Author: ScottElmore

Created by Philstacks iMIS SSO. Member Type = Member. Last updated on 2026-03-11 07:51:09

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport Opens U.S. Preclearance Facility, Unlocking New Era for Cross-Border Travel

Posted on | by ScottElmore

A major milestone for cross-border air travel in North America took flight this week as Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport officially opened its U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preclearance facility, enabling travelers to complete U.S. customs and immigration procedures before departing Canada.

The launch marks a transformative moment for Toronto’s downtown airport by streamlining travel to the United States, opening the door to new transborder routes, and strengthening economic ties between Canada and the U.S.

For passengers, the experience will feel familiar to travelers departing from other major Canadian hubs: they clear U.S. customs prior to boarding, arrive in the United States as domestic passengers, and bypass customs lines upon landing.

A Decade in the Making

The new facility brings U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance operations to Billy Bishop for the first time, the culmination of more than a decade of planning and collaboration between the U.S. and Canadian governments, the Toronto Port Authority, and terminal partner Nieuport Aviation.

“Today marks a defining milestone for Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and for the passengers and markets we proudly serve,” said RJ Steenstra, President and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority, the owner and operator of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

“For nearly 90 years, this airport has linked Toronto and the region to tourism, trade and business, earning recognition as one of North America’s best airports. With the opening of the U.S. Preclearance facility, we will further enhance convenience, strengthen security and create new opportunities for connection,” Steenstra said.

With the facility now operational, travelers bound for the United States will complete customs, immigration, and agriculture inspections in Canada before takeoff, eliminating the need to clear U.S. customs upon arrival.

Preclearance is already a hallmark of several major Canadian airports, but its introduction at Billy Bishop is particularly significant given the airport’s downtown location and business-traveler focus.

Opening the Door to New U.S. Routes

Beyond convenience, the new facility unlocks expanded connectivity.

Airlines have long required preclearance infrastructure to launch many U.S. routes from Canada. With the facility now operational, both Air Canada and Porter Airlines have already signaled plans to expand transborder service from the airport.

Airport leaders say the change will help position Billy Bishop as an even stronger gateway between Toronto’s downtown core and major American markets.

Jennifer Quinn, CEO of Nieuport Aviation, Billy Bishop’s terminal partner, described the development as “far more than a process upgrade.”

“By clearing U.S. Customs in Canada, we’re making travel to the U.S. more convenient, unlocking new routes, facilitating more connections to and from Toronto and growing the economy through visitor spend and job creation,” Quinn said.

Economic Impact for the Toronto Region

Local business and economic leaders also emphasized the broader economic implications.

According to the Toronto Region Board of Trade, improved cross-border access will strengthen the region’s ability to connect with U.S. partners, clients, and investors, an important factor in regional competitiveness.

Tourism leaders echoed that sentiment. The United States remains Toronto’s largest international visitor market, generating $1.6 billion in visitor spending in 2025, according to Destination Toronto.

With faster and more seamless travel between downtown Toronto and key U.S. cities, officials expect the new facility to help drive both business travel and leisure tourism.

The project was supported by a $30 million investment from the Government of Canada and required extensive collaboration among the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, CBP, airport authorities, airlines, and regional stakeholders.

Why It Matters for Airports

Preclearance programs have become a powerful tool for airports seeking to expand transborder service while improving the passenger experience.

By moving the inspection process upstream, airports can:

  • Reduce arrival congestion at U.S. airports
  • Improve reliability and passenger flow
  • Enable service to U.S. airports without customs facilities
  • Strengthen cross-border economic connectivity

Industry observers note that successful projects like Billy Bishop’s can serve as a model for future international aviation partnerships.

Dr. Laura Dawson of the Canada‑US Future Borders Coalition called the facility “an innovative model of passenger preclearance that will become the gold standard for sites in Canada, the United States, and around the world.”

A New Chapter for Toronto’s Downtown Airport

For nearly 90 years, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has connected Toronto’s downtown core with destinations across Canada and the United States.

With the launch of U.S. preclearance, airport leaders say the facility will now help usher in a new chapter, one defined by greater convenience, expanded connectivity, and stronger economic impact for the region.

