Air Traffic Control Services Tyler Pounds regional Airport Tyler, Texas March 8, 2012

Transcription

1 Air Traffic Cntrl Services Tyler Punds reginal Airprt Tyler, Texas March 8, 2012 Tyler Punds Reginal Airprt (TYR) is lcated in Smith Cunty, Texas, apprximately six miles west f the City f Tyler, Texas. The airprt is designated as a primary cmmercial service airprt by the Federal Aviatin Administratin (FAA). Presently American Eagle Airlines and United Express Airlines serve TYR. As a cmmercial service airprt, TYR must cnfrm t the rules and regulatins under C.F.R. Part 139. On March 5, 2013, TYR received ntificatin frm the Federal Aviatin Administratin (FAA) that funding f the air traffic cntrl twer at TYR culd be cut as a result f budget sequestratin. The letter states that part f the guiding principles in the implementatin f the cuts is t minimize the impact t the greatest number f passengers. Lwer passenger cunts were included in the criteria fr cutting funds. Impacts t multi state transprtatin and passenger enplanements: Cmmercial air service is a critical part f the Natinal Airspace System (NAS) and Tyler is the largest airprt in the entire East Texas regin with cmmercial air service. TYR is the nly airprt in Suthwest Arkansas, Nrtheast Texas, East Texas and Sutheast Texas with cmmercial air service t DFW Airprt and Hustn s Gerge Bush Intercntinental Airprt. Frm these hub airprts, travelers can travel anywhere in the cuntry. Accrding t FAA Enplanement recrds, TYR enplanes and deplanes mre passengers than all ther East Texas and Suthwest Arkansas airprts including Wac, Lngview, Beaumnt /Prt Arthur and the Texarkana airprts. TYR averages between 145, 000 and 150,000 cmmercial passengers flying in and ut f Tyler each year. Furthermre Smith Cunty, Texas is the mst ppulated cunty f at least twenty six surrunding cunties in East Texas. U.S. Census recrds indicate that the ppulatin f Smith Cunty is 213,381. (see belw)

2 Surce: US Census Bureau Over the past 10 years TYR experienced an increase in the number f larger aircraft peratins (Airprt Reference Cde (ARC) C-II and D) at the airprt. This is primarily due t the grwth in the cmmercial airline service fleet mix which has transitined frm smaller ARC A and B, turb prp aircraft t the larger ARC C-II, reginal jet aircraft. Tday Tyler has an all jet fleet and imprvements have been made t address future grwth already being seen n the airprt. Having air traffic cntrl n the Tyler Punds Reginal Airprt has existed well ver the past fifty years and must remain in rder t maintain the cmmercial air service being prvided t East Texas in the future. Tyler as a Diversinary Airprt: Tyler has histrically handled diversins frm DFW Airprt and Hustn s Gerge Bush Intercntinental Airprt during inclement weather cnditins. Tyler cntinues t be n the Airprt Operatins Center Diversin list fr DFW and Hustn Intercntinental airprts. Recently American Eagle surveyed TYR fr capabilities t expand t handle internatinal diversins. Additinally TYR is lcated far enugh inland that it is typically used and is available t the castal airprts t be a safe haven airprt during hurricane events in the Gulf f Mexic. In these instances, air traffic cntrllers are invaluable in giving first pririty t separating aircraft, aircraft grund mvements, issuing safety and weather alerts. Withut cntrllers in ur twer, these critical safety functins will nt be perfrmed.

