New address

Terminal Q is moving to Flight Global.

Frontier nixes Colorado Springs maintenance plans

A new heavy maintenance facility will not be built on the west side of Colorado Springs Airport.

Frontier Airlines decided against constructing a heavy maintenance facility in Colorado Springs as the low-cost carrier attempts to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Capacity cuts and fleet reductions eliminated the need for the facility, Frontier spokesman Steve Snyder says, noting the airline has been reviewing all projects as part of the bankruptcy process.

Instead of building its own facility, Frontier will continue to lease part of Continental Airlines’ hangar in Denver for heavy maintenance work.

Construction on the 100,000-square-foot hangar (30,480 square meters) had not started. The facility had been slated to open in or after April 2009.

The airline selected Colorado Springs because of the financial package offered by the airport and the ease of flying between Denver and Colorado Springs, roughly 100 miles (160 km) south, Snyder said when plans for the facility were first announced.

Incentives offered to Frontier and other airlines include a 100% rebate of personal business property taxes related to hangar construction materials, Colorado Springs airport director of aviation Mark Earle says.

The airline also received a combination of rebates and exemptions that equate to a 100% abatement of sales and use taxes for activity in the hangar for the life of the project, he says. Aircraft, aircraft parts, equipment solvents, materials, “anything used in the maintenance process” is included.

"Airport staff will continue to market the airport in an effort to attract successful airline maintenance projects such as the SkyWest maintenance facility which has been in operation since July 2007,” Earle says in a statement.

JetBlue's photo shoot

JetBlue's photos and blog for their new terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

And real-time updates here.

My earlier posts about the terminal: trial-run and gastronomic descriptions.

Quirky airport stories

Japan's New Chitose Airport is using stockpiled snow in its cooling system.

Singapore's Changi Airport is working on customer service with a smile. The effort somehow involves celebrities such as Tommy Lee. Sounds counterintuitive...

While this has nothing to do with airports, consider this your Friday bonus.

Panama Photo Shoot

Construction of Florida's new Panama City-Bay County International Airport is four months ahead of schedule, says Roy Willett, senior project manager for project/construction manager Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR).

Runway and taxiway paving begins this week. Pictured: The 10,000-foot, north-south commercial runway facing south.

By the time the new facility opens on May 31, 2010, some six million yards of material will have been moved at the airport, Willett says.

Eight gallons of fuel is used daily during construction, which began in January, he says.

The 105,000-square feet terminal will be built according to the US Green Building Council’s standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Pictured: The passenger parking lot.

Pictured: Airport executive director Randy Curtis.

The Northwest Florida office

I am flying to Panama City, Florida, today to check out the forthcoming Panama City-Bay County International airport. The replacement facility is set to open in 2010. See my earlier post here.

In other construction news, JetBlue Airways has postponed the opening of its new terminal at New York JFK until October 22. T5 was supposed to open October 1.

“All operational systems have been tested and are ready for customers, but the retail and dining elements needed a little more time to complete construction and inspections," JetBlue spokesman Bryan Baldwin says in an email.

On the bright side, the project is still six months ahead of schedule.

Construction plans initially called for a February 2009 opening, Baldwin says.

Pink slips

Airlines aren't the only ones cutting staff.

Northeast Florida's Jacksonville Aviation Authority has laid off workers because of declining air traffic and is planning for additional cuts across Jacksonville International Airport and general aviation facilities Craig Airport, Herlong Airport and Cecil Field.

Jacksonville Business Journal reports the authority expects to trim roughly $809,000 worth of salary and benefits, which is about 1.2% of its $65.1 million operating budget.

The authority has not identified how many jobs will be lost because it is looking for other means to cut expenses and or raise revenues, authority director of external affairs Michael Stewart tells me.

"Everybody is hoping the industry will turn around quickly," he says.

Capacity is down 8% year over year in Jacksonville.

Lost service includes ExpressJet flights to North Carolina's Raleigh-Durham International Airport and twice weekly flights to Denver operated by Frontier Airlines.

Other carriers have reduced frequencies or cut seat capacity by down gauging aircraft, Stewart says.

As more of a business rather than leisure destination, Jacksonville will probably not experience as severe job losses as more vacation-oriented destinations, he says.

Other airports may not be as fortuitous.

The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) says airlines have already abandoned 60 communities and roughly 40 more communities will lose service this year. The airline group also says it is "not unrealistic" to expect as many as 200 communities could lose air service by early 2009.

In more upbeat Jacksonville news, authority executive director and CEO John Clark was elected chairman of Airport Council International–North America (ACI-NA) for 2009.

"Do you know that so-called volunteers don't even get paid?"

Looking for an easy entry in the airline industry?

Consider volunteering for Family Airlines. The Las Vegas startup needs people to work on US FAA manuals as the company maneuvers the regulatory process to fly widebody Boeing 747-400 aircraft from Las Vegas to major US cities.

Family Airlines founder and CEO Barry Michaels tells me he used craigslist to find executives and figured he would use it to locate volunteers as well.

Volunteers are reviewing completed Safety Attribute Inspection (SAI) manuals before documents are submitted the FAA, he says, adding materials will likely be turned in to FAA during the first week of October.

