Friday, February 22, 2002
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Friday, February 22, 2002 |
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Hartsfield unveils plan for dealing with winter weather
Hartsfiled International Airport officials have a new plan for dealing with severe winter weather. The Hartsfield Severe Winter Weather Airport Task Force presented the group's findings last week and announced significant operational changes that will be enacted during severe winter weather events. The newly formed SWAT team set forth a series of new policies and protocols, which will ensure better preparation prior to, and a faster response during, severe winter weather situations. "The measures detailed in our report are intended to put passenger safety, customer convenience and customer service above every other concern," said airport General Manager Ben DeCosta, who led the charge to form the task force and served as cochairman. Comprised of officials from the Atlanta airport community, including the city of Atlanta, the Department of Aviation, the Federal Aviation Administration, Delta Air Lines, AirTran Airways, Atlanta Airline Terminal Corporation, TBI and others, the SWAT team released its full report of findings and recommendations after a month of work sessions. The new operational policies and protocols for incoming and departing flights detailed in the report, as well as additional recommendations that are expected to provide greater customer comfort and improve the dissemination of accurate, updated information to the traveling public during winter weather events, were uniformly adopted by all parties represented on the task force. "The new policies and procedures detailed in this report will seek to ensure that in the event of severe winter weather that disrupts airline service, passengers will be kept informed and accommodated comfortably in the airport instead of on an aircraft," said John Selvaggio, Delta Air Lines' senior vice president, airport customer service, and task force cochairman. "The task force's cooperative effort will allow us to continue to put customer's concerns first. In the report, the task force set forth several objectives which seek to maximize customer service, including: F Developing and implementing an early warning system that will ensure that all key personnel within the airport community including the Department of Aviation, vendors of airport food and custodial services, the airlines and the FAA are prepared more than 48 hours prior to forecasted severe winter weather. F Implementing a quick response effort to reduce delays on the ramp. F Ensuring that passengers inconvenienced by snow conditions are offered all necessary accommodations and provisions while waiting. F Communicating effectively, both internally and externally, to inform passengers about the weather and its impact on their travel plans. The task force was created Jan. 8 in response to the disruption of flights scheduled and the customer service issues that arose during the unexpectedly heavy snowstorm the prior week, Jan. 2-3. The snowstorm brought more than 4.6 inches of snow and resulted in thousands of passengers being stranded at Hartsfield for extended periods of time. "The severe winter weather event of Jan. 2 resulted in scores of passengers being stranded on aircraft, some for as long as nine hours," said DeCosta. "Hartsfield, the city of Atlanta, the FAA, Delta and AirTran, as well as other members of the airport community, have developed solutions and ongoing collaborative protocols to ensure that that kind of situation never arises again." The SWAT team met weekly over the past six weeks to develop the report. For a complete copy of the report log on to Hartsfield's Web site at www.atlanta-airport.com and click on "Things To Know."
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