Research Roadmap in the Area of Airport Operations and Maintenance (2019)

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13 4 Research Topics Airports today face a plethora of O&M challenges. While many challenges are similar from airport to airport, many also reflect individual characteristics of each airport and their surrounding communities. For example, one common challenge for many airports in the United States (and indeed for transportation infrastructure overall), is the age of their facilities. A significant proportion of our nation’s airports are between 40 to 60 years old. Additionally, many airports are growing quickly and handling larger volumes of passengers than their facilities were designed to manage. The normal wear and tear on airport infrastructure is amplified by the continual and rapid evolution of technology, as well as the frequently changing landscape of aviation security. As a result, our nation’s airports are struggling to keep up with the space and technology requirements of today, and need significant investments in their infrastructure to meet both current and future needs. After a comprehensive review of existing research, ACRP’s IdeaHub and stakeholder outreach, the research team identified over forty research ideas for inclusion on the roadmap. Each research idea is categorized into one of nine high-level themes, or categories, of O&M challenges for airports in the U.S. The high-level themes include: 1) Integrating Advanced and/or Disruptive Technologies; 2) Operations and Maintenance Workforce; 3) Safety and Security; 4) Continuity of Operations; 5) Sustainability and Resiliency; 6) Facility and Operational Modernization; 7) Unmanned Aerial Systems; 8) General Asset Management and Maintenance; and 9) Financial Resources and Procurement. As these categories are broad, each research idea is further categorized into one of twelve sub-topics, including: 1) Building Information Modeling (BIM); 2) Collaborative Decision Making (CDN); 3) Curbside, Roadway and Vehicles; 4) Emergency Response and Crisis Preparedness; 5) General Aviation; 6) General O&M Guidance / Implementation Tools; 7) Integrating Advanced or Disruptive Technologies; 8) Joint Operations; 9) Operational Efficiency; 10) Replacement or Renewal of Assets; 11) Airspace Safety/Wildlife/Obstructions; and 12) Winter and Irregular Operations (IROPS). Integrating Advanced or Disruptive Technologies is both a high-level theme and a sub-topic. This reflects the rapid pace of technological change and adoption within the airport and aviation industry, and the integral nature of airport IT systems to all areas of operations and airport lines of business. Each high-level theme is described below with the list of research ideas categorized within that theme listed beneath. High-level themes are listed from those with the greatest number of research ideas in that category to the fewest. The individual research ideas are listed in order from highest to lowest priority based on the criteria described in section 3. The working title and objective for each research idea is included below (full background information for each idea is contained in the accompanying database, Appendix C). Next to each research idea (in parentheses) is the corresponding sub-topic. A research idea contains a working title of the research project, a brief background section with a description of the challenge or knowledge gap (i.e. why research is needed), and what the research would seek to accomplish (objective). A research idea is less descriptive than a fully developed problem statement. The research ideas represent a mixture of topics generated from stakeholder outreach and meetings, the literature review, research team experience and entries from IdeaHub (some of these ideas have already been entered into IdeaHub). 4.1 Integrating Advanced and Disruptive Technologies Terminal buildings and airport facilities are built to last decades, whereas the pace of technological change is exponential. Airports need to keep pace with new technologies and software, but this is difficult to do with aging systems and facilities, and limited maintenance budgets. Research is needed on how to modernize and maintain facilities to take advantage of emerging technologies, as well as how to integrate new technologies into old facilities and seemingly incompatible software programs (i.e. how to build or retrofit “smart buildings”). This is a multidisciplinary topic that involves airport planners, finance, IT, designers and contractors.

