Albuquerque International
Sunport Sustainable
Master Plan
Albuquerque, NM
Our team prepared an airport master plan with a sustainability element for the Albuquerque International Sunport. The objective of the study was to provide the community and public officials with proper guidance for future airport improvements, addressing aviation demands while maintaining environmental compatibility. Sustainability was a core part of the planning process, allowing Sunport to identify initiatives to reduce energy consumption, environmental impacts, and carbon footprint while maximizing revenue generation potential. The master plan’s recommendations included:
- Relocating the Runway 8 landing threshold 600 feet to the west
- Identification of airfield pavement that could be removed from service
- Recommendations for mitigating FAA-identified hot spots
- Taxiway geometry improvements to reduce potential runway incursions
- Passenger terminal concourse expansion
- General aviation and air cargo development
A significant challenge was penetration of the approach surface leading to the landing threshold by the tails of holding aircraft. Our team developed several alternatives, a safety risk management (SRM) committee was assembled, and a formal process was followed to resolve the issue.
The airport’s high volume of morning departures regularly resulted in delays – the new geometry not only resolved the non-standard approach surface issue but also reduced delays. The final master plan outlined the capital needs of the airport for the next 20 years.
Project Type
Project Sub-Type
Airport Master Plan
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