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--- transportation:airports [2024/04/19 21:39] – [Video] timb
+++ transportation:airports [2025/08/29 03:39] (current) – [ORD - O'Hare - Chicago, IL USA] timb
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 https://gizmodo.com/best-airports-in-the-world-2024-1851420427
+== Top 10 Longest Airport Runways in the World ==
+While shorter runways test pilots' precision, these elongated strips of tarmac offer the luxury of space, ensuring that even the most massive aircraft can touch down with room to spare for a victory lap!
+Sakshi Jain - June 6, 2025
+In 2024, global passenger numbers reached record levels, pressuring airports to handle growing numbers of travellers and accommodate larger aircraft to transport them. Without suitably long runways, airports can’t welcome the world’s largest passenger or cargo aircraft—or even space shuttles when they feel like dropping by for a visit.
+There are plenty of airports with runways long enough for virtually any aircraft, and not all of them are in locations that enthusiasts might expect. Some have decades of history, while others have been custom-built to fit the needs of today’s aviation industry. These 10 runways are among the longest in the world, with lengths far exceeding most airports—a spotlight on the most interesting ultra-long runways from around the globe.
+https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/06/06/top-10-longest-airport-runways-in-the-world/
+== Spending Too Much Time At Airports ==
+Zvi Mowshowitz - Aug 15, 2025
+In honor of Nate Silver’s analysis of when to leave for the airport, and because it’s been an intense week, I thought I’d offer my thoughts on various related questions.
+**Buying The Ticket**
+As far as I can tell, the major booking portals for tickets are all basically the same. I’ve been using Orbitz for a long time because I’m used to the interface, it is clean and I have confidence it works. The times I checked Kayak and so on they all seemed to be exactly the same.
+I still book tickets manually rather than using an AI agent. There isn’t much time to plausibly save and by the time I fully express preferences and enter my information anew I might as well have just done it myself. It also means I look at alternatives, which helps me keep tabs.
+My heuristic is to book a little over two weeks in advance, but not to book much more in advance of that in case plans change or want to change, since in expectation price changes are pretty small and maybe you decide to stay an extra day for some reason even if you are confident you won’t cancel.
+I almost always book the minimum flight, basic economy, whether or not I am paying. There is so little to be gained from moving up compared to the price. What I will pay a substantial amount for are nonstop flights since connections create bad luck surface you don’t want, flights at the right time of day so I don’t lose a bunch of sleep or work for no reason, and avoiding terrible airlines, with only minor preference between the normal options.
+https://thezvi.substack.com/p/spending-too-much-time-at-airports
@@ Line 398: / Line 426: @@
 https://simpleflying.com/airports-with-parallel-runways-list/
+== These 2 Small Airports Have The Longest Runways In The World ==
+Luke Bodell - 22 March 2025
+There are many reasons why some runways are built longer than others, ranging from terrain type, altitude, weather conditions and other factors. When it comes to commercial runways, they typically measure anywhere from 1,800 meters (4,921 feet) to 3,500 meters (11,483 feet) for large international airports, but there are extremes that go either side of those figures.
+For example, Denver International Airport (DEN) has a massive 4,877-meter (16,000 feet) runway due to its high elevation, while London City Airport (LCY) has a runway measuring 1,508 meters (4,948 feet), which used to be just 1,080 meters (3,543 feet).
+On the subject of ultra-long runways, there are currently two airports that jointly hold the title of having the longest runway in the world - Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport (ULY) in Russia and Shigatse Peace Airport in China, which both have runways extending 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) long.
+https://simpleflying.com/2-airports-longest-runways-world/
+== The 50 best airports in America, ranked ==
+What makes an airport special? We analyzed what passengers love most for our own definitive ranking.
+Hannah Sampson, Edward Russell and Andrew Van Dam - June 26, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. EDT
+The airport has become so synonymous with misery that we often grit our teeth and power through it. Headphones in. Shuffle to the gate. Grab a sad sandwich and tune out.
+They are modern marvels of architecture and logistics. But many of us would rather visit the dentist. Easy? Ha. Memorable? Rarely in a good way.
