Jacobs Consultancy Airport Management Consulting
News and Events
Publications and Presentations






News & Events

Publications and Presentations

Several recent papers, speeches, articles, and presentations by Jacobs Consultancy consultants at industry conferences are available for downloading in Adobe PDF format.

Jacobs Consultancy Focus: High Fuel Prices—Implications for Airports

The recent spike in oil prices has fundamentally changed the economics of the aviation industry. This focus piece highlights the effect of high fuel prices on airports and airline strategies to mitigate costs. More...

VALE: Getting Green to go Green

The following article, "Getting Green to go Green" by Darcy Zarubiak was published in the May/June 2008 edition of Airport Improvement. More...

Jacobs Consultancy Focus: New Interest in U.S. Airport Privatization, Recent and Potential Changes

Though private ownership of airports has not generated much interest in the United States, private companies have played a significant role in the management and operation of airports in the US. This focus piece outlines federal policy and potential impacts of changes on airport operations. More...

Review of Airport Charges

In its March 28, 2008 edition, The Economist magazine published a feature on London’s Heathrow Airport, coinciding with the long-awaited opening of the airport’s fifth passenger terminal. The article covered a range of issues relating to Heathrow’s congestion, its prospects for growth, the arguments for the break-up of the airports under the British Airports Authority (including Heathrow), and the role that pricing could play in encouraging airlines to use other London area airports. Jacobs Consultancy provided data for the article in The Economist from its publication Review of Airport Charges 2007 demonstrating that, although demand for runway slots at Heathrow far exceeds supply, the aeronautical charges at the airport are lower than those at two of its three main European competitor airports.

Review of Airport Charges is an annual publication prepared by Jacobs Consultancy that compares the level of aeronautical charges at 50 major airports worldwide. It is a recognized source of information on a wide range of issues relating to airport charges, regulation and ownership, and is widely used by airports, airlines, governments, and industry analysts. Please contact Simon Morris for more information at simon.morris@jacobs-consultancy.com.

Delivering Dollars to Airports

The following article, "Delivering Dollars to Airports" written by Steve Van Beek was included in the Winter 2007/2008 edition of Airport Consulting. More...

Regional Focus: India

The following article, "Regional Focus: India" written by Satyaki Raghunath was included in the November 2007 edition of Passenger Terminal World. More...

Planning Guidelines and Design Standards for Checked Baggage Inspection Systems

This document, published by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in October 2007, provides airports, airlines, planners, and designers with information on industry best practices, performance standards for optimized in-line systems, and planning principles to ensure that checked baggage screening systems are implemented in a cost-effective manner. Jacobs Consultancy, working in close collaboration with the aviation industry over the past 18 months, assisted TSA with the development of a comprehensive guide to planning in-line checked baggage screening systems. For questions regarding the document, which can be downloaded from the TSA website, please contact Brian Nadreau or Amir Neeman.

Airport Bond Ratings, August 2007

As part of our initiative to provide information to our clients and the airport industry, we have revised and updated our quarterly report on airport bond ratings. The report provides information on bond ratings by hub size for general airport revenue bonds (GARBs), PFC-backed bonds, and special facility bonds. Additional information is also provided for bonds issued during the quarter.
If you would like a copy of the report or have any comments, questions, or thoughts about this quarter's report, please contact Cindy Nichol or Warren Adams at (650) 579-7722. More…

Global Experience in Privatizing Airports

The following article, "Global Experience in Privatizing Airports" written by Tom Walsh was included in the July 2007 edition of Feature Magazine--Asian Airlines & Aerospace. More...

Trend in Airline Use Agreements

The following presentation, "Trends in Airline Use Agreements--Rates and Charges and the Allocation of Risk" was given by Tracy Thompson at the 79th Annual AAAE Conference and Exposition held in Washington, D.C., June 2007. More...

Capital Program Control & Consultation, Leasing Policies & Space Management, and Rates and Charges Approaches

Warren Adams was part of a 7-member panel of airport and airline executives to present "Capital Program Control & Consultation, Leasing Policies & Space Management, and Rates and Charges Approaches" at the ACI-NA Airport Economics and Finance Conference held in Phoenix, Arizona, May 2007. More...

Privatizing Airports in Asia: Lessons Learned from Around the World

The following presentation,"Privatizing Airports in Asia: Lessons Learned from Around the World" was given by Tom Walsh at the Asian Airports Summit in Singapore, April 2007. More...

Planning for Growth at Indian Airports

The following presentation, "Huge Opportunity or Irrational Exuberance: Planning for Growth at Indian Airports" was given by Satyaki Raghunath at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Barcelona, Spain, March 2007. More...

