Runway walk reveals debris under control

| 30/12/2014

(CNS): Officials from the Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) said they were pleased to find very little debris on the runway at Owen Roberts International Airport recently when it conducted its annual Foreign Object Debris (F.O.D) Walk. CIAA’s senior manager, safety management systems, Andrew McLaughlin said that the lack of foreign objects demonstrates that the authority is doing a good jobgetting the message out to all the agencies at the airport about the dangers of debris. The end of year event was organized by CIAA’s Safety Management Team and it encourages all the airport partners to do their part to keep the runway clear.

As well as raising awareness about the dangers of foreign debris, clearing debris from all Airport Operating Areas the exercise also helps various airport agencies learn more about what type of foreign object debris to look out for at the airport.

“We were very pleased with the outcome since very little debris was found,” said McLaughlin. “This is a good indicator that we are doing a good job in keeping the runway free from foreign objects.”

Participating agencies included the Airport Rescue Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS), Flowers Air Dispatch Services (FADS), Cayman Dispatch Services (CDS), United Airlines, Air Agencies, Island Air, Blue Skies Airlines and CIAA. The agencies were split into teams that covered different sections of the airport to identify and remove any debris

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  1. Anonymous says:

    At some point during this walk do the walkers think "Why is this runway so short, when a longer runway would vastly improving the tourism economy, particularly in summer months?"

  2. Anonymous says:

    I am so tired of all you negative people. Nothing is positive, nothing is good. If you are Caymanian you are bad, if you are not Caymanian you are bad, everything isblah blah blah

     

    Get a life, have a smile and see the good in something!!!!

  3. Anonymous says:

    Kudos to the CIAA  – Our airport may be in need of expansion but it is very safe – Well done folks and best wishes for the expansion when it happens.

  4. 4Cayman says:

    This isn't really news and should only be kept internally or for airport establishments. 

  5. Anonymous says:

    From the "Senior Manager", how many other "managers" safety management systems are there.

  6. Anonymous says:

    I live close enough to know the airport do periodic runway inspections at various times throughout the day. I guess this annual FOD walk is to bring awareness to the importance of runway safety for all airport workers.

  7. Palm Dale Massive says:

    All the better for Sunday morning fire truck racing. 

  8. Anonymous says:

    In all fairness to the unclear press release issued by the CIAA's Safety Manager,  checks of runways and other aircraft operating areas are done at Owen Roberts Airport 4 times per day, every day, 365.

    The annual FOD walk is some creation of the Safety Department which is primarily for PR purposes. Guess the PR release backfired.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Why do people assume the worst. Although this says its an annual event I clearly read into this that it is an annual event for the participating agencies not that the runway is only inspected once a year. It is a way of reinforcing a message that the participating agencies cannot just leave rubbish around and have a responsibility for safety 

  10. Anonymous says:

    Meanwhile, there is a family of black birds literally sitting in the shallow pond at the beginning of the runway… no joke.  Go check for yourselves… you can see them as you drive on Crewe Rd, waiting to get sucked up into a jet engine!

  11. Sir Henry Morgan says:

    I hope they were on the lookout for driftwood aswell as debris!

  12. Anonymous says:

    this is news?

  13. Anonymous says:

    Wtf??? An annual F.O.D walk? I would have thought this would be completed daily considering the amount of traffic on the runway each day. This is scary! Are other airports operating this way?

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes they operate that way and also Santa is real….. read the article again….

  14. Anonymous says:

    WOW. only once a year?

    i feel safe already.

  15. Anonymous says:

    It is alarming that this is news! One would think this was routinely done. Annual!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow!

  16. Keepin' Them Real says:

    Annual Foreign Object Debris (F.O.D) Walk…….

    ….."annual"; as in "once a year"…unnuh's wukin' too hard Bobo!!!

  17. James Lynch says:

    When I was an Air Traffic Contrioller in Barbados, it was the responsibility of ATC to drive the full length of the runway at least once a DAY looking for runway damage and debris.

    And in Cayman they do it once a YEAR?

    Tsk tsk…

  18. Anonymous says:

    Air traffic assistant will never find anything going +50mph while doing there rubway checks!! A situation that should be felt with!

  19. Anonymous says:

    Its "ANNUAL" walk???!!!! This should be done every day to ensure the runway is clear.