Atlanta international airport which is commonly known as Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located eleven kilometers (seven miles) from the CBD of the City of Atlanta in Georgia. It is considered the busiest airport in the world serving over ninety million passengers annually. The airport accounts for the highest number of landings as well as takeoffs in the world. It is the hub of world major airlines such as the Delta Air Lines which is the largest airline in the world and AirTran Airways among others. The Delta Air Lines accounted for more than half of the passengers in the airport in 2008. Atlanta International Airport has one hundred and fifty one domestic gates and twenty eight international gates.
Expansion and planning of Atlanta International Airport
The Problem
Atlanta International Airport is rated as the busiest airport in the world. It serves the highest number of passengers (over ninety million) and has the highest number of flights (almost one million flights). Although majority of these flights are domestic, it is a major hub for international airline especially to North, South and Central America, Asia, Europe and Africa. It is rated as a major international gate way to the US although it is behind other big airports such as John F. Kennedy international airport which is located in New York City. However, the number of international flights in the airport is increasing at a very high rate. A 3.18 percent increase in international travel was recorded in 2008 with the number of passengers on board international flights reaching 4.6 million.
In order to attain its mission of being the best airport in the world by providing services that are beyond the customers expectations, the airport authority have made numerous attempts to improve the facilities in the 5.8 million square foot of land. Some of these attempts have been to increase the effectiveness of transport and communication services for the ever increasing number of visitor and personnel in the airport. Other improvement strategies have aimed at increasing the security surveillance due to the increased threat of international crime such as terrorism and drug trafficking. It is predicted that by the year 2015, the number of passengers served by the airport will have surpassed one hundred and twenty million per year. As a result of increased demand, the City of Atlanta planned to expand the airport in order to meet the immerging challenges as a result of increased passenger numbers as well as security threats. The Hartsfield Development Project was therefore initiated in 2000 which was to cost 5.4 billion dollars and last for ten years. This project was the largest project to have ever been initiated in the State of Georgia. However, the cost and time overrun the project where the project is expected to run up to the year 2015 and cost over six billion dollars (Airport technology. Com Para 1).
Fifth Runway Construction
In the United States, Atlanta International Airport is rated among the major airports most affected by delays. In order to increase customer satisfaction by reducing these delays, there was a need to construct an unrestricted runway. This fifth run way was officially opened in the mid 2006. This was a massive project which resulted in destruction of several building and structures in the neighborhoods for safety reasons. The runway cuts through two cemetery (Flat Rock and Hart) and has structures with firm foundations which are up to eleven storeys. The construction of this runway cost 1.28 billion dollars and runs up to nine thousands feet. This is the first and the major addition of runway in the airport since its construction in the mid 1980s. When this runway was constructed, it was expected that capacity of the airport would increase by 40 with the number of flight per hour increasing from an average of 184 to 237. To ease the movement of passengers in the runway which extends for over four thousands feet to the south compared to previous runways, there are taxiways throughout its length. The runway is designed to allow landing and takeoffs in any weather which reduces delays caused by adverse weather.
The runway crosses roads (Interstate 285) with bridges that can withstand 606,271t which means any aircraft including a Boeing 747 or an Airbus A380 can safely be accommodated by the strength of the bridge. Big aircrafts therefore touch the ground before they reach the bridge while the smaller ones can land directly on top of the bridge. The width of this bridge is 152 meters and its length is 3,640 meters but its strength can support the weight of a Boeing 747. With this runway, the Atlanta international airport can allow the easy takeoff and landing of bigger aircrafts such as the Boeing 777 which requires a longer runway to take off. The runway also allows simultaneous landing which is not possible in many major international airports all over the world (Airport technology. Com, Para 6).
Control Tower
To facilitate the movement of air traffic in the newly constructed runway, there was need for a new and more improved control tower. An FAA control tower was therefore constructed for clear sight of the extensive runway. This tower emerged to be the tallest among all towers in the United States airports with over 398 feet. The construction of this tower which was just over five hundred feet away from the old tower meant that the old tower was useless and it was demolished after the new tower was operational.
The modernization and expansion project of Atlanta International Airport which had a budget of 5.4 billion dollars was managed by Hartsfield Jackson Construction Management ventures and Bovis Lend Lease. The main contractor of the runway and taxiway bridge serving it was Archer Western Construction Limited. Other construction companies involved in the project by providing support services such as earth moving includes Yancey Brothers Company, APAC Georgia and Thrasher Trucking Company and Allied RMC (Airport technology. Com, Para 17).
