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COVER STORY February/March 2016 airportbusiness 15 airports today according to the survey results. Nearly 30 percent of respondents said it was their top issue, followed by security issues at 11 percent. About 16 percent said their aging facility was a top priority, but 20 percent had concerns with funding renovations. Airports are making plans to market them- selves in 2016, with signage advertising leading the way at 40 percent. About 37 percent plan to use a new website, while one-third plan broadcast marketing avenues and chamber of commerce promotions. Multiple respondents also mentioned plans to up social media cam- paigns this year. Although renovations are not the top con- cern for the industry, nearly three-quarters of respondents said they need to renovate their airports within the next five years. About 22 percent said their terminal has the biggest need, followed by runways at 20 percent. Security upgrades came in at 15 percent. However, 20 percent listed their major con- cerns as "other" issues, such as an aging pilot workforce, city support, passenger leakage, attracting tenants and staving off unwanted encroachment. Others listed government inter- ference as a major issue. About 55 percent screen badged employ- ees at security checkpoints. The same amount said they plan to screen employees within the next year. Overall security isn't a big concern for most airports in the U.S., with 62 percent saying their perimeter security isn't a concern. Roughly 58 percent of respondents plan to add more cam- eras for perimeter security, with 34 percent wanting to add more fencing. Only 20 percent plan to add additional security manpower. Technology continues to be a big topic for airports, with 41 percent saying they want to make improvements in airfield area innovation. About 35 percent want to improve IT technol- ogy while 28 percent want to make upgrades in digital signage. Airports are looking to upgrade passenger amenities as well, with concessions, retail and lounges leading the pack. Nearly 45 percent want to improve concessions, while 35 percent want to improve retail and lounges. Parking advancements are also on airport radars as 30 percent want to make improvements. A SHARED CONCERN IN GROUND TRANSPORTATION Ride sharing is getting a cold reception from airports when it comes to ground transporta- tion. About 73 percent said they don't work with companies like Uber or Lyft to provide service. Leading concerns about this service include validity of driver background checks, insurance liability, tracking pickups and collections and taxi service concerns. The Mobile Airport Authority in Mobile, Ala., bucked the trend by recently negotiating a 1-year deal with Uber to allow the ridesharing service to provide rides at the airport. Roger Wehner, executive director of the authority, said the airport decided to explore an Uber agreement due to reliability issues with some morning cab services. "For us it seemed like at least a viable option to explore at least another solution to provide to our customers," he said. Wehner said he had some concerns with Uber related to safety of passengers and who Industry Challenges with Change 2016