Omaha Eppley Airfield - DISCUSSION

[Bob from Omaha]

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[thenewguy]

Eppley just launched their new terminal website. So far it is just about the canopy project, but they do have some preliminary renderings of the terminal drive. As well as potentially the new terminal facade. They note the renderings (presumably the terminal part, are preliminary and subject to change.)
https://www.buildoma.com/

Someone I know is working this project, and I was able to get their final rendering of the canopy itself. One thing I noticed is that it looks like the canopy will be extended a little further beyond the terminal than originally designed. In this rendering, it also does not include obvious exterior updates as what looked to be the "when it is all said-and-done" rendering. This rendering seems to take what is there now, but with the canopy in its final form.

[Bearcat06]

Eppley just launched their new terminal website. So far it is just about the canopy project, but they do have some preliminary renderings of the terminal drive. As well as potentially the new terminal facade. They note the renderings (presumably the terminal part, are preliminary and subject to change.)
https://www.buildoma.com/

Someone I know is working this project, and I was able to get their final rendering of the canopy itself. One thing I noticed is that it looks like the canopy will be extended a little further beyond the terminal than originally designed. In this rendering, it also does not include obvious exterior updates as what looked to be the "when it is all said-and-done" rendering. This rendering seems to take what is there now, but with the canopy in its final form.

Any idea what material they are using for what looks like glass panels?

Eppley and Abbott Drive have taken hits from baseball sized hail before and that looks like it would be a nightmare to repair. For reference it took the zoo the better part of a couple years to replace the roof/glass at the Lied Jungle after it was damaged.

[Bearcat06]

What was the doldrum from 2012-2016 from?

Could have been from the US still working itself out of the depression that started in 2008.

[Bearcat06]

Omaha passenger boardings top pre-pandemic levels at Eppley

Steve Liewer
The COVID-19 air-travel doldrums in Omaha may finally be over.

airport-cm04
People make their way to a terminal at Eppley Airfield. “The terminal and the parking garage feel more like they did before the pandemic,” said Steve McCoy of the Omaha Airport Authority. “It’s really an indication that travel is back.”

About 468,000 travelers passed through Eppley Airfield in July, 2,000 (or .4%) more than in the same month in 2019.

That’s the first time traffic has exceeded levels from before the pandemic, said Steve McCoy, chief information and development officer for the Omaha Airport Authority.
...
The resurgence in traffic has happened even though the number of daily flights at Eppley is less than before the pandemic.

McCoy said the airlines have managed that by flying larger planes in and out of Omaha. For example, Southwest Airlines, Eppley’s largest carrier, has replaced some older 737-700 jets, which carry 143 passengers, with newer 737-800 and 737 MAX aircraft, with a capacity of 175.

Overall, he said, the average number of seats per Eppley departure has risen from 108 to 134 since July 2019, a 20% increase.

Hopefully, Delta gets on board with AA and United plans that have included ditching the smaller regional jets. Phasing out the B717s should help see some larger jets make their way to Omaha from Atlanta and the other Delta hubs.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

Side note: I like that they placed a UNL 'N' on the bumper of the Range Rover parked next to Security Checkpoint 3.

[flick70]

Anyone have some up-to-date photos? I'd love to see the progress.

[almighty_tuna]

Was at Eppley last night around midnight. Can confirm nothing noteworthy has happened.

[Mr.Nuke]

What was the doldrum from 2012-2016 from?

It roughly coincides with fairly massive airline contraction among the legacy carriers i.e. Delta/Northwest, United/Continental, and American/Us Air in that time frame and still coming out of one of the worst recessions since the great depression.

[Louie]

What was the doldrum from 2012-2016 from?

It roughly coincides with fairly massive airline contraction among the legacy carriers i.e. Delta/Northwest, United/Continental, and American/Us Air in that time frame and still coming out of one of the worst recessions since the great depression.

Interesting that there was a bounce back in 2010.

[Bob from Omaha]

August numbers are out. +6.6% for the month, +12% for the year. At this rate OMA could still break 5M.

And now, Nuke

[Bearcat06]

August numbers are out. +6.6% for the month, +12% for the year. At this rate OMA could still break 5M.

And now, Nuke

Updated my numbers and I'm predicting approximately 5,105,244 on the year. That would be better than both 2018 and 2019 numbers if it holds and an increase of about 600k passengers over last year, which I'd say is pretty dang impressive for a medium hub.

I had read online that domestic fares were dropping for travel this fall so maybe that helps hold the increased numbers where they are. It'd certainly be nice to break 5 million again.

[Mr.Nuke]

August numbers are out. +6.6% for the month, +12% for the year. At this rate OMA could still break 5M.

And now, Nuke

https://www.flyoma.com/wp-content/uploa ... istics.pdf
Overall looks good to me. Southwest being flat is something to watch though.