+We wanted to find exceptions. Beyond the gray halls of monotony, there exist airports where you may actually want to stay awhile. So we set out to rank the best in the United States.
+We took our question to readers, soliciting more than 2,300 responses. Because we wanted an answer based on more than vibes, we enlisted Department of Data columnist Andrew Van Dam. To build his airport-ranking algorithm, Van Dam first analyzed reader feedback so he could prioritize what travelers value most.
+We learned travelers adore airports that are easy to get to (and through) above all else. People love light-filled spaces with soaring ceilings. Recent renovations help, too. Van Dam fed your nominations into the algorithm, but he also factored in more than 450,000 Yelp reviews for airport shops, restaurants and the buildings themselves.
+Our list started with more than 450 airports that served at least 1,000 passengers last year. We narrowed it to the top 50, then dug up more data like gate capacity and parking. For more on our process, read the methodology box at the bottom.
+https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/interactive/2025/best-airports-us-ranking/
+===== DFW - Dallas/Ft Worth, TX USA =====
+== Why In The World Does Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Have So Many Runways? ==
+Peter Hanson - 21 August 2025
+Texas has a reputation for everything being bigger, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is certainly a 'Texas-size' airport, as are many things in the expansive US state. The airport has seven runways, five terminals, and multiple air traffic control (ATC) towers. In terms of square footage, it is the fourth-largest airport in the world, according to Jagran Josh, with an area of 69.6 square kilometers.
+With this extensive size and multiple runways, the airport is capable of dealing with a large amount of aviation traffic. According to OAG, the airport was the 10th busiest airport in the world during August 2025, serving 4,366,381 seats. Last year, it was even busier, ranking fifth in the same month. This article takes a look at the multiple runways at DFW, along with some of the other facilities there, investigating how and why they are used
+https://simpleflying.com/why-dfw-has-so-many-runways/
+===== DIA - Chicago, IL USA =====
+== Denver Is the Worst Airport in America—Second Place Isn’t Even Close [Roundup] ==
+by Gary Leff on May 2, 2025
+News and notes from around the interweb:
+The 10 Worst Airports in the U.S. (HT: Paul H) Silliness! Only Miami and Philadelphia are reasonably-ranked. Washington National and San Francisco airports are among the very best in the country. Denver isn’t #10 worst, it’s the worst. Here are the actual best and worst.
+Security at Denver is regularly a mess. The train to the concourses breaks down frequently. The place is too far from the city. It’s a fine place to be as long as you’re a connecting passenger, and not changing terminals.
+https://viewfromthewing.com/denver-is-the-worst-airport-in-america-second-place-isnt-even-close-roundup/
+===== EWR - Newark, NJ USA =====
+== Trauma leave, closed runways and 3D-printed parts: Chaos has ensnarled Newark airport. Here’s what’s really going on ==
+FAA said no one was hurt and operations were not interrupted as a result of Tuesday’s communication outage at Newark
+Erin Keller - Tuesday 20 May 2025 22:08 BST
+Newark Liberty Airport, one of the busiest airports in the country, experienced its fourth air traffic communication outage in three weeks on Tuesday, amid concerns of aging systems and ongoing air traffic controller staffing shortages.
+The FAA said a brief two-second radio frequency outage occurred at 11:35 a.m. on Tuesday, affecting the Philadelphia TRACON facility that manages Newark's air traffic.
+All planes remained safely separated, operations are normal, and an investigation is underway, the FAA said.
+But it’s the latest trauma-inducing experience for Newark Airport air traffic controllers in recent weeks due to issues with signal lines from a New York FAA facility, including outdated technology, copper wires and more.
+https://www.independent.co.uk/us/travel/newark-liberty-airport-outage-faa-air-traffic-control-b2754584.html
+== The Newark airport crisis is about to become everyone’s problem ==
+A shortage of air traffic controllers, bungled IT management, outdated technology, and a brewing disaster in our airspace.
+Darryl Campbell - May 25, 2025, 5:00 AM PDT
+There are too many planes in the sky. In 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supervised nearly 16.8 million flights in American airspace — half a million more than the year prior. To manage all of those airplanes, however, the FAA uses an air traffic control system designed in the early 1990s — when features like trackballs and color monitors were new, and air traffic controllers handled less than half as many flights every year.
