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A door to growth

Flight 295 to Tokyo-Narita, operating a gleaming Boeing 777-200LR, took to the blue skies at 1.46pm on Wednesday after a shower of good luck from four water jets parked on both sides of the runway next to the new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal at the world’s busiest airport in the world.

Twenty minutes later, Delta flight 177 from Dublin, Ireland, touched down and taxied into an arch of water sprays at Gate F6, completing the grand opening of the spanking new terminal. Passengers arriving from the Boeing 767 aircraft were greeted with shouts of “you made history”, presented gifts and treated to delicious refreshment.

Delta Flight 295 to Tokyo-Narita getting a shower of good luck from water jets at the new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal.

“It’s a great day for Atlanta, great day for Delta,” Richard Anderson, chief executive officer of Delta, Atlanta’s hometown airline, told a cheering crowd of officials at Gate F7 where the Tokyo-bound passengers were boarding.

“The world’s best flight crews are right here,” Anderson said, presenting the crew of the first flight out of the new terminal. “Thank you all for being here. It’s just awesome to be here. It’s awesome to serve the city of Atlanta. It’s awesome to serve the Delta family.”

Earlier, under the glare of international and local media, Anderson opened the newest Delta Sky Club at the new Concourse F, which features ample seating for more than 300 guests and world-class amenities, including eight shower suites, multiple work areas and artwork designed to capture the spirit of Delta’s international destinations. The Sky Club’s glass facade also offers a panoramic view of the vast airfield.

Helped by airport general manager Louis Miller (left) and Delta CEO Richard Anderson (right), a Sky Club agent cuts the ribbon to open the Delta facility.

“The new terminal is Atlanta’s new front door to the world,” said Anderson. “On behalf of Delta people worldwide, I want to congratulate aviation general manager Louis Miller, Mayor Kasim Reed and the City of Atlanta for seeing this project to its completion and thank them for continuing the strong partnership Delta has had with the airport and city for more than 70 years.”

The Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal is the first of six airport enhancement projects currently under way across the United States to grab a growing share of the lucrative market for global travellers.

Atlanta airport alone handled nearly10 million international passengers last year, and the Federal Aviation Administration expects that number to grow to over 13 million by 2015 with the opening of the 1.2 million square-foot, five-level terminal termed as Atlanta’s new gateway to nearly 80 destinations in more than 50 countries. The new facility will connect travellers from around the world with more than 150 US cities.

The 12-gate Concourse F is connected to the existing 28-gate Concourse E via Plain Train and a pedestrian walkway and eliminates the need for Atlanta-destined passengers to recheck their baggage, an FAA-mandated baggage claim and screening process that adds pressure to the long chain of arrival operations and wastes another 45 minutes of passengers’ precious time.

Asked what the airports means to average Atlantans who don’t travel much internationally, Anderson said the facility primarily means economic development opportunities.

“We are so fortunate to have the biggest airport in the world right here in Atlanta. When you look at the international companies that would relocate jobs here, the airport facility would serve as a big economic driver for the community. So even if you don’t travel internationally, it is a very important economic generator, if not the most important economic generator in Georgia,” the Delta CEO assured.

Delta now operates more than 1,000 daily departures to 208 destinations, including non-stop services to 65 international destinations.

“Delta’s contribution to the new terminal and concourse is part of a more than $3 billion investment in facilities, products and technology in the air and on the ground,” said Anderson. “In addition to this premier international gateway in Atlanta, renovations and expansions to Delta airport facilities also are underway in New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.”

In New York, work is under way on a $160 million renovation at La Guardia Airport to support 100 new daily while a $1.2 billion expansion of Terminal 4 at New York-JFK will house nine new international wide-body gates and a flagship Delta Sky Club when it opens in 2013, Delta said in a statement.

Delta’s facilities at the Los Angeles International Airport are being renewed as part of that airport’s $4 billion overhaul, including a new baggage system, better customs processing facilities and refreshed food and beverage options. At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a key portal to Asia, Delta is working with the city to renovate the lobby into a more open format for smoother check-in and baggage drop, the statement said.

Delta is also supporting a $1.8 billion terminal redevelopment programme with Salt Lake City that will, over the next 10 years, include a new terminal, renovation of 34 existing gates and a new 40-gate concourse, as well as other facility infrastructure enhancements, the statement added.

Holden Shannon, senior vice-president, corporate strategy and real estate, said the airport expansion project is the finest example of meaningful public-private sector cooperation. While the public sector took care of the strategic planning, the private sector executed it to perfection.

Asked if the Delta aircraft parked due to the recent economic downturn would return to the skies with the opening of the new terminal, he said the planes were only parked as spare to augment the completion factor and on-time performance. “Delta has the highest completion factor, highest on-time factor and lowest baggage losses,” he said.

Atlanta’s LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) new international terminal complex is an architectural marvel with its wavy lines, high ceilings, expansive windows, an open floor plan and eye-catching artwork.

Described as an uncomplicated design that represents a natural path of travel, the architecture lays emphasis on environmental consciousness and sustainability. Several sustainable-design features have been introduced to limit the overall greenhouse gases emitted as a result of terminal operations. Soaring glass walls all around the building allow natural light to pour into the terminal, reducing greatly the usage of electricity and natural gas.

suresh@khaleejtimes.com