As cross-border travel continues to rebound and demand grows, the new facility positions the airport to play an even larger role in the North American aviation network.

Airport CEOs Convene to Set the Industry’s Course for the Year Ahead

Posted on | by ScottElmore

Last week, airport chief executives from across the United States and Canada gathered for ACI-NA’s CEO Forum, our annual high-level meeting focused on agenda setting, peer exchange, and relationship building that powerfully shapes the direction of the airport industry.

Unlike traditional conferences built around podium presentations and panels, ACI-NA’s CEO Forum is intentionally designed for dialogue. Small-group discussions and facilitated roundtables created space for candid conversations among peers facing similar pressures, opportunities, and decisions. The result was a collaborative environment where leaders could step away from daily operational demands and focus on the longer-term horizon.

Several themes surfaced repeatedly throughout the week, underscoring both the pace of change and the shared priorities of airport leadership.

Artificial intelligence emerged as a topic of both excitement and caution. CEOs discussed practical applications already influencing day-to-day airport operations, from predictive maintenance to customer service automation, while also weighing data governance, cybersecurity, and the responsibility to safeguard sensitive information. The conversation reflected an industry eager to harness innovation while maintaining public trust.

Environmental strategy remained firmly top-of-mind. From PFAS transition planning and regulatory developments to resiliency investments and evolving energy demands, airport leaders emphasized the complexity of balancing sustainability goals with infrastructure realities. Discussions highlighted the need for coordinated policy engagement and long-term asset planning as airports continue to adapt to changing environmental expectations.

Airports are also focused on economic volatility and its impact on air travel.  Airline restructurings, fluctuating passenger demand, and the emergence of advanced air mobility technologies are reshaping the aviation ecosystem. CEOs shared insights on preparing their organizations for uncertainty while continuing to invest in modernization and service delivery.

A highlight of the Forum was an interactive session conducted in partnership with AirportNEXT, previewing findings from a new Futures Study designed to identify the trends most likely to influence airports over the next three to five years. More than 300 airport executives contributed input, evaluating 55 distinct trends ranging from workforce dynamics to technology adoption. While the AirportNEXT Futures Study is slated for release later this year, CEOs in the room were able to actively collaborate and brainstorm strategies to respond to emerging challenges.

The week also marked an important milestone for ACI-NA as the Board convened for the first time under the leadership of newly installed Chair Cindy Nichol, Director of Airports for the Sacramento County Department of Airports.  Her opening remarks and facilitation set a tone of collaboration and forward momentum that carried through the Forum’s discussions.

ACI-NA’s CEO Forum’s impact is felt over the course of the year in the partnerships formed, the ideas exchanged, and the collective understanding that the strength of North American aviation lies in shared knowledge and unified purpose. In a period of rapid transformation, the opportunity for airport leaders to learn from one another may be one of the industry’s most valuable assets.

Getting to the Airport: New GAO Report Highlights Challenges and Opportunities in Accessing the Airport

Posted on | by ScottElmore

For millions of travelers, the airport journey begins long before they reach the terminal curb. It starts on highways, access roads, parking decks, and increasingly on buses and trains designed to reduce congestion and make travel easier. But a new report released today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggests that while public transit access to U.S. airports is more common than many travelers realize, convincing people to actually use it remains a challenge.

In its analysis, Accessing Airports: Available Public Transit Options and Efforts to Promote Their Use (GAO-26-107817), which was required under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, GAO examined how travelers and airport workers get to and from 51 U.S. commercial service airports, including all large hub airports and a sample of small and medium hub airports. The findings paint a nuanced picture: public transit connections are widespread, particularly at large airports, but private vehicles still dominate the way most people access the airport.

According to GAO, nearly every major U.S. airport offers some form of public transportation. Rail service is especially prevalent at large hubs, where metro, light rail, or commuter rail systems often connect terminals directly to downtown areas or regional networks. Medium and small airports are more likely to be served by bus service, linking terminals to nearby cities or transit centers.

Yet availability does not automatically translate into use. GAO found that transit ridership among passengers and airport employees varies widely but remains relatively low. Travelers frequently cite convenience, travel time, cost, and the ease of navigating luggage as key factors when deciding whether to take transit or drive. For many passengers, especially those traveling in groups or on tight schedules, personal vehicles and rideshare services still feel like the simplest option.