14 Airports need to understand emerging and disruptive technologies and services that are impacting the industry and how to adapt. Airports have experienced this with the rise of Transportation Network Companies (TNC) such as Uber and Lyft, redefining the way that passengers choose to arrive and depart from our nation’s airports. These new entrants into the commercial and private vehicle domain on the arrival and departure curbs has increased the demand of an already taxed piece of airport real estate. A related example of an emerging disruptive technology is the advent of autonomous vehicles, on both the landside and airside. While autonomous vehicles were considered an emerging trend early in the stakeholder engagement process, this was ultimately rolled into the overall category of integrating new and advanced technologies. Other IT-related topics include Building Information Modeling (BIM) programs and their use for operations, maintenance, security, planning, etc., as well as the emerging connectivity capabilities of systems and components through the Internet of Things (IoT). Both topics have received recent attention from ACRP and IFMA, and there is a real need to investigate the possible operational performance benefits of these technologies. These areas are of great interest to the industry and the roadmap anticipates follow on research is warranted. • Internet of Things (IoT) Standards for U.S. Airports (Sub-topic: Operational Efficiency) – IoT technologies hold promise to provide many benefits to US airports and airlines, including the increase in operational performance, reduction in operational cost, increase in workflow management and increase in customer experience during air travel. IoT will also enhance cooperation between US airports and airlines and increase operational efficiencies for both parties, for example during irregular operations. The purpose of this research idea will be to propose, develop and encourage the use of IoT standards among U.S. airport industry stakeholders. • Modernizing Management Models for Commercial Ground Transportation (Sub-topic: Curbside, Roadway and Vehicles) – The purpose of this research is to develop comprehensive high-level guidance regarding each major aspect of managing commercial ground transportation. The primary considerations include planning and forecasting demand and asset needs of service providers; Public Safety Code requirements; organizational structure review to ensure effective management of the activity as well as operational oversight and code enforcement; capital planning and associated debt service as well as operations and maintenance expense recovery, and; customer service support requirements at passenger terminal curbside and terminals. • Guidance on Data Integration for Real-Time Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) (Sub-topic: Collaborative Decision Making) - Airports, Airlines and the FAA are identifying the benefits of real-time data sharing to facilitate CDM regarding other operational, security, and safety areas of the airport. However, there is no guidance on how to efficiently and effectively achieve real-time data sharing, nor common standards for facilitating the integration of disparate software platforms in order to allow for real-time data sharing. The objective of this research idea is to develop guidance on how the various parties can make use of their existing system software platforms and data exchange programs to enable real-time data sharing for airport-wide CDM. This idea is related to the research idea "Establishing Real- Time Decision Making", but focuses specifically on how to technically enable data sharing. • Smart Buildings: Performance Monitoring Systems and Centralizing Dashboards for Building Health and Resiliency (Sub-topic: BIM) - The objective of this research idea is to identify technology solutions for automating building systems, and best practices for integrating these solutions into both new and existing airport IT systems and software. • Establishing Real-Time Collaborative Decision Making (Sub-topic: Collaborative Decision Making) – Airports are comprised of a multitude of service providers who support one another in providing a safe, efficient and effective transportation system. The advent of computer-based, networked systems have enabled all service providers to develop highly automated and precise service delivery mechanisms which are highly vulnerable to disruptions of other service providers' delivery mechanisms. This has created a need to have real time situational awareness across all service providers, as well as a capability to collaborate in real time. The objective is to produce guidance on how airports and other stakeholders can develop a holistic approach to collaborative decision-making across the airport enterprise.

