- SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL AIRPORT, Beaumont – A new manager of security screening, Angie Stephens, was hired in March by Byron Broussard, airport manager. Stephens feels right at home with her new responsibilities and has plenty of experience in screening passengers boarding planes since she previously worked for Continental Airlines in the same capacity. According to Stephens, the airport has received new equipment, including a color monitor for the X-ray and magnemometer for individual metal detection.
- SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – A promised aviation plant that would have transformed passenger jets into Federal Express cargo planes will now move to San Antonio instead of Corpus Christi. The change in plans centered on the subsidiary, Vision Technologies, winning the assets of San Antonio’s Dee Howard Aircraft Maintenance in a bankruptcy auction. The move saved the company $40 million and years of start-up time.
- MATHIS FIELD, San Angelo – The airport passenger terminal was renamed in May after former Airport Manager John W. Schwab during a ceremony at Mathis Field. The City Council approved the name change, “John W. Schwab Passenger Terminal,” on December 4, 2001. Schwab was also the former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic manager for Mathis Field air traffic control tower. He began his career as an air traffic controller in I 942 for the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Administration and abo worked for the U.S. Navy and FAA. He was airport manager from 1948 to 1995. He served on the state’s Aviation Advisory Committee from 1966 to 2000. John W. Schwab died on September 22, 2000.
- LAREDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – American Eagle announced in May that it will provide new jet service from Laredo to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport effective Tuesday, July 2. In the meantime, American Eagle, will upgrade two of its five daily round-trip flights to 50-seat Embraer jets. The other three flights would remain on Saab turboprop aircraft.
- DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta announced in April that Jimmy Wooten will serve as Federal Security Director (FSD) for DFW, and Michael J. Restovich will serve as FSD for Dallas Love Field Airport. “The new FSDs will fill a crucial gap in aviation security by providing, for the first time, a clear line of authority for security at our nation’s airports,” according to Mineta. The position of FSD was created by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, signed by President George W. Bush on November 19, 2001.
- AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – City Council approved in May $4.4 million for airport construction projects, including $2 million to widen the area where planes park overnight and $2.4 million to build high-speed exits for airlines on the west runway.
- NEW AIR MEDICAL SERVICE FOR EAST TEXAS – GoldStar EMS/Angel One, based at Lufkin’s Memorial Health System, launched a new air medical service for east Texas in May. According to Patrick Shaub, director of GoldStar EMS, Angel One serves Angelina, Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby and Trinity counties. Shaub, who flew helicopters for the Marine Corps and Texas Anny National Guard, has 30 years of experience as a pilot. He was an air medical pilot for another company, before GoldStar tapped him for its Angel Flight Program. The other four pilots also have military experience. Plans for Angel Two are pending and is expected to serve in a back-up role.
- ROBERT MUELLER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, Austin – The old airport terminal is slowly being taken apart, piece by piece, and the demolition crews would like to sell as much of it as possible. If you are interested, call Jim McKee of ICE Contractors at 972/670-5146 or page John Lopez of Lopez Deconstruction Services at 209-4993. HURRY, HURRY, HURRY, whatever can’t be sold will be demolished!
- CITY OF HEREFORD took over management of the Hereford Municipal Airport on April 1, 2002, after a JO-year contract with longtime airport operators John and Donna Smith. New airport manager is Phil Miller. (See Texas Slipstreams for more information.)
- SOUTHWEST AIRLINES is going coast-to-coast for the first time. The Dallas-based discount king announced in May that it will launch service between Baltimore/Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles on September 15, 2002.
- TYLER POUNDS FIELD – American Eagle will continue to provide service from Tyler to Dallas for the next three years, under a new lease agreement approved in April by Tyler’s Advisory Board. The agreement begins when the airport’s new terminal building opens later this year.
- MIDLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – Delta Air Lines’ Delta Connections first flight out of Midland was on Sunday, June 9, 11:25 a.m.
- HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM (HAS) handled 3,795,952 total passengers in March 2002. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) served 3,053,718, William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) handled 736,215, and Ellington Field (EFD) served 6,019 travelers. Nearly 3.8 million passengers flew through Houston’s airports in March, a slight 4.8 percent decrease from March 2001, as the spring break holidays fell in March this year, instead of April in 2001, resulting in a more favorable year-over comparison. HAS transported 62.4 million pounds of cargo this. month for a narrow decrease of 1.2 percent over March 2001.
- TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, Austin – Dallas lawyer and former commissioner of the Texas Transportation Commission (TIC), David M. Laney was named by President George W. Bush to the board of directors of Amtrak-the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. Amtrak, created in 1971, serves more than 500 stations in 46 states. When Bush was in his first term as Texas governor in 1995, he appointed Laney to the TIC.
- HERBERT D. KELLEHER was inducted by the San Diego Aerospace Museum into the Museum’s International Aerospace Hall of Fame on March 16, 2002. In 1966, Kelleher began with a sketch on a cocktail napkin and developed it into Southwest Airlines – the most successful air carrier in history. He stepped down as President and CEO in June 2001 but continues as the chairman of the board.
- BERGSTROM PILOTS ASSOCIATION (BPA), a new organization, was formed in March to meet the insurance requirements set forth by the City of Austin in order to move into the newly built T-hangars. Many individual pilots could not find an insurance carrier that would issue affordable individual coverage of premises liability. BPA is expected to obtain enough funds to purchase a group policy. Bill Gaston was elected President of BPA. You can access BPA at www.txaa.org, press BPA for more details on the new organization and the city’s insurance requirements.
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
(979) 317-2000