... held in Van Nuys last week, two topics stood out: 1) the status of GA airports in the U.S. system; and 2) the increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and 'going green'.
The meeting, put on by the American Association of Airport Executives, was held adjacent to the busiest general aviation airport in the world, Van Nuys, which is celebrating its 80th birthday this year. Keynote for the event was aviation pioneer Clay Lacy, whose operation is based here. His achievements include introducing all-jet charter to the West Coast; long being a leader in aerial filmmaking; and, being one of the highest time pilots ever for United Airlines.
On the subject of GA airports, FAA’s Kate Lang says the agency “is very committed to general aviation†and points out that 84 percent of the airports in the U.S. system are GA. Of the $3.5 billion that is distributed via the Airport Improvement Program, some $1 billion goes to GA, she says. Even more optimistically, Lang points out that when next NPIAS (National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems) is published, she expects 44 new GA airports to be added.
Then there is the topic of emissions. “The pressure to do something exceeds the capacity to do something,†comments Daniel Reimer, a partner with the law firm Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell LLP. Who is responsible for what is the central challenge, he and others say. With noise, says Reimer, “we figured it out†– tackling noise issues requires a partnership in which the airport’s responsibility is readily identifiable. “I’m not sure that’s true with emissions,†he says.
Everyone seems to agree that for GA airports there is little guidance to go by when it comes to reducing emissions. Larger commercial airports are the focus today; in time, it is hoped lessons learned will trickle down to smaller airports.
Roger Johnson, deputy executive director for the Los Angeles World Airports system, agrees on the responsibility challenge, pointing out that 90 percent of emissions at LAX come from aircraft. LAWA, with a strong push from a ‘green’ mayor, is on a campaign to make LAX the “greenest airport in the U.S.,†he says. A frustration with LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is that it “tells you what you can do, but it doesn’t tell you what you should do,†comments Johnson. Thus, LAX has developed its own green standards, using a model developed by Ricondo & Associates for Chicago’s airport system.
Among the LAX initiatives: over 60 percent of LAWA’s vehicles use alternative fuel; an on-site hydrogen generation station; GSE conversion to zero emissions by 2015 (“technically impossible right now,†says Johnson); an employee ridership sharing program; 98 percent recycling of old runway materials for a new runway and separated taxiway; and, using reclaimed water to irrigate some 35 percent of landscape areas, thereby saving 42 million gallons per year.
Another way to offset emissions, says Johnson, is by “planting trees.â€
Thanks for reading. jfi