JFK July GM Bringing back business
BY JEFF YAPALATER
The JFK July General
Meeting for stakeholders covered
many of the procedures
in place to fight Covid spread
and help educate the airport
worker community and travelers
on ways to minimize contacts
and travel safety.
Opening up the meeting
Guilio Monguillo, Asst. Mgr.
Aeronautical Svcs.. reminded
everyone of social distancing
and safety measures which
opened the meeting that dealt
primarily with these Covid issues.
Most airport agencies have
reported a steady return to
normal operations with more
people at work, much lower
infections and extreme attention
to health details. But,
the businesses of the airport
and airlines are still terribly
depressed. Through the Resumption
of Servics program
from the Port it is hoped that
the procedures put in place
will regain confidence of the
traveler and provide much
needed spending by consumers.
To this end every business,
agency and stakeholder is
participating in the resumption
plan which includes a
22 AIRPORT VOICE, AUGUST 2020
unified messaging approach,
free masks from the terminals
and partners as well as
table top exhibits in the terminals
the terminals to inform
pass3ngers of the necessity of
bring safe.
Dave Siewert of the Air
Traffic Control Tower said
that he expects August aircraft
traffic to pick up and will
modify the current alternating
teams to accommodate the
uptick.
Bringing back to 2, not 3
teams. SWAP been in effect
but not too bad.
CBP reported that they
were recently gong to have to
deploy so staff to the Southwest
Border but this was not
activated. They added that the
new Simplified Arrivals program
is in full use at T4. The
APC entry machines are no
longer us3ful and being deactivated.
The Global Entry office
is due to re-open September
8th.
The CDC and DHS are continuing
to monitor health of
travelers. International arrivals
are screened with temperature
checks, visual checking
for obvious signs of the illness,
receiving health statements
and monitoring individuals.
There is no widespread quarantine
from passengers from
international flights partially
because we are not allowing
a free-flow of travelers due to
restrictions. In addition, on
the domestic side, NYS Department
of Health staff are
at arrivals gates in the terminals
to insure that passengers
from U.S. are filling out the required
health forms and selfquarantining
from states with
a greater percentage of Covid
infections.
TSA FSD Bambury said
that TSA has instituted
changes to insure safety and
mitigate spread of virus with
his officers wearing face
shields, and the installation of
Plexiglas at security passenger
check-ins.
He added that the TSA is
working with airline partners
monitoring volume for staffing
and providing masks for
those passengers who do not
have. This is addition to the
airline terminals providing
masks to arriving passengers
before checking in. Bambury
also reported that TSA will
soon have new EDS CT scanners
at check points at the JFK
terminals for increased security
and efficiency.
The Port Authority Police
Department (PAPD) mentioned
that the large annual
United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) event will be
much smaller this year with
many fewer diplomats and
flights using JFK.
PAPD reported There were
a couple of peaceful labor demonstrations
at JFK without incidents.
President of KAAMCO
Roger Scott said that the interline
contract in review
given the state of passenger
traffic. He also mentioned the
cancelled annual convention
refunding and plans for next
year.
Port introduced Doug
Satzman, CEO XpresSpa who
recently opened the Xpres-
Check Covid testing Center at
Terminal 4 at JFK Airport.
JFK is the very first pilot location
of this type of facility at
any airport for frontline workforce.
It Initially opened for
airline and airport workers
but the plan is to soon include
airline passengers. Satzman
said that the test is generally
paid for by the individual’s insurance
but to check ahead.
Partnering with T4 and the
Port, he said that the facility
can help reduce the spread by
proactive testing and producing
results in 24-36 hours. He
explained that XpresCheck
provides Polymerase chain reaction
(PCR) testing and Blood
antibody tests. He is currently
working with the Port Authority
at LGA and Newark for additional
sites that will be announced.
In other matters, Pastor
Dabee of Christ for World
Chapel wished Port Director
Russo best of luck in new job
at Washington D.C. headquarters.
A question was asked about
the status of the JFK Redevelopment
plans. The answer was
that with a lot of review and
changes due to the virus, the
earliest that some construction
would begin is October.
Detailed announcements will
be made closer to that date.
Much of the capital plan is
contingent on either a quick
“V” shape rebound to the
economy, or funding from the
federal government which is
in the process of Congressional
debate3 as this is written.
There will not be an August
GM. Next meeting is
Wednesday September. 9th,
11am.
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