Chapter 11: Airport Planning

Types of Planning

• Facilities Planning: Focuses on the future needs for airport infrastructure.

• Financial Planning: Involves predicting future revenues and expenses.

• Economic Planning: Considers trade and commerce on and off airport premises (p. 379).

• Environmental Planning: Concentrates on maintaining or improving existing environmental conditions.

• Organizational Planning: Manages future labor requirements and organizational structure.

• Strategic Planning: Aims to maximize the airport's future potential to the community (p. 379).

Airport System Planning

• Considers a collection of airports at local, state, regional, or national levels, expected to complement each other as part of a coordinated air transportation system (p. 368).

National Level System Planning

• AVIATIC: GA responsibility of the FAA.

• Development is guided by NPIAS, a 20-year plan revised every two years, coordinated with the FAA’s capital investment plan for air traffic systems and airway facilities (p. 380).

NPIAS Overview

• Serves as an inventory of types and costs of potential airport developments.

• Presented in a state-by-state format, indicating location, role, type of service, current activity level, and future projections for 5 and 10 years (p. 381).

Examples of NPIAS Airports

• Includes various municipal and regional airports across Oklahoma, showcasing diverse service levels and aircraft capacities.

NPIAS Limitations

• Not a complete inventory of all airport needs.

• Only includes airport developments where there is federal interest on which federal funds may be spent under AIP.

• Excludes improvements not eligible for federal aid, such as hangars and parking areas (p. 381).

Levels of Need in NPIAS

• Level I: Maintain the airport system in current condition.

• Level II: Bring systems to current design standards.

• Level III: Expand the system (p. 381).

Regional Level System Planning

• Involves planning for air transport within a region, considering traffic at all airports.

• Aims to overcome rivalries and jurisdictional overlaps to provide optimum service concerning regional benefits & costs (p. 383).

Forecasting and Future Demand

• Future planning of airport master plans relies on aviation demand forecasts, asking about current and future users (p. 394).

• Socioeconomic Factors: Analyze population structure, growth rate, and disposable personal income to evaluate future demand (p. 389).

Environmental Planning

• Addresses issues such as noise, air quality, and water quality.

• Requires an Environmental Impact Review for each project:

  • Categorical Exclusion (CE)

  • Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

  • Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (p. 419).

Land Use Planning

• Airport land use must integrate with area-wide planning efforts, ensuring compatibility with surrounding development (p. 417).

• Environmental Considerations: Assess impacts on noise levels, community disruption, and local wildlife (pp. 420).

Terminal Area Factors

• Focuses on providing convenience for passengers while optimizing workflow and efficiency in airport operations.

• An optimal terminal should manage passenger flow, vehicle access, baggage handling, and provide necessary services (pp. 408-410).