Houston airports pay $14M to clean up after Hurricane Ike
— -- The commercial airports in Houston — Bush Intercontinental and Hobby — suffered about $14 million of damage from Hurricane Ike.
Repairing Hobby, which serves only domestic flights, will cost about $9.4 million to address flooding in the central concourse, roof damage and the collapse of the main canopy in the passenger drop-off area, spokeswoman Marlene McClinton says.
At Bush Intercontinental, about $4.8 million will be needed to repair water damage around the automated people mover in Terminal B and flooding in Customs and Terminal C.
Runways and taxiways at the airport were spared from damage.
The airports reopened on Sept. 16, after closing for four days around the hurricane.
All flights have now resumed after the airlines gradually built up their schedules in the past two weeks, McClinton says.
DALLAS
Top customers get faster check-in lanes
American Airlines will introduce speedier lanes to allow its top customers to check in, clear security and board faster.
The lanes, called PriorityAAcess, will be rolled out Tuesday at its home airport, Dallas/Fort Worth, and at other large airports, including Chicago O'Hare, New York Kennedy and LaGuardia, Miami, Los Angeles, St. Louis, San Francisco, Boston and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Elite members of its frequent-flier program, full-fare coach customers, AAirpass members, and passengers in business and first class can use the lanes.
SAN FRANCISCO
Terminal redesign moves forward
San Francisco International has announced its preliminary design for Terminal 2, which has been vacant for about six years.
Designed by architecture firm Gensler, the $383 million renovation project calls for transforming the terminal's 10 wide-body gates into 13 narrow-body and one wide-body configuration. The terminal will feature 13 locally branded restaurants, children's play areas and a spa. It is scheduled to open by fall of 2010.
Terminal 2 has been empty since 2002, when the airport moved its international flights to a new terminal. Renovation plans had been delayed until the airport found enough traffic to justify the costs, airport director John Martin says.
From June 2007 to June 2008, airport passenger volume grew 8%, largely due to three new carriers: Virgin America, JetBlue and Southwest.
ROCKFORD, ILL.
Airport boldly seeks new Florida flights
Eager to court flights to the Fort Myers, Fla., area, Chicago Rockford is turning to an unusual marketing tactic. The airport is urging Florida residents to fill out an online survey to express their interest in flying north to the Chicago-Milwaukee area to visit friends and family.
Airport director Bob O'Brien says Rockford is a finalist, along with a New York state airport, for an unnamed airline's plan to launch a new flight to southwest Florida. The airline will reveal its decision this week, he says. Rockford plans to tabulate the survey results to lobby the airline and others for future flights. The airport, 70 miles northwest of Chicago O'Hare, has been marketing itself as an alternative to airports in Chicago and Milwaukee.
ATLANTA
Faster security lanes to open
After months of negotiations, the registered traveler lanes are opening this week at the world's busiest airport, Atlanta Hartsfield International.
The registered traveler program, overseen by the Transportation Security Administration, provides speedy security clearance through a separate line for pre-screened subscribers who pay about $100 a year.
New York-based Clear, the largest among the industry's three competitors, will run Atlanta's program. Its two lanes will be located in the main terminal near the existing security checkpoint. Nineteen U.S. airports currently offer registered traveler lanes.