All of those sessions tie in nicely to OAMA’s mission statement: “To provide leadership, direction, and education on aviation issues in the State of Oregon.”

Eugene Airport

The next new nonstop destination at EUG? How about San Jose! A half-a-million dollars is headed our way from the DOT’s Small Community Air Service Development Program to establish that route.

In competition with 74 other airport grant applications, EUG is one of only 19 selected to receive a share of $7 million. The money will provide a minimum revenue guarantee for an airline establishing daily nonstop service between the Eugene Airport and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. Horizon Air is the airline most likely to provide this service and company officials provided a letter of support for the grant application. Along with the revenue guarantee, expect to see a targeted marketing and advertising campaign to support the service.

San Jose was identified as the best underserved, nonstop air service market to pursue for this grant application. San Jose is the 12^th top destination of passengers using EUG, but the Eugene Airport retains only 15% of local passengers with 85% driving to PDX. The retention rate is significantly lower than most other destinations of EUG’s top 50 markets.

This provides a great opportunity to recapture market share to San Jose while filling an identified transportation need in our community. New nonstop routes have also been shown to stimulate passenger traffic on the new route in addition to building business relationships between the two communities.

A public-private partnership has been established to support the proposed air service initiative made up of the City of Eugene, Lane County Government, Eugene Chamber of Commerce, Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Lane Metro Partnership, and Travel Lane County. This partnership will provide $281,100 in matching funds, including $55,000 from non-airport sources.

To be considered for the SCASDP an airport must currently have insufficient air service, unreasonably high air fares, and/or geographic diversity; for example, being located near an airport that pulls traffic away from the smaller airport. Priority considerations for the DOT also include local cash contributions, established public/private partnerships, material benefits to the general public, and timely use of grant funds in selecting a grantee.

The main runway at EUG was completely rehabilitated during the month of June.

In a time span of 720 hours (30 days) the primary runway at Eugene Airport was completely reconstructed… all 8009 feet.  Pretty amazing if you think about it.

The $9.5 million project included resurfacing the runway, major excavation at certain areas of the runway and installing a new centerline lighting system that will help the airport reduce energy use.  The project also provided 25 foot paved shoulders that will allow EUG to accommodate Boeing 747 aircraft without any modifications.
This project was completed in record time due to the  long hours and dedication of all those involved. More than 180 construction workers worked from start to finish and the City of Eugene Public Works Engineering staff did an excellent job in the design and construction management phases of the project.  That, along with a dedicated staff of airport employees, allowed us to complete this job ahead of schedule and under budget.
During the first 15 days of the project, I was concerned about the project completing on time.  During a month we hoped for sun and mild temperatures we were bombarded with rain, rain and more rain.  This did not discourage the workers and work was completed no matter the elements.
The City and community should be proud of the dedicated individuals that were involved with this project.  Their work will allow the airport to continue to provide a first class facility for air service in the region.

The Forbes.com “Wheels Up” column featured an analysis by AirGate Solutions, an airport marketing and consulting company. EUG was one of only four airports listed in both the “Top 10 Airports Using Twitter” and the “Top 10 Airports Using Facebook” rankings.

While larger airports have more total numbers of followers and fans, AirGate also measured customer engagement using a ratio of followers/fans to total passenger numbers. EUG ranked #2 on this list.

Robert Cook, the author of the article and co-founder and managing director of AirGate Solutions, says “From this we would suggest that these airports are making a very significant effort to engage with their customers.”

It’s quite an honor to see our social media efforts gain some recognition. We jumped into the deep end of the pool about three years ago and now have about 1400 followers on Twitter: (http://twitter.com/flyEUG) and 1700 Fans on Facebook: (http://www.facebook.com/flyEUG). We also have our own Eugene Airport YouTube channel: (http://www.youtube.com/user/EugeneAirport) and Flickr photostream: (http://www.flickr.com/photos/eugeneairport)

Through social media our current passengers, prospective new passengers, local residents, and visitors to our community can opt-in to the conversation, engage with us, and be informed about what’s happening at the Eugene Airport.

Here’s a link to the Forbes.com article: http://blogs.forbes.com/wheelsup/2010/06/20/top-10-airports-using-facebook

EUG Runway 16R/34L

What requires 97,000 square yards of rock, 60,000 tons of asphalt, 135,000 square feet of markings and construction crews to work 24 hours per day for 28 days? The answer is the rehabilitation of Eugene Airport’s main runway.

The $9.5 million project will start June 1st and will be completed by the end of June. This project not only resurfaces the runway, it improves the runway centerline lighting system so we can have directional control on the lights and save electricity. The project also paves 25 foot shoulders the full length of the runway which will allow EUG to accommodate Boeing 747 service without damaging runway lights.