These choices have real consequences. As passenger volumes continue to grow, access roads and curbfronts at many airports are under increased pressure. Congestion during peak travel periods can ripple through entire regions, affecting not only travelers but also airport operations and surrounding communities. GAO’s report highlights how greater use of transit could help ease that strain, reduce vehicle emissions, and improve overall passenger flow.

The report notes that many airports are experimenting with new ways to encourage transit use, including clearer wayfinding, real-time transit information, partnerships with local transit agencies, and targeted marketing campaigns aimed at both travelers and airport employees. Some airports have introduced dedicated airport-branded bus routes or improved connections between rail stations and terminals to make transit options more visible and intuitive.

The report stops short of prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions, acknowledging that geography, regional transit funding, and passenger demographics all shape what works at a given airport. Still, the takeaway is clear: while transit connections are already in place at most U.S. airports, unlocking their full potential will require continued coordination, investment, and passenger communication.

Why This Matters to the Airport Industry

How passengers and airport workers reach the airport is no longer an ancillary issue.  It is a core operational, economic, and customer experience challenge. As congestion on access roads grows and traveler expectations evolve, ground transportation has become inseparable from an airport’s operational efficiency.

The upcoming surface transportation reauthorization in Congress this year is critical for airports to underscore these needs. ACI-NA has advocated for the bipartisan Don’t Miss Your Flight Act (S. 1966 and H.R. 3754), for airports to have dedicated funding streams for critical ground access improvements, upon which both transit and vehicular traffic rely. ACI-NA’s 2025 Infrastructure Needs Study shows airports need more than $19 billion through 2029 for ground access projects.

The GAO study provides fresh information on why airport funding needs must be prioritized as part of surface transportation reauthorization and beyond. The airport industry’s advocacy will help ensure a more seamless journey for air travelers and airport workers for years to come.

Photo courtesy of the Ontario International Airport.

Airports Are Preparing for Snowstorm Impacts as Winter Weather Moves In

Posted on | by ScottElmore

A major winter storm is forecast to bring snow, ice, and dangerous road conditions across many parts of the United States, potentially affecting flights and airport operations in the coming days.

For travelers, that could mean delays, cancellations, and longer-than-normal travel times. For airports, it means shifting into full winter operations mode.

Across the aviation system, airport operations teams are closely tracking weather updates and coordinating with airlines, air traffic control, and federal partners to keep the traveling public safe and informed. For airports, winter weather preparations typically include staging snow removal equipment, treating airfield surfaces, supporting aircraft de-icing operations, and ensuring crews are ready to respond in rotating shifts as conditions change. In many cases, airport and airline teams will be working around the clock to maintain safe operations, keep runways and taxiways as clear as possible, and support passengers inside terminals.

While airports are designed to operate in challenging conditions, winter storms can disrupt carefully timed flight schedules, especially when heavy snow coincides with strong winds or rapidly dropping temperatures. Conditions at one airport can also ripple across the entire airport system, creating delays far beyond the storm’s footprint.

Throughout the event, safety remains the number one priority, and airports will continue to make real-time operational decisions based on conditions on the airfield and in surrounding communities.

Three travel tips for passengers

  1. Check your flight status before heading to the airport: Your airline’s app or website will have the latest flight updates, rebooking options, and gate changes.
  2. Plan for slower travel to the airport: Snowy roads and reduced visibility can impact access routes, parking, and shuttle service timing, so give yourself extra buffer time.
  3. Pack essentials in your carry-on: Weather disruptions can mean longer waits. Keep chargers, medications, and a few necessities with you in case plans change.

Airports are prepared to do what they do best: respond, adapt, and keep travelers moving as safely and efficiently as possible, even when winter weather has other plans.

Halifax Stanfield’s new international arrivals space pairs a stronger sense of place with smarter connections

Posted on | by ScottElmore

 

For many travelers, the airport arrivals hall frames the first real moment of a destination. At Halifax Stanfield International Airport, that first impression now carries a clear message: welcome to Nova Scotia, and welcome to Mi’kma’ki.

