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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 6933 • 6933 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 0IPTIAfp April 24,1984 � mTo the Mayor and Members of the City Council o v �TExAy Subject: APPLICATION FOR SCHEDULED AIRLINE SERVICE AT MEACHAM FIELD Background Fort Worth Airlines, Inc. is a newly established corporation airline with the majority of its principal investors being located in Fort Worth. The corporation proposes to becune an air carrier and make Fort Worth its he m office ancf principal brio, with corporate offices in the Meacham Field Terminal Building. Flight operations are expected to ccomence about August 1, 1984, with approximately 70 employees being hired within the near future. Company officials expect to provide the scheduled airline service using up to four F-27 or F-227 aircraft with 40-48 passenger capacity. Initially, service will consist of 14 arrivals and 14 departures daily with service to Houston Hobby, Austin, and San Antonio. At the Aviation Advisory Board meting on April 18, 1984, the Board unanimously approved a request from Fort Worth Airlines, Inc. (FWA, Inc. ) to provide air carrier service from Meacham Field to Austin, San Antonio and Houston-Hobby Airports. Specifically, the Board's recocT endation to the City Council is: a) that the City lease to FDA,, Inc. 1) 30 linear feet of ticket counter space at $20 per linear foot, 2) 1,091 square feet of first floor, carpeted office space at $8.40 per square foot per year, 3) 195 square feet of tiled hallway at $4.06 per square foot per year. (Non-exclusive use). b) that the City allow FWA, Inc. and its passengers use of other areas as follows: ! 1) Waiting room space at $2 per flight departure; and, 2) Baggage claim area at 25� per flight arrival; c) that a landing fee of 35� per thousand pounds be established, applicable to FWA, Inc. for scheduled passenger air carrier/cermuter aircraft weighing over 12,500 pounds (EXAMPLE: F-227 weighs approximately 29,450 lbs. x 35� per thousand = $10.31 per landing); J ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER -- FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No.6933 - Page 2 �^p T ,,C April 24, 1984 fsoer� To the Mayor and Members of the City Council p �TfXA` Subject: APPLICATION FOR SCHEDULED AIRLINE SERVICE AT MEACHAM FIELD Neva d) that the City redupe the amount due from FWA, Inc. for landing fees in an amount equivalent to the amount paid in fuel flowage fees by a Meacham Field fixed based operator (FBO) to the City on fuel purchased by FWA, Inc.; e) that the Aviation Director submit to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) an application for a full airport operating certificate (ADC) under FAA Federal Aviation Regulation 139; and, f) that the City grant a license permit to FWA, Inc. to conduct passenger service from Meacham Field, subject to obtaining other necessary governmental approval and subject to appropriate noise abatement procedures to be contained in a proposed City ordinance. Estimated Anticipated Revenues Rent $20,053.60 Landing Fees 52,634.10 Less Fuel Flowage Fee Credit -50,000.00 $22,737.70 New Fuel Fees from FBO $50,000.00 Annual Revenue to Airports Fund $72,737.70 Estimated Anticipated Expenses a) Additional Auto Parking Area Currently, there are 362 parking spaces around the Meacham Field Terminal Building. Of those, approximately 100 are used daily by other tenants of the Terminal Building. Airline officials estimate that the existing available 262 parking spaces are sufficient for their needs at start-up; however, their projected needs indicate that within five months after start-up, they will have a need for 540 parking spaces. The City's cost to construct surface parking spaces is estimated at $279 to $300 per space. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER --- FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. - Page 3 +,'p TIA,. April 24, 1984 ~pf fORl�p To the Mayor and Members of the City Council �j�i rfXP`' Subject: APPLICATION FOR SCHEDULED AIRLINE SERVICE AT MEACHAM FIELD sT� b) Baggage Handling tguipment Conveyor units are needed to move baggage into and out of the Terminal. The existing baggage claim rack was designed for manual loading. To modify the existing system for congoatibility with a conveyor, the estimated cost is $16,000. To move bags from the ticket counters to the outside of the building, for movement to aircraft is estimated to cost about $9,500. options being considered are to purchase and install the units and pass the cost to FWA, Inc. (and any other airlines using the facilities) or to require the airlines to purchase and install the equipment. The disadvantages associated with the airlines waning the equipment are: 1) since there is only enough roam for one unit, the owning airline would have to provide the service to any other airlines; and, 2) the possibility of the owning airline's ceasing operation would `./ leave others without the service. c) Security and Screening Staffing and Equipment The type of service proposed by FWA, Inc. requires that passengers and carry-on baggage be screened for security purposes. FAA holds the airline responsible for screening the passengers and luggage and for maintaining their sterility until they are on board the aircraft. FAA places the responsibility for provision of law enforcement officers to support the security program on the airport operator (City). Estimated costs for the equipment and personnel are as follows: a) Luggage x-ray equipment $24,000-33,000 b) Passenger screening monitor $ 3,500 c) Covert-silent alarm and telephone $ 1,000 The City proposes to utilize the FAA approved flexible law enforcement response under which Meacham Field would qualify if a twenty-minute response time by a law enforcement officer from Fort Worth Police Department is maintained. FWA, Inc. proposes to furnish the personnel to operate the security equipment. