NextGen for Airports, Volume 5: Airport Planning and Development (2017)

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88 | AIRPORT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Role of Airports in NextGen Development, Implementation, and Community Outreach This chapter provides guidance on how airports can most effectively engage with community, FAA, and industry stakeholders on the development and implementation of various NextGen technologies and operational improvements at their airports. NAS-Wide vs. Local NextGen Programs The various NextGen technologies and operational improvements differ according to how much they can be influenced by airports and their stakeholders, depending on whether they are NAS-wide pro- grams or local (terminal airspace/airport) programs. NAS-Wide NextGen Programs NAS-wide NextGen programs that are intended to upgrade the capabilities of the NAS, such as ERAM, ADS-B Out, and Data Comm, are primarily the responsibility of the FAA in collaboration with aviation industry participants such as the airlines, aircraft and avionics manufacturers, industry associations, etc. In this chapter, these programs are referred to as “NAS-wide NextGen.” Airports are likely to have little influence on these nationwide programs; nevertheless, airports can have an influence on their imple- mentation through the following activities: • Support the development and implementation of NAS-wide NextGen technologies and operational improvements. • Encourage airlines and other aircraft operators to equip their aircraft and undergo whatever pilot training may be required for participation in these NAS-wide NextGen programs. • Participate in aviation industry programs that support the implementation of NextGen. • Understand how each of these programs could ultimately impact their airport, stakeholders, and surrounding communities. • Participate in FAA-sanctioned technology demonstration programs with local airport stakeholders (e.g., airlines, operators, avionics manufacturers, etc.). Terminal Airspace/Airport NextGen Programs NextGen programs that are ultimately implemented in the terminal airspace or at individual airports, such as PBN, surface operations and data sharing, closely spaced parallel runways, and Wake RECAT, can be influenced and possibly even initiated by airports and their stakeholders. In this chapter, these programs will be referred to as “NextGen/PBN” projects. 6

Role of Airports in NextGen Development, Implementation, and Community Outreach | 89 Airports and their stakeholders may stand to realize direct benefits from these programs, such as increased capacity, reduced fuel burn and emissions, and the ability to defer capital expenditures on capacity enhancements. However, surrounding communities could also be adversely impacted by additional overflights and increased noise exposure often caused by the high degree of flight track concentration that the greater navigation precision of NextGen/PBN provides over traditional vectored procedures. PBN is by far the NextGen program most likely to impact communities and require stakeholder en- gagement and community outreach in order to be approved. PBN projects can vary from individual single-site implementations of RNAV and RNP procedures to region-wide, multi-airport Metroplex implementations of STARs and SIDs. The scale of FAA’s airport and community involvement will vary according to the type of NextGen/PBN project under consideration. FAA’s current process is to con- duct an EA, with traditional integrated noise modeling (INM) and public process, for NextGen/PBN procedures considered as part of a Metroplex study. Other NextGen/PBN procedures initiated in other than a Metroplex study will not necessarily involve an EA. It is crucial for airport staff to be aware of FAA’s internal plans for changes in airspace procedures affecting their airport environs, especially for non-Metroplex procedures that will not trigger an EA by FAA. If an airport believes that a proposed procedure may have significant adverse impacts on environmen- tal grounds, it should consider requesting supplemental analysis, a full EA or filing of a formal objec- tion with FAA on the grounds of the potential for significant impacts, including controversy. While it may seem unconventional for an airport to consider objecting to a proposed FAA airspace pro- cedure, it is worth noting that the environmental screening process used by FAA’s ATO are significantly less rigorous than those required by the Office of Airports for AIP/passenger facility charges (PFC) funded projects, and that they may not identify public reactions prior to internal ATO approval of the changed