Better Airports Now

Airports: the London Experience

2010-07-27T17:46:29Z

Regional Plan Association, the Better Airport Alliance and the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management held a morning breakfast forum on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 on how airports in the United Kingdom have dealt with congestion issues. Chris Cain, Chair of the Forum of Regional European Airports and head of the Airport Development Team at Newquay Airport in the United Kingdom, described the challenges and strategies for addressing delays and economic losses caused by growing air congestion. Mr. Cain, also co-author of "The Future of Air Transport," a seminal white paper on planning for airport growth in the United Kingdom, discussed the London experience, drew comparisons to New York and touched on how other European airports - Frankfurt, Paris, Brussels - adapted as well. As the New York-New Jersey region continues to think about how to address the most severe congestion in the nation, lessons from other airports can help shape our own solutions.

See Chris Cain's Presentation
Listen to the audio
Download the Program/Cain Bio

Terminals: Why they Matter

2010-07-12T20:29:59Z

Terminals are a critical piece of the airport system, they must efficiently transition passengers between ground services and their awaiting flights. To accomplish that goal, terminals host a number of functions including:

Passenger ticketing
Baggage check-in and retrieval
Security checking
Holding areas for departing and connecting passengers waiting at gates to board aircraft
Areas for "meters and greeters"
Convenience areas for passengers so they can dine or shop
Circulation space allowing passengers to move from gate to gate and elsewhere in the terminal
Ground access connections, including rental car service, shuttle buses and connections to local transit.

These important functions must be designed with the airside reality in mind - especially where the landside and airside meet, at the gates. Terminals are designed to accommodate aircraft in and out of the gate areas as effectively and efficiently as possible, and provide space for ramp towers that control the movements of aircraft in the terminal area. The seamless integration of ground transportation services is another critical terminal component, which ideally provides a variety of transportation options (private auto, taxi, buses, rail, etc..) for arriving and departing passengers.

The Better Airports Alliance is off the Ground

2010-07-01T13:24:04Z

A coalition of business, civic, labor and environmental organizations announced the formal launch of a campaign to restore, maintain and expand the New York Metro region's airports on Tuesday. The "Better Airports Alliance" aims to educate residents on the problem of airport delays, provide fresh solutions to relieve congestion and build a consensus for major improvements.

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NEWS RELEASE (Download PDF)
For Immediate Release: June 29, 2010
Contact: Neysa Pranger - (917) 532-0567, Cristyne Nicholas - (212) 938-0002

COALITION FORMED TO BUILD SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS

New York, New York- A coalition of business, civic, labor and environmental organizations today announced the formal launch of a campaign to restore, maintain and expand the New York Metro region's airports. The "Better Airports Alliance" aims to educate residents on the problem of airport delays, provide fresh solutions to relieve congestion and build a consensus for major improvements.

As part of this effort, the Regional Plan Association, working alongside experts and stakeholders and in consultation with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will develop a comprehensive planning study on airport congestion. The study, expected to be released publicly this fall, will include recommendations to increase overall airport capacity and efficiency over the next generation.

Members of the coalition, which is still in formation, are listed below.

At present, the state of air travel in the region is grim. JFK, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia rank as the country's most congested airports. Three-quarters of nationwide delays are attributable to delays originating from the New York region's airspace, which handles one-third of the nation's flights. With passenger growth averaging 3% annually, the congestion of our region's airports and airspace will become even more acute in the future.

Air traffic congestion is causing significant damage to the regional economy - to the tune of $2.6 billion each year. According to a report by the Partnership for New York City, without additional action, losses attributable to congestion will total a staggering $79 billion from 2008-2025.

Robert D. Yaro, President of the Regional Plan Association, stated: "As we commend the on-time re-opening JFK's Bay Area Runway, we need to look ahead to the work still to be done to address the airport congestion that negatively impacts our region. The goals of the Better Airports Alliance are simple and straightforward - to increase public awareness, reduce airport congestion and plan for future growth."

