ACRP IdeaHub Ideas

Airports have been using the Internet of Things to become more connected and offer enhanced customer service logistics as smart airports. This synthesis would document the state of the industry with regard to the application of smart airport technologies and lessons learned from current adopters.

The proposed research project would evaluate carbon removal strategies that could be deployed at airports to help achieve "Net Zero Emissions" in order to align with global emission reduction targets and to address increasing public scrutiny. Carbon removal strategies include both natural (e.g., tree plantings and agricultural soil management) and technological approaches (e.g., carbon-absorbing concrete and direct air... more »

The objective of this research is to identify strategies and best practices for the public sector to plan and integrate emerging transportation modes at intermodal passenger facilities (including airports, vertiports, rail and bus transit stations, mobility hubs, and water transit). A core goal of the research will be to identify best practices for short-, medium-, and long- range planning considerations. The goals of... more »

ACRP Synthesis 11-03/Topic S01-21 (The Benefits of Airport Arts Programs) provides an exhaustive analysis of current practices related to airport arts programs; the Synthesis identifies many tools that airports use to govern such programs and to manage them efficiently and economically. It was, however, beyond the scope of Synthesis 11-03/Topic S01-21 to provide an in depth analysis of precisely how these tools are used... more »

ACRP Report 157 (Improving the Airport Customer Experience)(2017) found that airport arts programs play an important role in improving the customer experience at airports and that airports with such arts programs are among the most highly rated airports in the world. ACRP Synthesis 11-03/Topic S01-21 (The Benefits of Airport Arts Programs) surveyed and synthesized the the state of practice of airport rotating visual art... more »

Develop a guidebook that would assist airports and other aviation analysts become familiar with the different sources of data that are available to support analyses and forecasts of air passenger travel. Provide guidance on which types of data are appropriate for use in a given study, understand the strengths and limitations of the different potential data sources, and estimate the likely costs involved in their use.

Research would focus on determining how airports could better leverage emerging equity and environmental justice datasets to inform decision-making processes and ensure better project outcomes for communities and stakeholders. The guidebook would provide a primer on the topic, present a synthesis of current practices in analysis, mapping, and visualization of this data, and how it could be used to inform airport-decision... more »

Develop industry recommendations to safely and efficiently move most types of passengers and their baggage with minimum wait times or queueing standards at all departure decision points at the airport.

The objective of this research is to provide a resource for state aviation agencies to identify and implement project prioritization methods that would be effective and appropriate for their agency.

This research would examine several examples where implementation of Metroplex or other procedures has resulted in widespread increased community complaints and would explore options for redesigning those flight tracks to reduce noise concentrations over noise sensitive areas while satisfying project design goals and constraints. Changes in aircraft noise exposure, fuel consumption, and air emissions would be quantified... more »

Many airports have air traffic control tower (ATCT) facilities that were constructed more than 50 years ago and despite renovation and rehabilitation efforts, they are reaching the end of their useful life. Some do not meet updated FAA siting and design criteria, and other state-of-art practices. NATCA conducted a survey in 10 years ago (2007) that indicated over two-thirds of the ATCTs were rated as having fair to poor... more »

Develop updated academic curriculums and requirements to cultivate airport industry professionals to meet existing and future needs.

Accurate predictions of the noise environment in communities surrounding airports and spaceports from launch and reentry vehicle operations require models that have been validated over a range of vehicle types, operations, and atmospheric conditions. Research is needed to validate the commercial space operations noise models developed under ACRP 02-66 using the community noise measurement database collected under ACRP... more »

By understanding what other airports are doing in the very wide subject area of sustainability, it may spur airports to try different means of conserving energy, recycling materials, or otherwise improving its sustainability practices. By looking not only at the practices, but the results, the challenges to implementation, and the costs of implementation, airports will be provided with guidance to improve their practices... more »

Airports have for decades been managing and remediating contamination of soil and groundwater resulting from past practices. However, within the past two years airports have been surprised by a previously unrecognized environmental threat from a family of compounds found in firefighting foam known as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). A synthesis study to provide necessary education on the subject is proposed. It is... more »