AAAE Body of Knowledge Modules Communications and Community Relations Exam

Airport Board and Communications Relations Module Objective 1 - Answer- Explain the rules and responsibilities of the Airport Executive within a politically charged environment. What are responsibilities of the Airport Executive in working with the airport sponsor and or board of directors? - Answer- Carrying out strategic policy directions developed by the airport board Informing & advising elected/appointed officials of status of the airport, making recommendations on appropriate course of action Call attention to laws or agreements as Grant Assurances, FAA and TSA regulations What are some advantages for an Airport Executive working for an Airport Authority vs. a Municipality - Answer- Airport Authority provides a level of protection between elected, or appointed officials Usually appointed and on an employment contract serve at the pleasure of the governing board Severance clauses or other agreed upon terms What are some factors to consider for an Airport Executives who report to a city or county manager and are more considered to be department heads? - Answer- Department/division head with a layer of insulation in job security Slower and difficult time having agreements, purchases, and personnel issues approved and resolved What are some of the authority and roles of the of the Airport Executive? - Answer- Negotiate business agreements, leases, aeronautical use agreements Personnel - Hire and Fire Ability to communicate and build poassible relationships with the airport's most important stakeholders, , elected officials, airport sponsor, key regulatory agencies, airport tenant, and the community Spokesperson for Airport/Elected Officials Governing Board Meetings What are some methods used for effective stakeholder engagement? - Answer- Station manager meetings Concessionaire meetings Consortium meetings Tenant meetings Citizen participation in public policy making In addition to advocacy for airports, what are three primary services AAAE Airport Legislative Alliance provide? - Answer- AAAE Legislative Affairs Team Airport Alerts Hearing Reports Washington Insider Update What are some skill sets that an airport executive should posses and have a working knowledge of? - Answer- Airport Operations, Safety, Security Airport Planning and Design Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Grant Writing Construction Management Snow Removal Noise Abatement Liability, Legal, precedents related to airport management/insurance Property Management Land Use Development Public Relations and Marketing Air Service Development Pavement Maintenance Airfield Lighting and Utilities Environmental Requirements and Storm Water Management What are some services the AAAE Regulatory Affairs Teams provide? - Answer- Regulatory Alerts Airport Regulatory Issues on Hot Topics Airport Cooperative Research Program What are the main Accreditation and Certification Programs the AAAE offers? - Answer- Certified Member (C.M.) Program - designation is a beneficial credential who with to better serve the airport executive industry - candidates obtain the designation by completing 180 question multiple choice examination - exam measurable comprehensive knowledge of airport management - successful candidate must score 70% or higher (126 out 180) Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) - commands respect in the airport industry - candidates in the A.A.A.E. program will obtain designation by completing a three step process 180 multiple choice exam (C.M.) - having a management research paper, case study, proctored essay exam, or an advanced degree Sitting for an oral panel of active A.A.E.'s Airport Noise Abatement Module Objective 2 - Answer- Understand the airport's responsibility to the community related to the noise generated by its operation. What was federal guidance on airport noise abatement and catalyst for public awareness and response to aircraft noise issues? - Answer- National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) - required an assessment of noise effects for airports undertaking major projects Noise Abatement is addressed through which Grant assurances? - Answer- #5 Preservation Rights and Powers #19 Operations and Maintenance #26 Reports and Inspections #22 Economic Nondiscrimination #21 Compatible Land Use #31 Disposal of Land What was the significance of the Airport Safety and Noise Abatement act of 1979? - Answer- Congress directed the FAA to develop & establish procedures for noise and land use compatibility programs What did the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990 (ANCA) do? - Answer- Prohibited fairports from adopting overly restrictive, or outright punitive, ant-noise ordinances Phased out noisier aircraft Place limits on local user restrictions Established non-restrictive noise abatement and land use actions What is the method of calculation the FAA uses for forecasting cumulative noise exposure under Part 150 studies? - Answer- Day/Night Average (DNL) 24 hour average sound level in 10 decibel penalty from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. DNL readings are measured each second and recorded for a 24 hour period What is the main purpose of the Part 150 process? - Answer- Established procedures, standards, and methodologies, used by Airport operators for the preparation of an airport Noise Exposure Maps (NEMs) and Airport Noise Compatability Programs (NCPs) What information is contained in a Part 150 study? - Answer- Noise Exposure Map Parties responsible for implementation Development of NCP Part 150 standards Descriptions on how recommendations may change previously adopted actions Schedule of implementation of the program Cost of program implementation & anticipated source of funding Provision for revising the program Description of public participation & consultation process during program development What Are Some Noise Abatement Actions? - Answer- Reduction of Noise at the Source Relocation of the Source in Space or Time Acoustical Changes to the Area of Noise Exposure What are effective noise control measures for reducing noise impact? - Answer- Land Acquisition Avigation Easement Purchase Assurance Programs Soundproofing Noise Barriers Preferential Runway Use What are the advantages of conducting a Part 150 study? - Answer- Improve public relations Develop intergovernmental coordination Airport's improve and develop What are the disadvantages of conducting a Part 150 study? - Answer- Heightened Controversy and