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Q. How did you get started in the aviation industry?
A. My father had a small airplane that he flew recreationally, so I grew up around airplanes and always had a passion for them. I went to a college with an aviation management program and started consulting for airports after I graduated, focusing on noise abatement, environmental concerns, and interacting with the local community. This was at a time when environmental regulations were becoming a huge focus for airports. I learned a lot about environmental compliance—stormwater doesn’t talk back the way some of the airport’s neighbors did. After becoming an accredited airport executive, I decided to come back to consulting and eventually came to CDM Smith. My first project was with the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which was very exciting and challenging.
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Q. What are some of the biggest factors that affect aviation projects?
A. The global economy has a tremendous affect on the aviation industry and its profitability. Successful businesses create more opportunities for business travel. Likewise, when employees are successful, they take vacations and travel farther from home. However, airports make their money not only from passenger facility charges on tickets, but from parking, concessions, and shopping. So, in times of recession, airports hurt for cash and projects might not get the funding they need. And to make matters worse, fuel costs continue to rise. Without money, projects may get reduced or fall by the wayside.
There is also the need for airports to stay informed with changing regulations issued by multiple parties around the globe. These rules and regulations are getting tighter and more costly, with airports needing to innovate how they treat stormwater, fluid emissions, air quality, and boilers. Beyond compliance, airports can really benefit by staying ahead of the game and improving their operations. -
Q. How important is sustainability in aviation planning?
A. Sustainability is considered in all phases of a project, from master planning and environmental assessment to design and construction. It isn’t just about doing the right thing for the environment, either; these projects can save costs. As an example, we partnered with Los Angeles World Airports on a trendsetting industry project to incorporate sustainable practices into all airport functions. The end result is information that any airport can have access to via interactive online tools. There are also a lot of recent changes in airport design and construction that are geared around sustainability, like using more impervious pavement made from recycled milk jugs.
- Q. Is there any way to predict where the industry will be in 5 years?
A. The industry is so dynamic, it’s almost impossible to predict the future. The joke is that long-term planning in aviation is 10 minutes. I can predict there will be change, but can’t I predict what that change will be—nobody can. You have to be alert and notice the starts of trends. That’s part of the excitement! There’s always change; the challenge is to stay ahead of the curve.
Virginia Jackson, CDM Smith vice president, is an accredited airport executive with more than 25 years of experience in the transportation and aviation industry. Her career has focused on transportation, airport, and environmental planning activities.