+Like many government agencies, the FAA has faced chronic budget constraints and poor oversight in the ensuing two decades. Not only is its system functionally obsolete; it’s also badly understaffed. Too often, the agency must scramble to find the least-bad solution for its mounting problems — and not all of these solutions are good or even safe.
+One such scenario has been unfolding at Newark Liberty International Airport for the last year. And it hasn’t just created delays and cancellations — it has put people’s safety at risk.
+https://www.theverge.com/planes/673462/newark-airport-delay-air-traffic-control-tracon-radar
+==  The Newark Airport Crisis is About To Become Everyone's Problem ==
+Posted by msmash on Monday May 26, 2025 12:52PM
+Newark Liberty International Airport has suffered six radar and radio outages in nine months, with the most recent occurring May 9th when controllers told pilots "our scopes just went black again" before handing off flights to other facilities. The outages have forced flight cancellations, diversions, and delays lasting over a week as airlines repositioned aircraft and crews.
+The Federal Aviation Administration created the problem by relocating Newark's air traffic control operations from the understaffed N90 facility on Long Island to Philadelphia in 2024. Only 17 of 33 controllers accepted the move despite $100,000 relocation bonuses, leaving operations short-staffed. Rather than build new STARS servers in Philadelphia, the FAA opted to send radar data over 130 miles of commercial copper telephone lines.
+The remote feeds have experienced approximately 10 minutes of downtime over 10 months -- exceeding the agency's reliability standards and occurring 200 times more frequently than the FAA's internal analysis predicted. The agency simultaneously laid off over 100 maintenance technicians and telecommunications specialists in February, further straining an air traffic control system that suffers around 700 outages weekly nationwide while managing 16.8 million annual flights with 1990s-era technology.
+https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/05/26/1952223/the-newark-airport-crisis-is-about-to-become-everyones-problem
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 https://www.kgw.com/article/news/investigations/hillsboro-airport-safety-risks-runway/283-e17ed518-3fc9-4d10-af10-a3c4f5c9580e
+===== LHR - Heathrow - London, UK =====
+Named London Airport until 1966
+== Heathrow warned it cannot afford a third runway ==
+Heathrow’s £20bn third runway could be in use by 2035 - AFP
+Luke Barr - Sat, May 10, 2025 at 6:00 AM PDT
+Heathrow has been warned that it cannot afford a third runway without loading the business with billions of pounds more debt.
+In a damning new report, the ratings agency S&P Global said the planned expansion will potentially imperil the airport by significantly increasing its borrowings, which are are already as high as nearly £20bn.
+As well as increasing debts, S&P said the project would also lead to higher passenger charges at Heathrow, which are already among the highest in Europe.
+According to S&P, this “could lead to a weakening of Heathrow’s competitive position relative to other European hubs” – raising fresh concerns over the airport’s status as a global transport hub.
+Heathrow has insisted that the planned expansion will not need any financial support from the taxpayer, although S&P claims it will not be able to afford a third runway without a significant cash injection from its shareholders.
+The airport’s backers are largely made up of overseas investors, led by French private equity giant Ardian, the Qatar Investment Authority and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
+S&P said: “Notwithstanding Heathrow’s strong regulatory environment and superior competitive position, we believe that our issue ratings on Heathrow’s debt have limited headroom for significant additional leverage.
+https://finance.yahoo.com/news/heathrow-warned-cannot-afford-third-130000147.html
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 https://viewfromthewing.com/american-united-want-out-of-deal-to-modernize-chicago-ohare/
+== Why This Airport Is Among The Top 5 Worst In The US ==
+Mark Mahon - 28 April 2025
+Commercial aviation is a competitive business, and so is the airport experience. The flying public—nearly three million Americans flew on an airplane on any given day last year—engages in a myriad of activities while at major commercial airports, from security screening to food consumption, business networking to aircraft boarding. The quest to please the aviation consumer begins before the consumer boards an aircraft. As the nation heads toward the busy upcoming summer flying season, recent passenger surveys have yielded winners and losers in the all-important airport experience domain.