Maynard and Jackson Jr International Terminal
In the same project, Maynard and Jackson Jr International Terminal which is also called the east international terminal was also constructed at a cost of 1.35 billion dollars. Boyken International from Georgia and Connico Incorporated who partnered with Gateway Designers were awarded the contract to designing an international terminal in the airport. The international terminal which measured over 1.2 million square feet had twelve gates, facilities to handle passengers luggage and facilities that facilitated inspection of passengers and their luggage by the federal security officials. The terminal also included space for retail and a parking space that can accommodate over one thousand cars. The construction of this terminal on the eastern end of the field was started in 2008 and is expected to take a minimum of four years (Airport technology. Com, Para 19).
Consolidated Car Rental
A consolidated Car Rental facility (commonly known as CONRAC facility) which was officially opened in 2009 was also constructed on one hundred acres piece of land which was previously used as rental car space. The CONRAC is located on the western side of Instate 1-85 and towards the lower side of Camp Creek Parkway. The facility was constructed by the Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporated. The garage in this facility has eight thousand five hundred spaces which is constructed in a four level construction covering up to sixty thousands square feet where customers can get services. The facility includes packing areas, roadways as well as several fueling and washing bays. The most unique feature of this facility is the Automated People Mover which is designed to have a station in every terminal in the complex. The APM system is so efficient and has many advantages over other methods of passenger transport. It eliminates the need to have shuttles to ferry the passengers and contribute in the reduction of pollution. The over all effect is elimination of vehicle traffic as well as reducing human traffic at the terminals.
The whole airport has been connected to an underground Automated People Mover which connects the terminals and all the six concourses. The terminals are served with forty nine vehicles which operate for twenty hours a day, everyday. The facility serves all the thirteen stations within the duration of two minutes between any two stations. The facility has the ability to move over two thousand passengers in the airport at a cost of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars (Airport technology. Com, Para 20).
Future Expansion
It is predicted that there will be even a higher growth in the number of flights and passengers in the Atlanta in the coming years. This will include local as well as international travels as a result of changing lifestyles which makes air travel more preferable to other modes of transport. Moreover, more international destinations are being opened especially to African countries and Asia. Therefore the airport authority has planned to construct thirty one more gates for domestic flights to ease the anticipated rise in air traffic. This project which is expected to be completed at the end of the year 2010 at a cost of 1.22 billion dollars will be located to the south and is thus known as the southern terminal.
The Automated People Mover will be expanded to provide a connection of the southern terminal to other existing terminals in the airport. The road network serving the terminal and the airport will need to be expanded to ease the access of all the terminals both the existing and the new one to the Interstate roads. The plans for the construction of south terminal are underway and the rate at which the plans will be implemented will depend on the demand for the services.
Passengers complex
The passengers complex has also undergone several improvements as a result of the high increase in the number of travelers being served by the airport. The improvement has also aimed at increasing the customers satisfaction by providing world class services. This improvement has touched on the security check systems which are managed by the federal security officials, ticket counters, sidewalks and concourses as well as the luggage handling systems. The taxiways have also been improved to provide better and more reliable services to the passengers. The expansion and enhancement of cargo handling facilities as well as planes maintenance has also been undertaken together with the improvement of other facilities.
Further improvement and modification includes extending the 9L-27R runway by further five hundred feet towards east and nine hundred feet towards west. There are also plans for the construction of taxiways to connect passengers from and to various destinations. This modification is expected to cost about 381 million dollars. In the future, there may be a demand for development of more flight kitchens, maintenance facilities, cargo and luggage handling facilities and even more support services which will continue even after 2010 at a cost of 673 million dollars. Some of the old runways such as 8R-26L have also been renovated in the recent past and reopened.
Airlines have also contributed in the improvement and expansion of the Atlanta international airport. This is because the airport is a regional hub for major airlines. The AirTran Airways have constructed a hangar facility worth 14.5 million dollars at the airport where it has established a hub. The hangar is about fifty six thousands square feet and can accommodate two Boeing 717 at the same time and has over twenty thousands square feet offices in a two storey building.
