Research Roadmap in the Area of Airport Operations and Maintenance (2019)

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4 2 Review of Existing Research The research team reviewed existing, on-going and planned research from a variety of sources. The most prolific source of research relating to the area of airport O&M is the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) itself. In addition to projects in ACRP, the research team searched the other TRB cooperative research programs for related research such as the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). The second largest source of research the team reviewed was from the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA). Next were federal agency research and their associated research partners, particularly the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA conducts a significant amount of research, both directly, through their Technical Center, and indirectly, through university centers of excellence. Many lines of business within FAA have their own research roadmaps, including the Office of Airports, the Air Traffic Organization, and the Office of Environment and Energy. The research team reviewed the most recent National Aviation Research Plan (NARP) and the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) as well as other documents. The research team also conducted a search for relevant publications from industry trade organizations and other relevant sources, such as: • Airports Council International- North America [ACI-NA] • American Association of Airport Executives [AAAE] • Airport Consultants Council [ACC] • International Facilities Management Association [IFMA] • National Safe Skies Alliance Program for Applied Research in Airport Security [PARAS] • RTCA NextGen Advisory Committee [RTCA NAC] Relevant publications from trade organizations and federal agencies serve as a means for identifying the main goals of the respective organizations and what they consider as priorities and research gaps in the industry (not necessarily limited to O&M issues). The research team did not observe an abundance of applicable, publicly available research from the academic community beyond the scope of research conducted through ACRP. The research team logged and categorized over 100 resources that have some applicability to this issue area, and organized the publications by high-level topic and specific topic areas. This assisted in the identification of areas that have been well covered by existing research and areas that have not. 2.1 Transportation Research Board Unsurprisingly, the ACRP program is the richest source of existing information in the areas of airport operations and maintenance. Out of 103 total publications reviewed, ACRP accounts for 82. The ACRP Research Fields 9: Maintenance and 10: Operations were a particular focus of the research team, though publications from all other research fields were reviewed for relevant products, and included in the database when applicable. ACRP Research Field 9: Maintenance contains 17 research projects that are either published, in progress or planned. ACRP Research Field 10: Operations contains 26 projects completed or anticipated. All ACRP publications (reports, synthesis reports, impacts on practice, etc.) were considered if they had a nexus to either operations or maintenance topics. Many of these are listed under other research fields, such as Research Field 2: Environment, and Research Field 4: Safety, due to the interrelated nature of many topics. We focused the bulk of our search and subsequent review on projects published in the past five to six years, but noted the topics covered by older research in the spreadsheet. If an older (pre-2011) research product currently exists for an idea that was raised during the stakeholder outreach process, the research team evaluated the existing resources to determine if an update would be appropriate.

5 The research team categorized ACRP research topics by high-level topic areas to organize the resources and to help identify some overarching trends in existing research. Overall, the distribution of existing ACRP sources we reviewed include: • Overarching Operations and Maintenance topics – 17 publications o Subtopics for publications in this category include: commercial ground transportation, fueling infrastructure, pavement maintenance, general guidance / maintenance best practices, winter and irregular operations and evolving trends • Safety related topics – 15 publications o Subtopics for publications in this category include: airside operations, communication and coordination, management systems, wildlife, and winter and irregular operations • Sustainability related topics – 12 publications o Subtopics for publications in this category include: energy efficiency and renewable energy, fueling infrastructure, general guidance and/or implementation tools, pavement, new and evolving trends • Integrating Advanced Technologies and IT-related topics –11 publications o Subtopics for publications in this category include: emergency operations, general guidance and/or implementation tools, Building information modeling (BIM), new and evolving trends, and pavement • Financial Resources or Procurement related topics – 9 publications o Subtopics for publications in this category include: curbside/roadway, replacement or renewal of assets, transportation network companies (TNCs), and resources to support O&M • Asset Management related topics – 6 publications o Subtopics in this category include: general guidance and/or implementation tools, energy efficiency and renewable energy, fueling infrastructure, and operational efficiency • Continuity of Operations – 5 publications o Subtopics in this category include: general guidance and/or implementation tools, resources to support O&M, and winter and irregular operations • Operational Demand Management topics – 3 publications o Subtopics in this category include: NextGen, operational efficiency, and safety The following topics each had 2 publications: Climate Change and Severe Weather, Facility and Operational Modernization, Workforce, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and Emergency Operations. Interestingly, certain aspects of several research ideas raised by stakeholders are covered by other ACRP research areas, including advanced digital technologies, sustainability and workforce development. This once again highlights the need for multi-dimensional research that reflects the rising integration of activities within and across traditional airport divisions. Overall there is an impressive body of research available from ACRP and the other TRB cooperative research programs O&M. The high-level topic area with the greatest number of resources is the “Overarching O&M” category followed closely by “Safety” related topics. This is not surprising given that in the first several years of ACRP existence the focus was on low-hanging fruit in terms of developing fundamental guidebooks and best practice documents covering topics such as preventative maintenance at airports and pavement maintenance. Safety is the top priority for all stakeholders in the aviation industry, so it is also not surprising that a substantial number of publications address this issue. Topics covered include safety and risk management, safety