procedure. Airports, Stakeholders, and Their Roles in NextGen/PBN Implementation This section will review the possible roles of airports and their stakeholders, including surrounding communities, in the development and implementation of NextGen/PBN projects at airports. In par- ticular, guidance will be provided on the roles of each of the following types of organizations: • Airports; • Community/Public; • Community Groups and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs); and • Local, State, and Federal Governments, and Elected Officials. Airports Airport engagement is critical during all phases of NextGen/PBN projects, including planning, design, and implementation. Airports are most familiar with local conditions, constraints, and relationships, making them a key partner for effective community/public engagement. Airports also can provide in- put on how to best conduct public engagement efforts as well as who specifically should be included in these efforts. However, there have been several instances in which airport staff were unaware of pro- posed NextGen/PBN procedures until late in the procedure development process and needed to insert

90 | AIRPORT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT themselves into the process to avoid what, in their opinion, would have been a problematic public issue. It is crucial for airport planning staff to actively monitor the plans being considered by their local ATO tower and TRACON. In addition, contact with the airport’s major air carriers’ ATC specialists and the FAA Office of NextGen will assist airport staff awareness of developing NextGen procedures affect- ing their airport. Developing relationships with ATO Tech Ops reps and ATO Planning and Require- ments staff in the Service Center is also useful. Moreover, it is important to ensure that (1) airport staff members are trained on NextGen programs and (2) qualified staff members are identified to work with FAA through the implementation of Next- Gen operational improvements and technologies. Most large airports have technical experts on their staff who could facilitate implementation of Next- Gen/PBN procedures. Airport technical representation could come from one or more of the following departments or divisions: • Airport Planning and Development, • Airport Operations, • Airport Noise Abatement Office, and • Community Affairs/Public Relations, and Airport Owner (e.g., city, county, state, or authority) de- partments such as planning and development, legal, and zoning. In addition, airport technical staff may have long-standing local partnerships or consulting relation- ships that can assist with coordinating airport improvement projects and may have developed success- ful working relationships with local and regional air traffic facilities (e.g., ATCT and TRACON), airlines, local planning organizations, and surrounding communities. Airports also can provide information about prior and ongoing plans and programs that could affect, or be affected by, the proposed NextGen/PBN project, such as the following: • Existing or proposed noise abatement flight procedures, airfield operational constraints, and modi- fications of airport standards; • Airport Master Plans, Part 150 Studies, and prior operational studies; • EIS/EA and prior agreements with surrounding communities; and • Existing and planned infrastructure, development programs, and zoning ordinances. In considering future airport development plans, it is important that airport owners/operators effec- tively balance the airside and landside capacities commensurate with demands. Community/Public Some NextGen/PBN projects require specific public engagement activities as defined by NEPA in order to undertake an EA of the proposed NextGen/PBN procedures. Even when such community engage- ment may not be a regulatory requirement, it is recommended that the community be recognized as a critical, non-technical stakeholder in NextGen/PBN development and implementation. Potential outreach efforts should include residents or communities that will be (or will likely perceive to be) impacted by the proposed NextGen/PBN project. In this case, “impacted” can be defined by individual perceptions that often go beyond statutory definitions of significant impacts in the federal regulations. Concentrations of operations associated with NextGen/PBN procedures may not increase noise exposures at the levels defined as “significant” under NEPA but can still be perceived as having an impact by surrounding residential communities. In some recent cases, these concerns have resulted in project delays, increased cost, and in severe cases, termination of NextGen/PBN implementation.

