ANNIVERSARY
pandemic and our visions for the future
AIRPORT VOICE, MARCH 2021 17
structure employees safe implementing
entry screening,
installation of physical barriers,
social distancing measures,
providing face masks
and PPE, increased frequency
of cleaning and disinfection,
and contact tracing.
Our industry’s employees
continue to take personal responsibility
by following all
the guidelines and safety procedures.
We are optimistic that
the availability of vaccinations
will continue to increase, and
our nation’s economy and our
industry will soon rebound.
Our industry will continue to
provide critical services and
will be ready to respond to a
spike in personal and business
travel very soon. Again,
Thank You from WFS!
Roel Huinink,
CEO JFKIAT
As we mark one year since
the COVID-19 pandemic hit
New York, we reflect on how
much has changed. The pandemic
has had an enormous
impact on our customers and
on the T4 community, and the
crisis has resulted in a significant
loss of jobs at JFK as
a whole. Through all of these
challenges, the T4 community
has remained resilient, never
failing in its commitment to
the safety and security of our
customers, community, and
fellow colleagues.
Through our partnership
with the PANYNJ, our stakeholders
and business partners,
we have made a great
many strides to transform
our operations and systems
to keep our customers and
employees safe. Our comprehensive
COVID-19 plan has
proven successful in addressing
anxiety, ensuring the
highest level of safety practices,
and tackling the greatest
challenges presented by
the pandemic to prepare T4
for the future. While traffic
remains volatile, we remain
optimistic as we continue to
implement measures to restore
passenger confidence in
air travel. We will continue
to work closely with our partners
to accelerate the creation
of safe corridors, new testing
protocols, and processes to restore
global travel once more.”
Stewart Steeves, CEO, La-
Guardia Gateway Partners
“Over the last 12 months,
we’ve battled a heartbreaking
pandemic and the resulting
disruption to the industry.
With the vaccine here, I’m
hopeful that the darkest times
are behind us. We’ll soon be
able to reconnect with family
and friends, take vacations,
and resume business travel.
Air travel will rebound and
the new Terminal B will be
bustling. I want to thank all
our essential workers who
have kept our operation and
redevelopment project moving
forward during these challenging
times.”
Arthur Molins,
Terminal One
Group Managing
Director
Yes, it is a year since the
world stopped spinning normally
on its axis causing
havoc to the aviation industry.
Consequently, the JFK
redevelopments projects were
delayed.
Terminal One and its managing
partner-airlines were
forced to take a step back and
focus on, well, survival really,
as the detrimental operational
and financial impact
was unprecedented. Nevertheless,
the partner-airlines
have kept in close touch with
the financial sponsors of the
new Terminal One redevelopment
project, the Carlyle
Group, as well as the Port
Authority to make sure that
they are abreast of all developments
about the project. JFK-
New York, is one of the most
important destinations for all
international carries so there
is optimism that traffic to New
York will start to rise as the
world emerges from this dark
period.
Salvatore
Ingrassia, Port
Director, JFK
Airport, U.S.
Customs & Border
Protection
One year ago this month
the JFK Airport community
embarked on a journey that
quickly transformed into the
greatest challenge of our generation.
The COVID-19 pandemic
has changed our lives
forever, whether touched by
personal tragedy or bearing
witness to the grief of others.
While this journey remains
unfinished, it is appropriate at
this time to focus on Remembrance,
for those who we tragically
lost; Reflection, for the
decisions and actions we’ve
made and continue to make;
Resilience, for the will to fight
and persevere; and Rebirth,
on what is yet to come but the
potential is endless.
Robert Schneider
MacArthur Airport,
ISLIP, NY
One-year ago COVID-19
launched the aviation industry
into the largest crisis in its
history. With vaccine rollouts
and the United States economy
starting to recover as
more places open, it is apparent
that our industry is poised
for recovery. However, the industry,
for the foreseeable future,
will not look the same as
it did pre-pandemic.
Airports such as Long Island
MacArthur (ISP) realized
at the very early stages of the
pandemic that we would need
to adapt, and adapt quickly to
combat the virus. The first steps
needed to re-shape the industry
were to improve the travel experience
and nullify health and
safety concerns. ISP installed
Continuous Air Surface Pathogen
Reduction (CASPR) units
throughout the terminal as
well installing Silver Defender
on all high touch points. These
two initiatives help reduce the
spread of viruses, bacteria and
other harmful pathogens. This
initial step helped employees
feel safe and secure while working,
as well as laying the foundation
to restore consumer confidence.
The airlines were quick to
adapt to the pandemic. First,
the airlines right sized their
operations and network to
meet the thwarted demand.
Now, airlines are focusing on
leisure travel as well as Visiting
Friends & Relatives (VFR).
With business travel still stymied,
airlines are re-building
their networks around the
massive pent up demand in
the leisure market. Long Island
MacArthur Airport is
well positioned to recover, and
quickly, due to the pent up demand
for leisure travel. Moving
forward, ISP will invest
$30 million in its capital improvement
program for construction
projects slated for
2021 and 2022. ISP will continue
to advance its mission to
provide a superior customer
experience with a special emphasis
on health and safety,
all while working with incumbent
and prospective carriers
to provide Long Island with
more capacity, frequency, and
new destinations.
Andrew Campbell,
Executive Director
Council for Airport
Opportunity NY &
NJ
The Covid-19 Pandemic has
wreaked havoc on our communities
over the past year.
All of us have felt loss or have
seen our lives forever changed
by the pandemic. Through all
the pain and heartache, I have
been inspired by how we have
all come together this past
year to support those in need.
The dedication and commitment
demonstrated by the essential
workers who continue
to perform their jobs under
stressful and challenging conditions
must certainly be acknowledged
and applauded.
It has been my pleasure to
join my airport colleagues as
we have volunteered at food
banks and supported people
through job loss and homelessness.
The supportive action
driven by empathy and
need exhibited through this
time is truly extraordinary.
As we move forward, CAO is
well positioned to continue
to connect local talent to airport
employment as more jobs
come online. I believe that
there is now a light at the end
of this tunnel and better days
are ahead of us.
Roger Scott,
President JFK
KAAMCO
As we reflect on an unprecedented
twelve months for the
JFK community, the Aviation
industry, and the World as a
whole, it is almost impossible
to quantify the impact that
has been felt and the change
that has, and continues to be
endured. For some, daily life
has become a furlough, many
are looking for a new opportunity,
and so many are in survival
mode.
KAAMCO salutes all of the
friends and colleagues at JFK
that have worked tirelessly to
keep us safe and to allow the
airport to weather this storm
as others before it, and honours
those we’ve lost, remembering
fondly their contribution
to our gateway to the
skies.
Whilst travel is almost always
impacted when a new
event shapes the world, humankind’s
desire to explore
and visit both old and new
places remains. Hope springs
eternal, and be it by testing,
vaccine, or a combination, we
are all ready to fly again, no
longer on mute.