Halifax Stanfield International Airport last week celebrated the grand opening of its newly completed International Connections Facility (ICF), unveiling a renovated international arrivals space designed to reflect the culture and identity of the province while also strengthening the airport’s international connectivity. The milestone marks the final phase of the project, following the opening of the upper-level last year.

“The construction of the new ICF enabled us to reimagine the international arrivals experience,” said Dean Bouchard, Vice President, Airport Planning and Development at Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA). “As a key opportunity to demonstrate the culture and heritage of Nova Scotia to travellers arriving here, we knew it was important to create a strong sense of place that pays tribute to the very first peoples of these lands.”

That emphasis on place-making is increasingly common as airports modernize terminals not only to move people efficiently, but to serve as community gateways as spaces that reflect local history, art, and identity. In an era when airports are competing for new service and travelers have higher expectations for what a “welcome” feels like, terminals are becoming part of a region’s narrative, not just its infrastructure.

But Halifax Stanfield’s ICF isn’t only about aesthetics. The airport says the project will support increased passenger traffic and cargo capacity, improve international-to-domestic connections, and strengthen Halifax Stanfield’s position as a Canadian gateway, an important step as Atlantic Canada looks to expand access to global markets and build economic resilience through stronger transportation links.

Those practical benefits, from smoother connections to greater cargo capability, are the type of outcomes increasingly tied to airport modernization projects across the industry: improvements that support passenger experience, but also strengthen supply chains and regional growth.

That framing was echoed by Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon, who highlighted the broader impact of the investment.

“Our government is proud to support projects that strengthen Canada’s supply chains and improve connectivity for travellers and businesses alike,” MacKinnon said. “The new International Connections Facility at Halifax Stanfield is a perfect example of how strategic investments can enhance efficiency, and position Canada as a global gateway. These improvements will help move people and goods faster and more reliably, creating economic opportunities for communities across Atlantic Canada and beyond.”

The project was supported through a mix of partners and funding sources, with Transport Canada contributing $8.3 million, the Government of Nova Scotia investing $3 million, and HIAA contributing more than $6.5 million.

What distinguishes Halifax’s renovation, however, is how intentionally the new space was shaped by community collaboration. Halifax Stanfield says the redesigned international arrivals area was built through in-depth Mi’kmaq community engagements, with the goal of creating an authentic arrival experience centered on Mi’kmaq culture and the traditions of Mi’kma’ki.

Inside the refreshed facility, that identity is expressed through signature pieces created by local Mi’kmaq artists, including a 26-foot flooring centerpiece featuring an eight-pointed star designed by Stephen Francis of Eskasoni. The space also includes a living wall of live plants and artwork by Mi’kmaq artist Alan Syliboy of Millbrook across six pillars, along with 14 drums from Syliboy’s Daily Drum collection featured along the upper walls.

The result is a space that aims to do two things at once: support the efficient movement of people and goods and ensure that for international travelers arriving in Halifax, the first experience of the region is one rooted in welcome, meaning, and a genuine sense of place.

Fireside Chat Recap: ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci on the Future of Global Airports

Posted on | by ScottElmore

At the International Aviation Club’s latest luncheon in Washington, D.C., Kevin Burke, President and CEO of Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), sat down for a fireside chat with Justin Erbacci, Director General of ACI World. The discussion touched on the evolving role of ACI World, the biggest challenges facing airports today, and what the industry must do to remain competitive in an increasingly globalized and technology-driven aviation landscape.

ACI World’s Expanding Role on the Global Stage

Since taking the helm of ACI World in September 2024, Erbacci has prioritized strengthening advocacy, enhancing global collaboration, and driving innovation in airport operations. As the voice of the world’s airports before international bodies like ICAO and IATA, ACI World is preparing for the upcoming ICAO Triennial Assembly in September 2025, where key policies affecting airport sustainability, safety, and capacity will be debated.

Addressing Safety and Security in a Changing Threat Landscape

With recent security incidents making headlines, Erbacci emphasized that safety and security remain the foundation of global aviation. He highlighted ACI World’s APEX safety and security programs, which provide peer-driven assessments and best practices to help airports maintain the highest operational standards. While aviation remains one of the safest modes of transportation, continuous investment in technology, training, and regulatory alignment is essential to address evolving threats.

