NextGen for Airports, Volume 2: Engaging Airport Stakeholders: Guidebook (2016)

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10 | ENGAGING AIRPORT STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders in NextGen 3 Stakeholders are “people and organizations that have an interest in a particular project and be-come involved, to varying degrees, in decision making.” Primary stakeholders have a direct inter-est, meaning they depend on the decisions made or are directly impacted by the result. In the case of implementing PBN procedures, operators (e.g., airlines), users (e.g., passengers), and affected neighbors are direct stakeholders. Secondary stakeholders include those involved with managing the resource (e.g., FAA and airports) and those who depend on the revenue generated by an initiative (e.g., the communities served by airports) (Wheeler and Sillanpaa 1997). Stakeholders in NextGen Implementation at Airports Based on these definitions, many individuals and organizations can be considered stakeholders in NextGen. Grouping these stakeholders can be helpful when determining the priority and best strat- egy for engaging them. A categorized list of stakeholder groups is provided in the appendix to this volume. Some stakeholders will require highly technical information on aircraft performance, runway configu- rations, and instrument procedure details. Others will require less technical information such as gener- alized flight tracks and population densities. Figure 3-1 reflects information contributed by ACRP Proj- ect 01-28 survey respondents. Of the 40 respondents, 23 reported successfully engaging on NextGen implementation with the stakeholder groups shown in the figure. Respondents could report engage- ment with more than one stakeholder group. The four groups that are ranked highest are the focus of the engagement strategies described in this guidebook and in the accompanying electronic materials; however, these materials also can be of use when engaging stakeholders from the other categories. Effects of NextGen Initiatives on Stakeholders NextGen initiatives will have a variety of effects on stakeholders. Some of these effects will be positive and some will be negative. Most respondents to the project survey, as well as individuals interviewed as a part of the project, expressed opinions that the majority of the effects, and certainly their net impact, will be positive. These responses may be explained by the fact that, as aviation professionals, the survey and interview respondents are eager to benefit from the new capabilities NextGen promises to deliver.

Stakeholders in NextGen | 11 Aircraft noise is perhaps the most direct effect experienced by the broadest number of stakeholders at or near airports. With NextGen initiatives, aircraft noise is expected to increase in some areas and de- crease in others due to changes in the location, concentration, and altitude of flight paths over specific areas. Negative press and controversy about NextGen can result when airport neighbors are impacted by aircraft noise in new ways. On the other hand, these initiatives are generally expected to improve air service capacity, safety, and operational efficiency. These effects will help stimulate economic growth and improved customer service. At the same time, aircraft emissions and operating costs are expected to decline. Some stakeholders fear that airfields will suffer congestion, and a handful of stake- holders expect security to be improved. Of the 40 respondents to the ACRP Project 01-28 survey, 34 respondents addressed the effects of NextGen implementation (see Table 3-1). Table 3-1. Experienced or anticipated effects of NextGen implementation. Respondents (n = 34 of 40). Respondents could identify more than one effect. Source: ACRP Project 01-28 survey Su cc es sf ul E ng ag em en ts R ep or te d Stakeholder groups Respondents (n = 23 of 40). Respondents could identify engagements with more than one group. Source: ACRP Project 01-28 survey Figure 3-1. Stakeholder groups in NextGen implementation.

