Aviation with fixed-wing aircraft—a technology proved more than 100 years ago—amazingly remains the newest and most revolutionary mode of transportation in the 21st century world of digital communications, satellite navigation, and economic globalization.
A viation with fixed-wing aircraft—a tech- nology proved more than 100 years ago—amazingly remains the newest and most revolutionary mode of transpor- tation in the 21st century world of digital com- munications, satellite navigation, and economic globalization. Civil aviation has grown to connect the world in ways that automobiles, trains, or ships never have, and has served as the mode of transportation that most has enabled the world to develop techno- logically and economically. Although aviation is new as a mode, more than 150 papers, publications, symposia, and other prod- ucts of aviation-related research emanate annually from Transportation Research Board (TRB) activi- ties. This special issue of TR News highlights several of the most important issues facing the aviation industry. A Complex System Civil aviation is a complex system of aircraft, air- ports, and air traffic infrastructure. Aircraft range in shape, size, and purpose—from 700-passenger com- mercial superjumbo jets to general aviation aircraft seating one or two persons. Similarly, nearly 20,000 public- and private-use airports, heliports, and other landing areas of varying sizes and purposes operate in the United States, including nearly 500 commer- cial service airports, more than 5,000 public-use gen- eral aviation airports, and thousands more privately owned facilities. All of the airports and aircraft in the aviation sys- tem are supported by publicly operated air traffic management infrastructure, including command centers, control towers, radar facilities, navigational aids, communications systems, and a defined net- work of federal airways not unlike the Interstate TR NEWS 276 SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2011 3 Young is Director of the Center for Aviation Studies and Associate Professor, Department of Aviation, Ohio State University, Columbus, and Chair of the TRB Aviation System Planning Committee. Mandle is Director, LeighFisher, Inc., Burlingame, California, and Chair of the TRB Aviation Group. PHOTO: KOOLHOVEN AEROPLANES FOUNDATION, WWW.KOOLHOVEN.COM The world’s first airliner specifically designed for commercial aviation was the F.K. 26, produced by British Aerial Transport in 1919. Although modern aircraft accommodate significantly more passengers and often use new technologies such as satellite navigation or biofuel power, the fixed- wing design remains constant. INTRODUCTION Expanding the Benefits of Aviation ANSWERING KEY CHALLENGES SETH YOUNG AND PETER MANDLE F O R S K I E S U N L I M I T E D P O S I T I O N I N G A V I A T I O N
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Aviation with fixed-wing aircraft—a tech-nology proved more than 100 yearsago—amazingly remains the newest andmost revolutionary mode of transpor -
tation in the 21st century world of digital com -munications, satellite navigation, and economicglobalization. Civil aviation has grown to connect theworld in ways that automobiles, trains, or ships neverhave, and has served as the mode of transportationthat most has enabled the world to develop techno-logically and economically.
Although aviation is new as a mode, more than150 papers, publications, symposia, and other prod-ucts of aviation-related research emanate annuallyfrom Transportation Research Board (TRB) activi-ties. This special issue of TR News highlights severalof the most important issues facing the aviationindustry.
A Complex SystemCivil aviation is a complex system of aircraft, air-ports, and air traffic infrastructure. Aircraft range inshape, size, and purpose—from 700-passenger com-mercial superjumbo jets to general aviation aircraftseating one or two persons. Similarly, nearly 20,000public- and private-use airports, heliports, and otherlanding areas of varying sizes and purposes operatein the United States, including nearly 500 commer-cial service airports, more than 5,000 public-use gen-eral aviation airports, and thousands more privatelyowned facilities.
All of the airports and aircraft in the aviation sys-tem are supported by publicly operated air trafficmanagement infrastructure, including commandcenters, control towers, radar facilities, navigationalaids, communications systems, and a defined net-work of federal airways not unlike the Interstate
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Young is Director of theCenter for AviationStudies and AssociateProfessor, Department of Aviation, Ohio StateUniversity, Columbus,and Chair of the TRBAviation SystemPlanning Committee.Mandle is Director,LeighFisher, Inc.,Burlingame, California,and Chair of the TRBAviation Group.