[TransitOriented]

August numbers are out. +6.6% for the month, +12% for the year. At this rate OMA could still break 5M.

And now, Nuke

https://www.flyoma.com/wp-content/uploa ... istics.pdf
Overall looks good to me. Southwest being flat is something to watch though.

Their fares were higher than UA/AA this summer. (No clue about DL, I don't fly them)

[Bob from Omaha]

August numbers are out. +6.6% for the month, +12% for the year. At this rate OMA could still break 5M.

And now, Nuke

https://www.flyoma.com/wp-content/uploa ... istics.pdf
Overall looks good to me. Southwest being flat is something to watch though.

Southwest's pricing matrix is not what it used to be.

[Louie]

I remember hearing something a ways back about Southwest locking in a contract for fuel prices over a long term and that was a big factor in their ability to lead the market in price. Can't be sure of the validity of that, though.

[thenewguy]

I recall something similar

[Bob from Omaha]

I remember hearing something a ways back about Southwest locking in a contract for fuel prices over a long term and that was a big factor in their ability to lead the market in price. Can't be sure of the validity of that, though.

They used to. I don't know if they still do. Also long term is relative. We aren't talking about a decade.
Delta actually bought an oil refinery. Talk about cutting out the middleman.

[Bob from Omaha]

A cursory look at the OMA web site at 6AM today shows 21 arrivals and 22 departures. Not too long ago the standard departures was 15, so there is growth. Still, the pricing has increased markedly. As some in Nebraska say "It aint like it once was" I'd be curious what the load factor is these days.

[thenewguy]

seems like any time i've flown in or out of Eppley in the last few years, flights have been pretty full. Flights going out are slightly less full, it seems, than flights coming back. Earlier this year, I flew back from Chicago and there wasn't a single empty seat (for what that is even worth)

[Mr.Nuke]

I remember hearing something a ways back about Southwest locking in a contract for fuel prices over a long term and that was a big factor in their ability to lead the market in price. Can't be sure of the validity of that, though.

Southwest still has a fairly significant portion of their near-term fuel expenses hedged. The 90's fuel hedging though is literally a Harvard Business Review case study.

Southwest's pricing matrix is not what it used to be.

No it isn't, but they're still carrying over 1/3 of Eppley's traffic alone. So if they slow, it is something watch.

I'd be curious what the load factor is these days.

June is the latest month I have data for, it was a strong 89.5% for June.

[Louie]

I remember hearing something a ways back about Southwest locking in a contract for fuel prices over a long term and that was a big factor in their ability to lead the market in price. Can't be sure of the validity of that, though.

Southwest still has a fairly significant portion of their near-term fuel expenses hedged. The 90's fuel hedging though is literally a Harvard Business Review case study.

Ah yes, of course, that's where I saw it, in my usual light reading!

[SkyWarrior55]

https://omaha.com/news/local/eppley-air ... 28c4b.html

Climbing up the ranks!

[Bearcat06]

https://omaha.com/news/local/eppley-air ... 28c4b.html

Climbing up the ranks!

Score that helped drag them down a bit was food/beverage/retail. You mean to tell me the average traveler doesn't love Kracky McKrakens and grab and go pre-cooked pizza/cold sandwiches? Clutch the pearls! Who could have guessed?

Other notes in that article, again terminal construction upcoming, still in the design phase. Construction could start in 2024 and will take up to 4 years to complete. Too bad they didn't take the gamble that travel would come back after the pandemic to have the remodel done for the 100th anniversary of the airfield in 2025....

[thenewguy]

my contact at drake williams sent me this picture over the weekend. It's one of the trusses for the airport canopy, it's 92' long. He explained the different grades of steel they are using for different projects here and across the country, and it's really fascinating stuff. He went on to say that some of the steel they are using for MoO is 500 lbs a linear foot (the stuff they are using at the airport isn't quite that heavy duty, but still very heavy and top grade type stuff). That's impressive.

[Bob from Omaha]

According to the Holder Omaha Airport web site,

Central Utility Plant and Enabling 100% CD's to Establish CGMP: COMPLETE

Terminal Expansion/Renovation Design Development Drawings for Budget Update: COMPLETE

Terminal Expansion/Renovation GMP Drawings Released: August 18, 2023

Subcontractor Outreach Events - August 8 and August 15

Holder OMA web site

[Mr.Nuke]

The Holder site basically hasn't been touched since August, and their is a chance it might not be again for a while if ever.

[bldgengineer2015]

The Holder site basically hasn't been touched since August, and their is a chance it might not be again for a while if ever.

That sounds ominous. Do you know if bids came back significantly higher on the terminal project?

[Mr.Nuke]

The Holder site basically hasn't been touched since August, and their is a chance it might not be again for a while if ever.

That sounds ominous. Do you know if bids came back significantly higher on the terminal project?