Role of Airports in NextGen Development, Implementation, and Community Outreach | 91 In addition to engaging communities that would be impacted, residents or communities who will benefit should be engaged. For example, there may be areas that will benefit from less noise, lower emissions, or reduced overflight activity. Community Groups and NGOs As a subset of the general public, community groups and non-governmental organizations are poten- tially key entities to engage. Community groups could include formal or informal organizations based on neighborhood or a particular concern (e.g., airport noise or aircraft overflights). NGOs can be based on geographic area or special interest. An example of an NGO that has long been following air- port noise issues is the National Organization to Insure a Sound Controlled Environment (N.O.I.S.E.). Many airports have long-established community forums for addressing noise issues, such as the SFO Airport/Community Roundtable, the O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, and the Boston Logan International Airport Citizens Advisory Committee. These types of organizations are logical places to review proposed flight track changes. Engaging these groups provides an opportunity to educate local leaders on a proposed NextGen/PBN project to gain a better understanding of local interests and potential concerns that can then be inte- grated in the NextGen/PBN development and implementation plans. These groups and the individu- als involved are often trusted thought leaders within their community who can be helpful in gaining public understanding of, and support for, the proposed NextGen/PBN project. Local, State, and Federal Governments, and Elected Officials Government officials at the local, state, and federal levels should be engaged early in the process start- ing with an effort to educate them about the NextGen/PBN project and the benefits it is intended to provide to the airport, community, and the region. Smaller NextGen/PBN projects that are limited in scope are likely to remain strictly a “local” interest. However, for larger projects such as Metroplex/ PBN programs, or even limited projects at larger airports, concerns may be of such a magnitude that outreach may need to be escalated to the state or federal level. Airports should take care to make sure that all parties understand (1) which of the recommended changes were sponsored by the FAA, airlines, or other parties and (2) which were sponsored by the airport (if any). Outreach Guidance Why Community Outreach Is Needed NextGen/PBN projects can provide significant benefits in terms of increased capacity, reduced aircraft delays, reduced fuel burn and carbon emissions, and modernization of infrastructure. However, they also can raise significant concerns regarding impacts on the community with respect to aircraft noise, flight paths, and structures/development in the vicinity of the airport. Moreover, NextGen/PBN projects can have a wide range of impacts on the community depending upon their purpose and scope. Metroplex projects likely would entail greater needs and opportunities for community outreach than less complex airspace actions such as a single-site NextGen/PBN project. Similarly, NextGen/PBN projects that might impact noise-sensitive or historic community areas, or which may affect development in the vicinity of the airport (including temporary issues such as cranes impacting airspace), may require greater outreach than even larger projects with fewer such concerns.

92 | AIRPORT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT The issues of aircraft noise exposure, and the linkage of noise exposure to changes in ATC procedures, are not new, but the flightpath flexibility and concentration afforded by NextGen/PBN procedures has raised new noise issues and concerns as outlined below: • Transforming the ground-based system to the satellite-based system has the potential to raise the issue of who is exposed—and the level of their exposure—at every location where NextGen/PBN procedures are being implemented. • It is highly likely that the operational or efficiency benefits accrue primarily to airlines and that the associated environmental benefits, such as reduced carbon emissions, will be heavily discounted by those that experience increased overflights and noise as a result of NextGen/PBN procedures. • While the number of people exposed to aircraft noise may be the same or even reduced with new NextGen/PBN procedures, the ability to fly more precise flight tracks can result in increased con- centrations of flights over some areas (and thus increased noise levels) and/or “new” noise expo- sure areas over other areas. For real estate development in the vicinity of the airport, issues that may need to be addressed include but are not limited to height of structures, lighting and glare impacts associated with proposed devel- opment, and unmanned aerial vehicle activity. Because of these new concerns associated with NextGen/PBN procedures, FAA and the industry have recognized that increased community outreach and attention to community concerns with NextGen/ PBN implementation are very important to the success of NextGen/PBN implementation. Some of these new outreach processes are so recent that they have not yet been formalized. However, greater community outreach may help in the successful implementation of some of the NextGen/PBN proce- dures being developed. Preliminary Findings from ACRP Project 01-28 ACRP Project 01-28, “NextGen—Guidance for Engaging Airport Stakeholders,” had the objective to develop guidance to airports to engage with the FAA and other airport stakeholders on NextGen development and implementation. That report, ACRP Report 150: NextGen for Airports, Volume 2: Engaging Airport Stakeholders provides the most detailed guidance on engaging airport stakeholders and communities. Below is a list of selected findings from that research that are of most interest to the airport planning practitioner: • PBN, Surface Operations, and Multiple Runway Operations represent the NextGen initiatives that are most likely to benefit from airport-focused stakeholder engagement tools in the short term (i.e., within five years). • NextGen initiatives are being driven by technology, specifications, and process improvements, the details and effects of which are not fully understood by many airport managers, staff, consultants, and community members. • Complex terminology, inconsistent definitions, and the differences between NextGen programs and portfolios as reported by the FAA contribute to a lack of understanding about NextGen initiatives. • Despite the abstract nature of many NextGen initiatives, several can have significant impact on airport stakeholders. Safety, capacity, operational efficiency, and economic growth are expected to increase.