The airport authorities have also embarked on a plan to upgrade the communication facilities in the airport by installing modern telecommunication facilities at a cost of eleven million dollars. The aim of this up grading is aimed at adopting the most modern technological advancement to both the airport workers, passengers and the airlines. Project is expected to be undertaken in three phases within a period of four years. The first phases involve construction of communication rooms and initial installation and it was contracted to the LGC Wireless. The last phase will include the installation of the system which will have Wi Fi access where the public will be able to connect to the system through wireless communication. The airport is also planning to install a new inline luggage screening system which will cost about twenty million dollars and will be funded by the Transport Security Administration while the Federal Aviation Administration will fund the construction of an apron at the cost of 14 million dollars. This are aimed at increasing security due to the increasing number of passengers and security threats (Airport technology. Com Para 20).
Environmental and Location Factors
The location and environmental issues are major factors in the expansion plan of any airport. The Atlanta International Airport is not an exceptional in this case. The location of the airport a few miles away from a major city is a major boost for its expansion plan. Its located in the south and links it to other parts of the United States and other parts of the world. It has a large space for expansion which total up to 0.54 square kilometers with two large terminals. This large space gives room for expansion of runways and passenger complexes as well as other facility.
Environmental issues have always been a big issue in the expansion of airports. This is more so when the expansion leads to encroachment of natural resources or leads to displacement of people in residential areas. The expansion of an airport introduces new environmental challenges as a result of the need to have better waste management programs in the airport. Therefore, the development of airports and the ever growing operations in major international airport has negative effects on the surrounding environment. Today, it is clear that it is becoming more difficult to balance the operations and expansion of an airport and the environmental concern that are raised by regulators and environmentalists. The need to reduce environmental effects of the airport operations and limitation of flight hours has reduced the capacities of airports creating a need for expansion. Expansion is also associated with several environmental challenges and therefore the airport authority is faced with competing demands.
Some of the main environmental issues that are related to airports operations and expansion include noise pollution from the aircrafts, deterioration of water quality and emissions produced in the airports and by aircrafts. Over the years, federal agencies and state entities involved in airport and environmental regulations and management have made numerous attempts to reduce the adverse effects of airport operations and expansion on the environment. There are set laws that regulate the impacts of airport operations on water and air quality and the regulation of noise pollution by the aircrafts. The Federal Airport Authority together with the Atlanta international airport works together in the minimization of the negative effects of the airport expansion on the environment. The Federal Airport Authority provides grants to different airport authorities for the implementation of environmental impact reduction strategies. Moreover, the National Environmental Policy Acts requires the airport authority to present an environmental assessment impact study before undertaking any development project which has a significant impact on the surrounding environment.
As the Atlanta International Airport undergoes massive expansion, the airport authority with the assistance from the Federal Airport Authority has made attempts to balance their activities with the environmental impact. However, some airport authorities argue that some of their expansion plans such as expansion of terminals or modification of taxiways do not require any environmental assessment. While the Atlanta International Airport continues to expand, the need for better waste management strategies emerges. For example, due to the high number of passengers and workers in the Atlanta international airport, the amount of wastes which includes organic matter such as foodstuffs and inorganic plastics reach up to seventy tons daily. This may pose a big environmental problem if a proper strategy is not implemented. The airport authority has therefore launched a recycling system which is one of the biggest such programs in the southern of the United States. The GreensortATL facility does not require separate containers for wastes since it sorts out recyclable materials for recycling while the organic material is taken to a landfill. The facility is managed by the Atlanta Airlines Terminal Corporation. The program aims at reducing the amount of waste produced in the airport by over 70 in two years. The use of automated people mover in the airport has reduced the need for a shuttle service which in turn reduces the amount of air pollution (HJAIA, Para 1).
Privatization and Deregulation of Airport
The Atlanta International Airport is a public airport owned by the City of Atlanta and operated on its behalf by the Department of Aviation. However, some of the facilities in the airport such as cargo handling facilities are owned and operated by private firms. In other major international airports in the United States and other parts of the world, more facilities are owned privately. For example, at the JFK International Airport and O Hare International Airport, some terminals were developed and are operated by private firms. Many hangar facilities around the United States are also developed and owned by private investors. There are also several private firm managed airports with more and more companies developing interest in airport business. Privatization of airport operations started two decades ago in Britain when the British Airport Authority was sold to the private sector. Other governments followed the British footstep when the move proved to be more efficient. However, in majority countries, many facilities in airports are managed by the private sectors under a contract. Privatization of airport has been seen to introduce the business idea in the management which intern leads to more profit and efficiency. In many airports where the private sector is involved, there have been numerous expansions. However, privatization of airports is yet to take place in the United States. The deregulation of airport has however transformed the airports into commercially oriented facilities which has resulted into the recent expansion to improve their efficiency (Gesell, pg 1).
