Lighting the way

The discussions canvassed runways, taxiways and aprons, as well as new technologies and case studies in airfield lighting projects. This forum is the only event of its kind held in Australia and is an invaluable opportunity for airports and service providers to actively collaborate and share information on all aspects of pavements and lighting.

This year’s forum saw 24 separate presentations across two days with dedicated sessions to both pavements and lighting issues. The sessions devoted to pavements explored a variety of issues including the current status of Australian Standards and specifications, particularly related to asphalt and flexible pavements.

The issue of standardisation was a constant theme throughout the forum and the issue was highlighted in a dedicated panel session that focused on exploring potential options for developing a national airport asphalt specification. It was noted that although some preliminary studies had been carried out over a decade ago, which explored options for moving towards a national specification, there had been little progress made in recent years. It was recognised that there would be value in both the AAA and the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA) considering options for how industry could come together to develop some national consistency in airport asphalt specifications.

However, the difficulty that arises in developing any industry guidance on a specification is that the requirements for airport asphalt vary greatly depending on the type of airport and the nature of its operations. Overcoming this diversity in requirements is a key challenge in moving towards national harmonisation, and the AAA is committed to working with its members and other stakeholders to determine the most appropriate course of action. While harmonisation may be difficult, there are potentially significant cost savings to be realised by industry in developing a more common approach to airport asphalt specifications.

In addition to discussion on asphalt specifications, the forum also explored pavement resurfacing and bonds, EME2 technology, pavement concessions, international innovations, as well as a number of project case studies from bothmajor and regional airports. The AAA also hosted a specialised technical workshop on the day prior to the forum that was dedicated to discussing pavement specifications.

This included valuable and informative discussion on asphalt specifications, asphalt binders, concrete specifications and the spray seal design method.

The sessions that explored lighting focused on several case studies ranging from the CAT II High Intensity Approach Lighting project at Sydney Airport, through to runway lighting upgrades at regional airports, with each speaker identifying the key challenges and lessons learned. There was also an informative presentation around the advantages of implementing LED lighting systems at airports, particularly in relation to increased efficiency, longevity and power savings.

In addition to the Airfield Pavements and Lighting Forum, the AAA also launched its inaugural Mentoring Program on April 29. The AAA Mentoring Program is the first of its kind for airport professionals in Australia.

For many years members have commented on the need for a mentoring program, so that they can share their knowledge and experience with those coming up the ranks. This program provides that opportunity. We see mentoring as an essential tool in securing the future of our industry. This program allows employees from memberairports to engage with each other to further develop their personal and professional skills, as well as make fantastic networking connections. The AAA was overwhelmed by the support of the membership for this program and are excited to see how it continues to develop and grow as time goes on.

The launch of the program saw 18 mentors come together with 18 mentees for a face-to-face introductory meeting, with a valuable facilitated discussion on how participants can get the most out of the program. The AAA Industry Mentoring Program is designed to facilitate mentoring relationships so that mentors can share advice, knowledge and experiences with mentees, resulting in a mutually beneficial professional development relationship.

The AAA is very excited and proud to be able to provide its members with valuable opportunities for professional development, whether it be a forum for the experts of the industry to gather and discuss the challenges and innovations in airport pavements and lighting, or providing a program that ensures that the wisdom and knowledge of industry leaders is passed on to the next generation. We believe that continual learning and development is essential in every industry and the AAA is committed to continue providing its members with these important opportunities.