The airport was successful in getting Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program entitlement and discretionary funds to accomplish this important project. The funding will allow the airport to restore and improve our most valuable material asset. The project schedule is aggressive to provide the least impact to our commercial air carriers and general aviation users. During the closure, aircraft operations will be conducted on the parallel 6,000 foot runway.

The June timeframe was dictated by weather events. For paving we need mostly dry days but we also need temperatures to be under the high 80’s so all aircraft operating out of EUG can operate on the shorter runway without taking a weight penalty. Once completed the new runway is expected to last 15-20 years, the average life of airport runway pavement.

Duck Fans to the Rose Bowl!

Rose Bowl fever hit the Willamette Valley in December as the 7th ranked University of Oregon Ducks made the voyage from Eugene to Pasadena to play the 8^th ranked Ohio Buckeyes. Even though the Ducks were not victorious in the game, the Eugene Airport celebrated a major victory.

December 30^th was not a usual day at the Eugene Airport. On a normal holiday travel day about 1,100 passengers depart from EUG. On December 30^th the airport had that number of people stepping onto an airplane in the first three hours of the day. By 1 PM we had processed over 1,700 departing passengers and by day’s end the 2,000 mark was passed. This more than doubled our average number of passengers, about 980, per day.

Why the major traffic flying out of EUG?  We had six Rose Bowl charters carrying Duck alumni and supporters to LA for the big game. Starting with a 280-passenger Boeing 767 that departed at 7 AM (which is during our busy morning push) and followed by four Boeing 737 charters and an MD-80 charter. 

Even with double our normal daily passenger count everything went very smoothly. Thanks to numerous planning meetings held between the airport staff and tenants, a plan was developed to accommodate the additional traffic. The TSA developed “Operation Duck” which allowed them to accommodate twice the amount of passengers and maintain a screening line that resulted in wait times not over ten minutes. Airport staff and Eugene Police monitored the curb-front to prevent gridlock. Our food and retail concessions ramped up to handle the additional onslaught of business and accommodated the crowds with minimal wait times.

Thanks to the hard work and planning on everyone’s part the day was a success. All of our normal passenger traffic was able to depart on their way to their holiday destinations and almost a thousand Duck fans were able to head to sunny LA to see the granddaddy of all college football games.

Now we are relaxing and taking some good notes so we can prepare for the next time the Ducks or OSU Beavers go to the Rose Bowl.

Fog at the Eugene Airport

The other day two flights were cancelled at the Eugene Airport and a third flight diverted to another airport due to fog. It’s certainly not something we like to see. You might think this happens quite often, given how foggy the Willamette Valley can be in the winter. Fortunately, it doesn’t impact the Eugene Airport too much thanks to some pretty snazzy equipment in use at EUG.

It’s called a Category III Instrument Landing System. Not many Airports the size of EUG have equipment that allows for very low visibility landings; in this case, what’s called a Runway Visual Range, between 1200 to 600 feet. Less than 600 feet visibility is when the fog is like pea soup and nothing is landing. (This happens very rarely.)

Three things have to work in tandem to make the system work; the Cat III ILS equipment on the ground, Head Up Display equipment on the aircraft, and a pilot trained to use it. Most of the aircraft and pilots landing and taking off at the Eugene Airport are able to use the system. There are a few aircraft and/or pilots not equipped to use it and that’s generally when fog results in a cancellation or diversion.

When the Cat III system was put in place in December 2005 it made a huge difference at the Eugene Airport. Instead of frequent diversions and cancelations due to low visibility, most flights now arrive and depart as scheduled, unaffected by the fog.

Eugene Airport Director Tim Doll, A.A.E.

As the economy slid into a recession over the past year and the unemployment rate has climbed, it is a good time for individuals looking at career changes to consider working in the aviation industry.  This is also a good time for students in high school to consider a career in aviation.  When I talk to people about careers in aviation they automatically think either a pilot or flight attendant.  Those are only two positions of thousands that are available in the field of aviation.  Aviation jobs are available in the airline industry, airport industry, space industry, manufacturing industry, business industry, general aviation industry, food and retail concessions and many other industries that I have not listed. 