Expansion and planning of Atlanta International Airport
The Problem
Atlanta International Airport is rated as the busiest airport in the world. It serves the highest number of passengers (over ninety million) and has the highest number of flights (almost one million flights). Although majority of these flights are domestic, it is a major hub for international airline especially to North, South and Central America, Asia, Europe and Africa. It is rated as a major international gate way to the US although it is behind other big airports such as John F. Kennedy international airport which is located in New York City. However, the number of international flights in the airport is increasing at a very high rate. A 3.18 percent increase in international travel was recorded in 2008 with the number of passengers on board international flights reaching 4.6 million.
In order to attain its mission of being the best airport in the world by providing services that are beyond the customers expectations, the airport authority have made numerous attempts to improve the facilities in the 5.8 million square foot of land. Some of these attempts have been to increase the effectiveness of transport and communication services for the ever increasing number of visitor and personnel in the airport. Other improvement strategies have aimed at increasing the security surveillance due to the increased threat of international crime such as terrorism and drug trafficking. It is predicted that by the year 2015, the number of passengers served by the airport will have surpassed one hundred and twenty million per year. As a result of increased demand, the City of Atlanta planned to expand the airport in order to meet the immerging challenges as a result of increased passenger numbers as well as security threats. The Hartsfield Development Project was therefore initiated in 2000 which was to cost 5.4 billion dollars and last for ten years. This project was the largest project to have ever been initiated in the State of Georgia. However, the cost and time overrun the project where the project is expected to run up to the year 2015 and cost over six billion dollars (Airport technology. Com Para 1).
Fifth Runway Construction
In the United States, Atlanta International Airport is rated among the major airports most affected by delays. In order to increase customer satisfaction by reducing these delays, there was a need to construct an unrestricted runway. This fifth run way was officially opened in the mid 2006. This was a massive project which resulted in destruction of several building and structures in the neighborhoods for safety reasons. The runway cuts through two cemetery (Flat Rock and Hart) and has structures with firm foundations which are up to eleven storeys. The construction of this runway cost 1.28 billion dollars and runs up to nine thousands feet. This is the first and the major addition of runway in the airport since its construction in the mid 1980s. When this runway was constructed, it was expected that capacity of the airport would increase by 40 with the number of flight per hour increasing from an average of 184 to 237. To ease the movement of passengers in the runway which extends for over four thousands feet to the south compared to previous runways, there are taxiways throughout its length. The runway is designed to allow landing and takeoffs in any weather which reduces delays caused by adverse weather.
The runway crosses roads (Interstate 285) with bridges that can withstand 606,271t which means any aircraft including a Boeing 747 or an Airbus A380 can safely be accommodated by the strength of the bridge. Big aircrafts therefore touch the ground before they reach the bridge while the smaller ones can land directly on top of the bridge. The width of this bridge is 152 meters and its length is 3,640 meters but its strength can support the weight of a Boeing 747. With this runway, the Atlanta international airport can allow the easy takeoff and landing of bigger aircrafts such as the Boeing 777 which requires a longer runway to take off. The runway also allows simultaneous landing which is not possible in many major international airports all over the world (Airport technology. Com, Para 6).
Control Tower
To facilitate the movement of air traffic in the newly constructed runway, there was need for a new and more improved control tower. An FAA control tower was therefore constructed for clear sight of the extensive runway. This tower emerged to be the tallest among all towers in the United States airports with over 398 feet. The construction of this tower which was just over five hundred feet away from the old tower meant that the old tower was useless and it was demolished after the new tower was operational.
The modernization and expansion project of Atlanta International Airport which had a budget of 5.4 billion dollars was managed by Hartsfield Jackson Construction Management ventures and Bovis Lend Lease. The main contractor of the runway and taxiway bridge serving it was Archer Western Construction Limited. Other construction companies involved in the project by providing support services such as earth moving includes Yancey Brothers Company, APAC Georgia and Thrasher Trucking Company and Allied RMC (Airport technology. Com, Para 17).
