Airport executives around the world read Airport Magazine to stay informed on airport issues.

The magazine’s readership of more than 23,000 includes members of the American Association of Airport Executives, aviation policymakers and high-ranking government officials from the U.S. and around the world, corporate executives from every sector of the global aviation industry and more.

This award-winning magazine, published seven times per year by the American Association of Airport Executives, has been the publication of choice for airport executives around the globe since 1989, keeping them informed about critical issues facing airports today.

December/January 2008 (Vol. 19, No. 7) | Biometrics (cover); SMS implementation at Lima Jorge Chavez International; Rebuilding New Orleans Lakefront; glue-down artificial turf application on airfields.

Download Airport Magazine, October/November 2007

PDF format, 3.99MB, 52 Pages.

COVER: WI-FI
Fee vs. Free| 20
Airports are taking different approaches to covering the costs of offering wireless Internet access.

TSC Update| 28
A fee reduction by AAAE’s TSC will mean millions in future savings for airports.

The Future of Access Control | 34
Casinos have perhaps the most advanced access control and monitoring systems. How do airports compare?

Quick Start | 44
Ultra fast-tracked construction at Port Columbus International Airport helped get Skybus flying.

Come Together

At a recent industry conference, I had the pleasure of sitting down with a high-level executive from a major aviation industry player—a player deeply entrenched in both the airline and airport worlds. I closed our discussion by asking the executive, who has been in the business for some three decades, to name the most frustrating thing plaguing airports today. The response: the lack of cooperation between airports and airlines.

This problem isn’t new, of course. But considering what is facing airports today—security mandates, funding for needed capacity enhancements and the like—it’s disappointing to me that this seasoned veteran fingered this self-inflicted situation as the most difficult problem to swallow today.

At the end of the day, airports and airlines have the same goal: provide consistent, reliable service to air travelers. Meeting that goal means working together—neither side can function without the other. Yet too often, a harmonious relationship between an airport and its airline tenants is the exception, not the rule.

As an airport guy, it would be convenient to blame the carriers for the majority of the difficulties, but I understand that this is a two-way street. Instead of faulting the airlines, I want to use my position as editor of an airport management magazine to seek insight from my readers. I know there are positive airport-airline relations stories out there (Orlando International and maintenance base tenant Continental Airlines is but one that has been shared with me recently).

My request to you airport executives: enlighten me on what you’ve done to create and/or maintain harmonious, productive relationships with your airline tenants. My pledge to you: I will find a way to pass along what I’ve learned, either through a feature or perhaps a follow-up note on this page.

I’m not naive enough to think that airlines and airports will someday agree on everything. I am sure, however, that there’s still room to improve. Let’s start by sharing some lessons learned.

Airport Magazine has a new online home: www.airportmagazine.net. Log on and find back issues, advertising information, and a blog. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Putting this magazine together is a process, and like most processes, sometimes it doesn’t go smoothly. Unfortunately, the challenges encountered in our August/September issue were painfully obvious in the final product. The tech briefs on page 61 of that issue were out of date and included by mistake. Also, the ad recognizing Burns & McDonnell for winning the 2007 Corporate Cup of Excellence on page 42 misspelled the name of Burns President, Aviation & Facilities David Yeamans. See page 19 of this issue for a corrected ad. My apologies for the errors.

Sean Broderick
Editor

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