Naples Airport Prepares for Storm Season

THE NAPLES AIRPORT IS WORKING ON A FIRST OF ITS KIND PROJECT TO MAKE IT MORE STORM, RESILIENT IN 2022. HURRICANE IAN FLOODING SUBMERGE THE RUNWAYS SEVERELY DAMAGING AIRFIELD LIGHTING AND NAVIGATION SYSTEMS. WGCU REPORTER YOUN JOO PARK TELLS US MORE ABOUT THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT UNDERWAY TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON BOTH DURING AND AFTER THE WORST STORMS. >> IN PREPARING FOR HURRICANES, NAPLES AIRPORT IS SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW. IT WILL BE THE FIRST AIRPORT IN THE SOUTHERN COASTAL STATES TO INSTALL HIGHER AIRFIELD LIGHTING ON THE TARMAC RUNWAYS. THESE NEW LIGHT FIXTURES, WE'LL STAND ALMOST ONE AND A HALF FEET OFF THE GROUND. THE INCREASED HEIGHT. WE'LL MAKE LIGHTING MORE VISIBLE FOR AIRCRAFTS AND HELP THE FIXTURES TO BE MORE RESILIENT FROM HURRICANE FLOOD WATERS. WHAT INSPIRED THIS PROJECT WITH THE SAFETY HAZARDS FOLLOWING HURRICANE IAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRIS ROZANSKI REMINISCED ABOUT THE DAY HE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT TO ASSESS DAMAGES. >> YOU GOT TO GET THE RUNWAYS READY FIRST TO BE ABLE TO REOPEN THE AIRPORT. BUT THERE IS A LOT OF THAT DEBRIS FROM THE STORM SURGE. SO THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WAS TO CLEAN UP ALL THE DEBRIS, INCLUDING SOME FISH OFF THE RUNWAY AND AIRFIELD FAVORITES SINCE VISIBILITY IS VITAL FOR SAFETY. >> THE AIRPORT'S 2 RUNWAYS WILL UNDERGO A MAKEOVER WITH THE INSTALLATION OF 1080 AIRFIELD LIGHTS THAT ARE ALL 20 INCHES HIGH. TO DECIDE ON ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS, LIGHT FIXTURES, THE EXECUTIVES OF NAPLES AND PORT DISCUSSED LIGHTING OPTIONS CLOSELY WITH ENGINEERS. AT CANNES CEO SANDEEP SINGH EXPLAINS THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY OF THESE NEW LIGHTS. >> THE LATEST LIGHT FIXTURES ARE LIGHT EMITTING DIODE TYPEFACE SHOWS THEY HAVE ADVANCE FROM WHAT USED TO BE IN KEN DESCENT LIGHTING WHERE BASICALLY THE ELECTRICITY WAS JUST INCREASING GOING TO IT AS A DISTANCE AND CREATING HEAT AND LIGHT. THE HEAT WAS OF NO USE. LIGHT IS ALL WE CAN ABOUT. AND AS WE HAVE MOVED TO THE MORNING PAST PICTURES, ALL OF THE ENERGY GOES TO A PRODUCING THE LIKE. >> ROSEANNE SKI SAYS THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION IDENTIFIED NAPLES AIRPORT AS THE NEW NATIONAL STANDARD AND LIGHTING FOR ALL AIRPORTS AND THE COASTAL SOUTH. >> THE FAA ALLOWS US AND NORTHERN AIRPORTS WHERE THERE'S SUBJECT TO SNOWFALL, BUT IT'S NOT TYPICAL AT A SOUTHERN AIRPORT, ESPECIALLY ONE ALONG THE COAST. SO WE WERE CLOSELY WITH THE FAA AND ART ENGINEERING PARTNERS AND AND AND THEY AGREE THAT THIS IS A COMMON SENSE CHANGE. AND SO NAPLES WILL BE THE FIRST. >> BESIDES THE TALLER LIGHTING FIXTURES ACROSS THE RUNWAYS, ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT VITAL TO AIRPORT OPERATIONS WILL BE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AIRPORTS AND THE TRICK OF ALL, ACCORDING TO ROSEANNE SKI. >> THE THE CENTRALIZED BUILDING WHERE ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS RUN BACK TO CALLED OUR AIR OR AIR FIELD ELECTRICAL. WHAT THAT WAS INCHES FROM BEING INUNDATED BY STORM SURGE AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DEVASTATING FOR US. SO AS A RESULT AND THROUGH A RESILIENT FLORIDA GRANT THAT WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT ELECTRICAL VAULT BUILDING WILL NOW BE 5 FOOT HIGHER THAN THE ONE THAT EXISTS TODAY. >> USING VARIOUS GRANTS, NAPLES AIRPORT WILL REPLACE BOTH THE AIRFIELD LIGHTING AND THE ELECTRICAL VAULT. THIS 25 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE 2 YEARS. BY ENHANCING STORM RESILIENCY. THESE TALLER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. WE'RE LITERALLY TAKE NAPLES AIRPORT TO GREATER HEIGHTS FOR WGCU NEWS. I'M YOUN JOO