Envisioning the Future of U.S. Airports (2024)
Chapter: Front Matter
Envisioning the Future of U.S. Airports
ACRP OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE*
CHAIR
Marianne Csaky
LanzaJet
VICE CHAIR
Kimberly A. Kenville
University of North Dakota
MEMBERS
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
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
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
SECRETARY
Monique R. Evans
Transportation Research Board
__________________
* Membership as of August 2024.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
OFFICERS
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
MEMBERS
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
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
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 271
Envisioning the Future of U.S. Airports
Liisa Ecola
Benjamin M. Miller
RAND
Arlington, VA
Gaël Le Bris
WSP USA
Raleigh, NC
Richard E. Barone
LANDRUM & BROWN
New York, NY
Zara Abdurahaman
RAND
Santa Monica, CA
Loup-Giang Nguyen
WSP USA
San Diego, CA
Steven W. Popper
RAND
Santa Monica, CA
Subscriber Categories
Aviation • Economics • Finance
Research sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration
AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
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.
ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 271
Project 01-52
ISSN 2572-3731 (Print)
ISSN 2572-374X (Online)
ISBN 978-0-309-72659-7
Digital Object Identifier: 10.17226/27969
Library of Congress Control Number 2024946678
© 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.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
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.
NOTICE
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
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The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.
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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.
COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 271
Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Marci A. Greenberger, Manager, Airport Cooperative Research Program
Brittany Summerlin-Azeez, Program Coordinator
Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications
Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications
ACRP PROJECT 01-52 PANEL
Field of Administration
Marianne Csaky, LanzaJet, The Woodlands, TX
Rhonda Kay Hamm-Niebruegge, St. Louis Lambert International Airport, St. Louis, MO
Kimberly A. Kenville, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
Scott C. McMahon, Morristown Municipal Airport, Morristown, NJ
Bob Montgomery, Bob Montgomery Consulting LLC, Farmers Branch, TX
Ramon Ricondo, Ricondo and Associates, Inc., Barrington, IL
Donald W. Harper, FAA Liaison
Gregory Pecoraro, National Association of State Aviation Officials Liaison
Matt Cornelius, Airports Council International–North America Liaison
T. J. Schulz, Airport Consultants Council Liaison
Laura R. McKee, Airlines for America Liaison
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This collaboration between RAND, Landrum & Brown, and WSP USA benefited from the help of many individuals.
Christopher Babb, Monica Geygan, Kirsten Hammons, and Cody Meyer of Landrum & Brown supported the development of critical elements of Appendix B, which was originally created as an independent document. John van Woensel, Daniel Sanchez, and Taylor Tremain of WSP USA, and Susan Catalano and Rosa Maria Torres of RAND, each provided valuable support throughout the life of the project. We also thank Sarah Hubbard for providing a thoughtful and constructive independent review.
We are grateful and indebted to the aviation stakeholders who participated in the workshops. To allow them to speak freely, we agreed to not identify workshop participants by name. A list of the organizations represented at the workshops can be found in Appendix A: Workshop Methodology.
FOREWORD
By Marci A. Greenberger
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
Over the next several decades, airports must confront diverse challenges that span factors such as operations, environmental sustainability, and integration with broader intercity and local transportation networks. Furthermore, airports must confront these challenges within the context of their local communities; airports are expected to be economic engines, good neighbors, and resilient in response to natural or man-made disasters. While each airport must confront its own unique manifestation of these challenges, the aviation system as a whole will benefit when airports’ planning efforts are founded in a shared, aspirational vision for what the future might look like. ACRP Research Report 271: Envisioning the Future of U.S. Airports provides such a vision. Based on a visioning exercise conducted with a wide variety of airport stakeholders, the research report identifies potential future outcomes and the issues and challenges that will need to be addressed to achieve the desired future. An appendix contextualizes this future vision by exploring the history and rationale of the legislation and regulations that govern airports and brought us to where we are today.
Airport leaders want to be more proactive in realizing the future rather than reacting to the events of the moment. The ACRP Oversight Committee, the governing body of the ACRP, wanted to begin to tackle the challenge of preparing airports for the year 2050 and beyond. This required identifying what the environment will look like and the challenges that may exist.
Under ACRP Project 01-52, “Strategic Futuring of Airports and their Role in the U.S. Airport System,” RAND was selected, working with Landrum & Brown and WSP USA, to conduct research to provide a history of the legislation and regulations that govern airports and to conduct visioning workshops designed to identify what the future will look like and the issues and challenges. The workshops were a 1-day workshop and two half-day virtual workshops representing all facets of the aviation industry.
Many, if not all, segments of the aviation industry were invited to participate in the visioning workshop. The diverse perspectives helped to orient a more well-rounded vision of the aviation industry and thus airports collectively in 2050. This research report and the executive summary were developed for the strategic planners at airports, but the broader industry will benefit from this window into the future as well.
Appendices A and B, along with an Executive Summary, may be found on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) by searching for ACRP Research Report 271: Envisioning the Future of U.S. Airports and then looking under “Resources at a Glance.” References for Appendix A are listed of the research report.
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