Terminal Development in the Tropics

The following presentation, "Terminal Development in the Tropics" was given by Gordon Hamilton at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Fort Lauderdale, November 2006. More...

ACRP Innovative Finance Report

Jacobs Consultancy recently completed the first report of 2007 for the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) entitled "Innovative Finance and Alternative Sources of Revenue for Airports." The report is intended to inform airport operators, stakeholders, and policymakers about current and emerging alternative financing options and revenue sources, and was envisioned and reviewed with a panel of industry leaders who provided invaluable insight and support throughout the process. The report provides:

  • An overview of common capital funding sources used by airport operators
  • A review of capital financing mechanisms used by airports
  • Descriptions of various revenue sources developed by airport operators
  • Review of privatization options available to U.S. airport operators.
ACRP is part of the Transportation Research Board that operates under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, and was authorized in 2003 under Vision 100, pursuant to which ACRP receives FAA funding. More...

Jacobs Consultancy Focus December 2006: Issues for Airports in the 2007 FAA Reauthorization

The current authorization for the FAA and its programs expires on September 30, 2007, the end of the Federal Fiscal Year 2007. This focus piece is designed to acquaint airport operators with the major issues of the upcoming reauthorization debate and how their resolution will affect airport planning, finance, and federal aviation policy over the next few years. This issue primarily addresses system financing and the major funding priorities of the airport community. More...

Jacobs Consultancy Focus March 2007: Baggage Screening Investment Study

The Baggage Screening Investment Study was conducted in response to directives in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The primary purpose of the study was to identify a strategy for investing the necessary capital and operating and maintenance resources to (1) increase security system wide, (2) minimize life-cycle costs, minimize operational impacts, and (3) provide flexibility and scalability by implementing security infrastructure that will more readily adapt to growing airline traffic, potential new threats, and other industry changes over the next 20 years. More...

Planning & Design Issues in Smaller Terminals

The following presentation, “Planning & Design Issues in Smaller Terminal” was given by Gordon Hamilton at the Transportation Research Board’s 86th Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C. January 2007. More…

Financing and Business Arrangements: Facts and Considerations

The following presentation, “Financing and Business Arrangements: Facts and Considerations (PO7-0733)” was given by Tom Walsh at the Transportation Research Board’s 86th Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C. January 2007. More…

Women in the Forefront of Airport Planning and Management

The following presentation, “Women in the Forefront of Airport Planning and Management (PO7-0344)” was given by Marjorie Brink Coridan at the Transportation Research Board’s 86th Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C. January 2007. More…

Enablers and Prospects for Advanced Air Navigation Technologies

The following presentation, “Enablers and Prospects for Advanced Air Navigation Technologies (PO7-0542)” was given by Bill Dunlay at the Transportation Research Board’s 86th Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C. January 2007. More…

Demand, Capacity, and Cost Escalation

The following presentation, "Demand, Capacity, and Cost Escalation", was given by Warren Adams at the 2006 ACI-NA Airport Finance Symposium in New York. More...

Delivering Airport Capacity: New Approaches to Old Problems

Jacobs Consultancy authored an Industry Briefing for the November/December 2005 issue of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Airports magazine. More...

Five Simple Rules for Dating Airlines

The following presentation, "Five Rules for Dating Airlines" was given by Warren Adams at the September 2005 ACI-NA 14th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Toronto, Ontario. More...

Jacobs Consultancy Focus: PFC Program Update, May 2005

For the past decade and a half, passenger facility charges (PFCs) have become an integral part of funding airport capital projects. During that time, Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have periodically made changes to the PFC program. Effective May 9, 2005, the FAA put into place a number of changes that are part of a larger, ongoing effort to streamline the PFC program. The purpose of this PFC program update is to help airport operators effectively navigate through the changes. More...

Jacobs Consultancy Focus: Air Quality, an Important Factor in Airport Growth, May 2005

The Environmental Protection Agency has designated some areas as "nonattainment" for ozone and fine particulate matter. The sponsors of airports within these areas must follow General Conformity regulations (a section of the Clean Air Act) to receive FAA approval for airport expansion projects or capital funding. More...

Jacobs Consultancy Focus: Voluntary Airport Low Emission (VALE) Projects, July 2005

A criterion for receiving VALE funds is having an agreement with the state environmental protection agency ensuring that the airport retains emission reduction credits. The VALE program allows those credits to be used as "design measures" in future General Conformity determinations. This opportunity to apply the reductions as "design measures" means that some airport sponsors may be interested in participating in the VALE program for certain projects. More...