3 Natinal Security and Disaster Assistance: Tyler has a lng histry f cntributing t the Natin s Defense Prgram. But mst imprtantly Tyler s air traffic cntrl was vital during the events fllwing September 11, 2001, with the crdinatin f grunding all the cmmercial and civilian aircraft in the surrunding area. Aircraft were nt allwed t depart and ur lcal air traffic cntrl was the first line f respnse in this effrt. Other events such as the crash f the Spaceship Clumbia als ccurred in ur regin and air traffic cntrl was called n t assist. During the recrd drught f East Texas in 2011, wildfires reached unprecedented levels. Again the airprt was used as a staging pint fr the USDA Frest Service and Texas Frest Service. Tday, Tyler Punds Reginal Airprt (TYR) prvides services fr the Air Educatin and Training Cmmand (AETC) fr the U. S Military. Jet Center f Tyler has military fuel cntracts t prvide fuel t the military while n crss cuntry training missins. In the Fall f 2012, TYR was ntified that we are ne f three cities in nrth Texas selected as an air evacuatin prcessing center fr the FEMA Incident Assistance Management Team. Preliminary plans were discussed t allw residents in Suth Texas t be airlifted t TYR using U.S. Military C-130 aircraft. The plan called fr a large number f planes being parking n the airfield requiring a very intense grund handling cmpnent. Air traffic grund cntrl wuld be critical fr a plan such as this t succeed. Frequently the airprt is cntacted t ensure we can handle additinal aircraft fr weather related r ther natinal security events. TYR presently has the fuel strage, airfield capabilities, terminal building and air traffic cntrllers t respnd t the call. Airprt Safety and Security: Reducing the ptential fr runway incursins and runway cllisins is a tp pririty fr the Federal Aviatin Administratin (FAA). There are fur categries f runway incursins: Categry A is a serius incident in which a cllisin was narrwly avided Categry B is an incident in which separatin decreases and there is a significant ptential fr cllisin, which may result in a time critical crrective/evasive respnse t avid a cllisin. Categry C is an incident characterized by ample time and/r distance t avid a cllisin. Categry D is an incident that meets the definitin f runway incursin such as incrrect presence f a single vehicle/persn/aircraft n the prtected area f a surface designated fr the landing and take-ff f aircraft but with n immediate safety cnsequences. Operatinal Errrs Pilt Deviatins Vehicle/Pedestrian Deviatin Actin f an Air Traffic Cntrller that results in: Less than required minimum separatin between 2 r mre aircraft, r between an aircraft and bstacles, (vehicles, equipment, Actin f a pilt that vilates any Federal Aviatin Regulatin Example: a pilt crsses a runway withut a Pedestrians r vehicles entering any prtin f the airprt mvement areas (runways/taxiways) withut authrizatin frm air traffic

4 Operatinal Errrs Pilt Deviatins Vehicle/Pedestrian Deviatin persnnel n runways) r Clearing an aircraft t take ff r land n a clsed runway clearance while enrute t an airprt gate cntrl Categry D Categry C Categry B Categry A Accident Incident that meets the An incident in which definitin f runway separatin decreases An incident incursin such as incrrect and there is a A serius characterized presence f a single significant ptential incident in by ample time An incursin vehicle/persn/aircraft n the fr cllisin, which which a and/r that resulted prtected area f a surface may result in a time cllisin was distance t in a cllisin designated fr the landing critical narrwly avid a and take-ff f aircraft but crrective/evasive avided. cllisin. with n immediate safety respnse t avid a cnsequences. cllisin. Surce: FAA Runway Safety News 11/20/09 Safe and efficient peratins depend n clear cmmunicatin and smth crdinatin amng air traffic cntrllers, pilts, and a wide variety f airprt vehicle peratrs. Lack f air traffic cntrllers at Tyler Punds Reginal Airprt can jepardize this imprved level f safety and deterirate the achievements frm the past effrts. Recently the FAA required Part 139 airprts t cmpletely redevelp the airprt emergency plan (AEP) fr airprt AND regin wide emergencies. In the majrity f all the respnses fr the Smith Cunty plan, air traffic cntrl plays a significant rle fr emergency ntificatin, airprt mvement area grund cntrl and sequencing air traffic fr aviatin respnse t disaster events.in the regin. TYR is als classified as a Categry III airprt based n the security vulnerability as described in the Transprtatin Security Administratin regulatin 49 CFR Part The regulatin requires that the airprt establish a secured area and Airprt Operatins Area t prevent and detect the unauthrized entry t the secured area. Air traffic cntrllers have been a true asset in the detectin f suspicius activities n the airprt and making reprts t airprt plice fr further actin.