15 • Guidebook to Assess Real-Time Operating Status of Non-Airport Controlled Assets (Sub-topic: Joint Operations) - Develop a guidebook describing how airports and their tenants can make use of their existing system software platforms and aftermarket, “off-the-shelf” technologies for sensing and reporting system status. This will enable other airport service providers to integrate this information into their existing system software platforms to obtain the real time operational status of the systems that they are dependent upon for effectively delivering their services to their customers. • Guidebook on Integrating Commercial Space Operations into Airspace and Airport Operations (Sub- topic: General O&M Guidance or Implementation Tools) – The objective of this research idea is to produce a thorough overview of the emerging commercial space market and its implications for airports and air traffic. The research should include launch and reentry operations and cover emerging markets such as commercial crew operations to the International Space Station, space tourism, and fast point-to- point travel. The guidebook should address integrating flight operations with existing air traffic. • Comprehensive Planning Guidance for Airport Curbside Roadway Design and Operations in the Era of Autonomous Vehicles (Sub-topic: Curbside, Roadway and Vehicles) - Develop planning and operational guidance for ground transportation assets and associated service offerings, with particular focus on services associated with terminal curbsides and adjacent parking/staging facilities, in anticipation of the advent of autonomous as well as connected vehicle technologies. • Smart Airports and Connected Vehicle Technology (Sub-topic: Curbside, Roadway and Vehicles) – The objective of this research idea is to evaluate the potential impacts to airport operations of connected vehicle technologies, including vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, considering both airside and landside impacts. 4.2 Operations and Maintenance Workforce Workforce development and retention is a topic of great interest to all lines of business within the airport industry. ACI-NA, AAAE and ACC have all highlighted the need to attract new talent to airports as the current workforce of baby-boomers becomes eligible to retire. In addition to developing a pipeline of new talent to the field, airports need to train and develop their existing workforce to adapt to new technologies, work across silos and be more efficient. While this subject is not limited to O&M professionals, it is a challenge that came up during several of the stakeholder outreach activities, and is therefore included on the roadmap despite it applying across other areas of ACRP research. The list of selected problem statements for 2019 includes two human resources related topics, including ACRP 06- 06 "Cultivating Talent in the Airport Environment" and project 06-07 "Building Academic Programs to Cultivate Future Airport Industry Professionals". These projects may meet some of the needs described in the research ideas below, however as the requests for proposals have not yet been developed the level of focus on O&M workforce specifically is unknown at this time. • Guidebook on Professional Development and Retention for Airport Operations and Maintenance Personnel (Sub-topic: General O&M Guidance or Implementation Tools) - Attrition, workforce development, and fostering the next generation of airport leaders are critical issues for airports of all sizes and all departments within airports. Along with many other professions, the number of airport employees who are baby boomers and eligible to retire in the near future is significant. In addition, the pace of technological change is exponential and airports rely more than ever on advanced digital technologies. This research project would result in a guidebook on professional development and retention best practices, as well as strategies to attract and train new employees in airport operations and maintenance fields. • Guidance for Integrating Airport IT Professionals with Other Departments to Implement New IT and Software Systems (Sub-topic: Integrating Advanced or Disruptive Technologies) – Airport maintenance departments and IT departments are often not effectively integrated so as to ensure proper identification of line maintenance diagnostic/repair responsibilities to rapidly respond to, test and restore system

16 functionality prior to engaging an IT technician. Alternatively, inter-departmental integration might consider the embedding of IT technicians into the maintenance departments in order to provide timely and holistic support. The objective is to conduct a synthesis of best practices and/or develop guidance on how to effectively approach the IT-related diagnostic and restoration needs of systems maintained by airport maintenance departments. • Guidebook for Effective Transition from Construction of Assets to Operation and Maintenance (Sub- topic: Operational Efficiency) – The objective is to develop guidance that will inform capital asset, new/replacement/renewal project managers on how to ensure that maintenance departments are capable of properly maintaining the assets and taking over assets on day 1 of project completion. • Primer on General Aviation Airport Management (Sub-topic: General Aviation) - General Aviation airports that are owned and operated by municipalities are often managed by staff that serve in more than one capacity, or have a background in fields other than aviation. There is a need for basic GA airport management training and information for non-aviation professionals. The objective of this research is to develop guidance and training materials designed for new GA airport management who do not have an aviation background, and which can also serve as a primer for community leaders who serve in an airport oversight role. • Guidebook for Recruitment, Training and Technological Literacy in Airport Staffs (Sub-topic: Integrating Advanced or