Join SCCAAAE for the 2026 Conference in Hurst, Texas

Wednesday, November 4

FAA Regional Updates

Keynote Speaker

State Director Briefings

Perspective from the State Capitals:

State Directors will have the opportunity to share with stakeholders current political/financial challenges happening within aviation policy and future direction of aviation within their respective governments.

FAA Office of Airports Policy Round Table Discussion

Stakeholders will have opportunity to engage with FAA Office of Airports Principal Leadership in a roundtable dialogue related to national policy changes and challenges.

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

Airport Safety & Standards Program Update

This session will cover Southwest Region Part 139 Certification of Airports Program oversight. Methods and Procedures for Compliance. Systems for Communicating Information about the Airport Certification Program.

Financial Programs Update

This session provides an overview of FAA’s funding programs, and will help sponsors create funding plans for key projects using the various Airports grant programs available.

Protection My Airspace

Focus on how GA airports can prevent local off-airport development from penetrating critical approach surfaces and ruining their instrument approaches.

Pavement Engineering

This session will discuss pavement engineering, with an in-depth look at pavement design methods for both asphalt and concrete.

Concurrent Sessions

Airport Compliance Program Update

This session will cover all aspects of the FAA’s compliance program including land use inspections, latest changes/hot topics, and latest Director’s Determinations.

Draft AIP Handbook Update

As mandated by Congress in 2024, the AIP Handbook is being updated to reflect statutory and policy changes since 2017.

Airport Improvement Projects with Reimbursable Agreements

This session will provide an update efforts to reduce FAA design review of airport construction projects based on facility and service.

Case Study Embracing Construction Technologies

This session covers new technologies utilized by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in the development of their Pavement Maintenance Program and the construction of Terminal F.

Concurrent Sessions

Case Study Vehicle Pedestrian Deviation

This session will discuss the trends in operational errors and best practices for reduction of vehicle / pedestrian deviations and other runway incursion initiatives.

Planning and Environmental Integration

This session will cover practices to better integrate the planning and environmental processes to ensure airport projects are properly coordinated and NEPA documents are technically/legally sufficient and completed in a timely manner.

Grants from an ADO perspective

This session will review requirements needed to successfully complete a project within FAA grant guidelines. This includes pre-grant actions, general grant management, and grant closeout.

OEAAA & AGIS Modernization Efforts

Brief review of modernization Efforts.

Thursday, November 5

Morning Concurrent Sessions

Case Studies for Section 106/Tribal Consultation and Adverse Effect Determinations

This session provides real world case studies of airport projects which required in-depth Section 106 consultation for adverse effects to eligible properties. Effective tribal consultation will also be discussed.

Alternative Project Delivery Methods

A deep dive into Design-Build (DB), Progressive Design-Build (PDB), and Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) frameworks for airport sponsors to keep capital projects on time and within budget.

Avoiding Common Mistakes in OEAAA & AGIS

A joint panel featuring FAA and seasoned consultants discussing the most common mistakes that cause delays in Form 7460-1 airspace reviews and AGIS survey approvals.

Concurrent Sessions

NEPA Updates and Streamlining Efforts

This session will cover updates to NEPA and FAA’s environmental processes, including efforts to streamline the NEPA process.

Flight Procedures Office Update

This session will give an overview of the Flight Procedures Office responsibilities, procedures development and data submissions.

Counter-UAS (C-UAS) Strategies for Regional Airports

Building on the cyber security and drone updates by addressing the latest physical detection and mitigation strategies for unauthorized drone activity near airfields.

Concurrent Sessions

Runway Incursion Mitigation (RIM) Technology: Case study

Presenting case studies on low-cost, high-impact situational awareness technologies (like enhanced LED signage or surface surveillance tools) tailored for non-hub or general aviation airports.

PFC Revisions & Updates

This session is a brief refresher on the requirements of the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program. Bring all your questions. We will run through the application process and day-to-day issues.

Flight Procedures Office Update

This session will give an overview of the Flight Procedures Office responsibilities, procedures development and data submissions.

Emerging Entrants – AAM and UAS National Perspective

The aviation industry is experiencing expedited growth in new and innovative aircraft design and operations. This presentation will go over the various efforts that the FAA Office of Airports has undertaken to ensure that proper infrastructure guidance is available to both operators and facility owners when it comes to these two concepts.

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

GA Runway Safety Area (RSA) Inventory and Determinations

This session will discuss the process for to collect inventory data and completing RSA determinations.

Buy American

This session will examine the Buy American / BABA requirement and the process for receiving a waiver. If you have foreign-sourced materials or equipment, you will need to know this if you are using AIP-type funding.

Counter-UAS (C-UAS) Strategies for Regional Airports

Building on the cyber security and drone updates by addressing the latest physical detection and mitigation strategies for unauthorized drone activity near airfields.

ADIP - Streamlining Airport Data Updates to ensure Safety and Accuracy within the National Airspace System (NAS)

This presentation will provide an ADIP website demo and will cover updates and new functionality of the FAA’s Airports Geographic Information System to include the 1) AGIS (survey projects) 2) Digital 7480/Obligated Airport Updates & 3) Runway Airspace Management (RAM) Modules within ADIP.

Maximizing Discretionary Grants

Strategies for positioning competitive regional projects for federal funding opportunities beyond traditional entitlement allocations.

TCASE STUDY Cyber Security

This session provides an overview of Airport Cyber Security treats and provide practical lessons learned.

eIPP Project Updatess

This session provides an overview of several new proposals to test electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) "air taxis" and advanced cargo drones.