Airport Safety Week

MEDIA RELEASE

Monday 17 October 2016

MORE THAN 150 AIRPORTS TAKING PART IN AIRPORT SAFETY WEEK 2016

This year sees a record-breaking number of organisations actively involved in promoting safety at airports through Airport Safety Week. Over 150 airports, airlines, service providers and government organisations will take part in this unique industry initiative to promote safe working and operating environments at airports across Australia, New Zealand and around the world.

Airport Safety Week, now in its third consecutive year, runs from 17-21 October 2016 and is a joint initiative of the Australian Airports Association (AAA) and New Zealand Airports Association (NZ Airports). This year the event has been kindly sponsored by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), ISS, and Sydney Airport.

‘Airport Safety Week brings together airport and aviation industry operators at our largest international gateway airports and some of our smallest regional aerodromes to strengthen safety awareness for people working in airport environments,’ said Caroline Wilkie, CEO of the AAA.

‘We have also been fortunate enough to secure sponsorship from CASA, ISS and Sydney Airport, which is incredibly valuable in assisting up provide participants with the resources and materials they need to make Airport Safety Week a success,’ Ms Wilkie said.

A number of airports in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America have also joined the program.

Each day of Airport Safety Week will have a specific safety theme to cover all areas of safety surrounding airports.

Our themes for Airport Safety Week 2016 are:

Day 1 - Monday, 17 October 2016: Human factors

Day 2 - Tuesday, 18 October 2016: Airside works

Day 3 - Wednesday, 19 October 2016: Airside driving

Day 4 - Thursday, 20 October 2016: Environmental considerations

Day 5 - Friday, 21 October 2016: Fatigue

‘More than half a million passengers pass through our airports each day on thousands of aircraft movements, while tens of thousands of people work at airport locations; it is essential that safety remains the top priority’ Ms Wilkie said.

NZ Airports CEO, Kevin Ward, said that providing a safe environment for passengers and staff is the result of careful planning and strict processes and is an ongoing priority for airport operators and aviation industry participants across Australia and New Zealand.

‘Airport Safety Week is an opportunity to reinforce the importance of safety at our airports and look at ways to further improve on our already very high standards,’ Mr Ward said.

Adding to the appeal of Airport Safety Week are three national activities that all participating airports and organisations are encouraged to undertake.

These national activities are:

Team Gathering – Monday 17 October;

Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Walk – Wednesday 19 October; and

Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Work Day – Friday 21 October.

‘Each of these activities are designed to encourage all airport employees, even those in non-operational roles, to take a renewed interest in the critical issues impacting safety at an airport.’ ‘The team gathering offers an opportunity to discuss topical safety issues in a collaborative environment, while the ever popular FOD Walk and Wear PPE to Work Day encourage people to take a hands-on approach to safety and recognise that everyone has a role to play,’ Ms Wilkie said.

In addition to the national activities, many airports and aviation organisations will choose to promote airport safety in their own way.

‘In previous years, some airports have held BBQs or morning teas to discuss safety issues, while some others went as far as designing a public showcase in the airport terminal.’ ‘We understand the limitations on airports and other businesses and encourage everyone to participate in any way they can. Every activity, no matter the scale, goes some way to improving safety awareness and that’s what Airport Safety Week is all about,’ Ms Wilkie said.

Another highlight of the week is the announcement of the 2016 Airport Safety Awards which recognises organisational and individual excellence in safety promotion and practices. The awards winners for 2016 will be announced shortly.

A list of participating airports along with a range of information resources that have been prepared to support Airport Safety Week activities and events are available from www.airportsafetyweek.com

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