Disruptive Technologies) – While similar to the idea above, this research idea is not limited to operations and maintenance staff, or only in-house staff. Virtually all airport departments are identifying new ways to improve their effectiveness and efficiency through the use of Information Technology. However, adopting new technologies normally result in organizational changes and restructuring of business practices that take time as well as other resources in the form of manpower and money. Many interviewees indicated that the adequate budgets and buy-in from other departments are not secured prior to acquisition of new software platforms. One of the challenges is identifying what core capabilities that airport staff, as well as outsourced service providers need to possess in order to succeed in the new technologically-enabled work environment. These core capabilities are an important part of the recruitment process for new employees as well as the onboarding of outsourced service providers. This research would result in guidance that identifies both challenges as well as best practice approaches regarding the recruitment, training and retention of the modern technologically-enabled airport workforce. • Airport Operational Training and Education for Outsourced Workforce (Sub-topic: Integrating Advanced or Disruptive Technologies –Airport-wide service providers report on the lack of education, training and capability of outsourced workforce employees in terms of both accidents, human-error, equipment/aircraft damage, and the inability to achieve operational performance goals. Research is needed to identify approaches that will enable outsourced workforce personnel to conduct themselves in an informed, safe and effective manner when placed in an airport work environment. The objective is to develop guidance on how to educate, train outsourced workforce personnel to ensure that they can perform their respective jobs in a safe, efficient and effective manner in the now highly interdependent and integrated world of airports. • Developing Training Programs with a Unionized Workforce (Sub-topic: Integrating Advanced or Disruptive Technologies) - The rapid pace of technological change at airports necessitates constant updating of training programs and plans. Airports often employ unionized workers who have certain requirements and processes for developing their own training and skill requirements for union membership. There is a need for guidance on how airports and unions can work collaboratively to develop more flexible training plans to address new technologies. The objective is to develop guidance on how to work with union leadership in communicating training needs and upcoming / emerging technologies in their training plans and programs.

17 4.3 Safety and Security Moving people and goods safely is the primary objective of the airport industry and thus ensuring the safe operation of aircraft and vehicles at airports is paramount. At the same time, the rise in the frequency and severity of terrorist attacks at international and domestic airports is an urgent challenge for our industry, both on a local and global scale. Airports are seeking solutions to better prepare for and prevent these attacks, and respond to regulatory changes. Both safety and security issues have been addressed by ACRP, in research fields other than operations or maintenance and by the National Safe Skies Alliance. However safety and security are still front of mind for the airport and industry practitioners interviewed during the stakeholder outreach process. As a result, the research ideas listed below are important to both airport O&M personnel but are also cross-disciplinary topics which could appropriately appear on more than one research roadmap. • Evaluating Common Safety and Security Standards Across General Aviation Airports (Sub-Topic: General Aviation) – Non-certificated airports do not have the same safety and security standards that Part 139 airports do, but there is a wide range of standards and level of rigor in enforcing certain standards at GA airports across the country. This can create confusion amongst operators and makes it difficult for GA airports that do adhere to certain standards to enforce them. Research is needed to evaluate the safety and security needs of GA airports and whether common core standards are warranted. The objective of this research is to conduct a survey of practice regarding application of safety, security and operating standards at GA airports in the U.S., provide an analysis of the utility and possibility of updating common standards of practice. • Development of Joint Operations Centers (Sub-Topic: Joint Operations) – Rapidly evolving global security threats requires a joint / coordinated response from the range of public safety and security agencies across the country and with airports. DHS, the FAA and airports have all recognized the need for real-time communication and collaboration across agencies on a continuous basis. This will enable effective integration and interoperability with existing operations centers to ensure agility and resiliency across organizations. The research objective is to develop guidance on how to develop a concept of operations and design of a Joint Operations Center. • Evaluation of Wildlife Hazard Management Plan Outcomes (Sub-Topic: Airspace Safety / Wildlife/ Obstructions) – Nationally, the true effectiveness and performance of implemented airport Wildlife Hazard Management Plans has not been objectively and systematically evaluated. This proposed line of research will examine Airport Wildlife Hazard Management Plans, their implementation, and ability to successfully meet the wildlife management (and conservation) expectations and in consideration of the goals of the sponsoring airports and airport users. The objective is to provide guidance regarding airport wildlife management that is based upon a holistic review of the goals/objectives of both federal and state regulators of safeguarding flight