Narrative:

Since air carrier X first began cargo operations at sacramento international airport approximately 4 yrs ago, the sacramento county department of airports has closed taxiway C1 because of alleged safety concerns regarding air carrier X ramp personnel crossing taxiway C1. This yr because of a forecasted increase in air freight, air carrier X has increased the number of aircraft that will serve the airport to 3-4 daily flts with either B757 or B727 aircraft, and their associated feeder aircraft. The net result of this action is that the north ramp parking locations presently used by passenger airlines for remain overnight (ron) parking will be lost to accommodate air carrier X. This combined with the beginning of the athletic season and associated athletic charter flts and other potential charters, the sacramento county department of airports has again proposed the use of taxiway Y between Y3 and Y4 for additional remain overnight or charter parking. Therefore, it is the smf union local position and request that the air traffic manager, capitol tower, sacramento international airport, attempt to either negotiate directly with the airport or enter into problem solving pursuant to the union and FAA agreement to change the airport's planned ron parking strategy. This request is made for operational efficiency reasons and safety concerns during low visibility conditions. The union plan is rather simple: 1) there are 7 possible ron spots on txwys B and B1, and 7 air carrier aircraft that must ron at off gate location. Therefore, all air carrier ron aircraft should be parked on txwys B and B1. 2) taxiway C1 is closed. Additional ron requirements for maintenance or other reasons should be accommodated on taxiway C1. 3) that the administration building parking spot should be reserved for athletic groups and other charter flts that must ron at smf. 4) that taxiway Y between Y3 and Y4 shall not be used as an ron parking location, unless all other available ron parking locations are used, including the full length of taxiway C1, and will only be used during the period of XA00 local to not lather than XG30 local. In conclusion, the controllers at capital tower have worked with the departure of airports under less than optimal conditions for the last 4 yrs during the air carrier holiday cargo operation. It is time that the department of airports begin to work with us in providing the operationally efficient and safe operation to the users of the airport. The union plan is viable, does not adversely impact the users, is operationally efficient and safe, and retains tower control of taxiway Y between Y3 and Y4 except when no other alternative ron parking locations are available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED PROPOSALS BY THE DEPT OF ARPTS TO ESTABLISH PARKING FOR CARGO ACFT ON DESIGNATED TXWYS DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND ALSO FOR RON ACFT UNABLE TO PARK AT THE TERMINAL GATES. PARKING WOULD BE FOR SPECIFIC NIGHT TIME PERIODS. RPTR IMPLIES THE CTLRS SHOULD HAVE SOME INPUT ON THE PROPOSAL THROUGH THE FACILITY AIR TFC MGR FOR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY CONCERNS DURING LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS.

Narrative: SINCE ACR X FIRST BEGAN CARGO OPS AT SACRAMENTO INTL ARPT APPROX 4 YRS AGO, THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY DEPT OF ARPTS HAS CLOSED TXWY C1 BECAUSE OF ALLEGED SAFETY CONCERNS REGARDING ACR X RAMP PERSONNEL XING TXWY C1. THIS YR BECAUSE OF A FORECASTED INCREASE IN AIR FREIGHT, ACR X HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF ACFT THAT WILL SERVE THE ARPT TO 3-4 DAILY FLTS WITH EITHER B757 OR B727 ACFT, AND THEIR ASSOCIATED FEEDER ACFT. THE NET RESULT OF THIS ACTION IS THAT THE N RAMP PARKING LOCATIONS PRESENTLY USED BY PAX AIRLINES FOR REMAIN OVERNIGHT (RON) PARKING WILL BE LOST TO ACCOMMODATE ACR X. THIS COMBINED WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE ATHLETIC SEASON AND ASSOCIATED ATHLETIC CHARTER FLTS AND OTHER POTENTIAL CHARTERS, THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY DEPT OF ARPTS HAS AGAIN PROPOSED THE USE OF TXWY Y BTWN Y3 AND Y4 FOR ADDITIONAL REMAIN OVERNIGHT OR CHARTER PARKING. THEREFORE, IT IS THE SMF UNION LCL POS AND REQUEST THAT THE AIR TFC MGR, CAPITOL TWR, SACRAMENTO INTL ARPT, ATTEMPT TO EITHER NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH THE ARPT OR ENTER INTO PROB SOLVING PURSUANT TO THE UNION AND FAA AGREEMENT TO CHANGE THE ARPT'S PLANNED RON PARKING STRATEGY. THIS REQUEST IS MADE FOR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY REASONS AND SAFETY CONCERNS DURING LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. THE UNION PLAN IS RATHER SIMPLE: 1) THERE ARE 7 POSSIBLE RON SPOTS ON TXWYS B AND B1, AND 7 ACR ACFT THAT MUST RON AT OFF GATE LOCATION. THEREFORE, ALL ACR RON ACFT SHOULD BE PARKED ON TXWYS B AND B1. 2) TXWY C1 IS CLOSED. ADDITIONAL RON REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINT OR OTHER REASONS SHOULD BE ACCOMMODATED ON TXWY C1. 3) THAT THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING PARKING SPOT SHOULD BE RESERVED FOR ATHLETIC GROUPS AND OTHER CHARTER FLTS THAT MUST RON AT SMF. 4) THAT TXWY Y BTWN Y3 AND Y4 SHALL NOT BE USED AS AN RON PARKING LOCATION, UNLESS ALL OTHER AVAILABLE RON PARKING LOCATIONS ARE USED, INCLUDING THE FULL LENGTH OF TXWY C1, AND WILL ONLY BE USED DURING THE PERIOD OF XA00 LCL TO NOT LATHER THAN XG30 LCL. IN CONCLUSION, THE CTLRS AT CAPITAL TWR HAVE WORKED WITH THE DEP OF ARPTS UNDER LESS THAN OPTIMAL CONDITIONS FOR THE LAST 4 YRS DURING THE ACR HOLIDAY CARGO OP. IT IS TIME THAT THE DEPT OF ARPTS BEGIN TO WORK WITH US IN PROVIDING THE OPERATIONALLY EFFICIENT AND SAFE OP TO THE USERS OF THE ARPT. THE UNION PLAN IS VIABLE, DOES NOT ADVERSELY IMPACT THE USERS, IS OPERATIONALLY EFFICIENT AND SAFE, AND RETAINS TWR CTL OF TXWY Y BTWN Y3 AND Y4 EXCEPT WHEN NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE RON PARKING LOCATIONS ARE AVAILABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.