Published Articles

Open Skies: What U.S. Airlines Really Want

Open Skies: What U.S. Airlines Really Want

In 1992, Jeff Shane (currently General Counsel at the International Air Transport Association and then a senior official in the United States Department of Transportation) negotiated the first “open skies” agreement with The Netherlands. As odd as it may seem now, the reaction to this development (after people asked “what is open skies?”) was largely negative.

Read More
This is How Heathrow Airport Innovates
Airports, Heathrow, Innovation, United Kingdom Heathrow Innovation Team Airports, Heathrow, Innovation, United Kingdom Heathrow Innovation Team

This is How Heathrow Airport Innovates

In this new series by Heathrow Airport’s IT Innovation team, we will share with you how we operate and provide context as to why Heathrow Airport Holdings (HAL) formed an Airport IT Innovation team. Also, introduce our mission, goals and detail processes and practices. The posts will be written by different members of the Innovation department and we will go into detail about some of the initiatives we have been working on.

Read More
Aviation Security: Why I Will Be Scared This Year
Aviation Security, Politics, Security, United States Greg Principato Aviation Security, Politics, Security, United States Greg Principato

Aviation Security: Why I Will Be Scared This Year

Catchy title?

Yes, I am more afraid in 2015 than I have been in years. But afraid of what? Am I afraid of ISIS/ISIL? AQAP? Al Shabaab? Al Qaeda? Al Nusra? Lone wolf terrorists?

No. Not afraid of any of them. That does not mean I do not consider them dangerous, they are. That does not mean I do not consider them evil, they are. That does not mean that I think we ought to ease up on any of them, we should not.

What I fear is this

Read More
A-CDM in Europe: Is the Ball Rolling?
Belgium, Operations Kris De Bolle Belgium, Operations Kris De Bolle

A-CDM in Europe: Is the Ball Rolling?

In the course of one month, the ECAC zone could add 3 more Airport Collaborative Decision Making airports to its list of 12 in 2014. Latest to join was London Gatwick Airport on November 7th, and early October we welcomed Milano Malpensa Airport as Italy's second, and Stuttgart Airport as Germany's 5th addition already. Benefiting from lessons learned and thanks to German A-CDM procedure harmonization, Stuttgart pulled its project off in just over one year.It looks like we are eventually picking up the required implementation pace. Can we do better?

Read More
Greg Principato Joins NASAO
Politics, United States Greg Principato Politics, United States Greg Principato

Greg Principato Joins NASAO

As I write this I am less than twelve hours away from starting a new chapter in my life as President and CEO of the National Association of State Aviation Officials, also known as NASAO.NASAO is one of the oldest aviation organizations in the United States, having been founded in 1931 before there was any federal/national aviation agency. Coincidentally, I will also be elected the next President of the Aero Club of Washington the following day. The Aero Club was founded in 1909. I love history and tradition and so it is humbling to be involved with both organizations.

Read More
Australia Airports Build: The Other End of the Line
Australia, Growth Markets, Safety Dan Parsons Australia, Growth Markets, Safety Dan Parsons

Australia Airports Build: The Other End of the Line

The focus of post 2 of this series was the pressure currently being placed on the Brisbane Airport in Australia, in part, from a type of mining operation known as FIFO. Obviously, for the FIFO concept to work there need to be airports at the other end of the sector and that is the topic of this post.

As introduced, FIFO (Fly-In-Fly-Out) is a resourcing tool for remote and regional mine sites to staff their operations from larger population bases and locations offering a better lifestyle.

Read More