The past decade has been one of great turmoil in the airline industry. Following a decade of fairly steady growth in air travel and air cargo demand that resulted in then-record levels of air traffic in 2000, a slowdown in economic growth starting in 2001 together with the terrorist attacks of September 11 and impacts of the resulting security measures led to a steep decline in air travel and airline capacity. As a result of significantly improved airport security and a rebounding economy, by 2005 the total U.S. commercial air carrier capacity and air traffic had exceeded pre-September 11 levels. Over the next two years air traffic continued to grow and most airlines were once again able to achieve profitability, while industry trends showed a continued growth of low-cost carriers, the expanded use of regional jets in markets previously served by larger aircraft, and increased point-to-point service. As a result, airports and the air transportation system were again experiencing signs of stress, with increased congestion and delays. Airports, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the multi-agency Joint Planning and Development Office continued to pursue near- and long-term strategies to handle future traffic growth that was projected to increase by two to three times by 2025.

Then oil prices soared, driving up the cost of aviation fuel and wiping out the gains in airline profitability, quickly followed by a collapse of the financial markets and a severe recession. As airlines cut flights and raised fares in response, the future prospects for air travel were again clouded in uncertainty. By mid-2010 the economy was showing signs of recovery and air traffic began to rebound, presenting new challenges for those involved in airport planning and design. Complicating this situation are growing pressures to respond to longer term concerns about climate change and sustainability, and further consolidation resulting from the recent mergers between Delta and Northwest, and United and Continental.

This intensive course provides an introduction to the broad range of issues that arise in planning airport systems and the development of new and existing airports, as well as the design of airport facilities to handle both aircraft and passenger demand. These issues are examined in the context of recent trends in airline service, fuel costs, and evolving efforts to address climate change and sustainability.

The course provides an opportunity to explore these issues with experts in different segments of the industry. The topics covered range from airport and airline economics and travel demand forecasting to airport capacity analysis, noise analysis, and environmental planning. Airfield design, passenger processing, and airport ground access are also discussed.

The course is being offered in association with the National Center of Excellence for Aviation Operations Research.

This course in intended for engineers and planners working for airport authorities, consultants, and government agencies, as well as airport and airline management personnel interested in the technical considerations that need to be taken into account in planning airport development. It will also be of interest to those involved in teaching transportation engineering courses or undertaking research on airport-related topics.

More

Instructors:

Geoffrey Gosling

(2 Ratings)