| Federal Funding for much needed new airport | | | | most of the money going to upgrade busy airports |
| construction and expansion comes with many strings | | | | such as Atlanta, O Hare, LAX, SFO, SeaTac, Denver, |
| attached, causing cost to soar. This is typical anytime | | | | PHX, Newark, Orlando, etc. there are major upgrades |
| your deal with an unbelievable bureaucracy of epic | | | | happening. The rest goes to smaller regional airports, |
| and biblical proportions. The EPA being part of the | | | | which also need a facelift. |
| Federal Government has a lot of power, because | | | | A recent article in the Economist predicted that this |
| many airports rely on the Senate Appropriations | | | | upgrade may be the last major upgrade for the next |
| committees reports to get funding. These federal | | | | 5-10 years, with the passing of the latest transportation |
| monies of course have strings attached and one of | | | | bill. With so much attention on environmental efforts, |
| the strings is that the airport must comply with certain | | | | airport managers of all airports are on a strict policy |
| FAA regulations and other government regulations | | | | adherence to these EPA measures. Water flowing |
| such as the EPA. | | | | from airports is tested and they take it very seriously |
| This is why Airports were some of the first to adopt | | | | from De-ice fluids, aircraft painting, food distribution on |
| zero pollution tolerances in their procedures of | | | | planes to fueling and even washing. This is where |
| operations. These same airports issue permits to | | | | environmentally friendly companies come in with our |
| operators of variousaviation enterprises. Also of | | | | BMPs and NPDES approved washing procedures. |
| important notice is the fact that these same | | | | There are few companies that can handle this rigorous |
| companies must comply with FARs Federal Aviation | | | | of a policy move and few players of previous years |
| Regulations for various types of operations. For | | | | are still able to remain doing things the old way and |
| Instance FARs part 135, 121, and 95, which regulate | | | | many are no longer in business. The EPA has spurred |
| certain types of airtravel, security requirements, jet | | | | much growth in the aviation environmental consulting |
| charter, air cargo, and fractional business jet markets. | | | | arena. It has also made it easier for large FBOs (fixed |
| So with all these regulations there are significant | | | | based Operators) to choose outsourcing of things like |
| barriers to entry into these markets, which is good for | | | | plane washing. |
| the companies already there, yet decreases | | | | Aviation consultants know there is a very long |
| competition and therefore higher costs for consumers | | | | checklist airport management must use in determining |
| and commercial customers, but even the smallest of | | | | if they are compliant with their environmental |
| airports usually owned by the municipalities and county | | | | procedures and this information is available from the |
| governments cannot operate without the funds from | | | | EPAs website. If a companies cannot meat or answer |
| the federal government to upgrade systems such as | | | | these questions to the liking or satisfaction of the |
| run way lights, VASI Lights (vertical air situation | | | | airport manager or board of directors who license or |
| indicators), air traffic control towers, etc. Part of these | | | | permit such activities, then that operator whether it be |
| monies will also go towards EPA compliance. | | | | an aircraft washing service or any related aviation |
| Over the next three years more money has been | | | | service, need not apply, because the airports |
| appropriated to our Nations airports than in any other | | | | authorities will not, nor can afford to miss out on their |
| time in history for a number of reasons. | | | | fair share of the large budget allotted to update our |
| 1.) Balancing of Budget. | | | | airports into the new millennium. Companies on the |
| 2.) Increased tax base with low unemployment. | | | | leading edge of environmental technology with proper |
| 3.) Largest government surplus in years. | | | | BMPs will be the ones, which win the greatest portion |
| Our Nation's airports need to be upgraded and with | | | | of the market share. Think on this. |