6 management systems, ramp and apron safety practices, wildlife hazard management and airfield separation for example. This continues to be a top priority of the FAA, airports and airlines moving forward. Sustainability is another topic that has been well-covered by ACRP. Although many of these research projects originated in the Environmental Research Field of ACRP, they have a clear nexus to airport O&M, such as alternative fuel use in airport fleets, energy benchmarking, stormwater management, impacts of sustainability on O&M, and a sustainability rating system. Sustainability has served as a catalyst for establishing collaboration and coordination of activities across all disciplines of an airport. Integrating new and advanced technologies was a central theme during stakeholder discussions on the roadmap, and it has been of interest to airport practitioners for the past several years, evidenced by the number of projects in this category. This is a broad topic represented by a number of subtopics, both in the existing literature as well as the proposed ideas for the database. Existing research that was organized in this category include topics such as building information modeling (BIM), integrating software into airport operations, IT systems at airports, and integrating TNCs into airport infrastructure for example. Despite the existence of several publications addressing emerging technologies, the field is so broad and constantly evolving, warranting inclusion of a number of topics on the roadmap in which ACRP research could be of benefit. One common concern raised by stakeholders during the outreach process is the ability to attract, retain and train qualified employees in/to the airport sector. While there is some existing research on this topic, this is a knowledge gap that ACRP can address going forward since it will benefit disciplines beyond O&M as well. 2.2 International Facilities Management Association The International Facilities Management Association is a global association of facility management professionals, with over 24,000 members in over 100 countries (IFMA, 2018). Within IFMA, there are 16 different industry- specific councils, including one for airports. While there are characteristics of airports that make them unique from other types of facilities, there are also many similarities. Thus most of the issues addressed by IFMA are relevant to airports. IFMA conducts original research on topics of interest to their membership, and also undertakes studies of industry trends, hot topics, tools and educational materials. As a result, the research team found a number of helpful resources published by IFMA, in addition to holding fruitful discussions with their staff and members of the IFMA Airport Council. The research team reviewed several relevant documents, accessed through the IFMA knowledge library and obtained from IFMA staff. We focused our search on the publicly available material (mainly research documents and white papers), as the full library of materials for purchase was quite extensive. The most relevant publications were included in the literature review database. The IFMA Facility Management Outlook 2016: Trends, Issues and Forecasts document outlines emerging trends in facility management and categorizes them into three main categories: business, cultural, and technological issue areas. Many trends that they identified mirror emerging themes in this research roadmap project. Some relevant trends that they characterize include the importance of embracing data and technological changes in facility maintenance, identifying labor market changes, and maintaining pace with rapidly changing workplace technology. The document stresses the need to train and retain a multi-skilled, multidisciplinary workforce that is equipped to work across roles and departments, while breaking down the idea of independent or isolated business units. Welcome to the IoT [Internet of Things] Era is another publication by IFMA that is relevant to this roadmap as strategies for integrating IoT into airports is of particular interest in the industry. The IoT will enable new ways of operating and delivering services including maintenance, placing facilities management professionals on the frontlines of this technological transition. According to the findings of the IFMA, the top five IoT applications related to building systems and physical infrastructure include building automation, energy management, maintenance, security and physical access and safety – all of which are especially relevant to airports. Another relevant observation from the publication is related to data and network security concerns as a hurdle to IoT adoption, which has been echoed in stakeholder outreach during the development of the roadmap. According to an internal membership survey, IFMA members are particularly interested in research products that address benchmarking for facilities O&M issues, as well as best management practices. To the extent that ACRP