“BY VOLUNTEERING IT COULD LEAD TO A GRAT [sic] EMLOYMENT [sic] OPPORTUNITY,” the posting reads.

Read the complete craigslist posting.

If you're going to San Francisco

Acting FAA administrator Robert Sturgell will hold a press conference at San Francisco International Airport tomorrow to unveil environmental initiatives FAA is implementing in San Francisco, across the USA and in oceanic airspace.

Sturgell's announcement conveniently coincides with the arrival of “ASPIRE Flight 1,” an Air New Zealand flight between Auckland and San Fran that will use NextGen procedures and technologies.

The test flight "will demonstrate commercial aviation’s potential to reduce environmentally harmful emissions by millions of tons annually," FAA says in a statement.

San Fran mayor Gavin Newsome (pictured, swoon) is expected to attend, along with San Fran airport director John Martin and Air New Zealand officials.

New Indian airport in the works

Plans for a new Indian airport in the in the western state of Maharashtra received approval from a central government committee, the Ministry of Civil Aviation says.

North of Goa, the forthcoming facility in Sindhudurg will cater to domestic traffic and "could help in decongesting the Dabolim Airport in Goa," the committee says.

The state government of Maharashtra will seek bidders for airport construction.

Thanks to Nick Ionides in Flight's Singapore office for finding this story.

London shuffle

Does London Gatwick Airport have abandonment issues?

Yet another airline has announced it will leave Gatwick in favor of London Heathrow Airport this year.

Continental Airlines will end year-round service to Gatwick from Newark Liberty International and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental airports on October 25 to launch a third daily flight between Heathrow and Newark.

Is Heathrow cooler? Gatwick appears unpopular with passengers.

“Our customers have shown a clear preference for Heathrow, and our main competitors have focused their operations there. We regret the need to end year-round operations at Gatwick, but it is imperative that we remain competitive and continue to meet the needs of our customers,” Continental executive VP marketing Jim Compton says in a statement.

Airlines are willing to spend a lot on Heathrow. The Houston-based company paid millions on Heathrow slots--$116 million for summer slots last year and Continental has said it expects to pay $93 million for winter slots for New York and Houston flights this year.

Earlier in the year, American Airlines moved all its Gatwick operations to London Heathrow, ending a relationship that began in 1982.

Oneworld alliance member American used to fly from Gatwick to Dallas/Fort Worth International and Raleigh-Durham International airports.

The one bright spot for Gatwick is Continental's seasonal service between Cleveland Hopkins International Ariport and Gatwick will return in the summer, Continental spokesman Nic Britton says.

But that must feel like a consolation prize.

Busy bees

While the Air Transport Association of America's 2008 Economic Report focused on aircraft fuel efficiency, it also contained some interesting tidbits on busy airports.

New York City metro area airports were in 11 of the 12 most traveled domestic origin and destination (O&D) city pairs. New York and the Windy City averaged the most with 4,839 O&D passengers per day.

New York also plays well with Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, Las Vegas, West Palm Beach, Miami, Boston and Tampa. No surprises there.

Island hopping makes for another happening route. Honolulu-Kahului, the seventh most traveled domestic city pair, averaged 2,660 daily passengers each way. I plan on upping that number someday.

Atlanta ranked number one in annual passengers with 42.7 million travelers and 991,627 aircraft takeoffs and landings. Chicago O’Hare International Airport ranked second in both categories, with 34.2 million passengers and 926,973 operations.

Memphis International Airport remained the busiest air cargo facility, enplaning 2.2 million tons of freight and mail. How many Elvis love letters are included? Anyway, Louisville, Anchorage and Miami fall next in line for cargo bragging rights.

Fuel regulation

Federal regulation of fuel prices, open discussion among airlines about fares and increased foreign investment are among the temporary proposals the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) is promoting to combat record fuel costs.

"We're not calling for re-regulation ... [but we're] not calling for government to do nothing. Government does have a role to play," AAAE president Chip Barclay said during a press conference yesterday in Washington, DC.

Permanent regulation of fuel prices is not needed, but could be used during emergency situations, he says.

The trade group's Energy/Air Service Task Force created recommendations in the midst of reduced capacity and lost service at airports as disparate Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Ohio's Toledo Express airport as airlines cut capacity to combat fuel costs.

Toledo lost half of its service when two airlines exited three marketsand departures at Atlanta are expected to be down 5% year over year from October.

The task force suggests, "government should temporarily direct emergency refining capacity to jet fuel if needed. The government should also take emergency steps to reduce or eliminate the non-cost-based 'spread' between jet fuel and other refined products of crude oil."

Limitations of foreign investment of US airlines should be temporarily suspended, Barclay says, noting much is made foreign interest in US carriers, but less so when foreign companies eye US carmakers.

As for pricing, the task force report says, "government should provide temporary anti-trust immunity to US airlines to meet and discuss routes and fares, under the supervision of Department of Justice and DOT, and with the participation of representatives of local communities. The goal of these conferences should be to maximize a national system of air services at the best possible cost to passengers."

