Reno Renaissance
Airport activities, perception head north under the direction of Bart
When Krys T. Bart arrived at the Airport Authority of Washoe County (AAWC) in December 1998, she walked into a blizzard of challenges. Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) was in dire financial straits as local carrier Reno Air became a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines in a purchase announced just one month before Bart commenced her executive director duties. At the same time that Reno Air was taking down their flights, perceptions were less than positive as the Reno-Tahoe community felt that AAWC lied to the community about property acquisitions and noise programs.
Long story short, the airport was not held in very high esteem. "This community was in huge shock, and it was certainly a shock to the airport staff that had been leaderless for six months," Bart recalled. "There was no one who really had a sense of exactly how to pull it all together. "If you could take a look at almost every aspect, it was all going south." Since that time nearly eight years ago, Bart is happy to report a much more northerly outlook at the entity that has aptly been renamed the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (RTAA).
"It is a day and night situation in every respect here at the airport," she said. "It is a 360 degree difference." Over time, the airport authority has regained the trust of both the local community and the RTAA employees Bart deems to be "a dynamite staff." "We have built an incredible team of professionals by recruiting nationally and supporting the strong performers who were already here," she said. "We now benefit from the combination of a highly talented staff and a forward thinking, proactive Board of Trustees. The result is that a phenomenal trust now exists between the airport, the community and the press." This revitalized team helped the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority quickly overcome the turmoil of 9/11.
"We were one of the first airports after 9/11 to have our bond rating reaffirmed to an A-minus," Bart said, noting that the rating was upgraded to an "A" in 2005, a very difficult task for an independent airport authority that has no tax backing from a larger city or county entity.
Best of all, the airport has a buzz of activity that is responsible for generating $3.2 billion for the local economy. As RNO cargo continues to grow at four times the national average, the medium-hub airport is steadily increasing enplanement numbers with nearly 5.5 million passengers per year.
Southwest Airlines encompasses half of RNO's passenger activity at what Bart describes as "an extremely low-cost operating airport. "Our philosophy at this airport is that we are truly a partner with our airlines," she said. "We work very hard to manage our resources, and I am very proud to say that we are a very low-cost operating airport. With a cost below $5 per enplaned passenger, we have very high load factors and all of our carriers are exceeding their national average."
This positive business climate for the airlines led Southwest to announce non-stop daily service between Reno and Chicago's Midway Airport starting Dec. 4. The new service further enhances the strong relationship between Reno and Southwest.
Forward looking
As the good times roll, RNO is planning projects to ensure the continued efficiency and viability of the facility. The Transportation Security Administration is providing the airport $7 million in funding to combine with $17 million of RNO's passenger facility charges to install an inline baggage screening system within the next 12- to 18-months. In addition, a $44 million air traffic control tower funded through multi-year, line-item appropriations is fully designed and should be under construction in 2007.
Also on the horizon is a new six-story, 127-room Hyatt hotel. "We have been very successful in using some of our vacant land," Bart said. "We have a beautiful piece of property directly across the street from our terminal building which will be a non-gaming, all-suite hotel targeted toward the business traveler. We are very excited about this and a brand new office building adjacent to the hotel."
RNO is also looking further into the future for terminal expansion and development planned to begin in 2012. Preliminary planning and analysis has been based on need and passenger growth. "Our terminal is kind of challenging," Bart explained. "First of all, it is an old facility, and as old facilities go, there comes a time when the cost of maintenance exceeds the cost of debt service on a new facility. We are just about there.
"When we began our initial analysis of our space constraints, we found our concourses were only at 40 percent of the amount of space we currently need to efficiently operate. So we're looking at a new terminal, we're looking at new concourses and we're looking at rebuilding where we are. But most likely we'll begin with concourses because that is the point of greatest urgency and greatest need."
In the interim, Bart said the airport will concentrate on modest upgrades and enhancements. "I think you will continue to see a lot of change," Bart said. "We have gone through the airport since I have been here and identified the weaknesses - things like restrooms, concessions and the exterior façade - and upgraded all of these."
These physical changes are complimented by Bart's pride and joy - outstanding customer service. "Our customer service is above most of what I have ever experienced at an airport," she said. "Right after 9/11, we created a class of employee called our Passenger Aids to assist our customers and make sure they get in the right lane when they are checking bags, queuing through the screening procedure at the security checkpoint, or wherever we have a bottleneck. We have these Passenger Aids staffed to work at the airport 12 hours a day. "We really look to see what it is that people need to make their travel experience here easier."
Bart said Wi-Fi was a given. Another was a Peet's Coffee & Tea location in the airport. The Berkeley-based premium bean brand has a strong following among the California set that falls within RNO's recently expanded catchment area.
"There is a Peet's culture, and we have the first Peet's Coffee outlet in Nevada right here in our airport," Bart explained of the Creative Host Services concept. "This came about as the result of truly listening to people, and we try to do that and see what we can do bigger and better and how can we welcome people. To the extent that we can afford these things, we do them."
Bart said the airport thrives on compliments, and receives quite a few. "People that use the airport compliment us on the ease of use, the customer friendliness and the cleanliness," she said. "The community believes we have terrific air service for a population of our size, and the airport is located in the center of town and has never had any noise litigation, even though we are a 24/7 airport without curfew.
"All of which says the community appreciates and understands the value of this airport, and I'm pleased with that."
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