7 can integrate the development of benchmarking tools into future research products, the organization will find there is an appetite not only with the airport industry, but more broadly across the transportation industry stakeholder community. 2.3 Federal Aviation Administration The FAA submits their National Aviation Research Plan (NARP) to Congress annually, outlining their strategic research plan and vision for the National Airspace System (NAS). The most recent version of the NARP available is from 2016 (2017 and 2018 are currently being combined and reformatted, and not yet published). In the FAA’s 2016 NARP, the agency outlined three central principles that guide their research and development (R&D) portfolio: 1) Improve aviation safety; 2) Improve efficiency; and 3) Reduce environmental impacts. The FAA planned to invest $400 million in fiscal year 2017 on research programs (FAA, 2016) across its various lines of business based on these three overarching principles. The R&D funding is distributed across several divisions or accounts within the FAA, including approximately $167 million in Research, Engineering and Development; $189 million in Facilities and Equipment; and $46 million in the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The NARP was primarily used throughout the course of this project to confirm if the FAA is currently funding research ideas generated by the stakeholder outreach process, and to identify areas that are not being funded by FAA, making them appropriate for ACRP funding. Other FAA resources identified and reviewed by the research team include publicly available meeting minutes of the Research, Engineering and Development Advisory Committee (REDAC). The REDAC is comprised of representatives from airports, airlines, manufacturers, and academic community. REDAC meets biannually to review FAA’s research portfolio and provide input on how the agency should prioritize future research and development spending. This source provided further insight into research currently underway by the FAA. The research team reviewed FAA documentation specifically related to NextGen as well as their research plan and prioritization regarding the implementation of NextGen technologies (FAA, 2012). The team consulted documentation intended to inform items in the FAA’s Advisory Circular pipeline, and industry trends. For example, the FAA’s Report to Congress on the “National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) 2017-2021” outlines the amounts and types of airport development projects eligible for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant funding over the next 5 years. The report highlights that AIP-eligible projects are expected to increase at small hub airports, while decreasing somewhat for large and medium hubs. A recent focus on capacity-enhancing projects is waning while there is growing interest in terminal development and rehabilitation projects. Recognizing broad trends was useful in identifying high-level topics for the roadmap. As the focus shifts from airfield to terminal projects, there is an intensifying interest on customer and passenger experience with respect to terminal and facility design – which we would expect to translate into increased O&M needs with regards to terminals and landside facilities. Given that Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) were raised as an issue of interest and concern by several stakeholders, the research team also reviewed research projects funded through the FAA’s Center of Excellence for UAS research, the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE). Key research focus areas for ASSURE include: air traffic integration, particularly of fixed-wing UAS; airworthiness; control and communication (specifically the development of appropriate control and communications link between aircraft, pilot and controllers); technology to enhance detection and collision avoidance; human factors; UAS pilot training, and; low-altitude UAS operations safety. Finally, the research team noted that the FAA-funded National Safe Skies Alliance, Inc.’s Program for Applied Research in Airport Security” (PARAS) has an ongoing project titled “Guidance for Integrating UAS into Airport Security” (expected publication 2018). PARAS publishes relevant guidance for airports relates to security topics. Some of the UAS research ideas generated during the stakeholder engagement process overlap with areas of research conducted by PARAS and ASSURE, but are not identical. Given the great interest in UAS from our industry, ongoing coordination between ACRP, PARAS and ASSURE on UAS topics in the future will be beneficial. 2.4 Trade Associations The research team reviewed publications from major airport industry trade associations. Guidance was based on two relevant publications, ACI-NA’s “Airport Infrastructure Needs: 2017-2021” report and Airport Consultant

8 Council (ACC)’s “Trends in U.S. Airport Development: A Summary Look at Future Trends and Opportunities”. Both reports were published in 2017, and contain an overview of industry development needs for the next five years. These reports align with the results found in the 2017 NPIAS Report from FAA in their findings that terminal development or rehabilitation projects and other types of building infrastructure (parking, rental car facilities, etc.) will likely dominate in the near term as capacity projects (runways, taxiways) slow down. This information was useful as the research team engaged in conversations with stakeholders to understand their priorities, and how O&M needs associated with new and/or rehabilitated facilities can be addressed by ACRP research. In addition, RTCA’s Tactical Operations Committee “Improving Awareness, Planning and Execution of Airport Construction” (March 2016) guidance document was consulted to refine research ideas related to the challenges airports face in construction projects, and corresponding research gaps. The RTCA report highlights some additional needs of the industry, including a construction compendium to assist with education and awareness, and better coordination of complex construction projects. While this research may be more appropriate for the FAA to undertake than ACRP, and perhaps on the surface more applicable to the Design and Construction Roadmap, it highlights the need for ensuring continuity of operations during construction projects. This is a major theme identified by the stakeholders consulted for O&M roadmap input. RTCA has also taken the multi- dimensional approach to research tasks requested of them by the FAA. By including multiple disciplines and considering how all relevant stakeholders are affected by a certain issue, the organization can develop better, more robust solutions. Finally, the research team conducted a cursory search of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) materials; however, their materials require membership or paid access and therefore are not included. 