Three Questions for New Access Committee Chair Gabriel Andino

Jan. 21, 2015

New NBAA Access Committee Chairman Gabriel Andino has more than 12 years of experience in airport management and planning. In his current position as manager of noise abatement and environmental compliance for AvPORTS at Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey, he oversees the development and operations of this department, including monitoring airport user compliance with local noise policies and responding to community concerns.

Prior to coming to Teterboro, Andino worked as a consultant at Landrum and Brown in Chicago, where he played an active role in providing airport planning solutions for the Chicago airport system, including work in areas such as airport noise mitigation, master planning and facility development.

Andino joined the NBAA Access Committee in 2011, and previously served as vice chairman of the Airports Subcommittee. He received a bachelor’s degree in aviation management from Southern Illinois University and an MBA the Keller Graduate School of Business.

Andino talked with NBAA about the challenges business aviation faces in terms of access, and his goals for the committee:

Q: “Access” can mean many things to business aviation operators. What is your working definition of “access,” and what specific challenges do you see in the next year or so to the access challenges for business aviation operators?

A: For me, “access” is the ability for business aviation to fully utilize the various airports and airspaces in the National Airspace System, optimizing the use of emerging navigational technologies and obtaining the best weather information available for flight planning. Challenges to that include public opposition to airports that are utilized by business aviation, particularly Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) and East Hampton Airport (HTO), and the availability of NextGen flight procedures to business aviation operators, particularly those that operate under FAR Part 91.

Q: Is there a specific product or service you’d like to focus on from the Access Committee in your tenure as chairman?

A: Over the past couple of years, committee members have been working to develop an update to the NBAA Noise Abatement Program, which includes updates to the recommended noise abatement procedures and best practices for flight crews to use at noise-sensitive airports. We expect that update to roll out in 2015. Also, with the creation of the Aviation Weather Subcommittee, I’d like to explore the feasibility of developing an NBAA aviation weather product offering.

Q: What convinced your bosses that you assuming the chair of the committee was a good thing, not only for AvPorts, but for the wider aviation community?

A: In aviation it is crucial to stay connected with other members of the industry. Being the chair of this committee is a fantastic opportunity to interact with various aspects of business aviation while also having a hand in working towards solutions that benefit the business aviation community as a whole.

Learn more about the NBAA Access Committee or direct questions to NBAA at ops@nbaa.org.