operations, as well as regulators who are charged with safeguarding wildlife and the environment. • Ensuring Building Information Modeling System Data Security (Sub-Topic: Building Information Modeling) – In order for BIM to be valuable to facilities and maintenance (i.e. achieve intended benefits such as ROI on investment, high level of equipment availability, etc.), the data must be pushed out to tablets, phones, and devices in the field. This creates a data security risk and airports need to ensure secure two-way data exchange. The challenge is how to satisfy data security requirements across stakeholder file servers and systems. The objective of this research idea is to develop guidance and best practices on data security from both within the airport and outside the airport industry. • Utilizing Advanced BIM Modeling for Safety, Security and Emergency Management Operations (Sub- Topic: Building Information Modeling) – Use of advanced technology such as cameras for mapping or virtual/augmented reality for security personnel or first responders to utilize when responding to emergencies. An example is if a security camera is out of use due to smoke etc., responders would still be aware of the layout of the building. Research on systems that could provide relevant, virtual information that can give a varying audiences what they need to secure the space. The objective of this research idea is to develop guidance or case studies on the use of BIM data for safety and security purposes, the

18 capabilities, benefits, risks and potential problems can be explored. Use of case studies outside the aviation industry is encouraged. • Immigration Regulatory Changes and their Impacts on Airport Operations (Sub-topic: Emergency Response and Crisis Preparedness) – Recent changes to immigration regulations have impacted airports due to the operational and security challenges of demonstrators, and the needs of stranded passengers. This project would look at legal, operational, communications and passenger service issues associated with these types of disruptions. 4.4 Continuity of Operations The economic expansion that has occurred since the 2008-2009 downturn has translated into increased passenger numbers and busier airports. While the number of operations at many airports may be constant or lower than prior peaks, changes in fleet mix (larger aircraft) and higher passenger loads means that there are more passengers moving through airport facilities. In addition, as airlines have adjusted fleets and schedules so that there are fewer spare aircraft and empty seats on planes to accommodate passengers in the event of a delay or cancelled flight. As airports have become busier, they have to adjust their operations and infrastructure to meet this demand. As described in the NPIAS and publications from ACC and ACI-NA, there is a focus on renovating, updating and /or building new terminals and landside infrastructure to accommodate the loads. Many airports in the U.S. are decades old and were not built to handle the passenger traffic volume experienced today. The construction to update facilities also has a big impact on airport operations. It is not surprising therefore that the high-level issue of ensuring continuity of operations, for example during periods of disruption whether it be weather, systems failures, security incidents, new construction projects and/or major maintenance projects etc., and having the ability to rapidly recover from such incidents, were two common themes. Once again, the research ideas in this topic area highlight the need for information technology platforms that enable shared-situational awareness to facilitate Collaborative Decision Making real time • Optimizing Airfield Snow Removal (Sub-topic: Winter / Irregular Operations) - Research best practices focused on managing the resources at airports to optimize the number of runways and taxiways that can be kept open during winter storms. The guidelines should include using process optimization to reduce variation caused by unpredictable weather events and computer simulation analyses to optimize the number of equipment needed, resources required, and optimize the best deployment pattern for the snow removal equipment. • Ensuring Continuity of Operations during Adverse Weather (Sub-topic: Winter / Irregular Operations – The objective of this research project is to develop guidance on the planning parameters, as well as best practices and approaches for maintaining continuity of operations over extended periods. Primary factors to consider include passenger needs, workforce availability, as well as equipment availability and resupply of consumable resources, and coordination with metropolitan planning organizations, transit, etc. The intent of this project is to update lessons learned since publication of past related ACRP projects. • Maintenance and Renewal of Assets During Limited Non-Operating Hours (Sub-topic: Operational Efficiency) - The objective of this research idea is to develop guidance to assist airports in identifying the best practices and approaches to both inspecting and maintaining airfields (both movement areas and non-movement areas), in order to minimize disruptions during operational hours. Additionally, to identify how to conduct necessary repairs in an expedited manner during operating hours, and how to conduct preventative maintenance as well as extensive repairs during non-operating hours. • Continuity of Airport Operations and Maintenance: Ensuring Redundancy during the Design and Construction Process (Sub-topic: Operational Efficiency) – The objective of this idea is to develop guidance on building redundancy into facilities during the design and construction process, and its importance in maintaining continuity of operations during periods of system failure. Additionally, to provide guidance on how to effectively achieve a continuity of operations in the event that systems that support operations of passengers, tenants or other service providers becomes inoperable.