2.5 Other Stakeholders Through the stakeholder outreach process, we were directed to a ‘lessons learned’ document developed by San Diego International Airport. The document, The Rental Car Center Knowledge Transfer, features lessons learned during the process of centralizing rental car facilities into a single Rental Car Center. While the document focused on the design and construction process, there were lessons learned that apply to O&M as well. Success factors include streamlined operations associated with a consolidated rental car center. Independently operated shuttle busses were replaced by a much smaller fleet of shuttle busses managed by a 3rd party facility operator, reducing emissions and increasing operational efficiency. The project team planned to train owners and tenants on maintenance of facilities before opening day and provide Building Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Manual to the 3rd party operators and Airport Authority. This mirrors the feedback the research team received in regards to the need for training third parties that work in the airport environment. 2.6 Research Gaps The research team categorized the reviewed resources based on high-level themes and sub-topic in order to organize the plethora of research publications and identify trends. The categorization was somewhat subjective as several topics could conceivably have been placed in more than one high-level category, however the purpose of organizing the existing research ideas into high level topics was mainly to aid the research team in identifying broad trends and knowledge gaps. After conducting the literature review and stakeholder outreach process, the research team identified several research gaps. This section provides a short summary of research gaps discovered in both the literature review process and concurrent stakeholder engagement process (topics are discussed in more detail in Section 4). With advancements in technology, automation, and the ever-increasing connectivity of devices, systems and components (i.e. the “Internet of Things” [IoT]), we found a knowledge gap regarding updating and integrating technologies at airports, for example in designing and monitoring smart buildings, using BIM for maintenance and security, integrating new technologies and software with older IT systems, and preparing for autonomous vehicles. The roadmap refers to “advanced technologies” as those that enhance existing processes and capabilities, whereas “disruptive technologies” refers to those that can or will result in significant changes to operations, processes, services and capabilities, i.e. they will displace or force fundamental changes to existing processes and providers.

9 Advanced and disruptive technologies can also play a role in improving collaborative decision making between stakeholders including the FAA, airlines and airports. This will also have an impact in reducing delays and ensuring continuity of operations which is another high-level theme identified for inclusion on the roadmap. Topics considered under the continuity of operations category in existing research include planning for small airports, guidebooks for ensuring continuity during winter and irregular operations, and practices to ensure operation of facilities during maintenance and repair. As airports are handling more passengers, and airline fleet updates have resulted in fewer spare aircraft and fuller planes, ensuring that continuity of operations and minimizing delays/ recovery time remains critically important. Some existing resources could benefit from an update, making this is subject a focus of attention during the outreach process. Sustainability and resiliency are two issues that have been addressed by many existing resources, but came up often in the course of the roadmap development. These issues have largely been addressed by ACRP through the lens of the Environmental Research Field. However, sustainability and resiliency topics influence and are impacted by many other disciplines. As such, the ideas included on the roadmap that are in the Sustainability and Resiliency category include developing guidance on maximizing the impact of airport resiliency planning and advanced building automation and energy management systems through the integration of other airport disciplines. ACRP is in the process of developing an Environmental Research Roadmap which may also capture these topics. However, they are also included here because they impact airport O&M and illustrate the cross-disciplinary nature of many of these project ideas. The existing research reviewed contains a number of research projects that address UASs, primarily through the FAA’s ASSURE Center of Excellence and PARAS. While UAS represent a new and disruptive technology, the intense interest in this subject and the broad reach of impacts to an airport from UAS operations justifies this area being considered a high-level theme. UAS represent unique challenges and opportunities to airports, and our understanding of the impacts on airports, specifically operations and maintenance, is evolving. As described above, safety is of paramount importance to the aviation industry. Airport O&M personnel have a significant role in ensuring the safe and secure operation of the airport environment. This importance is reflected in the existing body of research, both from ACRP and FAA. Given the priority of safety and security to airport operators and maintainers, these themes are reflected in the roadmap. In addition, the stakeholder outreach process illustrated a widely recognized need for guidance on recruiting and retaining quality employees in the airport industry. Succession planning is critical for all business areas of the airport. Although not limited to operations and maintenance, ensuring a consistent pipeline of talent is critical to the development, operation and growth of our nation’s airport system. Of particular importance is the need for a modern workforce that is capable of addressing the more sophisticated, complex and connected airport operating environment, and understanding how to use new technologies (and remain flexible for future changes). 2.7 Review of Existing Research Conclusion Numerous resources were reviewed during this phase of the research roadmap development process. The bulk of the relevant resources came from ACRP, as expected. Although many of the research topics addressed by the roadmap are covered in some way by prior research, some of the projects are out of date and technological advances often necessitate a second look. Sources and documents from the trade associations and FAA, and particularly from IFMA, served as references for ensuring that research ideas generated as part of this project are not duplicative and achieve alignment with industry priorities. The research team, as intended, treated the database of resources as a living document for the duration of the stakeholder engagement process, and additional sources were added to the spreadsheet as they were identified.