Maynard and Jackson Jr International Terminal
In the same project, Maynard and Jackson Jr International Terminal which is also called the east international terminal was also constructed at a cost of 1.35 billion dollars. Boyken International from Georgia and Connico Incorporated who partnered with Gateway Designers were awarded the contract to designing an international terminal in the airport. The international terminal which measured over 1.2 million square feet had twelve gates, facilities to handle passengers luggage and facilities that facilitated inspection of passengers and their luggage by the federal security officials. The terminal also included space for retail and a parking space that can accommodate over one thousand cars. The construction of this terminal on the eastern end of the field was started in 2008 and is expected to take a minimum of four years (Airport technology. Com, Para 19).
Consolidated Car Rental
A consolidated Car Rental facility (commonly known as CONRAC facility) which was officially opened in 2009 was also constructed on one hundred acres piece of land which was previously used as rental car space. The CONRAC is located on the western side of Instate 1-85 and towards the lower side of Camp Creek Parkway. The facility was constructed by the Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporated. The garage in this facility has eight thousand five hundred spaces which is constructed in a four level construction covering up to sixty thousands square feet where customers can get services. The facility includes packing areas, roadways as well as several fueling and washing bays. The most unique feature of this facility is the Automated People Mover which is designed to have a station in every terminal in the complex. The APM system is so efficient and has many advantages over other methods of passenger transport. It eliminates the need to have shuttles to ferry the passengers and contribute in the reduction of pollution. The over all effect is elimination of vehicle traffic as well as reducing human traffic at the terminals.
The whole airport has been connected to an underground Automated People Mover which connects the terminals and all the six concourses. The terminals are served with forty nine vehicles which operate for twenty hours a day, everyday. The facility serves all the thirteen stations within the duration of two minutes between any two stations. The facility has the ability to move over two thousand passengers in the airport at a cost of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars (Airport technology. Com, Para 20).
Future Expansion
It is predicted that there will be even a higher growth in the number of flights and passengers in the Atlanta in the coming years. This will include local as well as international travels as a result of changing lifestyles which makes air travel more preferable to other modes of transport. Moreover, more international destinations are being opened especially to African countries and Asia. Therefore the airport authority has planned to construct thirty one more gates for domestic flights to ease the anticipated rise in air traffic. This project which is expected to be completed at the end of the year 2010 at a cost of 1.22 billion dollars will be located to the south and is thus known as the southern terminal.
The Automated People Mover will be expanded to provide a connection of the southern terminal to other existing terminals in the airport. The road network serving the terminal and the airport will need to be expanded to ease the access of all the terminals both the existing and the new one to the Interstate roads. The plans for the construction of south terminal are underway and the rate at which the plans will be implemented will depend on the demand for the services.
Passengers complex
The passengers complex has also undergone several improvements as a result of the high increase in the number of travelers being served by the airport. The improvement has also aimed at increasing the customers satisfaction by providing world class services. This improvement has touched on the security check systems which are managed by the federal security officials, ticket counters, sidewalks and concourses as well as the luggage handling systems. The taxiways have also been improved to provide better and more reliable services to the passengers. The expansion and enhancement of cargo handling facilities as well as planes maintenance has also been undertaken together with the improvement of other facilities.
Further improvement and modification includes extending the 9L-27R runway by further five hundred feet towards east and nine hundred feet towards west. There are also plans for the construction of taxiways to connect passengers from and to various destinations. This modification is expected to cost about 381 million dollars. In the future, there may be a demand for development of more flight kitchens, maintenance facilities, cargo and luggage handling facilities and even more support services which will continue even after 2010 at a cost of 673 million dollars. Some of the old runways such as 8R-26L have also been renovated in the recent past and reopened.
Airlines have also contributed in the improvement and expansion of the Atlanta international airport. This is because the airport is a regional hub for major airlines. The AirTran Airways have constructed a hangar facility worth 14.5 million dollars at the airport where it has established a hub. The hangar is about fifty six thousands square feet and can accommodate two Boeing 717 at the same time and has over twenty thousands square feet offices in a two storey building.
The airport authorities have also embarked on a plan to upgrade the communication facilities in the airport by installing modern telecommunication facilities at a cost of eleven million dollars. The aim of this up grading is aimed at adopting the most modern technological advancement to both the airport workers, passengers and the airlines. Project is expected to be undertaken in three phases within a period of four years. The first phases involve construction of communication rooms and initial installation and it was contracted to the LGC Wireless. The last phase will include the installation of the system which will have Wi Fi access where the public will be able to connect to the system through wireless communication. The airport is also planning to install a new inline luggage screening system which will cost about twenty million dollars and will be funded by the Transport Security Administration while the Federal Aviation Administration will fund the construction of an apron at the cost of 14 million dollars. This are aimed at increasing security due to the increasing number of passengers and security threats (Airport technology. Com Para 20).
