American dream

Paul Seidenman/SAN FRANCISCO

The new $585 million Austin-Bergstrom International Airport opened in May after four years of construction on the site of the old Bergstrom AFB, which closed in 1993. Thirteen kilometres (8 miles) south-east of Austin, the new commercial airport for Texas' capital replaces the 68-year-old Robert Mueller Airport. Surrounded by urban development, Mueller, situated on 288Ha (711 acres) just 5km from downtown Austin, was no longer able to expand to meet the area's growing air transport needs.

Austin-Bergstrom, occupying 1,700Ha in an area of little residential or commercial development, is the first civilian airport to be completed under the auspices of the US Government's Base Realignment and Closure Commission. "Austin-Bergstrom is the largest project to date in which a former military air base was converted to total civilian use," says John Almond, director of facilities and operations for the City of Austin Department of Aviation, the airport's operator.

The Austin-Bergstrom project benefited significantly from the well-developed infrastructure that the USAir Force left behind. The centrepiece of that infrastructure was a runway 3,740m (12,250ft) long and just under 92m wide. Highway access, security fencing and all major utility hook-ups were in place. Plus, the USAF base occupied city-owned property, which reverted to city control when the base closed.

The USAF "also left behind a sufficient amount of tarmac space or 'hard stand' that was readily convertible for air cargo operations", says Almond. "This gave us the opportunity to develop warehouse and aircraft parking facilities for the cargo operations. In fact, we were able to open the airport for cargo operations in July 1997, using an existing control tower that was operated by an outside contractor." That control tower was deactivated on 1 January this year when a new Federal Aviation Administration-operated control tower opened at the airport.

Almond says the USAF spent "a considerable amount of time and money" on environmental clean-up in concert with the airport's construction schedule: "I think that the Air Force wanted to make this a showcase project with respect to what it could do to assist with projects like this, and I think we benefited greatly," he says.

parallel runways

The airport project included the addition of a runway that was 2,745m (9,000ft) long and 46m wide, built parallel to the old base's existing runway. Much of the sub-base for the new runway was constructed of concrete that was recycled from the old base, which saved about $2 million. The dual runway system permits simultaneous landings and take-offs and the new runway, Almond reports, is certified for Category 3 instrument landing system approaches.

"We installed an in-pavement lighting system along the centre-line of the new runway to aid in low visibility landings. To enhance safety on the ground, the same lighting system has been extended to all of the airport taxiways," Almond says.

The lighting system is regulated via a computer-based, touch-sensitive screen in the control tower. By touching the screen the lighting can be turned on and off and its intensity can also be regulated.

While the base's original runway was narrowed to 46m to comply with FAA standards, it was not brought up to Category 3 certification. The main reason, Almond says, was that the older runway had been well maintained and was in excellent condition when the base was closed. "Installing the low-visibility lighting system required for the Category 3 certification would have compromised the runway's concrete surface, so we decided not to-until it needs major maintenance. Because of the condition of the runway, we do not see that happening for 10 to 15 years."

But the most extensive project at Austin-Bergstrom was a new, state-of-the art passenger terminal complex. The $115 million facility, named after the late Barbara Jordan, a Texan who served in the US House of Representatives, opened on 23 May with 25 gates. The gates include one devoted to commuter airline operations, plus one that caters to widebodied international flights and leads to a customs inspection area. The number of gates, however, can be as many as 55.

According to Chuck Griffith, the Austin Department of Aviation's executive director, leases on the remaining gates appear to be imminent. Under the original planning, the terminal was to open with just 20 gates.

"Because of traffic projections, we decided in early 1998 to put in the additional five gates, which we believed would be adequate for the next five years," he said. "As it turned out, on opening day, 23 of the gates were leased. Now there are conversations going on with other airlines to lease the remaining two. It's likely that within the next several months those gates will be occupied."

Based on passenger boardings last year at the old Mueller Airport, about 3 million passengers are expected to use Austin-Bergstrom within its first year. By 2012, however, that number is expected to double. The airport currently has a total of 260 daily operations - departures and arrivals.

Griffith adds that, within three years, another five gates will probably be constructed, satisfying the airport's gate space requirements for the first 10 years. "If any more gates are needed,'' he says, "we would have to add them to piers that would extend from the main terminal, which has been designed with this provision in mind. If the piers are added, they would be built just beyond the centre portion of the terminal building, on the east or west end." All of the gates, with the exception of the commuter gate, are equipped with covered air bridges. An air bridge could be added to the commuter gate if service requirements change.