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The world’s first airlinerspecifically designed forcommercial aviation wasthe F.K. 26, produced byBritish Aerial Transport in1919. Although modernaircraft accommodatesignificantly morepassengers and often usenew technologies such assatellite navigation orbiofuel power, the fixed-wing design remainsconstant.
INTRODUCTION
Expanding theBenefits of AviationANSWERING KEY CHALLENGES S E T H Y O U N G A N D P E T E R M A N D L E
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Highway System. Unlike vehicles on the roads, how-ever, aircraft are under constant management—forroutes, speeds, and altitudes—from the departuregate or parking position until arrival at the destina-tion gate or parking position. Airports function astrue multimodal centers in the nation’s transporta-tion infrastructure—all are served by automobiles,and most commercial airports are served by taxisand buses; many are served by rail—or soon will be;and some are integrated with marine terminals.
For each pilot flying an aircraft, no fewer than 10full-time professional staff are working behind thescenes to make the flight successful, including airline flight planners and dispatchers, aircraft main-tenance and repair personnel, airport operations and management professionals, and air traffic controllers. In addition, dozens of ancillary posi-tions contribute to the success of the system, includ-ing aircraft and parts manufacturers, caterers,
customer service personnel, emergency services,policy makers, and—of course—researchers.
Meeting Mobility NeedsThe U.S. civil aviation sector—including air trans-portation, aircraft manufacturing, and air-basedtravel and tourism—collectively generated morethan $1.3 trillion in economic activity in 2007,accounting for 11.5 million jobs and $396 billion inpayroll expenditures.1 U.S. civil aviation provides anenormous contribution to the national and globaleconomies. A recent study by the Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) reported that
u The revenue ton-miles for freight transportedthrough U.S. airspace exceed 67 billion1;
u Regularly scheduled nonstop air service con-nects the United States to more than 140 interna-tional cities2; and
u More than 700 million passengers board acommercial aircraft in the United States annually,1
and more than 4 billion passengers board flightsworldwide.
Aviation is key to meeting the world’s mobilityneeds. The timely movement of people and goodsaround the world depends on a smoothly func-tioning aviation system. In the United States, peo-ple assume that shipments will arrive overnight andthat they can travel anywhere in the world in lessthan 24 hours. A reliable air transportation systemis vital to many industries—such as the manufac-turers of personal electronics, computers, and com-puter parts and the wholesalers of flowers and freshfoods.
Key Challenges Authors of articles in this special edition of TR Newsexamine several key challenges facing civil aviation,including the implementation of the Next GenerationAir Transportation System (NextGen); the sustain-ability of the aviation system; developing and testingalternative fuels; effective approaches to aviation secu-rity; and meeting the economic needs of the industry.
NextGen NextGen represents one of the greatest challenges tothe long-term future of the aviation system, requir-ing the accommodation of a major technologicalupgrade for managing air traffic. NextGen isexpected to improve national airspace capacity, as
The Boeing 747-400 jetairliner combines a four-engine wide-body layoutwith an efficientairframe. First introducedin the late 1980s, a 747-400 can hold more than500 passengers.
The complexinfrastructure systemsupporting commercialaviation includes public-and private-use airports,heliports, landing areas,air traffic management,and multimodaltransportation to andfrom airports.
well as contribute to safety and efficiency and reduceimpacts on the environment. The successful transi-tion of a mature system built on a more than 100-year foundation will require a vast amount ofdedicated resources for years to come.
Sustainability and Alternative FuelsIn delivering many positive economic benefits, theaviation industry and system consume increasinglyscarce resources. To manage the availableresources—particularly fossil fuels—in a sustainableway while providing for the movement of peopleand goods, the aviation industry is reviewing oppor-tunities across the entire system to ensure that futureneeds can be met.
The development of commercially viable alterna-tive fuels offers an important opportunity. Researchis under way and is starting to yield promising resultsthat will determine if alternative fuels can be used
safely, can reduce U.S. dependence on foreignimports significantly, can provide an economicallyviable alternative to increasingly expensive fossilfuels, and can reduce the environmental impactsfrom the use of fossil fuels.
