ACRP IdeaHub Research Projects

Airports need to understand the best ways to preserve institutional knowledge as large scale industry changes occur and both leaders and experienced employees at all levels of the organization are eligible for retirement and leave the airport. Knowledge management and institutional knowledge transfer should be incorporated into all aspects of airports, including the culture, training delivery platforms, and automated... more »

Medical technology companies are rolling out robots and drones to help fight it and provide services and care to those quarantined or practicing social distancing. The COVID-19 pandemic has fast-tracked the "testing" of robots and other technologies as officials seek out the most expedient and safe way to grapple with the outbreak and limit contamination and spread of the virus.

The aviation industry needs to assess... more »

A variety of airport operational models are currently being proposed and enacted globally to manage COVID-19 and other potential contagious disease outbreaks. While there is merit in all these approaches, there is a critical need for a consistent and effective health management standard to be applied at airports worldwide. If a universally accepted and adopted standard was introduced, what are the implications if a new... more »

Project would review forensic/fingerprinting approaches being employed in the industry for PFAS source differentiation, assess the validity and usefulness of the approaches used, and summarize those approaches in a guidance document. Additionally, the project would create a tool for airports to perform some level of fingerprinting assessment of PFAS impacts to soil or groundwater to discrimnate between multiple sources... more »

As the airline industry struggles to return to normal operations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, airport operators must take steps to restore confidence in commercial aviation by reassuring the flying public that they are returning to a clean and safe environment. Operators must focus on improving sanitary conditions and indoor air quality (IAQ) within the terminals, where the high volume of people and activities... more »

Airports are currently facing numerous organizational challenges, and it is often difficult to identify the primary areas of concern, prioritize effectively, and make effective changes for the future. Improved data analytic capabilities can help airports make better informed decisions to improve their organizational issues. This research will result in a user-friendly guidebook that will provide simple and effective methods... more »

Many airports are facing very difficult futures, especially HUB airports, in light of COVID and other funding challenges. These airports will need to learn to "do more with less" and respond rapidly to the changes faced or risk losing their foothold. ACRP project 06-04 (Report 186) and current project ACRP 06-06 highlight the new job demands and technological changes already requiring a new business approach and skills... more »

Airports are in need of a guidance to identify key touchpoints and implementable technology solutions to institute a "touchless travel" model in order to improve security and safety for passengers, employees, and tenants.

It's a common refrain: Organizations work to reshape their workforce and organizational structure, transform their business model, or move in a new strategic direction. But a year after the launch, they still have not realized the anticipated benefits. As airports look to make dramatic and unanticipated changes in response to the COVID-19 virus, they will need practical guidance on how to make needed changes "stick."... more »

Airport forecasting and planning has tended to focus on gradual and incremental change (rising traffic levels as the economy grows), but it is arguable that infrequent one-off events (COVID-19, 9/11, etc.) have had as much impact on airport development as macroeconomic conditions.

The objective of this research is to specifically address how airports can incorporate large-scale, unpredictable shock events into traffic... more »

Airports need to understand the regulatory implications of increased sanitizing and disinfecting to combat COVID-19 and other contagions. Guidelines from Federal, State and Local authorities have dictated the use of chemicals in quantities far beyond what has been considered home use.

Airports need to understand the regulatory implications when developing and implementing plans for COVID-19 and other contagions' response. Further, international and US airports have already deployed technologies and operational plans to deal with public wellness and safety all in an attempt to provide a perceived "clean" environment to the public; which will help accelerate the restart of travel.

If ever there was a time to take a comprehensive look at all the line items in an airport's financial plan - now is that time. As new approaches/solutions to the post-COVID 19 travel experience are developed, many of them will come with upfront costs or long-term maintenance expenses. A deep dive into the various elements of an airport financial plan would be a useful tool for airport managers to use to determine financial... more »

The COVID-19 pandemic is a current and lasting threat to both the actual and perceived safety of Airport staff and customers. The use of innovative training tools can help Airports combat that threat.

In response to COVID19 but also inclusive of other contagions, airports need to understand how to plan, deploy and manage health screening.