Commentary: The Legacy of a Savage Winter

By Bill McShane

Springtime finds lawmakers contemplating legislation on state and federal levels seeking to impose a passengers’ Bill of Rights, following a winter of ice storms that caused substantial anxiety and discomfort for thousands of passengers at New York airports.

During those same storms, the management team at Long Island MacArthur Airport proved it could not only protect the life and limb of the traveling public, but its sanity as well. The passenger relations strategy crafted at the Islip facility could very well become a model for other airports facing the brutal vagaries of winter weather in the future – and thereby avoid another layer of regulatory instructions.

At its core are three elements: open communications, accurate information and timely updates. Passengers intuitively understand that weather is causing havoc and want to know if there’s any chance of taking off. Anger emerges when airline representatives disappear at the first sign of snow.

JetBlue made headlines during the region’s first ice storm, with thousands of passengers marooned in their jets for hours. Days later, the airline was still trying to get passengers to their destinations. During New York’s second ice storm, passengers aboard a Virgin Atlantic aircraft experienced a similar situation at JFK – their plane was stuck between the terminal and the runway for hours. The airline blames the airport; the airport says it was Virgin Atlantic’s inability to manage ice encrusted gates.

MacArthur was not immune from the delays and cancelled flights, but the coordination among airlines and airport management ensured that no aircraft left a gate without the opportunity to turn back. In the case of Southwest, the airport’s primary carrier, a flight waiting for a weather window was fully boarded but remained at the gate, with its door open in case passengers decided to fly another day.

Passengers were kept informed of changing conditions and allowed to use airport facilities to make extended stays as comfortable as possible. Airport officials recognized that communication was crucial. MacArthur has figured out that thwarted travelers weather the weather better with accurate information.

As they have since regularly scheduled airline service began in the 1920s, passengers, pilots and airlines will continue to be shut down by raging winter storms. MacArthur Airport has figured out that a mix of 21st Century information technology and simple, old- fashioned courtesy ensures that passengers have an honest, accurate and timely understanding of what everyone is facing. Let’s export the knowledge.

Bill McShane is vice chairman of the board of directors of the Long Island Business Aviation Association.

(c) 2007 Long Island Business News. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.