For this blog entry, I want to focus on jobs that can be found at a local air carrier airport such as the Eugene Airport.  I will start with positions that work directly for the airport owner.  These positions range from janitorial positions to the Airport Director position.  Do you enjoy working with trees, grass, bushes?  Maybe a career as an airport landscape person would be right for you.  If you prefer pavement work or painting, airfield maintenance positions cover those areas.  If you are more of an office type person, airports have jobs related to administrative work, human resources work, financial accounting, grant administration, marketing and public relations, information technology and other administrative functions.  An exciting job in the airport field is Airport Operations.  These positions allow the employee to be on the airfield inspecting the facilities to make sure all regulations are met and that a safe and secure environment is maintained.  These positions are also stepping stones into higher management level positions at airports.  Are you outgoing and like people, maybe a job with terminal maintenance is right for you.  Interact with thousands of people a day as you help maintain the terminal building in a clean, safe and secure manner. 

Other job opportunities at your local air carrier airport include working for the Federal Aviation Administration as an air traffic controller, management, administration or technical services.  If you like federal government, another possibility would be working for the Transportation Security Administration.  Airlines offer all types of jobs from ramp work which includes loading and unloading airplanes, ticket counter and gate area representatives as well as pilots, flight attendants, dispatchers and all other administrative jobs you would find with any business.  Love small private airplanes? Get a job with a fixed based operator.  These jobs range from ramp work to fueling to administrative type positions as well as flight instructors, and ground instructors.  Like working in the restaurant business but wish you could be near airplanes, careers are available at airport restaurants and lounges.  Bartenders, waiters/waitresses, cooks, etc are all needed to run a restaurant at an airport.  Prefer selling retail, work as a sales person at an airport gift shop.

No matter what your desire is, you should be able to find a job and career in aviation.  From engineering to executive management to working in the outdoors mowing fields, the opportunities are endless.  Aviation careers are rewarding and if you love airplanes and flying, you will enjoy coming to work each day and experience the marvel of flight.

Fortunately at EUG I don’t get too many complaints. Most people find our airport friendly and easy all the way around: easy access, check-in, security screening, and boarding for departures, and easy to navigate upon arrival. We have some of the most professional and friendly tenant partners around: airlines, TSA, car rental agents, etc.

Commercial air travel today is not always easy and sometimes I do get complaints. From my experience, attitude is everything. Passengers are pretty understanding about delays due to weather or mechanical issues. Most realize that there is a domino effect that happens; when flights in one region get backed up, it can back up flights across the nation. What they do not tolerate is bad attitudes and I completely understand. The vast majority of the complaints I receive could have been avoided by people just being nice.

I don’t have a hammer. That’s my way of saying I have no power over how our tenant partners deal with our passengers. What I do have to wield is constant contact with our airline station and tenant managers to mitigate problems. I answer and follow up on every complaint, encourage apologies and corrective action, and reinforce how we want passengers at EUG to be treated. Sometimes this means even taking it to the corporate level.

Traveling can be stressful, but there are some things passengers can do to help ensure a good experience. Be prepared; come to the airport 90-minutes before your flight (120-minutes during heavy holiday travel), know your airline’s baggage requirements (weight, fees, and carry-on), listen and follow directions at check-in and security screening, and above all be nice! My mom always told me growing up: “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” so when something does go awry, try the nice approach first. I guarantee you’ll get better service than the guy next to you who’s yelling at the ticket agent.

The Eugene Airport has the competitive disadvantage of being located relatively close to Portland International Airport. With a little over a two hour drive (on a good day) Portland has more flight availability and a major low-cost carrier, Southwest Airlines. This leads a lot of local passengers to think they should drive north for air travel.

EUG currently retains around 52% of the local market with the other 48% leaking to PDX.  This may surprise you: The average round trip fare difference between EUG and PDX is only $64. When you account for drive time, the cost of gas, more expensive parking, and perhaps hotel costs, there is most often no savings in driving north to fly out of Portland.

The staff at the Eugene Airport takes pride in providing exemplary customer service to our patrons. We work closely with our tenant partners, airlines, car rentals, restaurant and gift shop employees, to ensure a pleasant travel experience. Passengers at EUG enjoy parking right next to the terminal, fast check in and security process, and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

So next time you hear someone say they’re going to book a flight out of Portland to save money share this top ten list with them on reasons you should fly easy… flyEUG:

1. You’ll be supporting your local airport!
2. You’ll be helping the local economy in western Oregon!
3. You’ll enjoy one-stop connections to worldwide destinations!
4. You’ll save time and money with the average round trip fare difference between PDX and EUG just $64!
5. You’ll reduce your drive time!
6. You’ll enjoy convenient and cheaper parking!
7. You’ll have easy access in and out of the airport!
8. You’ll experience a fast check in and security process!
9. You’ll appreciate the relaxed atmosphere!
10. You’ll be treated to exemplary customer service!

The staff of the Eugene Airport looks forward to making your next travel experience a pleasure.