Press Release

Spanish Officials Plan Visit to Oakland County International Airport

Pontiac, MI, April 14, 2008  A delegation of officials from Spain will visit Oakland County International Airport tomorrow (April 15th) to see firsthand the facilitys state of the art Ground Run Up Enclosure which has been responsible for reducing jet maintenance noise by some 90%.  Oaklands Ground Run-Up Enclosure is the only one of its kind at a General Aviation Airport in the Country.

Sergi Alegre Calero, vice mayor of El Prat, a community adjacent to Barcelona International Airport, Spains busiest airport with more than 30 million passengers in 2006, will be leading the delegation.  He will be joined by, among others, Javier Montoro Chiner, director of urban planning and environment for AENA, which is a state run agency that operates all 47 airports in Spain.

A working lunch is planned for members of the delegation and Oakland County International Airport officials at 11:30 a.m. followed by a walking tour of Oaklands Ground Run-Up Enclosure.  Media is invited to be in attendance for the tour.

The Spanish delegation is coming here to learn how the Ground Run-Up Enclosure project was implemented.  Barcelona Airports planned expansion for 2012 includes new maintenance facilities that will increase the number of ground run-ups, a controversial issue that the local community near the Barcelona Airport is concerned about.

During their visit to the United States the Spanish delegation will also check out similar facilities at Chicagos OHare Airport and Portland International Airport.

For media inquiries only, please contact Bob Dustman, Media and Communications Officer, at (248) 858-1048.
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