"Air traffic congestion in New York area airports is a threat to the City's status as a center of global commerce, said Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City. "It is also a multi-billion dollar drag on the US economy. Nowhere would investment in transportation infrastructure have a bigger or faster payback for the US economy than in relief of congestion at the big international airports serving New York. The Partnership welcomes the opportunity to join with civic and transit advocates as part of the Better Airports Alliance."

The Better Airport Alliance is an investment in New York City's future," said Denise Richardson, Managing Director of the General Contractors Association of New York. From the critical on-time completion of the Bay Runway Construction by GCA Member Tutor Perini to investment and installation of NextGen traffic control technology, addressing New York's airport congestion is a national economic issue. The Better Airports Alliance will be a vital resource in helping to work toward solutions for airport congestion."

Charlie Murphy, Vice President of Pattern for Progress, said that "We look forward to working with the Better Airports Alliance to help solve the region's airport congestion issues, including exploring greater use of peripheral airports such as Stewart International in Newburgh, just north of the City. Stewart is an economic asset for the Hudson Valley and can be for the entire tri-state region as well."

Many members of the Better Airports Alliance are actively pressing the immediate deployment of improved navigation systems, known collectively as NextGen, including the full implementation of airspace management, in the New York region. The current study will consider whether other proposals, such as expansion of the three major area airports, greater use of peripheral airports, demand management actions, and investment in intercity rail, have merit.

Coalition in formation
Members as of Tuesday, June 29, 2010

AAA New Jersey Automobile Club
Accenture
Air Carrier Association of America
Air Transport Association
American Airlines
Atlantic City International Airport
Aviation Development Council
City College of the City University of New York Institute for Urban Systems
City College University of New York Transportation Research Center
Continental Airlines
Corgan Asociations Architects PC
General Contractors Association of NY
Greater Jamaica Development Corporation
Landrum & Brown
Long Island Association
Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce
Newark Regional Business Partnership
New York Building Congress
Partnership for New York City
Pattern for Progress
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA
Regional Plan Association
Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
Vision Long Island

Terminals at LGA

2010-06-16T19:25:33Z

LGA has four terminals, with over half of its traffic served by the Central Terminal Building (CTB). This structure is owned and operated by the Port Authority and has circulation constraints and limited gate capacity. The Port Authority is planning to replace the CTB with a modern structure that will address these limitations and just recently starting planning and designing the new terminal.

]]> The historic Marine Air Terminal has cramped holding areas, inadequate bagging facilities and limited curbside space and parking, and lacks modern amenities.

The more modern Delta (1983) and U.S. Airways terminals (1992) are improved facilities, but still are relativity small and have a limited gate capacity. All of LGA's terminals are configured with finger piers to varying degrees, the largest type of aircraft that LGA can serve are Boeing 767s.

Terminals at EWR

2010-06-14T14:45:35Z

The design of EWR's three terminals is largely uniform since they were designed and built together in the 1970s. Terminals A and B were completed and opened in 1973, while Terminal C sat empty until 1988 when it was completed for People's Express. They all either have finger piers or satellite with finger piers configurations.

]]> Terminal C has twice the number of gates as the other two terminals. It serves both domestic and international flights, and was remodeled in 2003. Today, EWR is a hub for Continental Airlines, which manages terminal C.

Terminal A is managed by United Airlines (the merger of United with Continental will result in one airline controlling almost ¾ of the gate capacity at EWR) and renovations or a complete replacement is planned to occur over the next few years.

Terminal B is managed by the Port Authority and serves the majority of international traffic. This terminal is currently undergoing renovations and is the only one capable of accommodating Boeing 747 aircraft. All of the terminals at EWR are owned by the Port Authority.

Flying gets mixed report in March

2010-06-01T17:11:21Z

On-time performance for airlines improved nation-wide this March, declares a recently released USA Today article. In fact, the 18 largest US carriers' domestic on-time arrival rate reached 80% in March, better than the prior year's rate of 78%. Extreme weather accounted for about 42% of delays.