Role of Airports in NextGen Development, Implementation, and Community Outreach | 93 • Operational cost, greenhouse gas emissions, and fuel usage are expected to decrease. Noise is ex- pected to increase in some areas and decrease in others. Complaints and concerns are focused on areas where noise increases are perceived. • Over the past several months there has been a notable increase in negative press, driven by resi- dents (and the elected officials who represent them) who experience increased or more frequent noise impacts. • The information most required by stakeholders includes maps of flight tracks and the configuration of airspace around an airport, associated noise impacts, statistical information on aircraft opera- tions, fuel usage, emissions, separation, and obstacle clearance criteria. General information on NextGen and the priorities of its various initiatives (such as expected site-specific implementation dates), cost/benefit information, and maps of airport/airspace configuration are also needed. Most expect to get this information from FAA publications or regional staff members, although some have received helpful information from regional agencies. • Different types of stakeholders require different types of information on the impacts of NextGen. For example, the FAA and airlines require conceptual plans and technical details. Residents and businesses require information on the noise impacts of proposed flight track changes. Project fund- ing considerations are of interest to airlines, the airport, and the FAA. All stakeholders need informa- tion on the timeline for implementing specific procedures in their area. • Some airports have successfully engaged the FAA, residents, airlines, elected officials, and other stakeholders to address noise, safety, and operational efficiency (in descending order of the number of responses received). This engagement has predominantly been bi-directional, meaning in forums that allow dialog to take place. Periodic, scheduled meetings that involve two or more stakeholders are a preferred method of engagement. Participants in these meetings appreciate general, infor- mative presentations, but they require specifics with regard to timing, impacts, and funding, as relevant. If this information is not available, frustration and ultimately a lack of trust can ensue. • The tools that can cost-effectively convey this information include material to support briefings, easy to navigate websites with airport specific statistics, maps, and customizable information as well as kits that include brochures and fliers, press releases, infographics, and posters. • To be effective, information must be easy to access, at the appropriate technical level for the audi- ence, and as specific as possible to the particular airport and current NextGen Initiative(s) being implemented. While there is a need for generalized information on NextGen as a whole, most (two-thirds of those who responded to the question) feel that information must be specific to their organization or airport. This presents a challenge as to how to prepare tools or guidance at a na- tional level that can help individual airports develop the local information they require. • A few respondents have noted that productive two-way dialog seems to occur when the airport and/or an operator is the proponent of a new procedure. Airports and community members report that lack of local input to the procedure development process can lead to a less than optimal de- sign that doesn’t adequately take into account operational, land use, and noise impact factors. The result can be frustration, anger, and (in at least one case) law suits.