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER -- FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6933 - Page 4 raw""fo April 24, 1984 DC'G 10R)" To the Mayor and Members of the City Council S r TExAy Subject: APPLICATION FOR SCF0XJLED AIRLINE SERVICE AT MEACHAM FIELD d) Signage for Direction to Meacham Field and the Terminal FWA, Inc. has asked that signs be placed on both I-35 and loop 820 to indicate the routes to Meacham Field. Contact has been made with the Transportation and Public Works Department to determine the need and placement of signs. In addition, signs are needed along North Main Street and at the entrance to the Terminal. Approximate cost to the City for signs is estimated to be $11,400. e) Airport Inprovements In order to become eligible for a full airport operating certificate under Federal Aviation Regulation 139, the following must be acccxrplished: a) The City must prepare and submit to FAA for its review and approval an Airport Operations Manual(ADM) and security emergency plan. Aviation Department staff can prepare the �•✓ manual and plan at no additional cost. The approval process will take 60-90 days. b) In order to provide for airline passenger access from the Terminal to the airline gate position, a concrete sidewalk extension, ($304) and glass door addition ($1,500) is required. c) Airport fencing or other effective measure (guards would be adequate if present at all times/places pertinent and if they are effective) to prevent inadvertent and/or unauthorized entry onto the airport's operations area by persons and/or large domestic animals is required. Since we plan to utilize City Crash/Security Officers, there will be no added expense. d) The City roast show that the airport has adequate staff/equipment to comply with requirements of FAR 139 and the Airport Operations Manual. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER -- FORT WORTH, TEXAS -INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6933 - Page 5 p TI AFO April 24, 1984 E FORl�p To the Mayor and Members of the City Council »TEx�y' Subject: APPLICATION FOR SCHEDULED AIRLINE SERVICE AT MEACHAM FIELD Cost Sunmry The following is a summary of Airports revenues versus expenses associated with FWA, Inc. : Airports City Source Revenues Expenses (Annual) (One Time) Airline $22,737.70 FBO's 50,000.00 Additional Parking $ 83,400 Baggage Handling Equipment 25,500** Security Equipment 37,500** Signs 11,400** Remodeling 1,804 Adequate Staff/Equipment Total $72,737.7U * Although this is an unknown quantity, we believe there will be no initial additional cost beyond that indicated in the Cost Suim}ary. ** 'This is an optional expense to the Airports Fund. In addition to providing an economic benefit to the City by creating jobs and attracting industry, the airline's presence places Meacham Field in a more favorable airport grant funding category under the FAA Airport Improvement Program. Noise Abatement Ordinance At the Aviation Advisory Board's regular meeting, citizens were invited to voice their opinions regarding the proposed airline service. Representatives from some of the northside neighborhood groups informed the Board that they opposed the airline operation based on the increased noise pollution. One representative went so far as to say that his group would take political and legal action to prohibit FWA, Inc. from operating from Meacham Field unless a noise abatement ordinance was passed by City Council concurrently with the permit for FWA, Inc. The Aviation Advisory Board unanimously recommended that the City Council approve the lease and license for EVA, Inc. contingent upon passing a noise abatement ordinance that would require FWA, Inc. compliance. The intent of the Board was twofold: ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER -- FORT WORTH, TEXAS f INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6933- Page 6 �,,p TI R,O Aril 24 1984 yoi foRT. To the Mayor and Members of the City Council P �rexAy. Subject: APPLICATION FOR SCHEDULED AIRLINE SERVICE AT MEACHAM FIELD eT� 1) to.allow FWA, Inc. to c(Fmence operation as soon as possible; and, 2) to prepare and adopt a noise abatement ordinance as soon as possible, with the understanding that the ordinance, even if not completed before FWA, Inc. begins service, will be applicable to FVA, Inc. (FWA, Inc. has no objection) . FAA has indicated that federal grant funds might be available to conduct a noise compatibility study for the airport to examine alternatives to minimizing the impact of noise over noise-sensitive land use area. The City Council will be presented with a recormiendation for action on May 1, 1984, containing the following: o Authorize the City Manager to file application with the Federal Aviation Administration to certify Meacham Field as a Class 139 airport. o Authorize the City Manager to initiate preparation and adoption of appropriate ordinances to control environmental hazards that might result from scheduled airline service at Meacham. `✓ o Authorize the City Manager to execute a lease with Fort Worth Airlines, Inc. incorporating the described terms including appropriate ordinance provisions. o Grant a license to Fort Worth Airlines, Inc. subject to other appropriate gQvernmental approvals. If additional information is required, it will be made available upon request. Robert L. Herchert City Manager RLH:jcn ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER -- FORT WORTH, TEXAS