The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, supply chain management faculty recently underscored its leadership in the transportation sector by helping to organize the Airport Ground Transportation Association (AGTA) Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, 2024.
Clinical assistant professor Jeff Trombly, a founding member of the Global Supply Chain Institute’s Transportation and Logistics Collaborative, serves as executive director of the AGTA. Alex Scott, another member of the TLC, serves as assistant director, while Misty Richards of the Center for Transportation Research in the Tickle College of Engineering is the association’s administrator. UT is the only university actively involved with the AGTA, which consists of more than 200 members working for domestic and international airports, ground transportation operators, and the parking industry.
“Airport ground transportation is a multi-billion-dollar industry,” said Trombly. “UT’s involvement provides a platform for our faculty and students to work closely with ground transportation operators and airports to build experience in transportation operations.”
Beyond personnel support, UT recently updated the airport fees and fares survey that collects data describing the charges assessed to operators, such as shuttle services, taxis and ride-share companies, public transit, rental and private cars, and chauffeurs.
“The industry is faced with unprecedented challenges due to changing business models and the introduction of advanced technologies to manage curb traffic and access parking facilities,” Trombly said. “This makes innovation more important than ever.”
The AGTA was led for over two decades by former UT supply chain management professor Ray Mundy, who was succeeded by Trombly in 2024. This fall, the Mundy Scholarship Program paid for one UT student to travel to the conference and present their research to AGTA members. The scholarship recipient was Kenneth Sagona, a student in the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management Online program who works as a procurement buyer for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
Sagona’s presentation, “The Role of Airport Ground Transportation in Flight Diversions,” drew on his prior experience as a system controller handling flight delays, cancellations, and diversion recovery for SkyWest Airlines.
“Everyone has an experience of being delayed, diverted, or stranded due to mechanical issues or weather,” said Sagona. “There is an opportunity for airlines and ground transport to have plans in place before passengers leave the airport to ensure they are not stuck overnight or piling into a single rental car.”
Besides contingency planning to keep people moving, Sagona identified a missed opportunity to focus on the passenger experience, as business travelers and frequent fliers contribute up to 75% of an airline’s annual revenue. “High-value passengers present a customer service and business opportunity for airport ground transport vendors,” Sagona said.
The AGTA crowd was the largest Sagona had ever presented in front of. He enrolled in UT’s top-ranked online master’s program in 2022 after being impressed by the real-world value and the personal effort taken by program managers to make him feel he was a good fit for the program. Sagona was nominated to present by Trombly, who taught him in his network and distribution planning course last spring.
The AGTA’s spring conference, which will again be organized by UT faculty after Trombly extended his directorship through 2025, will be held in Kansas City from April 6 to 9, with another Mundy Scholarship recipient to be chosen from among the student body.
Learn more about UT’s rich history of teaching and research in transportation and logistics.
Contact
Related News
What the UP–NS Merger Could Mean for U.S. Freight Rail
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern recently announced a merger with the potential to reshape the competitive landscape of American rail...
Read ArticlePathways to Decarbonizing the Rail Industry
Is it realistic or cost-effective for government policy to require rail operators to adopt zero-emissions standards? UT supply chain management...
Read ArticleIANA Awards UT Funds to Support Supply Chain Management Students
The Intermodal Association of North America will allocate $90,000 in academic awards to Haslam’s Department of Supply Chain Management from...
Read ArticleYemisi Bolumole Contributes to Federal Study and Publication on Long-Haul Driver Compensation and Safety
UT Knoxville supply chain management professor Yemisi Bolumole contributed to a nationwide study examining the impacts of compensation methods on...
Read Article