94 | AIRPORT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Key Enabler of NextGen Implementation—Airports GIS As of January 2015, Airports GIS is the authoritative method of acquiring survey data for all FAA lines of business. Airports GIS receives survey data about obstacles and NAVAIDS through a web feature. The FAA uses the Airports Surveying GIS (Airports GIS) to collect data voluntarily submitted by an airport and other aeronautical data to meet certain requirements of NextGen planning and implemen- tation. The Office of Airports GIS program is used to develop electronic airport obstruction charts and electronic airport layout plans. The FAA’s goal is to integrate multiple versions of the airport data: pre- liminary, current, planned, and temporary. Additional plans are to share data with other FAA systems such as iOEAAA and eNASR. To support the implementation of NextGen, the FAA has requested that airports move to the defined Airports GIS system and use the web application features to access required airport data and submit changes; the web application will automatically notify the proper FAA office of the changes. FAA has issued three ACs to provide guidance to airports for the collection and submission of aeronautical data and airport-related data.1 The airports GIS system identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the earth’s surface. The airport data are used to develop and implement WAAS/Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) approaches, PBN approaches, obstruction analyses, and flight deck airport moving map functionality. The central database for airport GIS information enhances sharing of accurate safety-critical data, such as runway endpoints or location of NAVAIDS, and non-safety-critical data, such as the location of a building on an airfield. The airport GIS system provides users and procedure developers with current airport data, facilitating the FAA and airports to collaborate more effectively on airport planning, de- sign, operations, and maintenance decisions. Local Partnerships with ATC, Airlines, and Community Leaders Although most large airports maintain ongoing forums where they interact with various stakeholders and constituencies, there are circumstances in which a key interest is not a normal participant. The difficulty of communicating effectively with large, distributed organizations is well known and planners need to be aware that merely having airline, ATC, or community participation in an established forum is not a guarantee that the proper parts of those organizations are aware of plans. For example, an airline station manager may be the ideal participant in developing a snow and ice control plan or in meetings discussing ramp safety or foreign object debris (FOD) control, but may not adequately represent the views of their flight dispatch or operations organizations on ATC matters. Most airport contacts with airlines occur with their station managers or their property departments and may not be effective at gaining the airline’s perspective on ATC NextGen issues. Likewise, airports often look to FAA tower or Airports District Office (ADO) or Regional Office personnel as conduits to 1 The three advisory circulars are (1) AC 150/5300-16A, General Guidance and Specifications for Aeronautical Surveys: Estab lishment of Geodetic Control and Submission to the National Geodetic Survey; (2) AC 150/5300-17C, Standards for Using Remote Sensing Technologies in Airport Surveys; and (3) AC 150/5300-18B, General Guidance and Specifications for Submission of Aeronautical Surveys to NGS: Field Data Collection and Geographic Information System (GIS) Standards.

Role of Airports in NextGen Development, Implementation, and Community Outreach | 95 other FAA offices. In many cases these contacts will direct the planner to the appropriate FAA office. However, while they may be the ideal participants in construction coordination, operationally ori- ented meetings, airport certification, land use planning, or AIP grant issues, they may be less helpful in under standing longer-term planning within the various ATO offices. They may not be aware of long-term plans within FAA to deploy new airspace procedures until just a few months before they commence implementation. Airport planners should think critically about what parts of airlines or FAA need to be queried about NextGen plans for their airport and aggressively pursue contacts with those offices. Airport planning practitioners should also understand the roles of various offices in NextGen planning and implementation (NextGen, Flight Standards, ATO Program Management Office, ATO Mission Support Services). These offices develop the plans, develop CSPO, implement new technologies, and implement PBN, respectively. Further details of these organizations and their role in NextGen imple- mentation can be found in Appendix D of this guidebook. Below is a brief overview. • The Office of NextGen is structured under the ATO of the FAA. The mission of this office is to manage the implementation of NextGen technologies and capabilities into the NAS. The Assistant Administrator for NextGen and the Deputy Assistant Administrator for NextGen both work directly with the Chief of Staff, Office of Chief Scientist for NextGen, and Office of Chief Scientist for Soft- ware. The FAA Office of Airports (ARP) serves as a liaison in facilitating the implementation of the NextGen integration with airport planning initiatives and airport development activity. • It would also be helpful for airport planning practitioners to become familiar with the FAA IFP Infor- mation Gateway, which is described in more detail in Appendix E of this guidebook. This Gateway is the centralized IFP data portal, providing a single source for aeronautical charts, the IFP Produc- tion Plan, IFP Coordination, and IFP Documents. The site provides a user the ability to look up, and be notified of, changes in existing and proposed IFPs by airport, state, region, and FAA service area. As with airlines and ATC, planners need to understand the breadth of engagement that may be needed with community leaders as NextGen issues arise. Many airports have long-established rela- tionships with community groups focused on environmental, economic, or other issues. Many others depend on the public affairs or government affairs staff at their airport to act as liaisons and interface with community groups, elected officials, or local business leaders. While using those resources to help guide outreach efforts, planners should be aware that broader outreach may be necessary due to the potential for reactions outside of the traditionally affected areas that some NextGen procedures can produce.