ACRP IdeaHub Research Projects

Perhaps one of the greatest untapped resources available for understanding the challenges of managing airports can be found among the many senior and retired airport leaders. There needs to be an opportunity to assemble the collective wisdom of these successful leaders and to share their insights and experiences gained during their careers.

The proposed research is designed to collect, organize, and assess the historical and current general demographic characteristics of students enrolled in two- and four-year collegiate aviation management programs as well those of recent graduates. Early and current aviation interests, learning styles, and other influences that led up to enrollment and matriculation in their particular program will be investigated. Key... more »

The proposed research is designed to expand the research of ACRP 06-06 – Cultivating Talent in the Airport Environment, and ACRP 06-07 – Enhancing Academic Programs to Prepare Future Airport Industry Professionals both of which are still in progress. Many collegiate aviation programs examined in ACRP 06-07 offered master's degrees in business administration, public administration, or aeronautical science that included... more »

The Concessions industry has evolved greatly over the past decade. The volume of ACDBE's, Concessionaires, and lines of business have grown significantly. Each Airport has developed programs differently. Understanding the economics of the Concessionaires (living wages, pricing models, operational costs, etc.) as well as Airports (pouring rights, leasing structures, CRDC's, etc.) is critical to Commercial Management.... more »

The research would develop a comprehensive guidance on concession agreement standards and terms. The new guidebook would update existing guidance and provides guidance on economic, operational and administrative issues not previously addressed.

Cold In-place Recycling (CIR) and Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) are two economically and environmentally friendly methods of rehabilitating asphalt pavements. While there is a brief mention of FDR in FAA AC 150/5370-10H and AC 150/5320-6F, it is quite limited and there is no mention of CIR, therefore, this project looks to provide comprehensive guidance as to when CIR and FDR can be used, the materials that can be used,... more »

Most U.S. airports do not have a complete understanding of the range of emotions their travelers experience at the airport. More research needs to be conducted to identify the sentiments expressed by passengers at different journey points and the root causes for why they feel the way they do. Once the root cause is identified, airports then must consider resolving any issues related to a negative emotion experience by... more »

Electric or Hydrogen aircraft could present long-term sustainable solutions for aviation, but will heavily depend on the ability of airports to coordinate and provide the infrastructure required for their operation. This research will look into such challenges and opportunities.

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 »

Recent data suggests that a 0.01% increase in passenger satisfaction results in an increased spend of $0.80 per passenger, while an additional 10 minutes spent in line, decreases that spend by 30%. Using available data to generate and push valuable information to the traveling public will optimize and help streamline the passenger travel experience, leading to increased passenger satisfaction, as well as increased airport... more »

This guide would provide information and perspective on airport opportunities for water reuse, at a time of renewed national focus and strategic initiatives supporting considerations and implementation of water reuse. This research would generate targeted information to help airports better understand the financial, environmental, and operational challenges and opportunities for water reuse.

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 »