Airport Operators Association launches inaugural UK Airports Safety Week

The Airport Operators Association launched the inaugural AOA UK Airports Safety Week, which is supported by the Civil Aviation Authority.

From today until Sunday 25 September, airports across the UK will host events for their staff, staff of companies operating in and around the airport and the public to demonstrate and promote airports’ approach to safety and safety culture.

The AOA UK Airports Safety Week 2016 is an opportunity to engage, inspire and educate about airports’ safety culture and philosophy. Achieving UK airports’ excellent safety culture depends on the successful collaboration of many different partners. Whether landside or airside, the commitment of every person is essential to the delivery of the safest possible environment for all.

The AOA UK Airports Safety Week will also demonstrate how airport safety is an integral part of the communities that airports serve, both by providing a safe and enjoyable travel experience to passengers as well as by providing important employment opportunities, including through apprenticeships.

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Examples of activities at airports this week are:

• Visits by local schools, including a safety poster competition at some airports
• Foreign object debris (FOD) walks along runways and taxiways to spot any object that should not be there (e.g. rubbish blown onto it) or FOD “Guess the weight” competitions
• Talks by airport police, occupational health and others on drones and lasers, office safety, and how to maintain optimal health around shift work through eating and sleeping well
• Showcasing first-aid training to entice people to sign up for a course. 
• Speed checks for buses, cars and airport vehicles driving around the airport 
• Demonstrations of how to help and support passengers with reduced mobility 
• Tours of airfields to look at stands and equipment areas and the different aspects of safety at each of those
• Presentations on how aircraft get fuelled
• Familiarisation and briefings on snow equipment and on wildlife management, including on habitat management equipment
• Driving an obstacle course with a pushback tug or dolly (the vehicles that pull, for example, luggage trolleys)
• Demonstrations and talks on marshalling techniques and aircraft turnaround processes

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Chief Executive of the AOA, Darren Caplan said:

“Airports are like towns and cities where safety affects everyone from passengers to airline, airport and air traffic control staff. UK airports work hard every day to provide passengers with an enjoyable and safe travel experience. If we do our work right, much of this work will go unnoticed by passengers and staff alike.

“The AOA UK Airports Safety Week is an opportunity to bring all this work out into the public and demonstrate to all airport users the many aspects of safety and safety culture at UK airports. It will be an opportunity to learn more about everyone’s role and contribution as well as a chance to say thanks to the many thousands of workers who make UK aviation and airports one of the safest in the world.

“I look forward to seeing some of the activities this week for myself and I encourage everyone to get in touch with their local airport to hear how they are getting involved in this inaugural week.”

AOA Operations and Safety Director, Roger Koukkoullis said:

“UK airports live and breathe safety every day. The UK aviation sector is one of the most important in Europe and on the world stage. The standards of safety at our airports are amongst the best in the world because we work collaboratively with all stakeholders.

“AOA UK Airports Safety Week will promote learning both between airports and across different functions. It will show that continuous safe delivery of multiple activities is influenced by many individuals and teams at airports, in control towers, on board aircraft and in the offices.”

“With passenger numbers growing at a record pace, AOA UK Airports Safety Week is an opportunity to demonstrate how the sector is not only working for the safety of passengers and staff today but also developing for the future.”