
Quantifying the Impacts of Delayed
Maintenance of Airport Assets
A GUIDE

Marianne Csaky
LanzaJet
Kimberly A. Kenville
University of North Dakota
Balram “B” Bheodari
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Darryl Daniels
Jacobsen Daniels Associates
John Dermody
Federal Aviation Administration
Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge
St. Louis Lambert International Airport
Lance Lyttle
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Chad Makovsky
City of Phoenix (AZ)
Scott McMahon
Morristown Municipal Airport
Frank R. Miller
Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority
Ramon Ricondo
Ricondo and Associates, Inc.
Steve Sisneros
Southwest Airlines
Cathryn Stephens
Eugene Airport
Justin Barkowski
American Association of Airport Executives
Sabrina Johnson
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Laura Rinaldi McKee
Airlines for America
Christopher J. Oswald
Airports Council International–North America
Gregory Pecoraro
National Association of State Aviation Officials
T.J. Schulz
Airport Consultants Council
Victoria Sheehan
Transportation Research Board
Monique R. Evans
Transportation Research Board
__________________
* Membership as of August 2024.
CHAIR: Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston
VICE CHAIR: Leslie S. Richards, General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Victoria Sheehan, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC
Michael F. Ableson, CEO, Arrival Automotive–North America, Detroit, MI
James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ
Carlos M. Braceras, Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City
Douglas C. Ceva, Vice President, Customer Lead Solutions, Prologis, Inc., Jupiter, FL
Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul
Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany
Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington
Chris T. Hendrickson, Hamerschlag University Professor of Engineering Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA
Ashby Johnson, Executive Director, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), Austin, TX
Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre
Hani S. Mahmassani, W.A. Patterson Distinguished Chair in Transportation; Director, Transportation Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Scott C. Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames
Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA
Michael R. McClellan, Vice President, Strategic Planning, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Atlanta, GA
Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta
Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Steward T.A. Pickett, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY
Susan A. Shaheen, Professor and Co-director, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California, Berkeley
Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin
Michael R. Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC
Shailen Bhatt, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Amit Bose, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC
Tristan Brown, Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Steven Cliff, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento
Rand Ghayad, Senior Vice President, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Germantown, MD
William H. Graham, Jr. (Major General, U.S. Army), Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
Robert C. Hampshire, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Zahra “Niloo” Parvinashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Members Coordinating Council
Sophie Shulman, Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC
Karl Simon, Director, Transportation and Climate Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
Veronica Vanterpool, Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC
Michael Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Vinn White, Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, DC
___________________
* Membership as of August 2024.
AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 273
A GUIDE
Pramen P. Shrestha
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas, NV
Scott Murrell
APPLIED RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC.
Elkridge, MD
Brian Aho
APPLIED RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC.
Elkridge, MD
William Robert Williams
SPY POND PARTNERS, LLC
Arlington, MA
Dawn S. Ward
BASE MANAGEMENT, LLC
Hilo, HI
Ghada G. Gad
INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT
Pomona, CA
Subscriber Categories
Aviation • Maintenance and Preservation • Transportation, General
Research sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration

Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in transportation of people and goods and in regional, national, and international commerce. They are where the nation’s aviation system connects with other modes of transportation and where federal responsibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations intersects with the role of state and local governments that own and operate most airports. Research is necessary to solve common operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the airport industry. The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the airport industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it.
The need for ACRP was identified in TRB Special Report 272: Airport Research Needs: Cooperative Solutions in 2003, based on a study sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ACRP carries out applied research on problems that are shared by airport operating agencies and not being adequately addressed by existing federal research programs. ACRP is modeled after the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). ACRP undertakes research and other technical activities in various airport subject areas, including design, construction, legal, maintenance, operations, safety, policy, planning, human resources, and administration. ACRP provides a forum where airport operators can cooperatively address common operational problems.
ACRP was authorized in December 2003 as part of the Vision 100—Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. The primary participants in the ACRP are (1) an independent governing board, the ACRP Oversight Committee (AOC), appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation with representation from airport operating agencies, other stakeholders, and relevant industry organizations such as the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), Airlines for America (A4A), and the Airport Consultants Council (ACC) as vital links to the airport community; (2) TRB as program manager and secretariat for the governing board; and (3) the FAA as program sponsor. In October 2005, the FAA executed a contract with the National Academy of Sciences formally initiating the program.
ACRP benefits from the cooperation and participation of airport professionals, air carriers, shippers, state and local government officials, equipment and service suppliers, other airport users, and research organizations. Each of these participants has different interests and responsibilities, and each is an integral part of this cooperative research effort.
Research problem statements for ACRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the AOC to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects and defining funding levels and expected products.
Once selected, each ACRP project is assigned to an expert panel appointed by TRB. Panels include experienced practitioners and research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including airport professionals, the intended users of the research products. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, ACRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Primary emphasis is placed on disseminating ACRP results to the intended users of the research: airport operating agencies, service providers, and academic institutions. ACRP produces a series of research reports for use by airport operators, local agencies, the FAA, and other interested parties; industry associations may arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, webinars, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by airport industry practitioners.
Project 09-20
ISSN 2572-3731 (Print)
ISSN 2572-374X (Online)
ISBN 978-0-309-72647-4
Digital Object Identifier: 10.17226/27960
Library of Congress Control Number 2024946006
© 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.
The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors.
The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.
The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the Airport Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.
Published research reports of the
AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
are available from
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Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.
The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major program divisions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 8,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state departments of transportation, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.
Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.
Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Marci A. Greenberger, Manager, Airport Cooperative Research Program
Matthew J. Griffin, Senior Program Officer
Brittany Summerlin-Azeez, Program Coordinator
Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications
Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications
Alison Shapiro, Editor
Casey Martin, Jacobs, Logandale, NV (Chair)
Brigitte Codling, Town of Haverhill, New Hampshire, North Haverhill, NH
Scott Ira Kincaid, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Cramerton, NC
Dennis Leuver, United Airlines, Inc., Chicago, IL
Brendalynn T. Taulelei, Port of Seattle, Seattle, WA
John Walewski, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Marvin Woods, FAA Liaison
Paul James Eubanks, Airports Council International–North America Liaison

By Matthew J. Griffin
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
ACRP Research Report 273: Quantifying the Impacts of Delayed Maintenance of Airport Assets: A Guide will help airport practitioners understand the consequences and costs of delayed maintenance of airport assets. It will also better quantify the value of a preventive maintenance plan. The responsible parties for airport assets, including airfield markings and pavement, passenger loading bridges, baggage handling systems, and airport snow removal equipment, will be able to leverage the guide and its associated tools.
Airport owners are developing more sophisticated and detailed asset management programs to help improve and extend the life cycle of their facilities and systems. A key step in asset management is a detailed life cycle and preventive maintenance plan to ensure the asset’s full life is reached. This guide and the associated tools will help airports of all sizes develop a process to quantify the consequences of delayed maintenance of airport assets.
The research was led by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with support from Applied Research Associates, Inc.; Spy Pond Partners, LLC; and Base Management, LLC. The guide and the tools provide airports with a general framework for quantifying the consequences of delayed maintenance of assets and can help them estimate the cost of airport maintenance and possible rehabilitation of specific airside and landside assets.
Supplemental to this report are a quick guide to using the delayed maintenance cost calculator spreadsheet tools, four airside asset spreadsheet tools, five landside asset spreadsheet tools, and Appendices A through D. They can be found on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) by searching for ACRP Research Report 273: Quantifying the Impacts of Delayed Maintenance of Airport Assets: A Guide and then reviewing “Resources at a Glance.”
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1.3 Overview of Research Approach
1.4 Organization of This Report
Chapter 2 Literature Review Findings
2.1 Budget Prioritization and Allocation Process
2.3 Preventive and Deferred Maintenance
2.4 Summary of Relevant Research Publications and Key Findings
Chapter 3 Airport Interview Findings
3.1 Airport Budget Preparation Processes
3.2 Airports’ Maintenance Budget Allocation Processes
3.3 Impacts of Delayed Preventive Maintenance of Airport Assets
3.4 Summary of Interview Findings
Chapter 4 Framework for Quantifying the Impact of Delayed Maintenance of Airport Assets
4.1 Defining Airport Asset Maintenance and Preservation Policies
4.2 Keeping and Updating Asset Inventory Databases
4.3 Collecting Asset Condition Data
4.4 Analyzing Asset Condition Data
4.5 Identifying Maintenance and Replacement Activities
4.6 Keeping and Updating Maintenance and Replacement Cost Databases
4.7 Determining Maintenance and Replacement Budgets with and without Delayed Scenarios
Chapter 5 Procedures to Quantify the Impact of Delayed Maintenance on Airport Airside Assets
Chapter 6 Procedures to Quantify the Impact of Delayed Maintenance on Airport Landside Assets
6.1 Airport Service Vehicles: Pickup Trucks