Analysis of an Interesting Airport: Basic Description, Operations, Regulation, Finances, Future

Task 2A. Basic Description and Identifying Challenging Decision

Choose an airport that you find particularly interesting. You must choose an airport that falls within one of the categories posted on OWL. If in doubt feel free to ask if your airport fits.
Some explicit exclusions apply:
• Can’t be Ontario or Canadian major (e.g. no YYZ, YVR, YYC, YEG, YUL, YXU, YOW,
YTZ, YHZ... ask before selecting any Canadian airport)
• Can’t be major US airport subject of case study / class focus (no BOS, ORD,
JFK/EWR/LGA/TEB, ATL, SFO, LAX, DFW)
• Must be unique within the class

Task 2A. Basic description and Identifying Challenging Decision. Perform a search on your airport and identify key basic descriptive characteristics. What type of operations are conducted at the airport? Who is the dominant carrier / airport user? How would you categorize / classify the airport (as discussed in class / textbook)? How does the airport fit into the local, national, and international airport systems (are there multiple airports in the local airport system? Is the airport a hub?) How does the airport relate to its local community – who are the key stakeholders and how are they (if they are) represented?

Include a preliminary indication of the ‘challenging decision’ that you will be providing a recommendation on. (you are free to change and adjust as the term progresses). Sketch out what analyses (but don’t perform yet) you think you will need to develop recommendation(s).

What organization regulates the airport, are there key / important / unique regulations that dictate decisions made by the airport?
What is the ownership structure of the airport? Who operates the airport (is it different from the owner?) How does the airport generate revenue (does it primarily generate revenue from air operations (landing / terminal charges or from retail / rent?)? What are its biggest expenses? What does its latest financial statements tell you about its financial condition (making/losing money, what investments have been made recently (financial details, not operational details for moment)?

Sketch out a plan for when you will do any analyses related to airport finances that are needed for developing a recommendation to the ‘challenging decision’. Task 2C. Describe how the airport operates. What are the main runways? How many terminals? Are there unique / interesting characteristics of the terminal layout? Are all users treated equally? Are there local noise procedures? Are there terminal or runway or environmental specific operating conditions? What facilities are there for ground access? Cargo facilities? What unique operational constraints are present?

Task 2B. Airport Finances

What capacity constraints exist? Start developing sections of the report that will describe the ‘challenging decision’ facing the airport and the methods you are using to develop recommendations. Update your plan on analyses related to airport finances. Sketch out a plan for when you will do any analyses related to airport operations that are needed for developing a recommendation to the ‘challenging decision’.

Task 2D. Airports Future. Establish the context for the airports future. What forecasts can you find that are relevant to the airport (either airport specific or regionally, nationally, internationally)? How do they relate to and explain current expansion plans at the airport? What strategic plans does the airport have? Include preliminary draft of your ‘challenging decision’, analysis approach and (to extent able) anticipated recommendation(s). Update your plan for any analyses needed to develop your recommendation. Sketch out a plan for when you will do any analyses related to airport operations that are needed for developing a recommendation to the ‘challenging decision’.

For each version, each submission should have 2 parts:
1. Draft Document – your current best working copy of the final report you will be submitting.
2. “Process Document” – your plans for analysis and notes documenting how you are responding to critiques along the way.

i. Have they addressed a comprehensive but not exhaustive set of the information suggested? What’s missing, what’s most important to keep?
ii. Is the presentation effective and interesting? Is it developing a structure leading towards a final report?
iii. (optionally) Something from your report that you would recommend your classmate considering, something from their report that you will consider
iv. Feedback on their plan for analyses

You will have 1 week to post the critiques and any one profile can only receive 3 critiques. I am looking for uniqueness in the critiques, so repeating what previous students have posted is not as useful as unique comments Action: After Task 2B and Task 2D for 3 of your classmates (distinct) post on OWL a constructive critique of their draft report.The final profile should be approximately equivalent to a 4-8 page multi-paragraph single spaced “Word” document. Part of your job as the consultant is to decide what facts about the airport are most relevant to providing background and context about the ‘challenging decision.’ Your document needs to produce a supported recommendation on the ‘challenging decision’ Be sure to have reviewed the critiques posted by your classmates – have they identified key missing pieces, suggested additional ideas that should be included, ideas for how presentation could be improved? Can you clarify any confusing or incomplete parts?