Staff recommends the City Council approve and the Mayor sign the contract agreement with JBT AeroTech Corporation, to supply, deliver, and install eight new Passenger Boarding Bridges for the total price of $5,442,545.00.

The Airport utilizes Passenger Boarding Bridges (PBB), which are enclosed, elevated passageways that extend from the Airport Terminal Gate to a commercial aircraft and are used to safely transport passengers to and from the airplane.  During the Airport Terminal Concourse Expansion Project, five existing PBB are being removed and relocated in order to build the new A and B Concourses.  In order to continue to use the existing PBB, which are 15+ years old, they would need to be refurbished.  Subsequently, staff contracted with Morrison-Maierle to develop the base specification for the replacement or refurbishment of the five existing boarding bridges.  The Airport advertised a Request for Proposals (RFP) to refurbish or replace the five existing bridges and to purchase three new bridges for a total of eight PBB, which will connect to the eight new airline gate holdroom locations on the new A and B Concourses.  On January 15, 22, and 29, the Airport advertised the RFP, answered questions, issued addendums, and the RFP responses were due on February 5.  The Airport received proposals from ThyssenKrupp, AERO Bridgeworks, and JBT AeroTech Corporation.  All three proposals were very well done and simplified the review by the selection committee.  On February 17, 2021, each member of the committee discussed their scoring with all three vendors via Zoom, and the successful proposal was awarded to JBT AeroTech Corporation.

During the proposal review, Airport staff evaluated whether it made more sense to refurbish the five old PBB or purchase five new bridges. After a cost benefit analysis was conducted, considering the cost difference ($52,000 per PBB), life cycle use (about 10 years longer), and the future maintenance and warranty, it was determined that it made more sense to purchase all new PBB.  Additionally, these new PBB were designed for passenger comfort; will be heated in the Winter, cooled in the Summer, accommodate all airlines, and constructed so that they can connect to a variety of different aircraft types and sizes so that they will work well into the future to cover the Airport's needs.  The installation of the new PBB will take place over the next two years as the various construction phases of the Terminal Concourse Expansion are completed.  Specifically, when the new Concourse A is nearing completion this Fall, four new PBB (Gates A 1-4) will be installed so that they can be utilized when the airlines are moved to the new Concourse A around November.  The remaining four bridges will not be installed until 2023.

City Council may:

• Approve the contract with JBT AeroTech to purchase and install eight new PBB; or
• Disapprove the contract with JBT AeroTech and advise staff on how to proceed.

This project will cost $5,442,545.00 which was budgeted in the overall cost of the Terminal Expansion Project and will be paid for with available local construction funds and/or with construction financing funds as needed.