FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 12, 2012
IAA Contact: Carlo Bertolini
317.487.5025 | cbertolini@indianapolisairport.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 12, 2012IAA Contact: Carlo Bertolini 317.487.5025 | cbertolini@indianapolisairport.com
Airport ready to welcome Super Bowl fans to Indianapolis 40,000
additional passengers expected during game week.
INDIANAPOLIS – Super Bowl XLVI is less than a month away, but the Indianapolis AirportAuthority (IAA) has been working on its game
plan for more than a year, taking steps tohelp ensure guests have a smooth experience. Visiting Super Bowl fans, general aviationusers, and everyday passengers
who happen to be traveling for other purposes during theSuper Bowl time period can all expect Super Service at the Indianapolis
InternationalAirport (IND) before, during, and after the big game. Preparation required extensive coordination with the Super Bowl
Host Committee andvarious local agencies, resulting in enhancements to all aspects of airport operations, frompublic safety and Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) procedures to airportshopping and dining. Airport concessionaire workers, TSA agents, and all
IAA employeeshave completed the Host Committee’s Super Service training to raise their customer servicegame to an even higher
level.IAA employees, Airport Ambassadors, which are IND’s regular volunteers, and HostCommittee volunteers will
be on hand throughout the airport to serve as ambassadors,greeters, and hosts. Brochures and visitors guides will be available
at special GuestWelcome Desks outlining airport information, transportation options, and eventinformation.“We began preparing for this event well
before the last Super Bowl was even played, andunderstand the airport’s critical role in ensuring our region is
a world-class host of thisworld-class event,” said John D. Clark III, IAA’s executive director and CEO. “Our
entire staffembraces the opportunity to set the bar high with a fantastic first impression and to ensurethat same level of Hoosier
hospitality sees our guests off after the game.”An increase of about 40,000 passengers is expected at IND during
game week, when up to75 additional commercial flights and 60 additional charter flights will operate here. Thesingle busiest day will
be Monday, February 6, when most visitors will depart. Post-game,passengers are urged to arrive at the airport at least three hours
prior to departure. Asalways, passengers should check the status of their flights for any schedule changes prior toleaving for the airport.Arrival increases will
occur the entire week before the game, with the heaviestconcentration Thursday through Saturday. Although IND has provided
a hassle-freeenvironment for crowds of similar sizes in the past, numerous new enhancements havebeen made for this special event.PAGE 2Enhanced terminal amenities
and hoursAll airlines serving IND will expand their ticket counter hours at the airport February 6following the game, staffing
and operating them beginning at 3 a.m. that morning toaccommodate departing passengers. Some airlines may expand their
hours further, sopassengers are advised to check with their airlines for more details, including specialarrangements for early
bag checks. Passengers can also benefit from opportunities to checkin and print boarding passes online prior to departing for the airport
or by usingautomated check-in kiosks at the airport; procedures vary by airline.The TSA will bring additional personnel and
resources to IND in order to operate two extrascreening lanes at each concourse entrance, increasing their processing capacity by
about30 %. It will also assume a 24/7 operating schedule to allow ticketed departing passengersto clear security and reach
their gate areas anytime between the conclusion of the gameand flight departures Monday. Although lengthy queues are not anticipated,
passengerscan get updates on wait times on the IND’s Twitter feed and Facebook page, at@INDairport and Indianapolis International
Airport, respectively.To ensure passengers have plenty to see and do at the airport, shops and restaurants willextend their hours. Details
on operating hours are available at the Host Committee websiteat www.indianapolissuperbowl.com and at IND’s website at www.indianapolisairport.com.In addition to the great offerings always available at IND shops, licensed team merchandisewill be stocked in shops
and at special kiosks that will be operating in support of the SuperBowl. Since there can be only one winner, gear reflecting the game’s
result will be speciallydelivered to the airport in time to be available to outgoing guests.To create an ambience that complements the
unique nature of the occasion, the IAAworked with the NFL to create a consistent and appropriate Super Bowl décor throughoutthe terminal, including
customized signage and other themed displays. Adding to theseenhancements will be a wide variety of entertainment, including
a stage in Civic Plaza. Tomake things more comfortable for guests, additional tables will be installed.Meanwhile, to ensure passengers
remain connected throughout it all, the IAA has addedbandwidth to augment the free public WiFi experience for guests. In addition,
