ACP Airport Roundtable

Speaker: Bobby Walston, P.E., VP of Aviation Development, 1200.aero, Inc.

Topic: From Estimates to Evidence: The Value of Airport Operations Data

Description: Accurate aircraft operations data is essential to understanding airport activity, planning infrastructure improvements, and demonstrating the value of aviation investments. Yet many airports continue to rely on estimates and periodic counts that may not fully capture actual aircraft activity.

In this session, Bobby Walston, VP of Aviation Development at 1200.aero and former North Carolina Director of Aviation, will explore how continuous aircraft operations monitoring is helping airports and state aviation agencies make more informed, data-driven decisions. Drawing on real-world examples from airports and statewide programs across the country, Bobby will demonstrate how reliable, year-round operations data can reveal activity patterns, improve airport planning and designs, support funding decisions, and provide insights that traditional counting methods may miss.

Attendees will gain a better understanding of how reliable operations data can support airport management, long-term planning, and more informed conversations about the future of Pennsylvania’s aviation system.