L-R Tory Richardson, executive director of airports for Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority; Jim Elwood, AAAE 2008-2009 chair and airport director for Aspen-Pitkin County Airport; AAAE president Chip Barclay.
(Photo by Daryl Humphrey, AAAE art director)

Moving on up

AirTran Airways will relocate at Los Angeles International Airport, moving to Terminal 6 from Terminal 3 effective tomorrow.

Flights will depart from Gate 69A.

"We outgrew our space in Terminal 3," Tad Hutcheson, VP marketing and sales says in a statement.

AirTran links LAX with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Let the good times roll again

Louis Armstrong International Airport is open after Hurricane Gustav caused airport officials to close the New Orleans area facility on August 31.

AirTran Airways says it will resume service to my favorite US city this evening. Its full operations to and from the Big Easy will resume tomorrow.

Where have all the passengers gone?

The onslaught of capacity reductions taking place this fall does not bode well for airports dependent on revenues from passenger facility charges.

Airports large and small are being impact as airlines cut capacity and passenger levels drop, says the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). The trade group's Energy/Air Service Task Force final report is available today.

A quick breakdown:

• Total system arrivals and departures are expected to drop 7.3% between October 2007 and October 2008, according to the Official Airline Guide (OAG).
• Carriers have eliminated service on more than 400 routes since March 2008, the The US House transportation and infrastructure subcommittee on aviation reports.
• Airlines have already abandoned 60 communities and roughly 40 more will lose service this year, says The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) The airline trade group also says it is “not unrealistic” to expect as many as 200 communities could lose air service by early 2009.

AAAE will make policy recommendations. I'll blog about that after the press conference.

Flock ewe

Goats and three sheep will take over the runway mitigation site at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport tomorrow to test their skills at removing invasive plants.

Normally a five-person crew keeps invasive plants in check. The goats and sheep will hopefully assist with hard-to-reach areas, Sea-Tac airport operator The Port of Seattle says in a statement.

Weed work certainly bodes better for animals than the last time goats hung out at the airport. Nepal Airlines sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, after having technical problems with one of their Boeing 757 aircraft last year. The ghosts were slaughtered in front of the plane at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

The port, which must maintain about 180 acres of land, contracted the goats through small business Goat Trimmers.

(No word if the animals picture above are the breed that will be used at Sea-Tac. Also, image is from the National Geographic Society)

Science of sleep

Munich Airport, in addition to offering a handy map/guide translated into 10 languages, offers scifi-looking sleeping cabins, known as Napcabs.

Located in Terminal 2 near Gate H32, the 2.50 x 1.40 meters (8.20 x 4.50 feet) sleeping and working cabin offers a bed, desk and Internet access.

Booking the cabins cost 15 euros ($22.05) for the first 15 minutes and four euros for every next quarter of an hour. One nights stay from 10 pm to 7 am costs 60 euros.

Five students participating in the 2007 Innovation Competition held by Munich University of Applied Sciences developed Napcabs.

Thanks to Flight's online editor Michael Targett for alerting me to this nifty photo.

(Photo from Reuters photographer Michaela Rehle)

Terminal trial

JetBlue Airways tested its new digs at New York JFK Saturday.

"The trial went very well," JetBlue VP redevelopment Rich Smyth tells me in an e-mail. "Feedback was good with some creative suggestions. We have a questionnaire from each participant that we are reviewing now."

Frequent fliers participated in the trial to help the carrier prepare for opening day. Read about some of their experiences in The New York Times.

When T5 opens on October 1, JetBlue will operate around 170 flights from 18 gates, JetBlue VP redevelopment Rich Smyth says. Twenty gates will be in use by Thanksgiving and 26 gates will be available by spring 2009, he adds.

The 26-gate terminal will replace the carrier's use of the 14-gate Terminal 6 and seven temporary hold room gates.

(Photo by Nicole Bengiveno of The New York Times)

What makes a new airport new?

Okay, here’s a quick quiz: new airport or new terminal? Pittsburgh. Denver. Washington National. Indianapolis.

It seems easy until you think about it. When Pittsburgh opened a “new airport” in October 1992, it used the same runways, airfield etc. But the airport site, the terminals, roadways and all affiliated apparatus, were brand new and lovely. So was it a new airport?

Then there's Denver. Well, that really is a new airport, or it was in 1995, when they abandoned the old Stapleton. They built it in the middle of nowhere–nowhere that’s very far from town, as anyone who’s tried cabbing it downtown will tell you.

What about Washington National, now called Reagan Washington National? Well, whether or not you’ve decided a totally new airport terminal counts as (a) a new terminal or (b) a new airport, you have to be careful. Here, they be made it a point to call it the ‘renovated’ National because local anti-noise activists were ready to sue the moment the airport moved toward any increase in capacity. So, when it opened in July 1997, it was just plain National.

What do we say about Indianapolis? The city touts its soon-to-open facility (November 11) as a totally new airport, and it is, unless you count the two old parallel runways. In that case, it’s just a new terminal, albeit a very nice one. Not to mention the new air traffic control tower that opened two years ago.

So, what is new?

A special thanks to Airline Business Americas editor David Field for guestblogging.


(Photos from Indianapolis International Airport).