The granite, metal and glass-sheathed, crescent shaped terminal was built as a four-level, three-storey building which includes the aircraft parking apron, baggage claim, mezzanine and concourse. Over 24m high, the terminal is 638m from end to end, and 85m wide. With 55,740m2 (600,000ft2) of floor space, the complex has more than twice the area of the terminal at the old airport.

Nine air carriers provide scheduled passenger service at Austin, with Dallas-based Southwest Airlines the largest tenant, operating from six gates and offering 45 daily departures. American Airlines runs a close second with five gates under lease and 38 departures each day. Both airlines account for around 31% of the Austin market and each is projecting about 80,000 boardings a month at the new facility.

marketing the future

The planning for Austin-Bergstrom included provisions for the transfer of all general aviation activity from Mueller. At the new airport, all general aviation operations are based on the east side and are served by Signature Flight Support and Austin Aero. Both operated fixed-based operator services at the old airport.

Griffith reports that for the near-term, any growth potential for the airport will most likely be in the direction of international markets, adding: "The real growth opportunity for Austin-Bergstrom is Mexico and, to some extent, Canada."

The airport presently has no scheduled carriers flying international trips, although weekly charters to the Mexican resort cities of Cozumel and Cancun are operating from Austin. Griffith says that the city's aviation department is heavily promoting the airport to scheduled carriers as an international gateway.

He points out that many people drive the 130km from Austin to the San Antonio International Airport to catch direct flights into Mexico. "San Antonio International is definitely our primary competitor in the area," Griffith says. "But, when you look at the Austin metropolitan area, the potential for air travel is really greater from our facility than San Antonio."

In that regard, he notes that San Antonio's metropolitan area population of 1.5 million people is larger than metropolitan Austin's at just over 1 million, but Austin boasts higher income and education levels per capita. "This means that there is a larger potential air travel base in Austin, and for Austin-Bergstrom to surpass San Antonio International as the primary southwest Texas gateway to Mexico."

While Griffith believes that domestic traffic growth at Austin may not be as promising, that could change. "While no talks are going on right now with respect to turning Austin-Bergstrom into a hub airport, the Department of Aviation feels that it could become an attractive alternative to Dallas/Fort Worth," he says. "Major airline hubs such as Dallas/Fort Worth or Chicago O'Hare, which are dominated by one or two carriers, have reached their growth potential. To the extent that the airlines want to establish more hubs, they will look to smaller cities like Austin, much as Delta Air Lines did at Cincinnati."

Air cargo operations at Austin-Bergstrom are already expanding. It has 24,600m2 of warehouse space, 120,770m2 of aircraft parking, and over 93,000m2 of truck parking and handling space and on-site customs facilities. Dedicated cargo operations account for 35 daily flights. FedEx, Airborne Express, BAX Global, DHL, Emery Worldwide, Eagle USA and United Parcel Service are the major air cargo operators.

two new projects

Two just-announced projects will increase the airport's cargo infrastructure within the next 12 to 18 months. Both are being carried out by Aeroterm and Austin CargoPort Development, the two companies which hold air cargo facilities development, management and ownership rights at Austin-Bergstrom.

Aeroterm, with bases in Baltimore and Montreal, will add 5,500m2 of warehouse and office space to the 4,600m2 of its existing facilities at Austin-Bergstrom. According to Mike Bradley, Aeroterm's vice-president, that project should be completed between the middle and end of next year.

Austin CargoPort Development, which operates 14,800m2 of warehouse space with nine aircraft parking positions, will add 2,230m2 and four additional aircraft parking positions to its facility at Austin-Bergstrom by January. According to Raymond Brimble, the company's managing partner, the additional space will cater mainly to Eagle USA, a large freight forwarder.

Aeroterm's Mike Bradley attributes the expansion to what he calls "pent-up demand".

"The economy of the Austin area is booming, because of the growing high technology industry here," he says. "That is generating an incredible amount of air cargo, which is including a lot of forwarder traffic into and out of Mexico. Because Austin-Bergstrom can handle much more cargo activity than Robert Mueller, we feel that a lot of air shipments that would have gone by truck to Houston or Dallas/Fort Worth for transhipment will now go directly out of Austin by air."

Source: Flight International