Capacity Optimization

Airports are facing capacity constraints. ACI’s latest projections indicate that global passenger traffic will reach 17.7 billion by 2043, nearly doubling by 2053. To accommodate this growth, airports must expand infrastructure while adopting more sustainable operations.

U.S. Airports and the Global Competitive Landscape

With five of the world’s ten busiest airports located in the United States, American aviation remains a dominant force. However, China is set to surpass the U.S. in total passenger traffic by 2053, signaling a shift in global aviation dynamics.

To stay competitive, U.S. airports must prioritize infrastructure investment, innovative financing models, and non-aeronautical revenue opportunities, such as enhanced retail and hospitality experiences. As Erbacci noted, airports must evolve beyond being simple transit hubs and become destination experiences in their own right.

Managing Growth Through Smarter Slot Allocation and Technology

With rising passenger demand and growing slot constraints, airports need better tools to optimize capacity and improve efficiency. ACI World is advocating for modernizing the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG) to align with today’s market needs while investing in automation, AI-driven traffic management, and workforce development to streamline operations.

The Next Generation of the Passenger Experience

Finally, Erbacci highlighted the growing expectations of travelers for seamless, stress-free, and personalized airport experiences. ACI’s recent ASQ Global Traveller Survey found that passengers are increasingly looking for automated processes, premium service offerings, and sustainability-focused travel options. As airports continue to innovate with biometric screening, AI-powered personalization, and eco-conscious design, the future of air travel will be shaped by the industry’s ability to meet these evolving demands.

Looking Ahead

With ACI World leading the charge on global policy, sustainability, and operational excellence, airports must embrace innovation and collaboration to navigate the challenges ahead. Whether through capacity expansion, sustainability initiatives, or enhanced passenger experiences, the conversation made clear that the next decade will be transformative for the aviation industry.

 

Dolliole and Miller Launch Airport Minority Leadership Initiative

Posted on | by ScottElmore

Last month at the 2024 ACI-NA/AAAE Washington Legislative Conference, ACI-NA Chair Kevin Dolliole and AAAE Chair Perry Miller announced a new initiative called Soaring Scholars: Airport Minority Leadership Initiative, which aims to increase the percentage of minorities in leadership roles at U.S. airports. Dolliole, Director of Aviation for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and Miller, President and CEO of Richmond International Airport, launched this initiative to recruit, educate, and develop the best and brightest students beginning in high school, through college, and into management training positions at airports across the United States.

It will be established as an independent non-profit organization that will focus on four key strategies.

  • Identify minority high school students who are interested in the airport industry and demonstrate promising leadership talent
  • Partner with colleges and universities to create pathways to assist students in their pursuit of higher education in either aviation or any other relevant field
  • Provide students with leadership development, essential people skills learning, and coaching opportunities
  • Offer scholars internships and management track roles at airports

In the coming weeks, Brad Mims will join as the Executive Director of Soaring Scholars. Mims has served as a transportation professional in government and the private sector for over 40 years. More recently, he served as the Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, and he currently works with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Additionally, nine airports will participate in the Soaring Scholars pilot program. These airports will help to develop the key components of the internships and management training program. They also committed to being among the first to provide employment opportunities to the highly qualified candidates developed through this initiative.

The airports are:

  • Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
  • Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
  • Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport
  • Long Beach Airport
  • Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
  • Richmond International Airport
  • Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport
  • San Antonio International Airport

U of Memphis Aviation Students Learn Resiliency from 9/11’s Aviation Heroes – Explore Lessons at Workshop at MEM

Posted on | by ScottElmore

Today’s aviation students will be tomorrow’s aviation leaders – no doubt they will face challenges in an ever-evolving world.

The Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University is partnering with Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), University Aviation Association and the Memphis Student Aviation Association at University of Memphis, a member of UAA, to offer an expansion of the “Reclaiming the Sky Resiliency Project” to students. The project will give students in aviation programs an opportunity to learn resiliency strengths from the example of 9/11’s aviation heroes, then convene on April 3 for a workshop at Memphis International Airport to explore the lessons.

The program is sponsored by SSP America, a division of SSP Group, a leading operator of food and beverage brands in travel locations worldwide, with other companies that will be joining to provide support for the next generation of aviation leaders.