Environmental and Location Factors
The location and environmental issues are major factors in the expansion plan of any airport. The Atlanta International Airport is not an exceptional in this case. The location of the airport a few miles away from a major city is a major boost for its expansion plan. Its located in the south and links it to other parts of the United States and other parts of the world. It has a large space for expansion which total up to 0.54 square kilometers with two large terminals. This large space gives room for expansion of runways and passenger complexes as well as other facility.
Environmental issues have always been a big issue in the expansion of airports. This is more so when the expansion leads to encroachment of natural resources or leads to displacement of people in residential areas. The expansion of an airport introduces new environmental challenges as a result of the need to have better waste management programs in the airport. Therefore, the development of airports and the ever growing operations in major international airport has negative effects on the surrounding environment. Today, it is clear that it is becoming more difficult to balance the operations and expansion of an airport and the environmental concern that are raised by regulators and environmentalists. The need to reduce environmental effects of the airport operations and limitation of flight hours has reduced the capacities of airports creating a need for expansion. Expansion is also associated with several environmental challenges and therefore the airport authority is faced with competing demands.
Some of the main environmental issues that are related to airports operations and expansion include noise pollution from the aircrafts, deterioration of water quality and emissions produced in the airports and by aircrafts. Over the years, federal agencies and state entities involved in airport and environmental regulations and management have made numerous attempts to reduce the adverse effects of airport operations and expansion on the environment. There are set laws that regulate the impacts of airport operations on water and air quality and the regulation of noise pollution by the aircrafts. The Federal Airport Authority together with the Atlanta international airport works together in the minimization of the negative effects of the airport expansion on the environment. The Federal Airport Authority provides grants to different airport authorities for the implementation of environmental impact reduction strategies. Moreover, the National Environmental Policy Acts requires the airport authority to present an environmental assessment impact study before undertaking any development project which has a significant impact on the surrounding environment.
As the Atlanta International Airport undergoes massive expansion, the airport authority with the assistance from the Federal Airport Authority has made attempts to balance their activities with the environmental impact. However, some airport authorities argue that some of their expansion plans such as expansion of terminals or modification of taxiways do not require any environmental assessment. While the Atlanta International Airport continues to expand, the need for better waste management strategies emerges. For example, due to the high number of passengers and workers in the Atlanta international airport, the amount of wastes which includes organic matter such as foodstuffs and inorganic plastics reach up to seventy tons daily. This may pose a big environmental problem if a proper strategy is not implemented. The airport authority has therefore launched a recycling system which is one of the biggest such programs in the southern of the United States. The GreensortATL facility does not require separate containers for wastes since it sorts out recyclable materials for recycling while the organic material is taken to a landfill. The facility is managed by the Atlanta Airlines Terminal Corporation. The program aims at reducing the amount of waste produced in the airport by over 70 in two years. The use of automated people mover in the airport has reduced the need for a shuttle service which in turn reduces the amount of air pollution (HJAIA, Para 1).
Privatization and Deregulation of Airport
The Atlanta International Airport is a public airport owned by the City of Atlanta and operated on its behalf by the Department of Aviation. However, some of the facilities in the airport such as cargo handling facilities are owned and operated by private firms. In other major international airports in the United States and other parts of the world, more facilities are owned privately. For example, at the JFK International Airport and O Hare International Airport, some terminals were developed and are operated by private firms. Many hangar facilities around the United States are also developed and owned by private investors. There are also several private firm managed airports with more and more companies developing interest in airport business. Privatization of airport operations started two decades ago in Britain when the British Airport Authority was sold to the private sector. Other governments followed the British footstep when the move proved to be more efficient. However, in majority countries, many facilities in airports are managed by the private sectors under a contract. Privatization of airport has been seen to introduce the business idea in the management which intern leads to more profit and efficiency. In many airports where the private sector is involved, there have been numerous expansions. However, privatization of airports is yet to take place in the United States. The deregulation of airport has however transformed the airports into commercially oriented facilities which has resulted into the recent expansion to improve their efficiency (Gesell, pg 1).
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