million travelers, but it began to break under the stress. Since then, we have not adequately expanded capacity. In 2007, the system again cracked under the strain when traffic returned to the 2000 levels. Just how can this system handle 1 billion passengers by 2016? Travelers through Chicago O’Hare, Washington Dulles and SeattleTacoma should find more flights operating on-time with the newly opened runways. FAA reports there are only a handful of other new runways in the planning stage—and most of these are still awaiting regulatory approvals. We also need a 21st century air traffic control system. The government has resorted to caps to try to regain control over congested airspace. They also are embracing what we believe is an illegal system of slot auctions. Next year—working with a new president and a new Congress—we must pass a multi-year FAA reauthorization that provides for a modernized air traffic control system, expanded and stable funding for airport capacity improvements and regulatory flexibility to quickly adjust to market conditions. In 2009, ACI-NA stands ready to carry the flag and wage the campaign to obtain the funding and stability for the long-needed, toooften-sidetracked capacity improvements to the nation’s air transportation system. ■ GREG PRINCIPATO PRESIDENT ACI-NA 2008 ACI-NA Executive Committee Randall “Randy” H. Walker Chair Clark County Department of Aviation John D. Clark III First Vice Chair Jacksonville Aviation Authority G. Hardy Acree Second Vice Chair Sacramento County Airport System Frank R. Miller Secretary-Treasurer Pensacola Regional Airport Fredrick “Rick” J. Piccolo Immediate Past Chair Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority Barry Rempel Ex Officio Winnipeg Airports Authority, Inc. 2008 Board of Directors Bruce Carter Metropolitan Airport Authority of Rock Island County Benjamin R. DeCosta Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport David. N. Edwards, Jr. Asheville Regional Airport Authority Jim M. Ethridge Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Thomas Kinton Executive Director Massachusetts Port Authority Bradley S. Livingston Dane County Regional Airport William F. Marrison Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority Charles “Skip” T. Miller Louisville Regional Airport Authority Reginald K. Milley Edmonton Regional Airports Authority Stephen J. Mitchell Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Mark Reis Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Bill Restall Saskatoon Airport Authority Maureen Riley Salt Lake City International Airport Lester W. Robinson Wayne County Airport Authority William R. Vanecek Buffalo Niagara International Airport Mark VanLoh Kansas City Aviation Department Joseph W. Waller HMSHost Corporation 2008 Associates Board of Directors Oris Dunham Dunham Group, LLC Susan Kurland Chair Depfa First Albany Securities, LLC Robert A. Hazel Vice Chair Oliver Wyman Joseph W. Waller Immediate Past Chair HMSHost Corporation Fredrick J. (Rick) Piccolo ACI-NA Board Liaison Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority Donald G. Andrews Reynolds, Smith and Hills, Inc. Leslie K. Cappetta SSP America, Inc. Joseph DiDomizio Hudson Group Shauna Forsythe Alliance Airport Advertising Laddie E. Irion URS Deborah T. Meehan SH&E, Inc. David Naleway Jacobs Mark A. Perryman Landrum & Brown, Inc. Randy D. Pope, PE Burns & McDonnell www.aci-na.org | CENTERLINES 7 http://www.aci-na.org http://www.aci-na.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Centerlines - December 2008

Centerlines - December 2008 Contents President’s Message Canadian Airports Associates’ Corner Policy Center On the Hill and On the Stump Cover Story: Airport Belt Tightening On Management: Pooling DBE Resources Revenue Arena: New Revenue Streams Griesbach Concessions Award Winners Security: Employee Screening Pilot Tests New Technology: Wireless Growth Now Underway Grand Openings New Members Index of Advertisers/Advertiser.com Box Scores

Centerlines - December 2008

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