cell phoneservice providers have made upgrades and added infrastructure to support greater usageand offer improved capacity.Public safety and operational
preparednessAs is always the case with IND operations, safety and security were the most importantconsiderations in Super
Bowl planning. Extra police patrols will occur in the terminal,garage, and airport roadways to ensure a safe and orderly flow of
people and traffic. Aspecially trained Joint Hazardous Assessment Team will be on hand to quickly respond toand resolve any concerns
with potentially suspicious packages, bags, or other items.Airport paramedic crews will be stationed in the terminal to allow
for faster response timesto any medical emergencies regardless of airport traffic volumes, and routes have beenidentified and designated
to allow responding outside mutual aid assets to quickly reachthe airport if needed. A connector road is being built that will
allow vehicular access to thePAGE 3terminal via South Service Road in the event of an accident or other emergency thatimpedes normal traffic
flow.To mitigate the effects of frozen precipitation, the IAA has added significant resources to itsexisting 24-hour operations
team. Private contractors are on dedicated standby to theairport, and the IAA has obtained additional special snow-removal
equipment. If needed,these resources will augment the airport’s continuous snow-removal coverage to bothlandside and airside operating
areas.With 500-700 additional general aviation aircraft anticipated at IND and nearby regionalairports during the Super
Bowl travel period, tarmac space in the normally unused oldterminalarea have been designated as parking areas for private planes. A
temporary ramptower will be operating at IND to help direct pilots from parking areas to taxiways in themost efficient manner.
Temporary FAA towers will operate at Eagle Creek Airpark andIndianapolis Regional Airport, which are IAA reliever airports
whose arrival and departureprocedures are not normally directed by FAA controllers. The towers will greatly improveefficiency in the region
during the significant increase in general aviation flight operationsthat occurs before and after the Super Bowl.Ground transportationThe IAA has temporarily
licensed additional taxi drivers to complement its regularcontingency of operators during the Super Bowl. All drivers serving
the airport havecompleted background checks and Super Service training. IAA staff will expedite thedispatch process from both the passenger loading
area and the taxi lot. Unused lots havebeen integrated into the airport’s ground transportation plan to create temporary
stagingareas dedicated exclusively for taxis, limos, busses, and shuttles.For passengers using limos and shuttles, meet-and-greet
tents will be located in theGround Transportation Center, where parties can have their drivers dispatched in minutes,minimizing curbside traffic
congestion.Following the game, the remote employee lot, which is adjacent to the Cell Phone Lot, willbe available for customers
returning rental cars. A shuttle will operate between the lot andthe terminal. This will allow for efficient operations when large
numbers of rental cars arereturned. Rental car customers will receive detailed instructions when receiving theirvehicles.The process for IndyGo
busses, which serve the airport via the Green Line, will beunchanged, although service frequency will be increased during peak
Super Bowl traveltimes to approximately every 15 minutes.In anticipation of increased usage of the Cell Phone Lot, the available
spaces will bedoubled from 100 to 200 prior to the game, and the lot will retain the ability toadditionally increase its capacityTo help visitors navigate
the terminal area, variable-message signs will be deployed on roadways to direct vehicle traffic, and Ground Transportation personnel
will be stationed inBaggage Claim to provide information as well.PAGE 4About the AuthorityThe Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) owns
and operates Indiana’s largest airport system.In addition to Indianapolis International Airport (IND), its facilities
include the DowntownHeliport, Eagle Creek Airpark, Hendricks County Airport, Indianapolis Regional Airport, andMetropolitan Airport. IND has received several prestigious awards recognizing it as a leaderwithin its class, including best airport in
North America by Airports Council International aspart of its annual Airport Service Quality awards for performance excellence.
IND is the firstairport in the U.S. to win LEED® certification for an entire terminal campus,
and the airporthas won recognition for excellent customer service, concessions programs, and art andarchitecture.IND’s economic impact in Central Indiana is more than $3.3 billion annually, and about10,000 people work at the
airport each day. Benefitting from lower-than-average fares,IND
serves more than 7 million business and leisure travelers each year and averages 135daily nonstop flights to 34 destinations. Home
of the world's second-largest FedEx Expressoperation and the nation’s eighth-largest cargo facility, IND is committed to
becoming theairport system of choice for both passenger and cargo service. For more information, visitIND’s Facebook page at Indianapolis International Airport and Twitter page at @INDairport.
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