]]> The New York region's airports ranked at the bottom of the heap in March of 2009 and 2010. Out of 29 major airports, JFK, LGA, and EWR ranked 25th, 28th, and 29th respectively last March. This March, all three airports were ranked at the very bottom. However, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics points out that beginning March 1, 2010, one of JFK's four runways was closed for construction, which could be contributing to its delays.

Long delays on the tarmac were down in March, with only 25 flights leaving passengers stranded on the tarmac for three hours or more as compared with 61 this past February and 88 in March of 2009. Additionally, mishandled bag reports were down in March, with US carriers posting a rate of 3.72 reports per 1,000 passengers, better than last March's 4.23 and this past February's of 4.01.

Volcano's Ash Disrupts Air Travel around the Globe

2010-04-26T20:30:38Z

Eyjafjallajokull, the Icelandic volcano whose ash has spread all over Europe, has wreaked havoc on air travelers and air transportation around the globe. While the cumulative economic impacts of Eyjafjallajokull will not be known for some time, to date 100,000 flights have been canceled; thousands of passengers have been stranded; airlines lost more than $1.7 billion through last Tuesday, according to an International Air Transportation Association report; and supply chains have been distrupted for everything from electronics to fresh fruits and vegetables. In an increasingly globalized economy and air system, disruptions in one region, or even in one airport, can have rippling effects throughout the rest of the world.

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NextGen helps JFK and LGA use more runways

2010-04-22T15:32:20Z

Currently, in bad weather conditions ILS approaches on 13R at Kennedy essentially limit LaGuardia to just one runway. NextGen would remove this conflict by allowing aircraft to use the closer-in curved approach under all weather conditions.

New Carry On Fee

2010-04-08T13:54:13Z

Spirit Airlines announced recently that it would start instituting a $30 fee for carry on bags, with no charge for use of the space under passengers' seats. ]]> New York Times article, Spirit explains that other modes of shipping packages are not free now, so why should it be free to ship a bag in the overhead compartment? Other airlines have declared that they will not follow suit, but with the potential profits these fees could bring to a struggling industry, it is possible that decision will not last.

Baggage fees have mixed results

2010-04-08T13:51:05Z

The New York Times reports that new fees on checked bags combined with the recession, which has reduced flying generally, led to a 24% decrease in the number of damaged and lost bags worldwide, saving the US airline industry $94 million and baggage handlers from injury. ]]> Now for the bad news: the fees also have the side effect of encouraging passengers to overload and oversize the bags they do carry on. According to an Association of Flight Attendants survey, 35% of flight attendants reported being hit by falling bags, and 80% said they had muscle pulls and strains. In addition, the fees have not improved turn around time at the gate, as had been predicted. In fact, flights are sometimes delayed as passengers and flight attendants struggle to accommodate bags that are too big for the space.

Passengers protected with new legislation

2010-04-07T20:04:14Z

The skies are looking brighter for air passengers after two pieces of legislation were passed recently. In one piece, the Federal Department of Transportation adopted rules, officially called "Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections," which will go into effect on April 29, 2010. In the other, the Senate passed a bill designed to speed and fund the implementation of NextGen, which will update the nation's air traffic control system from radar to digital technology.

]]> This article in Crain's New York Business notes that air traffic delays are likely to decline with NextGen because communication will be more efficient and accurate and planes can be spaced closer together.

As this NY Times article explains, new passenger protection rules include fines for airlines that keep passengers stranded on the tarmac for three hours or more, a requirement for airlines to disclose the on-time record for each flight, regulatory penalties for airlines that continue to operate flights that are often delayed, and a requirement for airlines to come up with a plan to deal with tarmac delays.

Although this could lead to an increase in canceled flights as airlines seek to avoid heavy fines, it signals a shift from grass-roots efforts to hold airlines accountable for delays to government initiated passenger protections.

Don't get caught in the vortex!

2010-03-15T15:25:59Z

Right now, at Newark it's not possible to conduct simultaneous operations its parallel runways because they are only separated by 950 ft, making the wake vortex a concern for air traffic controllers. A combination of NextGen technologies would allow Newark to operate both of these runways at the same time. This would increase Newark's capacity and operational flexibility.

