mobile. This could be a great option for IROPs or live hardstands operations. FAA reopens Contract
AIRPORT VOICE, JUNE 2019 11
New Aviramp at JFKIAT
Terminal 4 at JFK is embracing innovation and continuously upgrading its GSE equipment.
The Aviramp International is a fully functioning jet bridge, ADA compliant, exactly
the same as a fixed terminal connecting bridge, but in this instance, completely
Tower Program
Private firms may staff airport towers
The Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) today resumed accepting
applications to the FAA
Contract Tower (FCT) program, as
called for under the FAA Reauthorization
Act of 2018. Contract towers
are air traffic control towers
that are staffed by employees of private
companies rather than by FAA
employees.
Like most federal investments,
the agency is required to perform
a benefit-cost analysis (BCA) on
each contract tower to determine
whether or not it is eligible for participation
in the FCT program. In
order to be admitted into the FCT
program, the safety and efficiency
benefits of a tower must exceed its
costs. The FAA will calculate an
official benefit-cost ratio associated
with each applicant, and the
types of volume and activity that
it supports. The agency’s BCA calculations
comply with congressional
direction on specific changes
to costs and benefits in the model.
The processing of each application
is expected to take at least
three months.
There are currently 256 contract
towers in the FCT program. Airports
interested in applying should
contact the Program Implementation
Manager (PIM) in their service
center. The phone number for
the Eastern Service Center PIM is
404-305-7153.
Amazon disrupts again
Plans for autonomous driving
Freight companies have been
put on notice that Amazon is a potential
threat to their business as
the US online retail giant moves
into the transportation market to
cut costs, including investing in autonomous
vehicles and delivery services.
Unconfirmed news reports from
China that Amazon is in talks to
take a stake in Chinese autonomous
truck maker TuSimple, which says
its goal is to bring the first self-driving
truck to market
Amazon’s worldwide shipping
costs were fifteen times higher in
2018 than in 2009, so you don’t have
to puzzle over the reason why they
are looking at their own in-house
transportation and logistics services.
Amazon understands the value
and importance of innovation, and
it’s size and service portfolio variety
means that it looks at problems
differently than other large companies.
It’s that perspective that allows
Amazon to enter new industries
and take them by storm.
Chick-fil-A banned
at 2 airports
Denials based on alleged discrimination
BY JEFF YAPALATER
Chick-fil-A chicken restaurant
has been in the news for the past
two years since it donated money
to Christian organizations that allegedly
discriminated against the
LGBTQ community. The company
has been denied concessions in two
airports, with the Buffalo airport
being the closest to metro NY. As
a result, both the FAA and the Department
of Transportation have
initiated investigations into the
claims of discrimination against
Chick-fil-A in Buffalo and San Antonio.
The Federal Aviation Administration
says it’s investigating decisions
to exclude Chick-fil-A from
airport concession contracts in San
Antonio, Texas, and Buffalo, New
York, over opposition to the fastfood
chain owners’ record on LGBTQ
issues.
The U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT) will investigate
whether two airports violated federal
law or transportation regulations
by denying a contract to
Chick-fil-A on religious grounds.
“The Department has received complaints
alleging discrimination by
two airport operators against a private
company due to the expression
of the owner’s religious beliefs,”
DOT said in a statement. “FAA’s Office
of Civil Rights has notified the
San Antonio International Airport
(SAT) and Buffalo Niagara International
Airport (BUF) that it has
opened investigations into these
complaints.”
Keisha Russell, an attorney at
the First Liberty Institute, the legal
group that filed a complaint with
Transportation Secretary Elaine
Chao over Chick-fil-A’s airport exclusion,
said her organization is
“pleased that the FAA responded to
our request by opening an investigation
into San Antonio for its blatant,
illegal religious discrimination
against Chick-fil-A.”
A Chick-fil-A spokesperson said,
“Recent coverage about our company
continues to drive an inaccurate
narrative about who we are.
We are a restaurant company focused
on food and hospitality for
all, and we have no social or political
stance,” the spokesperson
wrote. “We are grateful for all our
customers and are glad to serve
them at any time. We welcome and
embrace all people, regardless of religion,
race, gender, ethnicity, sexual
orientation or gender identity.”
How does this affect the redevelopment
at all three major NY airports?
Emails to both the Port and
FAA here at JFK did not produce
any answers on whether the company
tried to establish a concession
in the metro area.
However it is clear from the Governor’s
office that there is a major
effort to offer food concessions to local
companies providing food most
representative of the region.
In this case, Buffalo wings
would probably get approval.