Maintaining a Secure SystemPerhaps the most significant changes affecting the avi-ation industry and those it serves have occurred in thepast 10 years as a result of terrorist attacks involvingaircraft and airports. These changes address the designand operation of airports, aircraft, and supporting ser-vices. Although a necessity, the changes to enhanceaviation security have increased the time required totravel through U.S. airport terminals and havedecreased somewhat the level of comfort and conve-nience aviation offers.
Preserving the efficacy of the aviation systemwhile ensuring its security continues to challenge all
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Successful aircraftflights depend not juston the pilot but also oncommunications andnavigationprofessionals such asflight planners anddispatchers and airtraffic controllers.
An airplane fuels up atSeattle–TacomaInternational Airport.Research intoenvironmentallyfriendly, commerciallyviable alternative jetfuels has gained tractionas oil prices rise.
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who are working at the task, including governmentofficials, aircraft and airport operators, first respon-ders, university and research organizations, securityconsultants, and technology providers.
Meeting Economic NeedsA key difference between the U.S. aviation systemand its road and transit system is that aviation is vir-tually self-supporting. The civil aviation system reliesprincipally on user charges—for example, surchargeson the costs of tickets and of aviation fuel—to fundoperations and capital development.
In the United States, federal laws and regulationsrequire major commercial service airports to befinancially self-sustaining. U.S. airports rely on grantsfrom these federally imposed user charges, as well ason revenues from fees collected directly from aircraftoperations—such as landing fees, fuel fees, gateleases, and hangar rentals—and from passengers andvisitors who purchase such services as food, retailgoods, and public parking at the airport.
Assuring an adequate and continuing source offunding is a key challenge for the entire aviationindustry. The radar and communication technologiessupporting the U.S. air traffic control system arequickly becoming obsolete and are to be replacedwith satellite-based navigation and digital commu-nication systems. The new systems require the con-current replacement of ground-based technologiesand the installation of compatible technologies incommercial aircraft. Funding these replacementtechnologies will be difficult.
TRB’s InvolvementThe nine standing committees in TRB’s AviationGroup promote and share the results of researchaddressing each of the operational, environmental,economic, and security challenges presented in thisissue, along with issues associated with intergovern-mental relations, system planning, airport terminalsand ground access, aircraft–airport compatibility, andlight commercial and general aviation aircraft. In 2011,the Aviation Group sponsored and cosponsored morethan 150 presentations and posters in more than 50sessions, workshops, and events on these topics at theTRB Annual Meeting; the committees peer-reviewed18 papers published in August in TransportationResearch Record: Journal of the Transportation ResearchBoard, No. 2214. In addition, the Aviation Group andits committees routinely sponsor meetings, webinars,and symposia around the country.3
Members of the Aviation Group committeesactively participate in TRB’s Airport CooperativeResearch Program (ACRP) as researchers, as mem-bers of panels overseeing the research, or by iden-tifying research needs. Established in 2005 in theFAA’s Vision 100 Reauthorization Act, ACRP hasinitiated more than 200 research projects benefitingthe aviation industry and has released more than 70publications.4
The articles in this issue should provide readerswith a greater appreciation of the aviation industryand the challenges it faces. Readers are welcome tobecome involved in one or more of TRB’s AviationGroup committees and in the ever-promising futureof the world’s newest mode of transportation.
AcknowledgmentSpecial thanks and appreciation are expressed to TRBSenior Program Officer Christine L. Gerencher for hercontributions in developing this issue of TR News.
3 For more information about the activities of the AviationGroup committees, see www.TRB.org/Aviation1/TRBCommittees.aspx.4 For more information about ACRP publications andresearch, see www.TRB.org/ACRP.
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The scope and intensity ofairport security measureshave grown significantlysince the September 11,2001, terrorist attacks,posing a challenge to theaviation industry inbalancing efficiency andthoroughness.
The Oversight Committeefor the AirportCooperative ResearchProgram meets at theNational Academies’ KeckCenter in Washington,D.C., January 2011. Since2005, ACRP has initiatedmore than 200 researchprojects and releasedmore than 70 practice-oriented publications.
