Jim Boult (Christchurch Airport CEO on the left) and Andy Lester (Christchurch Airport Chief Operating Officer on the right) holding the Jim Collins awards presented.
Christchurch International Airport was presented with the Jim
Collins Memorial award for Aviation Safety at the NZ Airline
Pilots' Association (NZALPA) conference in Auckland on Tuesday
evening - and then the CEO and Chief Operating Officer had to
charter a flight straight back to Christchurch to deal with the
latest significant 5.3 aftershock
President of NZALPA, Mark Rammell, said Christchurch Airport was
the first airport ever to win the award, which has been presented
since 1991 to recognise exceptional contributions to aviation
safety. Mark Rammell said Christchurch Airport's work in refining
emergency responses and in particular in developing a swift and
effective communication system to all aviation decision-makers at
the airport throughout the ongoing period of earthquakes was its
outstanding contribution to aviation safety.
Christchurch Airport Chief Executive, Jim Boult said he saw the
award as a recognition of the work of the whole team at
Christchurch Airport. "Unfortunately we have become very practised
in responding to real emergency situations," said. "The positive
benefits are that we have tested and refined all our procedures so
that now we have great confidence in all our systems, processes and
people."
The award was presented by Maria Collins, wife of Jim Collins
the Captain of TE901 lost to Erebus. Past recipients include
Captain Gordon Vette, discoverer of the optical phenomenon "sector
whiteout" and Justice Mahon, who headed the Royal Commission of
Inquiry into the Erebus disaster.
