Speaker Biograghy: Paul has spent the past 22 years in aviation, specialising in airport issues on a global scale. From 1994 to 2006 he was Director of Economics and Security at ACI World in Geneva. In 2003 he was also given the training and public affairs portfolio. In 2007 Paul shifted his focus to airport management training. As one of the founders of the ACI/ICAO global Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme (AMPAP), he has been a frequent instructor in the classroom and for online courses for airport executives. Ten years on, AMPAP now boasts nearly 1,000 graduates of the six-course programme, from 110 nations. Paul also provides guest seminars at several UK universities. Previously, Paul spent 20 years in the US Foreign Service, serving in embassies in seven countries on five continents. Personal fact: He has five children. He and his wife enjoy fly-fishing, hiking and tennis.


Day 3 - 16 March
Session: Management & Operations: Crisis & Disaster

12:25 - 13:30 - Panel Discussion: Airports and emergency preparedness: the challenge of covering all contingencies
Synopsis: Airports face all manner of emergency situations, some of them due to natural causes, others man-made. This panel explores three case studies: the impact of volcanic activity on an airport in Costa Rica; the effect of the 2015 wildfires in Alberta and how the airport became a centre for relief efforts and community recovery; the freakish story of an airport in Portugal, which literally lost its terminal roof in a storm. Finally, the panel will explore the modalities needed for a command centre to stay on top of emergencies.

Audience will learn:

• Airports need to anticipate even the most bizarre emergency situations and have a system for mitigating them
• Airports and the community must be in lockstep in terms of teaming up in emergencies
• Effective airport-wide communications and fast-track decisions are critical in any emergency
• Airport staff need to be trained to handle emergency scenarios through frequent simulation exercises
• The airport needs to be keenly aware of its relations with the public and press during any crisis situation