potential for conflict Unrealistic Expectations Uncooperative Participants What are the FAA requirements for a Part 161 Notice and Approval of Airport Noise Access Restrictions study submittal? - Answer- Reasonable, non-arbitrary, nondiscriminatory Avoid creating an undue burden on interstate and foreign commerce Result in maintaining safe and efficient use of navigable airspace Avoid conflict with federal law Avoid the creation of an undue burden on the national aviation system Marketing, Promoting, and Attracting Business to Your Airport Module Objective 3 - Answer- Understand the role of the airport in marketing for its own purposes and for the benefit of the community in which it serves. What are some areas an airport will focus marketing techniques on? - Answer- Promote the benefits of the airport to the surrounding communities Generate community support and promote the benefits of the airport Expand exististing service or to entice new air carriers Who is the marketing audiences for a commercial service airport and a general aviation airport? - Answer- Commercial Service Airport - air carriers, passengers, community General Aviation Airport - transient corporate operators, tenants and sourrounding community What are techniques that an airport can engage in an on line presence? - Answer- Website Facebook Twitter What is the primary marketing strategy for airport marketing? - Answer- Branding by creating and connecting a name and an image for a product in the consumers mind through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. What are effective management of Air Service Development? - Answer- Attraction, expansion of existing air service New service destinations Lowering fees and improve service reliability Recruitment of local communities/business leaders to sell the community to the airlines Understanding of existing airfares, airline revenue structures, and the financial/non-finacial fincentives What are some Air Service Development programs that airport operator's engage in before attempting to attract air service? - Answer- Capital Improvement Plan funding for airfield and terminal facilities to support adding or expanding ASD Market researce to determine the current route deficiencies Determine Leakage of passengers flying from another competing airport in the region Determine reverse leakage of passengers gained at an airport that could of selected another airport What are some factors in how air carriers decide to enter in new markets? - Answer- Route planners assess market size and forecast Through demographics of per capita income, employment, airport operating costs, congestion, incentives, and limits on gates runway availability Volume of Passengers and Revenue Markets That Are Self Sustaining What is the significance of the 1958 Federal Aviation Act? - Answer- Congress sought to ensure air service to small communities by requiring air carriers to schedule and provide two daily round trips at each point on their certificates. What program subsidizes air service to 141 small communities that deserve service? - Answer- Essential Air Service (EAS) What are the two levels of Essential Air Service? - Answer- Basic essential air service to a medium or large-hub airport, with no more than one intermediate stop in aircraft having at least 15 passengers seats, and averaging more than 11 enplanements a day Enhanced essential air service when an airport received air carrier service prior than October 23, 197 and is more than 50 miles from the nearest small-hub, more than 150 miles from the nearest hub airportand state or local government willing to contribute 25 percent of the cost of air service What is the definition of airport revenue and what are it's uses? - Answer- Airport revenue; defined as all fees, charges, rents, or other payments received by or accruing to, the sponsor for activities conducted as rents received form operations at the airport. Airport revunues can be used to cover the full costs of activities directed at promoting competition at the airport, raising public and industry awareness of airport facilities and services, providing new air service, and used to cover a share of promotional expenses such as marketing, advertising, and related activities designed to increase travel at the airport. The FAA has specific rules on incentivize air service. What are some permissible incentives? - Answer- Promoting competition at an airport Cooperative advertising of new services and advertising of general and specific airline services to the airport Waivers of fees or discounted landing during promotional period Direct revenue guarantees to carriers for new service Direct cash to offset start-up costs in opening a new station Direct cash to pay for ground handling for a new carrier Airport shares non-aeronautical revenue generated by air service with the carriers, such as a split on parking and concession revenue What's the difference between a subsidy and an incentive? - Answer- Subsidyis a direct payment of airport revenue to a carrier, or any provider of goods and services to that carrier, in exchange for additional service by the carrier. Incentiveis any fee reduction, fee waiver, or use of airport revenue for acceptable promotional costs where the purpose is to encourage an air carrier to increase service at the airport. What are some unacceptable incentives? - Answer- Subsidies in exchange for additional service by the carrier. Subsidies providing aircraft parts, free fuel, interest-free loans, paying for leased property not owned by the airport, and making direct payments to air carriers to defer cost. What are the FAA specific rules on incentivize air service? - Answer- Incentives available to all similarly situated carriers Airports allowed to discriminate between service targets but not allowed to choose a specific carrier FAA does not allow open-ended incentives FAA does not have jurisdiction over state incentive programs What are some incentives provided by other organizations? - Answer- Revenue Guarantees Pre-Purchased Ticket Programs Marketing & Advertising Support Fee Waivers Airport Provided Ground Handling Revenue Sharing Start-Up Costs Offsets Ongoing Subsidies What is an Aerotropolis? - Answer- A master planned community and industry plan centralized around an airport. What are the five factors that airport operators, government officials, and real estate developers are taking action when pursuing airport-centric development? - Answer- Airport development Air and service connectivity Funding sources Regional developme