12 | ENGAGING AIRPORT STAKEHOLDERS Information Needed by Stakeholders An important objective of stakeholder engagement is to provide information about the effects NextGen will have on specific groups. As one respondent stated, “information is power.” The ultimate goal is to improve the positive effects and diminish the negative effects so that the net impact of Next- Gen implementation reaches an optimal balance among all stakeholders. Some impacts may not be changeable, in which case stakeholders’ perceptions about them can be influenced by the information that is offered. For example, some interviewees found that community members’ concerns over noise caused by new procedures eased once they were briefed on the proposed changes, why the changes were important, and the overall impact the changes would have. Stakeholders require general information about what NextGen is well in advance of any NextGen im- plementation activities. As specific procedures are being considered, stakeholders require information on what changes are being proposed and why. This information sharing should occur early enough in the process that modifications can still be made based on stakeholder input. These general informa- tion needs are consistent among all stakeholder groups regardless of their familiarity with NextGen or technical acumen. The differences lie in the level of details needed or required by various stakeholder groups. Survey respondents and interviewees identified several categories of information needed by stakeholders in order of relevance, as follows: • General information is required to understand the changes that NextGen will bring and the im- pacts stakeholders will experience. Stakeholders who are unfamiliar with NextGen have the most need for this information, but even experienced professionals can benefit from clearly stated objec- tives and clear definitions to ensure consistent understanding. • Maps that show current air traffic compared with proposed flight tracks help illustrate the proposed flight procedure changes. Adding contours of day-night average sound levels (DNLs) or grid cells that show percent change illustrate who will be most impacted. These data can be superimposed over land use and population density details so that stakeholders can discern the effects on their communities. Maps showing the current and future configuration of the airfield also are impor- tant when assessing changes related to surface operations improvements, MROs, and separation management initiatives. As needed, simple diagrams can be created to show conceptual changes or detailed maps can be developed based on accurate survey information. More information about the mapping information required for implementation of NextGen initiatives by airports can be found in the accompanying guidebook on spatial data. • Statistics help determine the volume of impact stakeholders can expect to experience. Statistical data examined will include the number, type, and mix of aircraft operations that currently oc- cur and those that are expected to occur. Changes in noise levels can be shown over time or for different alternatives. Information from near-term airline schedules and longer term air service demand forecasts can help in anticipating future impacts. Past and future expectations of weather impacts also help in this understanding. In communicating with stakeholders, charts, graphs, and infographics (i.e., highly visual integrations of key messages, statistics, and images) can display this statistical information in visually intuitive ways. • Program information about when changes will be implemented, or at least about their relative priority as well as the expected costs and benefits, helps stakeholders anticipate when they will be affected, which influences how accepting they will be. Airports and stakeholders have complained that much program information is not available, and FAA has noted that such information is subject to frequent changes driven by legislation and agency budgets. FAA has taken steps to convey NextGen program information in a meaningful and timely manner, and airports are engaging with ADO and regional airspace and procedures teams (RAPTs) to obtain the information they need.

Stakeholders in NextGen | 13 When FAA’s PBN Program Office (AJV-14) notifies the FAA Office of Airport Safety and Standards of proposed PBN procedures, that office can then convey the information to airport senior manage- ment so that they can become engaged in the process. The ATO Service Center will also invite airports to participate in the center’s PBN Working Groups (FAA 2015a). • Specifications about the procedures being implemented are needed by airport planners, design- ers, engineers, and operations personnel to understand the specific impact the new procedures will have and to determine what infrastructure, land use, obstacle clearance, noise mitigation, or airfield configuration changes may be necessary. Figure 3-2 lists the types of information identified as desirable by 34 airports and other stakeholders who responded to this part of the ACRP Project 01-28 survey. The figure also presents the number and percentage of respondents who indicated the information was relevant when assessing the effects of NextGen. Sources of Desired Information A growing number of sources exist for obtaining the NextGen information airports desire. Unsurpris- ingly, FAA headquarters and regional and local FAA offices head the list, particularly as FAA has also increased efforts to publish and disseminate online resources about NextGen. Industry associations are also important sources of information. Within airports, the planning, noise, and communica- tions departments are important resources. Stakeholder engagement about NextGen needs to be a two-way dialogue, so meetings, briefings, workshops, conferences, and conversations with points of contact are also important ways to learn about NextGen. In the ACRP Project 01-28 survey, 32 of the 40 respondents identified sources that they anticipate using to learn more about NextGen (see Figure 3-3). Survey respondents could identify more than one resource. Specific resources are provided in the NextGen Outreach Toolkit.

14 | ENGAGING AIRPORT STAKEHOLDERS , Respondents (n = 34 of 40). Respondents could identify more than one information type. Source: ACRP Project 01-28 survey Figure 3-2. Information desired by stakeholders.

Stakeholders in NextGen | 15 Respondents (n = 32 of 40). Respondents could identify more than one source of information. Source: ACRP Project 01-28 survey Figure 3-3. Anticipated sources of NextGen information.