19 • Busing Resources for Aircraft Emergencies and Transportation Outages (Sub-topic: Emergency Response and Crisis Preparedness) – The purpose of this research is to determine the best practices for providing and contracting for backup transportation within an airport for the following situations: aircraft emergencies (where passengers must deplane an aircraft and be bused to the terminal), planned and unplanned outages of alterative intra-airport transportation systems such as trains, and transporting passengers and staff off-airport in the event of airport closure for security reasons for example. 4.5 Sustainability and Resiliency of Infrastructure Sustainability and resilience are two related topics that have been of great interest to the airport industry over the last several years. The extensive list of sustainability and resiliency related ACRP projects is a testament to that interest. Although the majority of these projects are products of the environment field, there is an opportunity to consider these topics through the lens of O&M of airport facilities. Climate change and extreme weather are two challenges within this theme area that airports currently face. Resiliency planning is important for natural disasters as well as man-made events. Airports must decide the extent to which they intend to invest in infrastructure resiliency measures in the face of imperfect data, making it difficult to justify when funding is already tight. Airports may also be faced with expectations from their community to operate in a less impactful manner. The trend towards adopting more sustainable building practices, using more sustainable materials and improving conditions for workers has increased in the past several years. More airports are realizing efficiency gains and cost savings by incorporating sustainability into their facility management and operational procedures. This is evidenced through continued interest by airports in the U.S Green Building Council’s LEED rating system (for existing buildings as well as new construction), FAA’s grant funding for sustainable management and master plans, and the more recent arrival of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision rating system for infrastructure. The USGBC continues to roll out new rating systems as well, which may or may not be appropriate for airports, such as PEER (Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal), WELL (a certification system designed for the built environment measuring impacts on occupants human health and well-being) and Parksmart (a program of sustainable practices in parking structures). For those airports that have not developed guidelines or protocols for how to incorporate sustainability however, it can be a daunting challenge to know where to start and what initiatives, practices or programs are right for their facility. For those airports that have already made strides in this area, a number of questions remain about the best way to track performance and monetize the benefits, and how to take advantage of new technologies to operate in a more sustainable manner, and ultimately to be more efficient and save money. This theme is particularly important as the industry will make significant investments in new and rehabilitated terminals and buildings over the next five years. Some research ideas in this area on the roadmap include: • Integrating Airport and Community Resiliency Planning (Sub-Topic: Emergency Response and Crisis Preparedness) – The rise in Severe Weather Events (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes, high winds) as well as the effects of rising sea levels, and changing weather patterns (e.g., periods of extended drought) have caused significant flooding and damage to many regions across the United States. Airports have begun to examine what can be accomplished on airport to make airport infrastructure more resilient to the effects of such weather activity. The objective is to develop guidance on how airports can engage their local communities in Integrated Resiliency Planning. • Advancing Building Automation and Energy Management Systems (Sub-Topic: Integrating Technology or Disruptive Technologies) – This idea addresses two unmet needs that require future research regarding advanced building automation and energy management. The first is the identification of the cost of integrating these systems into the existing software platforms in order to realize the return on investment potential of the new software. Second, new software platforms are capable of replacing legacy systems in other areas of specialization at an airport. However, they also require the redevelopment of existing work flow processes and the training of airport staff in departments that will be making use of these new systems. The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook of best practices that have been used to

