Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
State
4.8%
Federal
4.7%
Public utility
2.4%
Undetermined
11.6%
Private
56.4%
Local
20.1%
Figure 2.5
Dam ownership in the United States. (Federal Emergency Management Association, 2005)
Airports: Taking Off and Landing
There are 510 airports in the United States with commercial service; in
2005 they handled more than 660 million passengers. The busiest air-
ports were at Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas. Today's largest aircraft
require 12,000 feet of runway to take off and 7,500 feet to land.
Although travel on domestic airlines declined in 2008 because of the
poor economic situation, demand for air travel is certain to increase in
the coming years as it did regularly before the recession. One factor
adding to the pressure on infrastructure at airports is the increasing size
of some commercial aircraft, with passenger capacities of 800 or more.
Another is the tendency of airlines to replace larger aircraft with many
smaller ones to maximize profi t margins by fl ying with fewer empty seats.
Furthermore, the tremendous growth in regional and commuter carriers
and budget carriers is increasing the number of aircraft operations at
America's busiest airports. The number of aircraft handled by air traffi c
control is expected to increase by nearly 30 percent between 2004 and
2015. 57
The National Transportation Safety Board has recently emphasized
the need for more air traffi c controllers at major airports. Because of a
new labor contract imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) in 2006, record numbers of controllers have retired or resigned.
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