CHAPTER 4

Airport Department Responsibilities

This chapter presents airport departmental responsibilities related to airline onboarding. The specific departments involved and the responsibilities assigned to these departments varied by airport. The information provided was developed as a result of phone conversations with the following airport professionals during January and February of 2024: R. Bond, J. Donofiro, M. EvanSon, M. Gibbs, S. Humphrey, S. McMain, P. Newton, C. Obermeier, J. Powell, K. Price & M. DePeder, R. Reeves, and J. Stout.

Onboarding a new airline involves numerous airport departments, each with a specific role to play in the process. When a new airline first contacts an airport about starting service, the “wheels are in motion” almost immediately. Some airport departments begin working on tasks after the first airline contact, while others do not begin working on tasks until several months or weeks prior to the airline starting service. The airline onboarding process can require several months or more to fully complete. Although the specific airport departments assigned to complete certain onboarding tasks may vary among airports, the following sections present many of the tasks and responsible airport departments in the airline onboarding process.

Airside Operations

The Airside Operations department is focused on the runways, taxiways, and ramp area to ensure the safety and security of the airfield. This department will be interested in the type of aircraft the new airline proposes to use, as well as the type and number of operations, including gates to be used, as well as the location of ground support equipment (GSE), fueling arrangements, remain overnight (RON) needs, and so forth. Items related to Airside Operations include the following:

• Airfield/ramp painting
• Airside vehicle parking
• Baggage
• Baggage reconciliation
• Gate fit
• Gate scheduling
• GSE staging, including tugs, luggage carts, fuel carts, potable water carts, and lavatory service carts
• Jetbridge requirements
• Copies of airline emergency plans, security plans, and tarmac delay plans
• Copies for the airline of the Airport Emergency Plan, Disabled Aircraft Recovery Plan, and so forth

• Ramp conditions
• Ramp storage
• RON needs

Facilities

The Facilities department plays an important role in making sure wayfinding and signage for the new airline are in place in time for the first day of operation. The list of Facilities-related items includes the following:

• Courtesy phone numbers
• Curbside signs
• Directory signage
• Holdroom/boarding improvements
• Office space signage
• Regulatory signage
• Roadway traffic signs
• Ticket counter and gate counter keys
• Ticketing queue signage

Finance

The Finance department ensures proper billing of landing fees and space lease rent, collection of Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs), and so forth. Commonly, an airport finance department has specialists in accounts payable and accounts receivable, as well as PFCs and capital funding (including FAA grants). The Director or Deputy Director of Finance will need to coordinate the various specialties in the department to ensure proper reconciliation related to airline onboarding and continued operation at the airport. The list of Finance-related items includes the following:

• Billing
• Landing fees
• PFCs
• Space lease

Information Technology

The Information Technology (IT) department ensures that the airport IT backbone will accommodate the new airline. An airport may have multiple digitally connected devices and platforms that need updating to accommodate the new airline. The airline’s reservation and customer service systems will need to be integrated into the airport’s system and accessible to airline personnel. FIDS will need to reflect the new airline’s flights, as well. Items related to IT include the following:

• Airport IT environment
• Call trees/courtesy phones
• Circuits
• Kiosks
• Networks
• Printers
• Radios
• Telephones
• Televisions

International Service

Airports, if onboarding an airline providing international flights, will need to consider products and services specific to international passengers. The specific services are determined by the airline, aircraft type, and specific international destinations served. International Services-related items may include the following:

• Duty free
• Federal Inspection Station (FIS)
  • Employee access
  • Smartphone boarding pass
  • Holdroom seating and traffic flow
  • 2nd boarding pass scanner
• International cargo
• International lounges
• International trash

Landside/Terminal Operations

The Landside/Terminal Operations department will focus on the airline’s activity within the terminal, along with the passenger and meet-and-greet experience as it relates to ensuring that ticket counters, baggage claims, and so forth are easily located by travelers. A foremost consideration is whether the airline will have common-use or preferential-use gates. Common-use gates require the airline to remove their specific equipment after each use. The equipment will then need to be stored out of sight. For more information on common use, refer to ACRP Report 30: Reference Guide on Understanding Common Use at Airports (Belliotti et al. 2010). Items related to Landside/Terminal Operations include the following:

• Airline staff parking
• Above-wing service
• Baggage conveyor system
• Announcements
• Common-Use Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks
• Extended Airline System Environment (EASE) shared use
• Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS)
• Gate assignments, including common or preferential use

• Maintenance responsibilities
• Move-in coordination
• Paging system
• Podium
• Stanchions

Marketing/Customer Service

Once an airline announces plans to begin service, the Marketing and Customer Service department often becomes engaged in the initial air service development activity. Items related to Marketing/Customer Service include the following:

• Airline lost and found
• Education of airport/information desk volunteers
• Google indoor mapping
• Identification of specific language needs
• Inaugural flight activities
• Business community
• Media advisories
• Press releases
• Promotional campaigns
• VIPs
• Inaugural flight gifts
• Website

Properties/Commercial Development

Considerable onboarding occurs in terms of properties and development (e.g., ensuring that insurance and lease and operating agreements are in place). ACRP Report 36: Airport/Airline Agreements—Practices and Characteristics presents current guidance on this topic. Items related to Properties/Commercial Development include the following:

• Airline agreement
• Airline ticket office requirements
• Cargo space requirements and lease
• Catering
• City business license
• Concessions (including hours of operation and concessions available pre- and post-security)
• Currency exchange/automated teller machines (ATMs)
• Electrical charger requirements
• Environmental requirements
• Fueling
• Gate assignments
• Ground handler and permits
• Identification of type (i.e., signatory or non-signatory) and agreement preparation
• Insurance certificate
• Lease and operating agreement
• Mailbox
• New entrant package
• New entrant questionnaire
• Number of ticket counters

• Off-airport office freight needs
• Passenger baggage carts
• Preparation of all required billing instructions
• Assignment of Property Manager
• Security deposit
• Terminal support space requirements
• Wheelchair services

Security/Badging

Maintaining airport security and compliance with 49 CFR Part 1542, Airport Security, is critical to ensure the security of passengers, crew, and staff. Badging requirements, as specified in the Airport Security Plan, must be complied with. Items related to Security/Badging include the following:

• Badging process
• Card reader requirements
• Challenges procedures
• Criminal History Records Check (CHRC) for unescorted Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) access
• Door access requirements, including clearing door alarms
• Piggybacking (i.e., unauthorized access through an open door/gate behind an authorized individual)
• Ramp access
• Ramp driving (e.g., tugs and baggage conveyors moving on the ramp)
• TSA Coordination

Training

New airline personnel need to be properly trained in airport requirements, including badging and security, as well as operational requirements (e.g., jetbridge operation). Items related to Training include the following:

• Baggage conveyor system requirements, (including removing loose baggage adornments that may create system jams)

• Arrival/departure delay notifications
• Jetbridge operation training
• Air, water, and power connections and use
• Shared-use system training
• Sterile corridor training

Summary

The airline onboarding process is a multi-departmental process. Each department has numerous areas that require attention in the months leading to the inaugural flight by the new airline. Depending on the size of the airport, these departmental tasks may be combined or handled by senior airport management. Regardless, the benefits of airline service at airports and the complex nature of integrating new airlines into an existing airport operating environment are clear.