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ACRP Web-Only Document 5: Development of a Guidebook for Managing Small Airports CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND Problem Statement According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there are over 20,000 landing facilities in the United States. Most of these facilities would be classified as small airports using practically any conceivable criteria, including number of operations, number of based aircraft, employees, revenues, and expenditures, just to name a few. Yet, every single airport in the country, regardless of its size, requires an individual or group of individuals to execute its management functions. The managers of small airports are responsible for a wide range of activities and interact with a disparate group of stakeholders on a daily basis. Small airports are subject to many of the same federal, state, and local regulations and ordinances under which large airports operate. In addition, many, if not most, small airports operate under fiscal constraints that requires the maximization of scarce resources. The people responsible for the maintenance and operation of small airports around the United States are as diverse as the airports themselves. Some are professional managers hired specifically to manage the airport while others oversee the airport as part of a contract to provide the services of a fixed-base operator (FBO). Some airport managers are elected officials, such as city clerks or county highway superintendents, whose portfolio of duties just happens to include managing the local airports. Some airport managers are municipal employees responsible for maintaining roads and water systems whose job description has been extended to include overseeing the airport. The academic discipline of aviation management is relatively new. As a result, many people who become airport managers or have responsibility for managing an airport as part of another position, have received little or no formal training in aviation management. Unfortunately, the geographic and operational diversity of small airports in the United States coupled with the wide range of activities for which small airport managers are responsible, as well as fiscal and staffing constraints under which most small airports operate make it difficult for managers to spend time obtaining relevant training either through college-sponsored continuing education classes or certification programs offered by airport management associations. Clearly, managing a small airport is a challenging endeavor often undertaken or left to people who must overcome a lack of formal training in the field with energy and creativity. This study was formulated by the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) to address this problem by developing a product that will help individuals throughout the United States to better manage the small airports for which they are responsible thereby insuring the vitality of both the airport system and the aviation industry. 1
ACRP Web-Only Document 5: Development of a Guidebook for Managing Small Airports Current Knowledge A wealth of information about airport management exists. Numerous books, textbooks, and handbooks on the subject have been published. The federal government, primarily the Federal Aviation Administration but other agencies too, and state departments of transportation produce publications related to airport management. There are two national industry trade groups, as well as various regional and state trade associations that develop a variety of publications for airport managers. For this particular project, the goal is not necessarily to address gaps in the current knowledge base but maximize the utility of the available information for small airport managers by providing a resource that can be used to determine where the best and most current information can be located in a timely manner. Objectives The objective of this study is to develop a guidebook for managing small airports. To accomplish this objective, it is necessary to identify the topics of greatest importance to small airport managers and provide both information about those topics and the best sources of additional information about those topics. In addition, the guidebook emphasizes low-cost and easily implementable practices that are in use at some airports but are transferable to others around the country. Project Scope As the title suggests, the Guidebook is intended to be a resource for managers of small airports. While the research team did not to explicitly define what constituted a âsmall airport,â it did identify the target audience for the Guidebook. The managers of small airports are as diverse as the airports themselves. Although some small airport managers may be full-time municipal employees, most are city/county engineers, public works directors, city managers, contract employees, or other municipal employees who are tasked with managing the airport. These individuals constitute the primary audience for the Guidebook. New airport managers, airport commission or board members, and aviation management students will also benefit from the Guidebook. Full-time, professional airport managers are not the primary target audience but they may find the Guidebook useful as a reference and source of further information on certain topics. Although the Guidebook is comprehensive in nature, it is not, nor is it intended to be, a single authoritative source on airport management. Due to the great diversity amongst small airports and differences in state regulations and guidance, as well as frequent updates to federal regulations and guidance, the Guidebook was developed as a resource for finding additional information about common issues and topics in airport management. 2
