AirTrain LaGuardia Project
AIRPORT VOICE, OCTOBER 2021 3
MBE/WBE/SDVOB/LBE Opportunities
BY JEFF YAPALATER
The Port of Authority held an informative forum on
the opportunities available for small and minority firms
wishing to partner as sub-contractors with prime conttractors
for the LGA AirTrai. Port specialists from program
management, diversity and inclusion, community
outreach. procurement and presentations by four
shortlisted DBOM teams were on hand to discuss the
business opportunities for qualified, Port Authority eligible
certified businesses.
The LaGuardia program entails the Design Build
Operate and Maintain (DBOM) contract for design of
the AirTrain system, construction of the guideways, stations
and operation, maintenance and storage facility,
supply of specialized rail vehicles and supporting
electrical and communications systema and operation
and maintenance of the new system. Associated projects
include a parking garage, temporary replacement
parking , World’s Fair Marina relocation, Passerelle
walkway replacement and LIRR Station and Flushng
Creek Culvert enhancements.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion helps the regions
MWSDBEs participate in this project. The Port’s
participation goals are, and requires all of the partners
to embrace these goals:
20% minority owned business enterprises (MBE)
10% women owned business enterprises (WBE)
3% service disabled veteran owned business (SDVOB)
The Port’s program commitment to the community
includes:
-Prioritization of local, Queens based businesses
in each phase and category of work-design and construction,
professional services, goods and services
and operations and maintenance.
-Support strategies for priority and exclusive LBE
bidding
-Strengthen business capacity by supporting technical
trainings and related programs.
-Partner with local, community organizations
-80% local hiring target for new AirTrain operations,
maintenance including management positions for residents
near LaGuardia Airport
-Workforce development for local residents
Currently the project is at the RFP phase which includes
4 proposers:
-LGA AirTrain Partners, LGA Xpress Partners, The
LaGuardia Connectors, Tutor Perini/O&G JV. The four
have partnerships with several other companies which
will work to reach the goals established by the Port Authority.
During this phase, Proposers must conduct outreach
to develop Participation plans that will include a
list of subcontractors they have determined to be eligible
for the Poroject based on percentages set by the
Port.
These four Proposers, prime contractors, will
achieve participation by: Targeted solicitations in the
prioritized local zones, attend and host community
events, advertising and website notices, making bid
packages readily available, partnering with local organizations
to assist with bonding and access to capital
dividing work scopes into smaller and supporting local
pre-application apprentice programs, reach out to the
community early in the process, foster diversity within
diversity, and encouraging joint ventures, or partnerships.
Each proposer has it own unique way of deploying
these means of participation It is up to the interested
party to investigate those which they have the best fit
and opportunity.
All sub-contractor businesses interested in participating
must provide documents to verify CUF ( Commercially
Useful Function), be a company registered
and certified with the Port of Authority and NAICS
codes for which area one is bidding.
Add your firm to the list of interested sub-contractors
for AirTrain LGA. Please GOTO:
https://bit.ly/AirTrainLGAmwbe
The whole presentation can be viewed here.
https://bit.ly/3pg0ANk
Welcome back to America November 8th
Biden eases international travel with vaccinations
The White House is still finalizing
the details of its revised travel policies.
It is expected that the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
will officially publish the new policy
within 1-2 weeks. The CDC’s new Orders
are expected to specify which
vaccines will be acceptable, how airlines
will verify proof of vaccination, the
continuing requirement for pre-departure
testing and masks aboard flights,
and other operational details. Last
week, the U.S. government announced
that it plans to accept WHO-approved
vaccines for travel, in addition to those
vaccines already approved for use in
the U.S.
Port Authority Aviation
Director Huntley
Lawrence
That is going to help with traditional
international traffic and underscore the
need for improvement in our infrastructure.”
Roger Scott, President
KAAMCO
KAAMCO is excited to that the
Biden administration has confirmed
(on October 15th) that the United
States will reopen its borders for fully
vaccinated international visitors effective
Monday 8th of November. We
anticipate that further guidance will
be published by the US authorities in
the coming weeks, which will detail the
accepted forms of vaccination proof,
finalise the accepted vaccines, and
explain the correct requirements for
travellers aged under 18.
We can’t wait to welcome back international
visitors to New York and the
gateway to the USA!
Frank DiMola ,TFAC
Executive Director
The announcement by the Biden
Administration that the international
travel restrictions put in place by Presidential
Proclamation will be lifted on
November 8 is welcomed news. It
is welcomed news to our T4 airlines
as well as to all airlines operating at
JFK, as well as to the many international
travelers who anxiously awaited
the opportunity to travel to the United
States. It is welcomed news for our
JFK employees who will benefit from
an increase in employment; and for our
airport business partners, including
our local businesses, hotels, etc., who
all rely on business and tourism travel.
This is a great first step towards airline
recovery.
Daljit Hayre, VP New
York Airports, British
Airways PLC
We have all been waiting for 20
months for this news, with the restrictions
on the US border being lifted on
08 Nov for vaccinated customers we will
soon be open to UK and European customers.
Whilst this has been difficult for the
aviation industry it has been especially
difficult for anyone who has friends, family
and loved ones in USA.
We are excited to ‘welcome back’ to
the ‘Big Apple’ all of our customers on
British Airways, our partner airline Iberia
and our codeshare partner American
Airlines.
Steve Rowland,
Executive Director
Operations Terminal
One, JFK
We’re excited about order opening
on international travel. This is great
news.
The past 18 months has a big impact
to employee group. Everyone
made massive cuts .We had to cut
our terminal staff and put demands on
them, Retail, food and beverage suffered.
This new flow of travelers will equate
to more flights, more passengers, higher
loads, more cargo, and allow business
service providers to hire more people.
This is a positive impact on all the
employee groups.
It will bring relief to workers returning
to terminal retail, duty free, food, beverage,
security and custodial jobs .
Fred Catanese, CEO
Airway LLC
Airway is excited to see the planned
lifting of covid Travel Restrictions and an
upcoming increase in International Passenger
Traffic at JFK.
This increase in JFK’s International
Passenger Traffic will help turn parttime
positions into full-time, re-open
jobs for employees on furlough, and
create opportunities for new employees
to fill essential open positions.
Everyone on the Airway Team is dedicated,
focused and working hard as
JFK returns to pre-pandemic passenger
levels.
Initial rendering of AirTrain design.
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