20 effectively integrate new software platforms into both legacy software systems and existing work flow processes of the airport department activities they are intended to support. • Evaluation of General Aviation Airport Financial Needs Considering Regional Risks and National Categorization (Sub-Topic: General Aviation) – Regional natural disaster threats add a layer of complexity to the determination of the value or role of a General Aviation (GA) airport in the event such a disaster should occur. Research is needed to evaluate these regional risks and how they would impact airports in that region. Specifically, the research would examine the role of GA airports in the event a regional disaster renders other airports in the region inoperable for a time. The objective is to develop a resource for GA airports to understand their risks from regional disaster threats and role in recovery. The guidance would also inform and educate state departments of transportation the FAA as they update to the classification report, update their system plans and understand the financial needs of GA airports. • Selecting and Implementing the Right Certification or Rating System (Sub-Topic: Operational Efficiency)– As existing rating and certification systems are updated (LEED for campus / multiple buildings, EPA Energy Star) and newer sustainability rating systems emerge (Envision, PEER, WELL), information is needed for airports to determine what the cost savings or unintended consequences are from an operations and maintenance standpoint. This will help airports determine which rating or certification system, if any, is right for their project / facility. The objective of this research idea is to produce guidance for selecting and implementing the most applicable sustainability certification or rating system for airport projects and facilities. 4.6 Facility and Operational Modernization This topic aligns closely with the Integrating Advanced and Disruptive Technologies theme, as the modernization of facilities necessitates the acquisition and incorporation of new technologies. Likewise, the integration of new technologies into existing facilities updates their operation and function. Considering that the bulk of airport capital projects over the next five years are focused on terminals and landside facilities (according to the NPIAS), this subject was frequently mentioned by stakeholders in both the operations and maintenance and design and construction roadmap outreach efforts. Modernization of airports can include both physical assets as well as processes and management models. Airport policies and procedures need to be updated as the industry experiences changes, for example in passenger ground transportation options. The following three specific topics are included in this category: • Integrating New Technologies into Aging Infrastructure (Sub-topic: Replacement or Renewal of Assets) - Develop a guidebook on how to evaluate, select, and implement information technology-enabled capabilities into aging systems that have not yet reached the end of their useful life. The intent is to assist airports to enable more efficient and effective use and restoration of operationally critical systems for the remaining lifespan of the old infrastructure, while minimizing the costs for systems that will need to be replaced. • Guidebook on Revising Curbside-Roadway Operations and Demand Profiles to Address Changing Needs (Sub-topic: Curbside, Roadway and Vehicles) - The advances in autonomous as well as connected vehicle technologies has the potential to create entirely new ways of transporting people and goods throughout society. Associated with this is a rapidly transforming service environment as passengers, existing service providers and new-entrants to the marketplace begin to make use of these new technologies. The objective is to develop revised curbside-roadway operations and demand profiles (for all major users of such infrastructure) for use by airport planners and Commercial Ground Transportation Managers. • Management Models for Commercial Ground Transportation (Sub-topic: Curbside, Roadway and Vehicles) – The objective is to develop guidance that enables commercial ground transportation managers to understand the evolving industry and the likely impacts to existing commercial ground transportation management models, as well as guidance on how to effectively revise/refine the existing management model to meet the needs of the marketplace.

