Key Components for the Effective Management of Airport Assets

While many agencies responsible for the management of airport infrastructure are working towards holistic infrastructure management, there is currently no standard in place in Canada and the United States. An international standards organization 55000 series of standards is currently under development. This standard uses the British Standards Institute Publicly Available Specification PAS 55 as a foundation for the standard development which is due for completion in late 2013. In 2011, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), sponsored a study to develop a guidebook and primer for airport asset managers in Canada and the United States. This paper, outlines the results of asset management best appropriate practices gleaned from surveys and interviews of over 50 airports of various sizes across North America. The paper outlines a 10 step process for successful asset management implementation and provides details on policy, objectives, strategies and plans for implementing an asset management framework. Specific best practices are described and highlighted along with the keys to their successful implementation.