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Groups
Unveil Airport
Sustainability
Database
Aconsolidated database on air- port sustainability programs and practices has been launched
that will enable airports worldwide to
share and access resources on evolving
trends in airport sustainability.
The searchable database was unveiled
during the Oct. 11- 14 Annual Conference
of Airports Council International-North
America at the Austin Convention Center.
The database can be viewed at http://
www.airportsustainability.org.
“Airports across the country and
around the world have undertaken or are
in the process of implementing innovative
sustainability programs to improve efficiency in aviation, but until today, there
has been no central repository of this
important information,” said Greg Princi-pato, president of ACI-NA.
“The information in this database can
be tailored to the unique needs of airports of all sizes and will serve as a major
resource for airport operators working
to plan, implement and improve upon
sustainability programs at their sites,” he
added.
The database was released at the behest of the Sustainable Aviation Guidance
Alliance (SAGA), which includes participants from ACI-NA, Airport Consultants
Council, American Association of Airport
Executives, Air Transport Association and
the Federal Aviation Administration.
The database includes almost 900 existing sustainability measures undertaken
at airports in North America. Users can
search for specific examples based on a
broad range of criteria, with practices categorized under three main sections.
The activities section covers topics
such as construction, operations, administration. The functional category spans
areas such as retail, rental cars and taxiways. The final category covers economic
functions as well as operations, natural
resources and social practices. ACW
Loss Puts Boeing To Test
Boeing Commercial Air- planes reported a third- quarter loss of $1.6 billion last month as troubles in its 747-8 freighter and
787 passenger aircraft programs led
to previously announced charges totaling $3.6 billion.
The Chicago-based company
earned $695 million in the third
quarter of 2008 but that period was
marked by a machinists strike. Although revenue moved up 9 percent
in the third quarter to $16.7 billion
from $15.3 billion one year ago, the
charges forced the company to slash
its profit forecast.
“The 787 cost reclassification
and the 747 charge for increased
costs and difficult market conditions
clearly overshadowed what continues
to be otherwise solid performance
across our commercial production
programs and defense business,” said
Boeing Chairman, President and CEO
Jim McNerney.
McNerney added, “We look for-
ward to getting the 787 and 747-8 in
the air soon and moving forward with
flight test and certification for these
two important programs.”
In comments after third-quarter
results were released, McNerney
said the first 747-8 freighter is more
than 90 percent assembled, and the
second is more than 80 percent complete. He also said plans still call for
the 787 to make its first flight before
the end of the year.
In the case of the 747-8 freighter,
program delays “actually offer a silver
lining,” said Richard Aboulafia, Vice
President, Analysis at the aerospace
consulting company Teal Group in
Fairfax, Va.
“We’ve had an economic heart
attack producing the worst cargo
numbers we’ve seen,” so many operators are eager to defer deliveries, he
added.
In early October, Boeing announced that the first flight of its
747-8 freighter would happen early
next year rather than late 2009 and
that first delivery had slipped from
the third quarter to the fourth quarter of 2010.
At the time, the manufacturer said