I didn't mean to make it sound ominous, but if you look at that site, nearly the entire purpose of it was to solicit bids for the Central Utility Plant and then the terminal work. The deadline for the terminal work bids was 9/1. So at this point the only thing we may get from that site going forward is minor project updates if anything. And on that front there really shouldn't be much to update for a while with the CUP work slated to start late this year or more than likely early next year (depending on the source.)

[Bob from Omaha]

The Holder site basically hasn't been touched since August, and their is a chance it might not be again for a while if ever.

That sounds ominous. Do you know if bids came back significantly higher on the terminal project?

I didn't mean to make it sound ominous, but if you look at that site, nearly the entire purpose of it was to solicit bids for the Central Utility Plant and then the terminal work. The deadline for the terminal work bids was 9/1. So at this point the only thing we may get from that site going forward is minor project updates if anything. And on that front there really shouldn't be much to update for a while with the CUP work slated to start late this year or more than likely early next year (depending on the source.)

So why doesn't the OAA release the new renderings?

[Ryan Air]

Everything with the OAA and this project is annoying. Just release the stupid renderings already. And when they do, bet me it’ll be in blurry thumbnails on their website where zooming-in and trying to read/catch detail will be impossible.

It’s almost like the final design choice is highly contingent on something they don’t know the answer to.

[Bearcat06]

BREAKING NEWS

Nebraska athletics to spend $450 million to demolish a 1/4 of a football stadium and rebuild it before the OMAA decides if they even want to move forward with terminal modernization that has been put on the backburner for several years.

https://ketv.com/article/watch-nebraska ... n/45358650

[Mr.Nuke]

So why doesn't the OAA release the new renderings?

Because as far as I can tell from the board meetings agenda's they haven't given the final notice to proceed again by approving the guaranteed maximum price contract. Bear in mind, we didn't expect that to happen before October per the last timeline we have from the holder outreach power point. They're not going to release renderings before that happens.

Nebraska athletics to spend $450 million to demolish a 1/4 of a football stadium and rebuild it

And they didn't release detailed renderings either that I know they have...

before the OMAA decides if they even want to move forward with terminal modernization that has been put on the backburner for several years.

Eppley passed the 2nd to last off-ramp in July and will hit the last off-ramp as early as this coming board meeting. It is about to happen.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

BREAKING NEWS

Nebraska athletics to spend $450 million to demolish a 1/4 of a football stadium and rebuild it before the OMAA decides if they even want to move forward with terminal modernization that has been put on the backburner for several years.

https://ketv.com/article/watch-nebraska ... n/45358650

Well how many national championships has the airport won?!

[NEDodger]

Everything with the OAA and this project is annoying. Just release the stupid renderings already. And when they do, bet me it’ll be in blurry thumbnails on their website where zooming-in and trying to read/catch detail will be impossible.

It’s almost like the final design choice is highly contingent on something they don’t know the answer to.

Good grief, are you five years old? It’s a 500 million dollar project during a time of Covid rebound, high inflation, and high interest rates, and you’re acting like Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka.

[Ryan Air]

Everything with the OAA and this project is annoying. Just release the stupid renderings already. And when they do, bet me it’ll be in blurry thumbnails on their website where zooming-in and trying to read/catch detail will be impossible.

It’s almost like the final design choice is highly contingent on something they don’t know the answer to.

Good grief, are you five years old? It’s a 500 million dollar project during a time of Covid rebound, high inflation, and high interest rates, and you’re acting like Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka.

So sorry, daddy.

[Bearcat06]

AA starting seasonal non-stop service to Miami next month on A319s.

[nativeomahan]

We’ve flown that flight in the past. Just a smidge over 3 hours liftoff to touchdown. And often about a 40 degree temperature difference.

[Bearcat06]

I know this is an apple to watermelon comparison, but Denver is renovating and expanding again with a plan to add up to 100 more gates. They are the 3rd busiest airport in the US, I get it, but the differences are stark.

Denver adding 100 gates, Kansas City opened their new terminal with 40 (44th busiest in 2021) and Eppley looking at maybe 22 gates (62nd busiest airport in the US in 2021).

https://denvergazette.com/news/denver-i ... aign=alert

[TitosBuritoBarn]

I know this is an apple to watermelon comparison, but Denver is renovating and expanding again with a plan to add up to 100 more gates. They are the 3rd busiest airport in the US, I get it, but the differences are stark.

Denver adding 100 gates, Kansas City opened their new terminal with 40 (44th busiest in 2021) and Eppley looking at maybe 22 gates (62nd busiest airport in the US in 2021).

https://denvergazette.com/news/denver-i ... aign=alert

Ugh…. DEN has enough gates. And more planes than they know what to do with. One time when I flew out of Denver we were delayed 15 minutes so they could add some late cargo and once the cargo was loaded we were informed we were now 18th in line for departure! 18th!! I’ve never been on a flight that was more than single digits in line for departure.