Where I Stand: McCarran Vision looks at busy future of airport travel

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1997 | 9:51 a.m.

McCARRAN VISION is a look at the future for Clark County's hometown airport. In today's guest column, new Director of Aviation Randy Walker tells of the technological wonders in place or in store for travelers to and from Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS TODAY is a community of great opportunity and great challenges. Government and private industry are working hard to make the best decisions for the future. At McCarran International Airport, we are well positioned to meet the needs of this valley with our plan for the future, which we call McCarran Vision.

McCarran Vision is a comprehensive plan that will ultimately result in an airport twice as busy as today's McCarran. McCarran Vision is driven by operational needs and, equally important, by customer service needs. The components of the plan include a 48-gate D Concourse, an "Automated Transit System," an expanded baggage claim area, 26 new ticket stations, a new runway and a new unit, or stand-alone, terminal. Installation of new airport information systems, which include common-use terminal equipment and a "Multiple User Flight Information Display System," are also part of this vision.

The timetable for McCarran Vision is staggered. Phase I of the ticketing-lobby expansion will be completed next month. The new runway will open by the end of this year. The ATS and baggage-claim projects will be completed next summer. The first phase of the D Concourse will open with 26 gates next summer. Expansion of the D Concourse and the unit terminal are currently in the planning stages. The CUTE system is operational now in a limited capacity and will be fully operational next summer.

"Common Use Terminal Equipment," or CUTE, is cutting-edge technology that will put McCarran in the position of being a trend setter for airports throughout the world. This technology is cutting edge not just because it's new and not just because we will be the first airport in the nation to have it airport-wide, but because it will provide the means to deliver superb customer service and improved operational capability.

Today, we have 204 ticket-counter positions used by 20 scheduled airlines. All airlines do not operate on the same schedule. One airline may be extremely busy while its neighbor to the right may not have any flights. When this scenario occurs, check-in lines are exceedingly long and the airline has no option for improving service. For example, America West agents cannot operate Northwest ticketing computers. CUTE technology will solve this problem.

"Common use" means that McCarran will be installing all new computer equipment for the airlines. This equipment will enable America West employees to log onto unused Northwest computer stations and instantly that station is no longer Northwest, but America West. Working together, the airport and the airlines will improve customer service.

The CUTE system will also enable airlines to swap gates more easily. Upon logging in, an airline will take possession of a gate. Not only will the computer enable them to access their flight data, but the gate podium will reflect a change of airline via a large monitor located adjacent to the counter. When Reno Air is operating a specific gate, its logo and flight information will appear on the monitor screen. Passengers will easily identify the gate they need. That same podium, when operated by Delta staff, will reflect the Delta logo and Delta flight information.

CUTE is a system whose time has come and whose reach is great. Positive bag match refers to a procedure airlines must follow to reconcile checked bags and passengers. If a passenger on an international flight checks bags and does not board the aircraft, airlines are required to remove that passenger's luggage. Airlines must manually compare boarding lists with ticket or curbside check-in lists. CUTE will result in all passengers receiving an electronically generated boarding pass. Upon boarding an aircraft, the electronically generated boarding pass will be scanned. Almost instantly, airlines will be able to reconcile who checked bags and who boarded.

Airlines at McCarran Airport will easily be able to accommodate positive bag match requirements for international flights. Should the Federal Aviation Administration mandate positive bag match for domestic flights, airlines operating here will be ready to meet the directive.

"Baggage Information Display Systems" will result in improved baggage claim service. Currently, the system in place does not allow for shared carousels. At times, it may seem as though 400 people are jockeying for position at a full carousel while adjacent bag claim carousels are empty. BIDS will enable airlines to share those carousels and improve customer service in baggage claim. Also, electronic signs at the gate areas will inform arriving passengers where to find their luggage prior to arriving at baggage claim.

Checking the status of an arriving flight is something all of us do when coming to the airport to meet friends, family and business associates. The phone system we have on line now is a component of the "Multiple User Flight Information Display System." By calling 261-3437, airport users are hooked into a flight information system. Information retrieved on this system is done by using a touch-tone phone. The system accesses information provided by the airlines as to the status of their flights. Sometimes airlines get backlogged and the information on the system is not up to the minute.

We are working on tying our MUFIDS into the existing electronic flight tracking system. The idea is to remove a step. Airlines would no longer have to input this data; data would be automatically fed into the system. Flight information service will also be improved by the installation of easy-to-read monitors and the addition of more flight information display monitors. The result is more accurate information, better customer service and improved efficiency.

The airport information systems, as I have described, will clearly enable McCarran to operate more efficiently. More efficiency means capacity improvements. It is estimated that this system will increase our capacity by 15 to 20 percent and provide flexibility for the future. This kind of technology means that we will be able to delay or even avoid expensive expansion projects.

A year from now, Clark County residents will be using a new and improved McCarran Airport. Already a world-class facility, McCarran Airport will set the standard in technology and customer service. I am proud of McCarran and proud to work under the direction and management of the county manager and the Clark County Board of Commissioners. McCarran Vision meets the challenges presented by our dynamic community and I know residents will be as excited as we are that our "hometown airport" is ready for the future.