Henderson Engineers recently returned from the 2023 Airport Planning, Design, and Construction Symposium in Anaheim, California. Hosted by the American Association of Airport Executives and the Airport Consultants Council, the technical event brings together industry leaders to learn about the latest information and developments affecting the industry.

The event placed a heavy emphasis on the ever-increasing demand for battery-powered vehicles, which is paving the way for sustainable practices in the industry. Jaime Castro, aviation practice manager, and James Dietz, aviation practice director, returned from the event with the following key takeaways:

Sustainability and Resiliency

The move towards increased electrification in order to improve resiliency and reliability as well as reduce carbon footprint is driving many updates to airport facilities. One of the case studies discussed at the conference was Pittsburgh International Airport, where the facility implemented a microgrid (a smaller, decentralized version of the traditional electric grid) with goals of: avoiding a catastrophic grid failure, building excess capacity for electrical vehicle transition, and contributing to their decarbonized energy portfolio. The microgrid technologies include a 9,000-plus solar photovoltaic panel farm and a 20-Megawatt energy plant consisting of five (5) natural gas-powered electric generators. In addition, a former utility representative underscored that utilities make money by selling electricity (obviously) and investing in infrastructure.

Investment in power plants and transmission lines is in decline after significant past investments with utilities focusing more on strategies to modernize and build a resilient grid – one that can integrate renewables and integrated resources. One key takeaway is that electrification and the increased demand for electric vehicles are game changers as the existing infrastructure may not support charging efforts at peak demands.

A pain point for airports is power outages. These outages cost both the airport and airlines several million dollars thus sparking interest in establishing microgrids and increasing resiliency to mitigate the issue. This solution benefits airports by minimizing facility downtime and contributing to sustainable practices.

Another key component affecting the future of airport design is aircraft fuel sources. Whether jet fuel, battery, hydrogen, or some sort of combination/hybrid solution becomes the dominant source, it will no doubt affect concepts in the future. A representative from United Airlines stated that the airline has purchased an initial fleet of electric and hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts from several manufacturers, partnered with a sodium-ion battery manufacturer to help with electrification of its airport ground equipment, and completed a conditional purchase of several hydrogen-electric aircraft engines.

The Future of eVTOL

The demand for more sustainable vehicles is increasing given the Airports Climate Challenge issued by the FAA and other similar initiatives. A trending topic at the symposium and within the aviation industry is the development and rollout of vertical take-off and landing aircraft (VTOL). As the name suggests, VTOL refers to aircraft that can take off, hover, and land vertically (e.g., a helicopter). Using eVTOL (e = battery powered) aircrafts to fly from existing airports, rural locations, and new inner-city bases will change the future of the airline industry and internal city transportation as a whole. The concept is to have up to four passengers and a pilot (or automated) to make regional flight prices comparable to rail, ride share, and taxi fares. Several companies have been experimenting with battery-powered planes and conducted successful test flights leading to interest from aviation, rental, and ride-share companies in forming partnerships to further develop these planes. Multiple major airlines have already placed orders for these planes.

While there is excitement around eVTOL aircraft, a key challenge those developing this concept face is battery capacity. Currently, no battery has the capability to produce energy comparable with rocket fuel. The current battery limit has less than a 100-mile range. Other challenges include crowded air space, antiquated fire codes, and insufficient infrastructure at current airports to maintain and operate these vehicles.

As this concept is explored further and once these changes begin to take effect, it will be critical to focus on the infrastructure at aviation facilities to address how to incorporate and operate this emerging technology. Some of the main areas of focus for infrastructure updates include:

• Concept design of vertiports, the landing platforms for eVTOL aircraft. This includes the systems associated in operating these platforms. As these planes are battery powered, an updated electrical design that includes battery charging would be needed in addition to developing fire codes and technology infrastructure for monitoring/operating.
• Expansion of electrical capacity for aviation facilities. The facility’s electrical system would need to be updated to meet the increased demand from battery charging. This includes demand response planning, working with clients to better understand the traffic needs, and providing resiliency/reliability such as establishing microgrids and installing sustainable energy sources to help mitigate the dependency on the utility grid and fossil fuels.

Utility Coordination

Utilities who make their profits selling electricity are always seeking to expand their infrastructure by partnering with large complexes such as airports. A utility master plan should always be part of a drawing package when planning for the future of airports, especially given the growing interest in electrification and battery charging.

Electrification and battery charging have a significant impact on the design of building electrical systems as well as utility infrastructure. A well-coordinated plan with local utility providers should be pursued to ensure airports have capacity for future technologies and sustainability plans.

Henderson Knows Aviation

We specialize in designing spaces where thousands of people come together. Our aviation experts have designed multiple, high-profile airport projects across the country. We blend our aviation experience with a background in luxury and specialty retail, restaurants, and entertainment to create destinations that turn first-time travelers into life-long adventurers. Browse our aviation project gallery to see what we’re designing.