T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluationnonstop LCC service rather than using connecting airline service from T.F. Green Airport. The number of dailynon-stop flights between T.F. Green Airport (with a longer primary runway length) and West Coast destinationswas originally forecast as 16 in 2004. Although total passengers at T.F. Green Airport have decreased by 29 percentbetween 2004 and 2010, 77 it is still reasonable to project passenger demand for 16 non-stop daily West Coast flightswith an extended primary runway at T.F. Green Airport. During the same time period, the total number of O&Dpassengers between T.F. Green and Logan Airports has decreased by 1 percent to the Los Angeles area, andincreased by 8.6 percent and 20.2 percent to the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, respectively, as shownpreviously in Table 2-3. This demonstrates that regional demand (including T.F. Green and Logan Airports)between these West Coast markets has outpaced overall passenger demand from T.F. Green Airport only.Therefore, the unique demand for service to these markets is not affected by a decrease in overall operations.Additional analysis of forecast non-stop West Coast service based on historical average O&D passenger activityand an allocation of passengers based on catchment area is provided in Appendix E.2, Evaluation of PotentialNon-stop West Coast Flights. 78 This appendix also evaluates the characteristics of a similar regional airport system insoutheast Florida.Based on the destinations currently served by airlines operating at the Airport, as shown on Figure 2-5, the Airport isoperating as a short- and medium-haul airport. The aircraft types that serve the Airport are primarily narrow-body jetaircraft and turboprop. While there are some limited wide-body aircraft operations at T.F. Green Airport, these aretypically used for select niche markets with trip lengths that either do not require full fuel loads or are based onreduced operational payload (fewer passengers or less belly cargo). With such a reduced payload or fuel requirement,wide-body aircraft can operate on a shorter runway than would otherwise be required by the same aircraft operatingwith full fuel loads or payloads that would be typical of longer trip lengths.The longest non-stop route currently served from T.F. Green Airport is Las Vegas, Nevada (2,053 nautical miles) bySouthwest Airlines, an LCC. As indicated previously in this chapter, LCCs have had an influential role on thepassenger demand at T.F. Green Airport and the region. LCCs, such as Southwest and JetBlue, typically cater tocustomers who are driven by price, which typically confines them to short-haul operations. However, more and moreLCCs are modifying their business models to include long-haul service but only to the largest markets (such as theeastern New England region and greater Boston) where the airport infrastructure can support non-stop service andthey can meet demand with lower long-haul fares. FAA recognizes that the trend to longer trip lengths willcontinue in the future. 79 Because of frequently changing airline business models, airports must remain flexible andhave the ability to meet anticipated industry demands. Non-stop long-haul service to the West Coast by LCCs hasrecently increased at Logan Airport, which has appropriate airport infrastructure (with a primary runway length of10,083 feet) to accommodate non-stop West Coast service (see Figure 2-5).Chart 2-5 depicts the required runway lengths for the forecast aircraft fleet mix that are capable of operating nonstopfrom T.F. Green Airport to West Coast markets using methodologies detailed in FAA’s Advisory77 Rhode Island Airport Corporation, 2011, http://www.pvdairport.com/main.aspx?guid=3E497897-BB63-4982-8CAE-6B1F686C4836.78 These additional non-stop flights to the West Coast are included in the assessment of the environmental consequences associated with the Build Alternatives.See Chapter 5, Environmental Consequences.79 FAA Aerospace Forecast: Fiscal Years 2010-2030, Table 15, FAA Office of Aviation Policy and Plans, 2010.Chapter 2 – Purpose and Need 2-25 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH02_P&N_JUL_2011.doc