At the workshop, the students will discuss and explore innovative ways students can apply the lessons as resiliency “tools” to meet challenges in their personal lives and in their budding aviation careers.

As part of their class work, students will have a chance to read the stories of airport and airline employees who came to work in New York, Boston and Washington, DC on the morning of 9/11 expecting a normal day, only to find that “just doing my job” was to become the creed of heroes. The stories of the heroes are chronicled in a book, “Reclaiming the Sky,” by Tom Murphy, an aviation consultant who saw first-hand how his aviation colleagues were responding with courage, selfless and resiliency to the attacks on 9/11 to rebuild their lives and reclaim hope.

The book is being offered as part of an aviation management class by University of Memphis professor Peter Reddan, an Air Force veteran. He is working with Murphy and the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham to create a module that management professors at UAA’s other 128 member colleges and aviation schools will be able to offer for their students following implementation at University of Memphis.

The “student” category in the project combines with a module for Reclaiming the Sky and this resiliency project that was introduced in 2023 for Young Professionals working at ACI-NA member airports and will be expanded in 2024. In that module, Young Professionals – aviation employees under forty years of age at ACI-NA member airports – gain an opportunity to learn from the example of 9/11’s aviation heroes and explore how to apply the lessons to their aviation careers.

The key ingredient for business success is productivity. Resiliency is key to being productive. Reclaiming the Sky with its focus on developing resiliency strengths gives Young Professionals, and now aviation students, a chance to apply the lessons of the 9/11 heroes to enhance their productivity and achieve success in their careers and lives.

For more information about the “Reclaiming the Sky” Resiliency Project contact Tom Murphy, Director of the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University at Tom@TomMurphy.org.

‘Reclaiming the Sky’ Resiliency Project Winners Announced on Sept. 11 Anniversary

Posted on | by ScottElmore

Even 22 years later, the stories of esteemed aviation leaders and their response to the September 11, 2001, terror attacks continue to provide learning opportunities for the benefit of future airport industry professionals.

As we hold space today to remember those we lost and honor those who helped in the aftermath on September 11, we are proud to honor the legacy of so many aviation leaders through the “Reclaiming the Sky Resiliency Project,” an essay contest organized by the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University and ACI-NA to engage up-and-coming airport industry leaders.

Through this year’s essay contest, young professionals from across the airport industry were invited to read the stories of aviation heroes profiled in the book, “Reclaiming the Sky,” by Tom Murphy, and participate in a workshop with aviation mentors to explore lessons about resiliency.

Twenty-five openings were allotted for the program. Participants had the chance to learn about the stories of airport and airline employees who went to work in New York, Boston, and Washington, DC, on the morning of 9/11 expecting a normal day, only to find that “just doing my job” was to become the creed of heroes. The stories, including the powerful teachings from Susan M. Baer, the General Manager of Newark Liberty International Airport on 9/11, tell how the front-line aviation employees responded with courage, selflessness, and resiliency that day and in the weeks and months that followed to rebuild their lives and reclaim hope – while helping to get the country moving again.

This year’s winners were Michael Gyan, Project Manager, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport; Salvatore Mendola, Director, Brands and Concept Development, Areas USA; and Deborah Blass, Arup, Associates, Security and Risk. Their award-winning essays can be read at ReclaimingTheSky.com.

In addition to cash prizes, these three winners will also be recognized for their achievements during the 2023 ACI-NA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Long Beach, CA, on October 3.

The young professionals who participated in the 2023 include Deborah Blass, Arup; Carey Metcalfe, Lee County PA; LaTarryl Hall, City of Charlotte; Ryan Thomas, Parsons Group; Adam Ussher, Dane County Airport; Anna Phillips, Columbus Airport; Michael Hamilton, Savannah Airport Commission; Michael Gyan, John C. Munro Hamilton Airport; Juan Martinez, Chicago Dept of Aviation; Antonette Chambers, Clarksville Airport; Kendall Griswold, GSP Airport; Arjun Nair, Syracuse Airport; Jimmy Vazques, San Diego Airport; Aireyanna Kennedy, Syracuse Airport; Benjamin Torres, San Diego Airport; James Gerrald, Jacobs; Ana Zivanovic, San Francisco Airport; Esther Chitsinde, HDR; Christopher Liese, Munich Airport USA Holding; Anandhi Mahalingam, Transsolutions; Kristin Jewell, Baton Rouge Airport; Julie Seglem, Areas USA; Madison Strong, Tulsa Airport; Roeland Visser, InterVISTAS; Jeff Taylor, Jacksonville Airport, Salvatore Mendola, Areas USA; Brooke Bowman, Areas USA.

