Business Travel Tips

Body-scanning technology is to be deployed at nine more airports in the U.S.

With Boston’s Logan International Airport installing today three body-scanning machines and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport receiving one next week, the list of of the U.S. airports — published by TSA — to install this technology by this summer includes 11.

The list includes Boston Logan International (BOS), Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), Chicago O’Hare International (ORD), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FFL), Kansas City International (MCI), Los Angeles International (LAX), Mineta San José International (SJC), Oakland International (OAK), Port Columbus International (CMH), and San Diego International (SAN)

TSA says that a total of 450 AIT (Advanced Imaging Technology) units will be deployed by the end of 2010 and the additional airports will be announced in the near future.

The Shoe Scanner idea has not been abandoned, The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said.

- Updates on the project

Shoe Scanner, which find metal weapons and explosives in shoes, were unsuccessfully tested three years ago. However TSA says the latest generation of the machines promise better results and will improve security.

TSA started collecting data on Shoe Scanning Detection technology in the fall of 2008 and is currently soliciting industry input as it looks to explore future use of shoe scanning systems. In addition, TSA has requested funding for shoe scanning detection technology as part of the FY11 budget.

This would be a win-win because it’s the perfect balance of security and convenience.
Shoe removal has long been considered one of the most inconvenient aspects of airline security, so this would be welcomed with open arms (and shoed feet) by the flying public. I can assure you that our officers want this technology to work just as much or more than the passengers do.
This would allow them to focus their attention on other things and there would be much less clutter on the X-ray belts. (source: TSA)

The report about the aviation safety performance for 2009 released by International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows that the year’s accident rate for Western-built jet aircraft as the second lowest in aviation history. 

The 2009 global accident rate (measured in hull losses per million flights of Western-built jet aircraft) was 0.71. That is equal to one accident for every 1.4 million flights. This is a significant improvement of the 0.81 rate recorded in 2008 (one accident for 1.2 million flights).  The 2009 rate was the second lowest in aviation history, just above the 2006 rate of 0.65. Compared to 10 years ago, the accident rate has been cut 36% from the rate recorded in 2000.

In absolute numbers, 2009 saw the following results:
- 2.3 billion people flew safely on 35 million flights (27 million jet, 8 million turboprop) ;
- 19 accidents involving western built jet aircraft compared to 22 in 2008;
- 90 accidents (all aircraft types, Eastern and Western built) compared to 109 in 2008;
- 18 fatal accidents (all aircraft types) compared to 23 in 2008;
- 685 fatalities compared to 502 in 2008

IATA member airlines outperformed the industry average with a Western-built jet hull accident rate of 0.62. That rate is equal to one accident for every 1.6 million flights.
“In 2009 IATA marked an important milestone in aviation safety. From 1 April, all IATA members were on the registry of the IATA Operational Safety Audit - a testimony to our commitment to the highest global standards for operational safety. IOSA is the global standard. Today 332 carriers are on the registry, including IATA’s 231 members,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

An analysis of the causes of the 2009 accidents focuses on three main areas:

- Runway excursions continue to be a challenge and accounted for 26% of all accidents in 2009. However, the total number of runway excursions dropped by 18% (23 vs 28 in 2008). IATA released its Runway Excursion Risk Reduction Toolkit in 2009, with an updated version to be produced later this year. The toolkit is incorporated with IATA’s broad ranging safety data tools in the IATA Global Safety Information Center (GSIC), a customizable website which will enable users to extract relevant safety information through a single application and enable them to perform performance benchmark and conduct trend analysis and risk management.

- Ground damage accounted for 10% of all accidents in 2009. To improve safety and reduce this US$4 billion annual industry cost, IATA introduced the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO). Built on similar principles to IOSA, ISAGO is the industry’s first global standard for the oversight and auditing of ground handling companies. The first audits took place in 2008. To date a total of 149 audits have been conducted.

-While runway excursions and ground damage were the main categories of accidents, pilot handling was noted as a contributing factor in 30% of all accidents.
(View complete report of 2009 Aviation Safety Performance)

According to the recently released J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, the trend that sees the smaller airports score markedly higher than the medium or large airports has continued in 2009.

The study measures overall airport satisfaction in three distinct airport segments, based on passenger traffic: large (serve 30 million or more passengers per year), medium (serve 10 million to 30 million passengers per year) and small (fewer than 10 million passengers per year).

The six different factors examined to determine overall customer satisfaction include: airport accessibility; baggage claim; check-in/baggage check process; terminal facilities; security check; and food and retail services.

Detroit Metropolitan (DTW) won the award in the Large Airports segment, Kansas City International (MCI) ranked first in the Medium Airports segment, and Indianapolis International (IND) topped the ranking in the Small Airports segment. (View complete airport ratings)

The study also shows that the airport experience is the least pleasant segment when compared to hotel and rental car satisfaction. Overall, passenger satisfaction with the airport experience averages just 690 points (on a 1,000-point scale) — considerably lower than average satisfaction with hotels and rental cars (756 and 733, respectively).

The 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 12,100 passengers who took a round-trip flight between January and December 2009. Passengers evaluated their departing and arriving airports, and the study includes a total of more than 24, 200 evaluations. The study was fielded between January and December 2009.

The Air Transport Association, a trade group for large carriers, said 15,000 flights were grounded from Feb. 5 in the U.S., the USA Today reports.

The newspaper quoted Air Transport Association spokesman David Castelveter saying: “Those flights would have carried about 1 million passengers, all of whom must be rerouted on other flights. This could shape up to be one of the most significant weather events affecting flight cancellations and passenger travel in decades”.

Airlines say it could take days to rebook the passengers.

David Castelveter explained there is another reason for the high number of cancellations: airlines want to avoid stranding planes on the tarmac.

Darryl Jenkins, an airline consultant said: “Cancellations will become the new norm, rather than take any chance for long delays.” (source)