5 Medical Air Ambulance Services: One f the fastest grwing and significant industries in Tyler cmes frm ur medical cmmunity. With 3 primary hspitals and vast number f supprting clinics, practices, and specialty hspitals, Tyler has becme the reginal medical hub f East Texas. Due t its diversity and experience, citizens bth inside the regin and abrad knw that they can find cmfrt that almst all majr surgeries can be perfrmed in Tyler, Texas. East Texas Medical Center Reginal Healthcare System Trinity Mther Frances Hspital and Clinics The University f Texas Health Science Center at Tyler East Texas Medical Center Reginal Healthcare System FEATURE: Level I Trauma Center (grund and air ambulance) Trinity Mther Frances Hspital: FEATURE: Level II Trauma Center (grund and air ambulance) Tyler Punds Reginal Airprt prvides daily supprt fr the air ambulance system fr bth hspitals as well as air ambulance entering the TYR air space. Presently bth hspitals base a prtin f their helicpter fleets at TYR and utilize TYR air traffic cntrl while perating n the airprt and at the hspitals. Ecnmic Impacts: Smith Cunty has the largest cncentratin f businesses in the East Texas area. There is a large pssibility that cmmercial air service culd be adversely affected by the decmmissining f the Air Traffic Cntrl Twer. Delays and reduced schedules are tw f the mst trubling t passengers, especially business travelers wh are n a schedule and want reliability frm an airprt.

6 A majrity f the traffic in and ut f Tyler Punds reginal Airprt is business related. Tyler was recently selected as a new site fr a Frtune 500 cmpany named Centene Crpratin. Centene prvides health care-related services t rganizatins and individuals. The Tyler facility will be an integral part f the cmpany s natinal managed care system, prcessing claims frm physicians, hspitals and ther health care prviders. Texas is ne f the cmpany s fastest-grwing regins, s a center was needed. The Tyler facility will serve 16 states. Travelers at Tyler Punds Reginal Airprt Leisure Business (Surce: Tyler Mrning Telegraph; Centene Brings 300 Jbs T Tyler; May 26, 2012) Having reliable air service will be imprtant fr the grwth f the East Texas Regin, by making the area mre desirable t prspective cmpanies like Centene. Healthcare is ne f the tp industries in Smith Cunty, accunting fr 11.6% f the ttal businesses. (Surce: US Census data 2010) Tyler Punds Reginal Airprt allws patients frm all ver the cuntry t have access t tp quality healthcare. IMS ranks Trinity Mther Frances 16th in the US and 1st in Texas n the list f Tp 100 Integrated Healthcare Netwrks. (Surce: Trinity Mther Frances Website) Reduced schedules wuld decrease the availability fr natinal access t these health services. Tyler Punds Reginal Airprt prvides cmprehensive cmmercial and general aviatin services t businesses and residents f East Texas. The airprt hsts a wide range f activities including air carg, crprate flights, military, flight training, and a substantial number f recreatinal flying peratins in additin t scheduled cmmercial services.

7 Tyler Punds huses several medical evacuatin helicpters n airprt grunds with an additinal 30+ itinerate peratins lgged per mnth designated as medical transprt. Descriptin 2010 Ecnmic Impacts Impacts General Aviatin Activities: Ecnmic Activity $13,242,817 Salary, Wages, and Benefits $4,815,536 Emplyment 142 Cmmercial & General Aviatin Activities: Ecnmic Activity $66,139,902 Salary, Wages, and Benefits $27,335,263 Emplyment 901 Surces: Survey respnses, IMPLAN, and Authrs; estimates Capital expenditures fr infrastructure and ther airprt imprvements frm generated $22.5 millin in ecnmic activity that created 209 jb-years f emplyment. (A jb-year equals ne jb lasting ne year.) Impacts n Texas: The general aviatin system in Texas prvides imprtant infrastructure that prmtes bth reginal ecnmic develpment and cmmunity recreatinal pprtunities. The system s airprts als generate ecnmic activity thrugh capital and peratins expenditures, business activities f airprt tenants, and spending by visitrs using airprt facilities. This analysis examined the ecnmic impacts f the facilities that are part f the Texas Airprt System Plan (TASP). In ttal, the state s general aviatin airprts and general aviatin activities at cmmercial airprts create: Ecnmic Activity $14.6 billin Salary, Wages, and Benefits $3.1 billin Emplyment 56,635 permanent jbs (Surce: Reprt prepared by UNT Center f Ecnmic Develpment and Research Department f Ecnmics, Dentn TX fr Texas Department f Transprtatin Aviatin Divisin) In clsing, the air traffic cntrllers have lng played a critical rle in the safety, security and peratinal efficiency at Tyler Punds reginal Airprt. We request yur strng cnsideratin t maintain the funding fr this facility and hw it benefits a wide range f citizens that benefit frm the services it prvides.