The airport has switched, wherever possible, to natural gas or electricity run vehicles. Economic Impact

There are, currently, 32 passenger airlines and 19 cargo airlines that use the Hartsfield-Jackson airport. The 2006 statistics as posted by the airport authorities on the official website offer the following details.

Passengers Cargo in Metro Tons

Freight/Express/Mail Aircraft Operations

Landings and Takeoffs

Domestic

International

Transit

The airport is the largest employer in the State of Georgia, with a payroll of $2.4 billion. Approximately 56,000 individuals are employed by the airport either directly or through contracts agencies. It is estimated that the direct and indirect impact of the airport is $5.6 billion. In turn, "the annual, regional economic impact of the Airport is more than $23.5 billion. Airport revenue was $289,342,426 (unaudited) derived from landing fees, concession revenues, parking fees and building and land rentals. In addition, the Airport received $165,116,277 from passenger facility charges (PFC's)." (Hartsfield-Jackson 2007)

The location of Atlanta with respect to the rest of the country also makes it an ideal choice for cargo movement. Major cities such as Chicago are closer to Atlanta than the other major Northeast airports of New York and New Jersey. In addition, the Atlanta area is also a truck drive for many locations in the Southeast seaboard section of the U.S. which accounts for a major section of the population. Proximity to major highways also ensures that the movement of goods is quick. As such, major national and international freight forwarders have their operations in and around Atlanta.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks impacted airlines significantly, with fewer travelers using air transportation in the following year. The last period when airlines sustained the maximum loss was during the gulf war. The airline industry lost $4.8 billions in 1992. It took about a year for the airline to recover from this depression and get to the pre-war traffic levels. The recovery rate is not been observed as yet in the case of the market downturn due to 9/11. Many American airlines are reporting their worst financial losses from 2001-2005. As passengers were afraid to fly, the airline industry reduced the number of flights. It also put a hold on some of the new aircraft purchases. Reduced flights also decreased the number if supporting businesses like aircraft service businesses. In turn, many gates were unoccupied at terminal and airports could not collect revenue on these vacant structures.

Managing costs has therefore become very important for airport operators. Mario Diaz, the Deputy Aviation General Manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2003 during a speech stated that the airport "is one of the most efficient airports in the U.S. In fact, one measure of our efficiency is that we have one of the lowest landing fees of any major U.S. airport: $0.45 per 1,000 pounds of landing weight. Another efficiency metric is the cost per enplaned passenger. Presently at Hartsfield-Jackson the cost is $2.55. Of all major hub airports, only Charlotte Douglas has a lower cost per enplaned passenger than Atlanta." (Diaz 2007)

Developments and Future plans

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport will have to constantly make improvements to ensure that it is a strong player in the field of passenger and cargo transportation. Realizing...

In addition, a new terminal on the east side of the airport is also being undertaken, which is expected to be completed in 2011. A new terminal with 70 gates on the south side is also planned.
Consolidated Rental Car (CONRAC) facility is also expected to be completed in 2009 and all the rental car agencies will be moved to this location. An automated people- mover will connect the facility to the airport and to the Gateway Center of the Georgia International Convention Center.

Conclusion

Progress on Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport since its inception and creation has demonstrated aptly that the facility has the capability to change and evolve to manage the constantly new environment that it faces. Routine and periodic upgrades have ensured that the airport has retained the status at the busiest airport in the U.S. The location of the airport and the development of trade and economic interest with the region have helped the airport improve its passenger and cargo flow over the years. Efficiency and effective use of science and technology has also ensured that all type of aircrafts can be accommodated within the airport. Space management both for passengers and cargo has ensured that requirements have always stayed ahead of the demand. The public has also been assured that the airport has taken all the necessary measure to ensure that noise and air pollution are kept to a minimum through proactive measure and studies.

With air travel only expected to increase in the future, all improvements and modification made to airports will only enhance and aid the economic growth and success of the Atlanta region. As global trade and commerce is also is linked to air travel, travelers are also expecting more from the facilities such as airports to serve them better comforts and amenities.