Judges for the essay competition were aviation industry leaders Cedric Fulton, Virginia Buckingham, Lysa Leiponis, Eileen Ammiano, John Duval, Kathy Denker, Debbie Roland and Jennifer Juul.

For more information, visit ReclaimingTheSky.com. For aviation companies looking to participate in the expansion in 2024, contact Tom Murphy at Tom@edge4vets.org.

’60 Minutes’ Correspondent Scott Pelley: Aviation is a Miracle

Posted on | by ScottElmore

During the 2022 ACI-NA Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Alessio Olivetti caught up with Scott Pelley, the 60 Minutes correspondent and 2022 annual conference keynote, who shared his experience as tireless traveler and long-time journalist.

 

AO: You travel all around the world. It’s safe to say you’re a frequent traveler. What’s the most memorable airport experience have you ever had?

SP: My most memorable experience would have been at the very beginning of COVID, when thousands of people in the United States were dying every day.

I was covering COVID, and I was flying through Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. I got off the plane and I was the only person in the terminal. Everything was closed. There were Texas State troopers clearing every plane and taking down the contact information for every passenger who came off.

I could hear the soles of my shoes clacketing on the floor. I was literally by myself walking through Houston Intercontinental, which I came through many times surrounded by tens of thousands of people in the terminal.

It was just such a shocking, remarkable experience to understand better in an airport than anywhere else the effects the COVID was having and would continue to have on the national economy. If Houston Intercontinental is empty of people, the economy has stopped, you can tell.

 

AO: You wanted to become an astronaut when you were a child. The U.S. has been the cradle of the aerospace industry for a century. Why are people fascinated in stories about aviation and lately about space tourism?

SP: People are still fascinated about the courage required to leave the Earth and fly beyond the atmosphere. Even though we have been watching that happen in the United States since 1957, the year I was born by the way, people are still fascinated about the images coming back from space, our astronauts on the International Space Station for example. And now in this all-new world of private companies launching people in space we are beginning to imagine, ‘Hey, it could be me, I could go too!’

In terms of aviation, there is just something about flying. I should be the most jaded airline passenger at all times. I’m a multi-million miler on many different airlines, but I’m still thrilled when I get on a plane and it leaves the ground. It never gets old.

I was on the A380 the other day, which is the size of an apartment building. The engineering involved in building something like an A380 or a 747-8 is a miracle, getting that thing off the ground almost effortlessly. Engineering is far beyond me, but I have so much respect for it.

There is another thing about aviation. People complain insensitively about their flight being delayed, canceled, or their luggage being lost. I get all of that, it’s very frustrating.

But I would argue that aviation today is a miracle. You can literally be anywhere on this Earth in 24 hours. Imagine such a thing.

I’m amazed at the way the airline industry runs all around the world with thousands of operations every day, and virtually accident-free. It’s one of the greatest achievements of man.

 

AO: What’s your favorite interview if you have one?

SP: Now I have a new favorite interview and that’s the one I did in April with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

I’ve never met a leader of a country who has impressed me more. The courage that he took to stay in Kyiv when the Russians were coming at him in three different directions. And when he walked outside into the courtyard and filmed a video message on his phone.

That moment galvanized the country to resist. It was on the knife’s edge of collapsing until he walked out and said, ‘We’re not going anywhere, we’re all staying here.’

Just an incredibly courageous and impressive man who forced the Russians to retreat from Kyiv and from Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv. He has punched way above his weight leading his people so courageously.

At the end of the interview, I said ‘Mr. President, we wish you all the luck in the world.’ He broke into English saying, ‘Half of it, I think we need half of it.’

A man with 44 million people on his shoulders and he is still having a sense of humor.