Day in the Life…

of L.F. Wade International Airport, Bermuda has probably one of the most interesting and dynamic days in Bermuda. From leaky airport lounges to pesky pilots, Aaron Adderley deals with it all.

Aaron Adderley's Office/ Bermuda's gateway to the world

Read about it in my column today:

Some of us pull up our chair under fluorescent lights with, maybe, a window if we’re lucky. Want a better view? Try Aaron Adderley’s position. He not only runs the show at L.F. Wade International Airport, he watches too.

His morning view from the office? Continental Airlines arriving at Gate Two. That’s because the Manager of Airport Operations has his desk above Bermuda’s gateway to the world.

For the past five years Mr. Adderley has enjoyed the view and the job, which constantly keeps him on his toes. Last week, Mr. Adderley spent some time with me to try and explain a day in his life (hint: it does not include flying around the world. He doesn’t even get a break on flight prices).

9 a.m. The morning briefing. Operations management staff meet every morning to discuss any issues from the previous day. Example? Flooding in British Airways’ lounge. Or perhaps pesky pilots who will not pull up to the gate they are assigned to. And, of course, the weather.

A threat of strong winds and Mr. Adderley will have to consider closing the airport, coordinate with the airlines, Emergency Measures Organisation and Mark Guishard, the director of Weather Services.

Mr. Adderley said: “This year the winter storms we had were some of the worst we have ever had. We had nearly 100 flight cancellations because of Bermuda weather which is unprecedented.

“(When this happens) we come to the board room with department staff, the airlines, the ground staff and Customs and have a presentation. With hurricanes we would have a briefing perhaps four or five days out. As it gets closer we meet more often.”

And do people always listen when the airport is closed? Nope. Mr. Adderley received a frantic call from a duty officer this winter when an airline refused to adhere to the closure. The problem? As they watched the plane land and the wing tip nearly hit the tarmac nearly everyone fainted (and not in the airline). Mr. Adderely? “I called law officials to meet the aircraft. We went down there to see how he was going to land with winds blowing. When I got down here we could barely stand.

“He came in though. His wing almost clipped the runway. When he finally landed everyone had a sigh of relief.

“They were Ukranian and had come back from a Haiti relief mission. We met him on Apron Two and took them in for questioning.They broke the airport closure and we put in place punitive measures. It was something out of a movie.”

How does Mr. Adderley describe his day? “Dynamic. Any given day at the airport is not the same. After the morning meeting anything could happen.” From conferences with airlines, manager meetings, or flying to Toronto for the inaugural flight of WestJet Mr. Adderley never has the same day twice.

Coming in for landing

10 a.m. A manager meeting.

First topic: an application from a Ferry Reach neighbour who wants to extend the buildings on their property. The problem? The airport must comply with civil aviation regulations, which require an Airport Zone around Ferry Reach and Clearwater to ensure that flights landing will not meet any interference.

Mr. Adderley, said: “For building applications it’s our responsibility to ensure there are no obstructions within the airport zone.”

Next issue: The manager raises the problem of two hills in Ferry Reach, which also encroach the zone. Shaving the hill-tops off? Mr. Adderley hopes this doesn’t have to happen for both environmental and economic reasons. They discuss options.

Next: Communication towers. A new one near Tucker’s Point has a signal that crosses the airfield. Mr. Adderley will continue to work with the Ministry of Telecommunications as well as the tower constructors to reach an agreement.

11 a.m. Discussions about NASA. Recently Mr. Adderley along with the Bermuda Government and the US Consulate negotiated with NASA to place a temporary tracking facility at the airport. It went well and Mr. Adderley believes they may become a more long-term resident.

12 p.m. Ensuring new airlines come to the Island. WestJet just arrived and JetBlue is also a newbie, but Mr. Adderley is not done. Though these negotiations take between four and five years, he continues to plug-away and has another North American airline in the works. He’s not slipping the name.

That’s for the Island to enjoy when they arrive. “Airline negotiations is a big part of my responsibility and the Premier is a strong advocate to have competition on all routes and new routes too. That’s a very key part of our responsibility,” he said.

Arrivals Hall in need of renovations

1 p.m: Checking on the progress of the new airport and/or maintaining the existing facility: Mr. Adderley is tasked with ensuring the existing facility which dates back to 1940 in areas, functions until the budget exists for the new one. That means he has to monitor updating everything from the bathrooms to the carpet in the arrivals hall.

He said: “The existing facility has exceeded it’s life expectancy so we really are on borrowed time. The Island as a whole has capital needs and first we need a new hospital. It’s not our decision (to build the new airport). It’s our responsibility to ensure that when they want to move forward with it we have all the ducks in a row. So now it’s milking as much as we can from this facility.”

Minister of Tourism and Transport and Premier Ewart Brown has stressed that progress on the new terminal will have to wait until the construction at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital is underway.

3 p.m. Negotiations with the Federal Aviation Association (FAA).

Ground staff (baggage handlers, etc.) for L.F. Wade are outsourced to two different companies. So is security and the Airport Fire Department. So what do operations do? Supply the equipment. Where does this come from? The FAA.

An example? A new radar, which helps track airlines in the sky up to 220 miles rather than between 180 and 200 like the old one. That increases Bermuda’s ability to help the US monitor two more airline ‘highways’ in the sky. In turn they help us.

Mr. Adderley said: “We have an Memorandum of Understanding with the FAA. They assist Bermuda with new equipment and then we just have to service it and pay for the installment. It is in their interest to make sure Bermuda has the best equipment at the best prices and in some cases free of charge.”

4 p.m. New Passenger Processing System.

While the current facility is required to provide services for passengers, Mr. Adderley is working hard to provide a better experience.

Examples? Passengers can check-in by cellphone, screens at check-in with flight and weather information. In immigration a flat screen TV shows Bermuda images and advertising. And unfortunately, the band which normally greeted passengers became too expensive. Now a new music system has been installed in the arrivals area.

5 p.m. Media and public relations. It makes his life easier if the airport’s friends in St. George’s are happy. This includes his work on the East End Chamber of Commerce.

He said: “We are working with the Chamber looking at ways to drum up some life into St. George’s. We want to play as supportive a role as we can to make sure it continues to survive.” Example? Soon private planes will have US clearance on Bermuda (commercial flights already have this). That means private jets can remain on the Island for a few days.

Now it’s time for British Airways to land and Mr. Adderley to pack his bags and head home. One more day and one more assurance that Bermuda will continue to fly.

How do you pack your bags? How do you book your tickets? How do you do this for a trip around the world? Check out my website:www.robynswanderings.com and the column next week: How to plan a trip around the world.