+Which eight-decade-old American airport has recently experienced passenger experience and flight disruption issues? Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). Changes are coming, though, for the world's eighth-busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic.
+https://simpleflying.com/why-this-airport-is-among-the-top-5-worst-in-the-us/airport-top-5-worst-us/
+== Why In The World Does Chicago O'Hare Have So Many Runways? ==
+Alexander Mitchell - 11 June 2025
+One of the most significant operational assets that any airport possesses is its numerous runways, which facilitate aircraft takeoffs and landings. By having more runways, an airport can drastically expand its passenger and aircraft operation capacity. Therefore, runways tend to be key catalysts for the continued growth of a large airport. In the United States, nearly all the largest global gateways have multiple runways, some of which can accommodate simultaneous takeoffs and landings.
+One of the largest and most important airports in the United States is Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). This facility is not only the principal international airport serving the Chicago metropolitan area, but it is also a major hub for both American Airlines and United Airlines. The airport is a massive global gateway for business travelers. To accommodate the large amount of passenger demand to and from the facility, Chicago O’Hare has eight different runways. Let’s take a deeper look at the airport and its many runways.
+https://simpleflying.com/why-chicago-ohare-so-many-runways/
+== Worth The Wait: Chicago O'Hare Begins Construction On New $1.3 Billion Concourse ==
+Prachi Patel - 27 August 2025
+Chicago O’Hare International Airport has finally broken ground on a long-awaited new concourse. The $1.3 billion expansion, known as Concourse D, marks the airport’s first major terminal construction in years. The project has faced repeated delays since it was first announced in 2018.
+Now, it is slated for completion in 2028. Officials say the new facility will help modernize one of the country’s largest airports, adding capacity and updated passenger amenities as part of the airport's broader redevelopment program.
+The new Concourse D was designed by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in collaboration with Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects, and Arup. It will span 590,000 square feet across three levels and add 19 gates to O’Hare. Most are planned for narrowbody aircraft, though 18 of them can be combined into nine positions for larger widebodies, according to the Office of the Mayor.
+In addition, the concourse will feature more than 20,000 square feet of lounge space, 30,000-square feet of retail and dining, and a 450-square-foot children’s play area. At the north end, it will also have a 40-foot-high atrium featuring an oculus skylight, which is designed to bring natural daylight to all three levels of the concourse. Besides, the new facility will also connect directly to Concourse C through a bridge. Michael McMurray, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, said:
+<blockquote>
+“By breaking ground in Concourse D, we are taking a critical first step toward enhancing how the airport welcomes and serves more than 80 million passengers each year. We are also proud to introduce ORDNext, a new stage of development in the O’Hare 21 capital program that will elevate the passenger experience, improve connections between domestic and international flights, and increase the airport’s footprint to accommodate future growth.”
+</blockquote>
+https://simpleflying.com/chicago-ohare-construction-new-concourse/
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 https://thepointsguy.com/news/portland-international-airport-make-over/
+== Portland Airport Grows With Expansive Mass Timber Roof Canopy ==
+.05.24 - Adrian Madlener
+As an alternative to concrete and other conventional composites, wood has re-emerged as a popular building material. Long thought of as too fragile and prone to damage, this natural resource has been re-engineered into a suite of fortified structural elements known as mass timber: glued, nailed doweled panels and beams able to shore-up everything from large residences to full-scale skyscrapers. The especially articulated roof of the recently expanded main terminal at Portland Airport (PDX) might be its most impressive application yet.
+Nationwide architecture firm ZGF implemented glulam (glue laminated) Douglas Fir for this massive nine-acre canopy, not only as an innovative and sustainable solution but also as a nod to local ecology and deeply-rooted cultural traditions. It’s a far cry from the standard glass and steel found at any other airport around the globe. The surrounding region is known for its dense old growth forests and thriving lumber trade. Most of the 3.5 million planks implemented in the project were sourced from smaller family operated and sustainably minded purveyors, as well as indigenous nations, based within a 300-mile radius; accounting for a notable reduction in the new building’s embodied carbon footprint.
+https://design-milk.com/portland-airport-grows-with-expansive-mass-timber-roof-canopy/