21 4.7 Unmanned Aerial Systems / Vehicles Unmanned aerial systems or vehicles (UAS / UAVs), having been developed, deployed and matured over the years by the United States Armed Forces, are in high demand by both recreational users as well as commercial users. The FAA currently estimates that the number of UASs operating in the United States will rise from 2.5 million in 2016 to 7 million by 2020. While the FAA is responsible for controlling all aircraft operations and maintaining the safely of the National Airspace System (NAS), there are other challenges as well as opportunities created by UASs that directly affect airport operations and maintenance. These fall into the following broad categories which are not intended to be exhaustive: • Integrating UASs and Emergency Response (Sub-Topic: Emergency Response and Crisis Preparedness) – The objective of this project is to develop guidance that identifies UAS capabilities that enhance emergency response capabilities as well as how to integrate these systems, and their capabilities into airport emergency response plans and operations. • Airspace Right of Way (Sub-Topic: Airspace Safety/ Wildlife/ Obstructions) - This research idea involves a thoughtful examination of airspace and recommendations on how to de-conflict relevant stakeholders, in terms of operating aircraft and UAS, using airspace 400-1000 feet would be useful. The objective is to develop practical, usable, efficient, and fair methods for clarifying use of operational airspace near to the ground. • Protecting Airport Operations from UASs (Sub-Topic: Airspace Safety/ Wildlife/ Obstructions) - UASs are demonstrating wide ranging capabilities that can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of diverse applications that provide great benefit to users. Enhanced mobility, high precision flight tracks, pre- programmed routing to enable safe day/night use, are just a few of the capabilities of UASs. However these same capabilities along with a small profile, agility, capability of flying autonomously and in coordinated "swarm" operations, also creates a threat to security when operated by a "bad actor". This project would develop guidance that identifies existing means to detect, interdict and defeat nefarious UAS activities so as to preserve a safe and secure airport operating environment. 4.8 General Asset Management and Maintenance While the topics described above sort research ideas into high-level categories and subtopics, several research ideas generated during the roadmap development process were more general in nature, and did not fit neatly into one of these categories. These remaining ideas have merit and practical application in the area of airport operation and maintenance, apply to specific knowledge gaps, and were thus included under a separate category for general asset management and maintenance. • Guidance for Airport Tree Removal (Sub-Topic: Airspace Safety/ Wildlife/ Obstructions) – The objective of this research project is to develop a synthesis of current best practices regarding airport tree removal, including guidance on how to streamline the environmental review process. • Summary of Practice for Automated Pavement Condition Surveys (Sub-Topic: Replacement or Renewal of Assets) - Pavement condition data is a critical component of all pavement management systems. The accuracy and validity of pavement condition data is very crucial to many activities conducted by airports and local agencies. The objective for this synthesis project is to document agency practices, challenges, and success in conducting automated pavement condition data collection surveys. The guidance may showcase successful practices, integration of automated data collection into pavement management systems, and efforts needed for reporting pavement condition. • Integrated and Comprehensive Management of General Aviation Airport Maintenance Operations (Sub- Topic: General Aviation) – The objective of this research project is to craft flexible but comprehensive and coordinated GA airport infrastructure maintenance operations programs and protocols. This will achieve the purpose of infrastructure preservation cost savings, cost deferrals and extend the useful service life of

22 existing infrastructure. The guidebook could outline methods and means of comprehensively integrating the management of most all airport maintenance operations. 4.9 Financial Resources and Procurement Financial resources are always a limiting factor for airports as they strive to do more with less – for example dealing with the diminished purchasing power of the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), and capital needs that exceed what is budgeted in the Airport Improvement Program funds (AIP). The availability of funding for airport projects is of great interest to many stakeholders, but airports are somewhat limited in their ability to expand access to capital. Airports must determine priorities, and understanding the true cost of projects, actions and operations is important – as well as understanding how new technologies can result in cost savings and further efficiencies. Research on innovative financing models such as public-private partnerships is included on the Design and Construction Research Roadmap, however two ideas for this category include: • Understanding the Economic Benefits and Needs of General Aviation Airports (Sub-Topic: General Aviation) - The economic benefits to communities are well understood for large hub airports, but less so for smaller and GA airports. It can be difficult to quantify the economic benefits of general aviation to their communities during budget shortages. Guidance is needed for GA airports to develop a value proposition and show return on investment for airport needs. The objective is to develop guidance on how to demonstrate direct and indirect economic benefits of GA airports for community leaders in support of obtaining required operations and maintenance budget needs. • Consequences of Delayed Maintenance of Airport Assets (Sub-Topic: Replacement or Renewal of Assets)– The objective of this research project is to present a process for quantifying the consequences of delayed maintenance of airport assets, from a financial standpoint as well as other variables like time out of service. It will cover asset preservation policies, maintenance and budget needs, and the analysis of delayed maintenance scenarios, using case studies from within and external to the airport industry as appropriate.