]]> Kennedy Airport will also be able to use its parallel runways at the same time thanks to NextGen. Since the runways are farther apart at Kennedy (3,000 ft) than at Newark (950 ft), the wake vortex is less of a concern. This means the improvement will be available at Kennedy sooner than at Newark.

There is a catch, though. Operations at Kennedy would still be limited due to the proximity of LaGuardia's airspace. While NextGen will allow these airports to operate more independently than they do today, there will still be limitations because they are sharing each other's airspace.

JFK Runway Repairs Start Today

2010-03-01T20:10:39Z

Starting today, runway 13R-31L at JFK International, otherwise known as the "Bay Runway" will close for four months as the 14,572-foot long stretch of pavement undergoes repairs. The runway will be widened from 150 to 200 feet and taxiways will be added in an effort to ease traffic congestion at the airport. Regional Plan Association is currently partnering with government, business and civic groups in studying long term solutions for reducing delays and managing passenger growth at the region's airports. Results are expected this fall.

]]> PDF Release

FROM: Regional Plan Association
CONTACT: Neysa Pranger at (917) 532-0567; npranger@rpa.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2010

Statement from Regional Plan Association
JFK Runway Repairs Start Today

(New York, NY) Starting today, runway 13R-31L at JFK International, otherwise known as the "Bay Runway" will close for four months as the 14,572-foot long stretch of pavement undergoes repairs. The runway will be widened from 150 to 200 feet and taxiways will be added in an effort to ease traffic congestion at the airport.

To mitigate the short-term impact the closure will have on departures and arrivals, airlines and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have agreed on a plan that reduces flight volume during a traditionally slower period in air travel.

The project, which is estimated to cost $376 million and is being paid for in part by federal stimulus funding, is projected to provide approximately 2,500 jobs and, according to New York Governor David Paterson's office, will "reduce flight delays overall by an estimated 10,500 hours per year."

"Air delays cost the New York regional economy over $2.5 billion per year. Any action to reduce those delays in the long term should be a welcome one," said Bob Yaro, president, Regional Plan Association.

Regional Plan Association is currently studying long term solutions for reducing delays and managing passenger growth at the region's airports. Results are expected this fall.

For more information, contact:
Neysa Pranger at (917) 532-0567 or Jeff Zupan at (845) 356-2563.

Strike in France foreshadows difficulties with NextGen

2010-03-01T14:29:09Z

Even though there is no single silver bullet that will solve the NY region's airport woes, some improvements like NextGen will likely be part of the solution. This important technological upgrade of the nation's air traffic control system will have numerous benefits, which we covered in a previous post.

For all its benefits, implementation of NextGen will not be without challenges, one of which will involve negotiating with various labor groups over the duties and responsibilities of an air traffic controller under NextGen.

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A recent New York Times article highlights the difficulties France is experiencing as it modernizes its air traffic control system under an initiative known as Single European Sky. Specifically, air traffic control unions are threatening to strike over these changes, fearing they will lose some civil servant benefits or even lose their jobs as a result.

True, controllers in the US would face legal ramifications if they were to strike (leaders could get jail time and unions are normally fined), making a strike less likely here. However, the French experience does drive home the point that the transition from our current air traffic control system to NextGen will have to be carefully and thoughtfully managed, and that all stakeholders must be included in the process.

Low Satisfaction at the NY Region's Airports

2010-03-01T14:25:13Z

According to a recently released J.D. Power and Associates report measuring overall airport satisfaction, New York's three largest airports again received low rankings. Newark and LaGuardia airports received below average rankings for every category measured, including overall satisfaction, accessibility, check in, security, terminal, food and retail services, and baggage claim. Kennedy airport fared only slightly better, with most rankings below average except check in and security, which were both rated average.

The survey also found that the airport experience is the least pleasant for travelers, when compared with hotel and rental car satisfaction.

Tell us what you think about the New York region's airports today!