The PASSUR OPSnet Report 
Informing the Airport Operations Community
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"Our fuel burn is way down"
JetBlue Chief Executive David Barger talking about the effects of the JFK departure metering program in The Wall Street Journal, July 29, 2010 |
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| Summer 2010 | Welcome to the summer edition of The PASSUR® OPSnet™ Report, developed for the national community of PASSUR OPSnet users.
In this edition, we start with a quick snapshot of a recent Wall Street Journal article about the JFK Departure Metering program -- a nice look at how fuel burn, carbon emissions and passenger comfort have all been addressed with this program, and how all constituencies there want it to continue. We also provide a brief recap of our very successful  user conference held in Denver in June. There were a lot of excellent discussions, and we're already working on integrating feedback into future programs and capabilities.
As a reminder, PASSUR OPSnet is a web-based collaborative program that creates instant communication and information sharing with all key aviation players in real time, resulting in coordinated decision-making, effective use of resources, and consistent public information. PASSUR OPSnet is accessed by aviation professionals around the world who need to know the precise and detailed condition of the airport operation in real time.
As always, please let us know how we can improve this newsletter by contacting Ron Dunsky, Executive Editor, at rondunsky@passur.com. |
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| Departure Metering in the Wall Street Journal | |
In July, the Wall Street Journal's Scott McCartney, who writes the weekly travel column "The Middle Seat", devoted a column to the JFK metering program, and prominently featured PASSUR's role.
The article (which may be read in full at http://webreprints.djreprints.com/42736.pdf, posted and reprinted by permission of The Wall Street Journal), summarizes the main benefits to date of the program: reduced fuel burn; delays that are taken at the gate, for a more comfortable passenger experience in the terminal; and fewer extended, on-board tarmac delays.
The article also touches on all the key aspects of the program: automated departure slot assignments; collaboration among the carriers, FAA and the airport; and the role of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in sponsoring the program. It devotes an entire section to a profile of the PASSUR team onsite as it manages the program -- the software, the decision making, and the business practices.
Some of the interesting quotes from the article:
"Our fuel burn is way down," said JetBlue Chief Executive David Barger, quoted in the Wall Street Journal.
"It's been a home run," said Mike Sammartino, the FAA's director of system operations, quoted in the same Wall Street Journal article. He went on to say, "It [the metering program] will stay in place. Everyone sees the benefit."
"We're certainly seeing that there is a more efficient way to run an airport," said Bob Junge, Manager of Airport Operations, John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The article also mentions that the program is being extended until at least the end of 2010; it was originally scheduled to end with the reopening of the Bay Runway at the beginning of July (which reopened right on schedule).
As a reminder, some of the key operating and financial metrics improved during the runway closure:
- Departure taxi times declined year over year by an average of two minutes (March 2010 vs. March 2009), even with the loss of runway 13L/31R to construction, resulting in:
- A reduction in fuel consumption of 124,600 gallons per month (using an average fleet type, for March 2010)*
- A reduction of 2.7 million pounds (1250 Metric tons) of CO2 emissions per month (using an average fleet type, for March 2010)
For March and April 2010, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported only one instance of a departure delayed for 3+ hours on the tarmac at JFK, vs. 21 departures delayed for 3+ hours on the tarmac for the same period last year.
*Source: PANYNJ
To learn more about the PASSUR Departure Metering, and how it mimght and the overall PASSUR Traffic Management Suite, contact Frederick Roe at 203-887-4940 or froe@passur.com. |
| PASSUR 2010 User Conference Recap | | Once again, we had a fantastic turnout for our user conference, this year held in Denver. Thank you to everyone that attended. For those who weren't able to make it, here's a summary of what you missed.
Increasing Focus on Diversion Management
Diversions continue to be a hugely disruptive and costly component of operations, and the 3-hour Tarmac Delay rule has only added to the cost and complexity. There are airline and airport operations components to this problem, as well as airport finance and revenue.
Attendees highlighted the need for all aspects of the diversion event to be considered in PASSUR diversion management tools, including real time alerts to diversions underway, "saturation status" of different diversion alternates, and diversion recovery components. Look for new capabilities and features to help with this in the future.
Tarmac Delay Requires a Lot of Focus
To properly track, alert, manage and resolve Tarmac Delay (3-hour rule) flights requires a lot of focus because of the complexity of operations, the need to reconcile diverse data sources, and the need for centralized management of the problem. The PASSUR Tarmac Delay Monitor was discussed from the perspective of both airline and airport use, and how it has become a key weapon in avoiding making front page news in this area.
JFK Departure Metering is a Model for Other Airports
The PASSUR-managed departure metering program at JFK is seen by participants to be a landmark event, a "first of its kind" in the US to introduce "virtual departure sequencing," showing marked success in reducing taxi-out times, fuel burn, and tarmac delays and increased concession revenues. It is also seen to be an early success for NextGen, showcasing the mix of technology, business processes, protocols and collaboration that are all essential for successful NextGen projects.
Integrated Traffic Management is the Next Big Thing
The discussion about departure metering spawned a separate, related, and critically important discussion about management of a flight from end-to-end, including key constraint points in the en-route, terminal airspace and surface operating environments. Airlines and airports have been the key movers in PASSUR's plans for rolling out Integrated Traffic Management in the coming year.
Integrated Airfield Operations Becomes Even More Important
Continuing a theme from the last few PASSUR OPSnet conferences, airports continue to add more processes and information to the collaborative platform. These include:
- eNOTAMs
- Construction advisories and maps
- Ship channel obstruction tracking
- Archiving and reporting on operational statistics
The planned integration of PASSUR OPSnet with the new FAA Digital NOTAMs system (currently in test phase) is a big focus for all airports, given that for many, PASSUR OPSnet will be the single master portal into the new NOTAM system.
To learn more about what you missed, contact Frederick Roe at 203-887-4940 or froe@passur.com. |
| Upcoming Conference Appearances | |
As always, we're going to be active on the conference circuit. Make sure to stop by and say hello if you'll be at any of these events.
- NW AAAE Conference - Anchorage, September 1-3, 2010 (in attendance)
- ACI Annual Conference - Pittsburgh, September 26-29, 2010 (visit us at Booth #210)
On August 1-3, we attended the Large Hub Winter Operations Conference, held this year in Atlanta. We have been supporting this AAAE conference for many years -- it is an excellent forum for discussing many of the common challenges faced by airports in the winter months, and has always been used to showcase new technology and best practices for dealing with the ice and snow (in fact, PASSUR OPSnet got some of its early visibility and profile at this conference several years ago!). |
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