Cindy Nichol has always found flying to be an inspiration. As a young girl she was fascinated by the story of Amelia Earhart – her courage, her expertise and her mysterious disappearance.
“She was an icon for me,” the Director of Airports for the Sacramento County Department of Airports tells The CEO Magazine. “I read a lot about her as I was growing up in Ethiopia.”
Nichol’s father was a doctor in the African nation’s rural west. During the rainy season, the local dirt roads would flood for half the year.
“The only way we could get out to where we lived was by flying,” she says. “And I just thought that was so awesome.”
A career in aviation was inevitable. Nichol’s first job in the industry was with the Massachusetts Port Authority, which placed her at Logan International Airport in Boston. Fittingly, she moved between airports as her career blossomed.
“I kept learning as I went,” she recalls. “My experience at both San Francisco and Portland airports was great in terms of what executives need to be dealing with and how to approach all of the challenges.”
An innovative approach
When her current role in California arose, Nichol saw it as an opportunity to streamline.
“Two of my roles had been with multipurpose port authorities, so seaports and other facilities,” she explains. “Sacramento has four airports, which meant I could just focus on aviation.”
Each of the four airports – Sacramento International, which is expected to serve 14.1 million passengers in the 2025 financial year; Mather Airport, which serves cargo carriers and private pilots; Executive Airport that solely serves general aviation; and the smaller Franklin Field, also dedicated to general aviation – provides unique challenges.
“We strive to put people at the center of every trip they take.”
“One is keeping pace with the growth of our regions. We have a lot of land available for development so it’s growing very fast. Airport leaders need to pay attention to what facilities are required,” she says.
“We also want to get to zero carbon by 2035, so we’re looking at the entire technology spectrum to help with that. There are a lot of opportunities there.”
Whatever arises, Nichol says it must tie in to Sacramento County’s mission.
“We strive to put people at the center of every trip they take,” she insists. “We have to provide the capacity they need to have a smooth journey.”
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To that end, the airport has implemented SMForward, a US$1.3 billion capital program made up of seven separate projects designed to improve the traveler experience at Sacramento International.
“The airlines really want more gates. We can’t build them fast enough,” Nichol reveals. “We’ll also have a new garage, since close-in parking is in high demand, as well as a consolidated rental car center, which will be in the terminal area to replace the outmoded remote facility.
“Following that, we’ll expand space for ticketing and baggage in our Terminal A and consolidate our ground transportation into one place. Ideally we’ll have a walkable campus, and we’re very excited about that.”
Expansion plans
Technology plays an important role in these enhancements. Nichol says Sacramento International’s digital transformation initiative has already helped identify bottlenecks and improve custodial services.
“We use technology to augment what people do so they can be freed to do more,” she explains.
The upgrades are crucial to meet the growth Sacramento International has enjoyed in recent years.
“The year 2019 was our peak level of activity, but in the 2024 fiscal year we surpassed that with 13.2 million total passengers,” she confirms.
“So at the moment, we’re designing a new master plan for the entire airport. As we continue to grow, we need to think about what else we’ll need to build and where.”
“We want to innovate, to make something better every day. And in aviation, every day is a new adventure.”
The growth allows Sacramento International to increase its stable of key partners, from airlines and the Transportation Security Administration to rental car providers and terminal outlets. According to Nichol, vibrant new additions such as Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen & Bar help to transform the prospects of time spent in the terminals.
“We’ve just completed a major selection process for the 18 locations we currently have food and beverage, and we’re currently phasing in those new restaurants and drinking establishments,” she says.
Airports are like little cities. When Nichol started at Sacramento County, she immediately felt at home; it’s her wish to make travelers feel the same way.
“The airport is easy to navigate, the people are friendly and it feels so welcoming,” she says. “We care about collaborating because we’re stronger together.
“We don’t want to settle for the way things are. We want to innovate, to make something better every day. And in aviation, every day is a new adventure.”
