The first 11-gate phase of Miami Airport's new concourse A is due to open in June as part of the southern gateway's $2.7 billion expansion and redevelopment programme which is due to last until 2010.
Gateway is the operative word at Miami, Florida, which boasts more carriers - around 150 - than any other US airport and where origin and destination (O&D), rather than connecting, traffic predominates. Traditionally, the airport has always prided itself on avoiding an over-reliance on one carrier. This remains the case for freight traffic, although American Airlines now dominates the passenger market.
In 1994, American carried the lion's share (13.6%) of Miami's 1.41 million tonne freight throughput, with Arrow Airways in second place with 9%. In the passenger market (throughput 30.2 million) American and American Eagle had a 48.1% market share, compared to 7.2% for United Airlines and United Express in the number two slot. How does airport operator Metro Dade County Aviation Department (DCAD) strike a balance between the interests of its major tenant American and those of the airport's many other carriers?
"We provide a level playing field for everybody and think we can meet American's requirement as well as giving assurance to other operators that their needs will be met," says DCAD aviation director Gary Dellapa. "American is smack in the middle of the passenger terminal. Moving them to one side will improve efficiency for everybody," he adds. Dellapa points out that, while discussions continue about improving things for American, DCAD has been working with the Latin Pass group of carriers to bring them together in the same part of the passenger terminal.
AMERICAN CONGESTION
American uses 42 gates for jet aircraft on concourses D and E, plus a satellite terminal with 22 stands for American Eagle flights. The airline is suffering congestion problems. While it has shrunk other parts of its network, the carrier continues to build its profitable Miami operation, where O&D traffic-accounts for 61.7% of passengers. At American's main Dallas/Fort Worth hub, the proportions are reversed, with the bulk (60.5%) of passenger traffic connecting.
According to American, the current daily schedule of 183 jet aircraft, plus 114 Eagle turboprop departures, will increase to 200 jet aircraft, and 120 Eagle departures by the end of the year. San Pedro points out that the horseshoe-shaped passenger terminal, with its closely spaced projecting concourses, was not designed for hub operations. Aircraft flow to and from the gates during each peak period is a particular problem. The solution is a new linear concourse and the continuing discussions with DCAD focus on a north-side development based on extending A, linking it to B and demolishing C. To back up its operation, American is finalising arrangements to refurbish the main ex-Pan American Airways hangar as a wide-body-maintenance base.
Miami's master plan also provides for three new south side concourses, the refurbishment of G and H and terminal widening. Among other things, this will boost retail space from 14,864m2 (160,000ft2) to 37,160m2. The additional space will be built out over the next six to seven years and Dellapa says that some management options, such as setting up a retail authority or contracting with a developer, are under evaluation. "We are looking at bringing in retail expertise in some way," he says.
Miami has been able to liberate sufficient space on its landlocked site just 10km from the downtown area for a new parallel runway, with 244m (800ft) separation from the existing 9L/27R. This would become 9C/27C and be dedicated to take-offs, with the new 2,620m-long 9L/27R being used for landings. An environment impact study is under way.
The new runway will necessitate the relocation of older freight equipment and Miami is midway through a freight-redevelopment programme which will more than double warehouse space, to over 325,000m2. Miami is the top US gateway for international freight and recently gained its first scheduled link to Asia. China Airlines started a three times weekly Boeing 747 freighter service to Taipei, Taiwan, in March. Freighter-stand space is being increased to 65 wide-body positions and road access is also being improved.
Surface access is a topic of particular concern in the passenger area, as the horseshoe shaped terminal limits landside kerb space. Roadway improvements and the construction of a fifth parking garage are under way, but there is a longer-term proposal to build a multi-modal transport centre just outside the airport perimeter, linked to the passenger terminal by a people mover. The transport centre would be served by public transport (bus and elevated rail); a high-speed bus-way, or rail link, to the Port of Miami for fly-cruise passengers; and Florida's proposed high-speed intrastate rail service.
Of the $2.7 billion expenditure for on airport developments, Dellapa says, that around 85% will be funded by airport revenue bonds, while a $3 passenger tax has been levied since 1 October 1994. He is forecasting 40 million passengers and 2.23 million tonnes of freight by the end of 2000.
Source: Flight International
