ASP is actively involved in all aspects of the operations at the sites in which we operate. We strongly believe that the readiness for emergency events comes through constant training.

This September, The Greater Sudbury Airport Authority held a full-scale emergency exercise that ASP participated in to ensure the readiness of our team, should it be required in an event such as this one.

The exercise consisted of a simulated plane crash on the YSB grounds involving a passenger aircraft and a small private plane. It involved all relevant emergency responders from Greater Sudbury Police, EMS, Fire and all “hands on deck” for the YSB Emergency Teams.

The exercise was a great success and assisted us in further developing protocols and internal training that will improve the service and emergency readiness that is delivered at YSB and all other aerodromes in which we operate.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – everywhere except at the airport. For most of us, the holiday season is a time of rejoicing and spending time with family and friends; however, it’s getting there that is often the most significant hassle.

To get to their holiday celebration, many people must endure the stress of holiday travel. With record high volumes expected at airports over the holiday travel season, combined with potentially bad weather, flight delays, long queues and wait times, as well as an increase in inexperienced travellers, our aviation employees must be prepared and committed to delivering exceptional customer service during this peak holiday season.

Today’s passengers have higher expectations for quality and service and Airport Authorities are committed to providing best-in-class passenger experiences. ASP employees (both Security and Customer Service) are Airport Ambassadors – we are in the business to serve and protect – it is what we do! Our staff will be dealing with higher volumes of passengers and greater pressure during the holiday season and our goal is to make each passenger’s journey more relaxed and less stressful by going the extra mile, wherever possible.

As Airport Ambassadors, we need to exhibit a positive, feel good energy that is consistent with the mood and theme of the holiday season and to understand and empathize with the stress and anxiety that passengers are experiencing.

We can do this by:

• Greeting everyone with a warm welcome and a smile.
• Maintaining a positive and cheerful attitude.
• Listening and understanding passenger questions/concerns.
• Being empathetic, patient and considerate.
• Directing, assisting and supporting passengers in a professional, friendly and competent manner.
• Not taking passenger frustration personally – look at it as an opportunity to turn their day around.

So, get into the holiday spirit, keep a smile on your face and possess a servant’s heart.

We had our first monthly TEA and TALK and it was a great success!

Every month, we will invite a small group of OSR agents to hear feedback over a cup a tea. Feedback is a critical component to a successful operation and I appreciate all the open dialogue.

We had the pleasure of a GTAA Terminal Service Representative (TSR) joining us in our class from Nov 18 – Nov 26.

TSR Anna Scida joined us for this training to oversee the information passed on during the training and provide feedback to improve the quality of the training. The picture below was taken during job-shadowing in Terminal 1.