ECP Ready
May 27, 2020
OVERVIEW
As Florida prepares to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, ECP Ready encapsulates the necessary steps that Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is taking to be a leader of safety, readiness, and economic recovery. This document is a living document and will be revised as conditions warrant.
OPERATIONAL MISSION
To instill the highest level of confidence that ECP is the safest, cleanest, and most secure Airport for our employees and passengers.
FIVE KEY COMPONENTS
- Safe and Clean Facilities for our Team and Travelers
- Clear Communications
- Organizational Resilience
- Strengthening the Business
- Engine for Economic Recovery
Safe and Clean Facilities for our Team and Travelers
- Enhanced Facility Cleaning
- Increased Cleaning Frequency with Dedicated Cleaning Crews
- Additional staffing to increase sanitizing of high touch points.
- Revised work schedules for best optimization and reallocation of cleaning effort.
- Additional Equipment and Cutting-Edge Cleaning Products
- Restroom and high touch areas in addition to increase focus, will be disinfected nightly.
- Hand sanitizer units have been installed throughout the Terminal.
- Enable Social Distancing:
- TSA Security Checkpoint Queues
- Floor decals have been installed at 6 ft. intervals to maintain social distancing in the checkpoint.
- Ticket Counters
- Collaborate with Airlines to install plexiglass shields to provide distancing between passengers and counter agents.
- Floor decals have been installed at 6 ft. intervals to maintain social distancing.
- If needed, stagger self-service machines available for customer use (use of every other one)
- Passenger Parking
- Passenger shuttles, ticket dispensers, and exit booths are wiped down several times a day.
- Encourage customers to practice social distancing
- Baggage Claim
- Spread flights out among baggage claim belts
- Encourage airlines to promote carry-on only
- Encourage customers to practice social distancing
- Gate Hold Areas
- Encourage airlines to stagger flights to every other gate to maximize open-hold areas.
- Promote social distancing with public messaging, signage and placards
- Encourage customers to practice social distancing
- Concessions
- Operations adjusted to reflect current conditions.
- Reconfigured seating areas to promote social distancing.
- Reduced number of opportunities for sit-down service.
- Utilize floor mounted adhesives and signage to promote social distancing.
- Meeters and Greeters in the Main Terminal
- Encourage Meeters and Greeters to not enter the Terminal and wait for the passengers in their vehicle.
- Exception: Individuals escorting unaccompanied minors
CLEAR COMMUNICATIONS
- Internal Communications
- Maintain Regular Updates within Core Communication Lanes
- Executive Director holding weekly (virtual) tenant meetings, to keep all tenants and employees up to speed on COVID-19.
- Limiting face to face meetings. Utilizing virtual meetings whenever possible.
- External Communications
- Outside Agency Coordination
- Maintain coordination with the Bay County Emergency Operations Center, Bay County Health Department, Bay County Emergency Medical Services.
- Participate in all conference calls that pertain to aviation and COVID-19, such as, FAC, FDOT, ACI-NA, AAAE, and etc.
- Core Messages
- CDC / FL Department of Health: Health-related content
- US Travel Assn: Inspirational, resilient, community-oriented
- Promote carry-ons only and mobile boarding passes, reducing customer volume at ticket counters if needed.
- Recommend departing passengers arrive no later than two (2) hours before domestic flight to reduce crowding at ticket counters and checkpoints
- Maintain Engagement with Key Audiences
- Social Media – public and travelers
- Website – Travel guidance & what to expect
- Media – Local, national, industry
- Signage – Electronic located in baggage claim
- PA System Announcement – Airport wide
- Encourage customers to practice social distancing
- Coordinate Messaging with Partner Agencies
- Florida Department of Health
- State of Florida / surrounding counties
- Tenants
- FAA & Homeland Security
ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE
- Established and Implemented Business Continuity Plan
- Examples of Key Elements:
- Split shifts for essential workers
- Enable remote working wherever possible
- Reviewed/Implemented temporary guidance regarding use of leave for COVID-related illnesses
STRENGTHENING THE BUSINESS
- Budget Review and Realignment
- Adjust O&M and Capital Budgets
- Project deferrals or postponements
- Tenant Assistance Programs
- Relief Program
- Available to primary tenants: Airlines, Concessionaires, Rental Car Operators
- Assist with connecting tenants with available resources
ENGINE FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY
- Identify key projects with external funding and/or ability to strategically benefit from reduced passenger activity levels
- Continuing or accelerated projects
- Terminal Expansion Project
- Taxiway E‑1 Project
- Transient Apron Project
- Project Gator
- Delivers instant economic impact / multiplier effect
- Improves the capacity of key gateway to the state of Florida
- Shovel Ready Projects
- Identify and prepare projects for any available stimulus or discretionary funding
- Cell Phone Parking Lot Expansion
GUIDANCE DOCUMENTATION
- Governor DeSantis Executive Orders, Center for Disease Control, Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Transportation, Bay County Health Department and other Plans impacting airport operations.