REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: HENRY THOMPSON, Director of Aviation
Airports Department
BY: MELISSA GARZA-PERRY, Airports Properties Manager
Airports Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions related to the Support and Maintenance Agreement with Amadeus Airport IT Americas, Inc.,:
1. Affirm the City Manager’s determination that Amadeus Airport IT Americas, Inc. is uniquely qualified to perform maintenance and technical support on Fresno Yosemite International Airport’s (FAT) common use platform and equipment.
2. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines.
3. Approve the Support and Maintenance Agreement with Amadeus Airport IT Americas, Inc., for 24/7 Support and Maintenance to the airline common use system at FAT for a term of five years. Annual costs are $611,129. Total costs during the full five-year term of the agreement are $3,055,645. (Council District 4)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council affirm the City Manager’s determination that Amadeus Airport IT Americas, Inc., is uniquely qualified to perform maintenance and technical support on FAT’s common use equipment and platform, and authorize the Director of Aviation to Execute a Contract between the City of Fresno and Amadeus Airport IT Americas, Inc. (Amadeus) to provide Maintenance and Technical Support for shared use facilities and Resource Management Software (Contract) at Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) in the amount of $3,055,645.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FAT currently has eight (8) airlines operating on the common use system for ticketing and baggage at FAT. The Amadeus shared use platform was initially installed at the passenger check-in/ticketing counters in 2008 and was extended to the gates in 2013. The airline shared use platform has proven to be an invaluable operational tool for both the airport and the airlines and has extended the useful life of the terminal facility. The Contract also includes Airport Operational Database (AODB); Resource Management System (RMS); Enterprise Service Bus (ESB); DATAHUB / OAG; Flight Information Display System (FIDS); WebFIDS; EASE/EASE-FX - EASE™ (Extended Airline System Environment) Extended Airline System Environment; Hardware Warranty; Maintenance; 24/7 Help Desk, and Two (2) full-time, on-site staff: Manager and Engineer (Support and Services) at the terminal.
The current shared use contract expires in May 2023. The new contract will provide continued shared use capabilities through 2028. The five-year Contract will incorporate all new and existing Amadeus systems.
BACKGROUND
The Amadeus System (System) at FAT has been instrumental in accommodating the growth of airline service without having to physically expand the facility and has resulted in new efficiencies by enabling airlines to operate out of vacant counters, which is essential during peak processing times and to accommodate additional flights. This capability has the direct effect of expanding the capacity of the facility by making it more efficient and sustainable, instead of investing in capital infrastructure and physical facility expansion at a much greater and long-term cost. The Amadeus System also allows new airlines to begin operations at FAT without costly and time-consuming infrastructure changes. The System was proven invaluable when Southwest started service in 2021 and played an important role in the return of Frontier Airlines and the ability to accommodate larger aircraft.
Amadeus is the only company that provides a shared use system whereby the airlines can operate in their native Departure Control System (DCS) environment. This type of system is not available from any other vendor. Without this capability, airlines would need to revert to using their proprietary systems, which is no longer possible or desirable because FAT does not have sufficient counter or gate space to accommodate all flights and airlines without making a significant and expensive expansion to the terminal facility. There are other forms of shared use systems, but they do not allow the airlines to operate from their native DCS environment. These other systems are specifically designed for use primarily at large international terminals where hundreds of flights occur per week and airlines interface with multiple foreign destinations.
Due to the specialized nature of this shared use platform, Council authorized the Airports Department (Department) to negotiate the current contracts which included System licensing, hardware, software, and support thereof (for check-in/ticketing counters and FIDS) directly with Amadeus in February 2008. This occurred after the Department had performed an extensive solicitation and search process and Amadeus was the only company that was (and still is) able to provide a shared use system of this type. In April 2008, the Council approved the initial Amadeus contracts.
The City Manager has approved Amadeus as a Uniquely Qualified Vendor for these services.
This Contract is consistent with the previously executed Amadeus contracts, and has been reviewed and approved as to form by the City Attorney’s Office. The City’s Risk Management Division has reviewed and approved insurance and indemnity provisions.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a “project” pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the five-year Contract ($3,055,645) will be made in installments over a five-year period. Total payments for year one will be $611,129. Funding for year one is included in the Airports Department FY24 proposed budget. Funding for subsequent years will be budgeting in future fiscal year budgets. There is no impact to the General Fund from this action.
Attachments: Amadeus Support Agreement
Uniquely Qualified Approved Memo