Dubai Airport launches campaign against foreign object damage
Dnata, Emirates, Dubai Customs, Dubai Police and other airlines involved
Dubai: The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority is conducting a month-long campaign to increase safety awareness for the aviation industry at the Dubai International Airport, to avoid incidents due to foreign object damage.
Foreign object damage (FOD) has the potential to have catastrophic results. It costs the aerospace industry an annual $1.1-$2 billion in direct costs, and ten times as much in indirect costs from delays, aircraft changes, incurred fuel costs and unscheduled maintenance.
"There have been many incidents because of FOD. So we are trying to spread the awareness to protect the aircraft and passengers," said Abdullah Al Saffar, chairman of Safety Marathon under the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.
"Currently we have a strong participation at 1,500 with airports outside the UAE coming in next week," he told Gulf News.
The authority has been in discussions with stakeholders for their participation and contributions. These include Dnata, Emirates, Dubai Airports, Dubai Customs, Dubai Police and other airlines.
The programme aims to train staff to be proactive and be cautious of activities that might lead to FOD, especially in areas where the aircraft is landing, taking-off, parking or taxiing.
"It's a commitment to have all these people in one location who want to make a change and want to understand.
"We've had feedback from high-ranking officials who didn't know of FOD and now many will be aware of the dangers," Al Saffar said.
Training sessions
With help from the Dubai-based Academy of Technical Training, the campaign involves three training sessions a day of one hour each.
Al Saffar said that while the focus of the safety campaign this year is FOD, it would evolve to tackle other safety issues in the future.
Officials plan the campaign to take place twice a year, building on the foundation that it has established from here on.
"We really have to measure the success of this campaign so we can add on traning for years to come," he said, adding that the feedback from the participants would be used as the most significant measure of the accomplishments of the campaign.
At the end of the month-long event, airport staff will be given a certificate to illustrate their commitment to aviation safety.
Accidents
- Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde flight from Paris to New York City, crashed in Gonesse, France on July 25, 2000. All 100 passengers and nine crew perished. A small part lost by a previous plane taking off was lying on the runway and ruptured one of the Concorde's fuel tanks, sending it crashing in flames.
- A Bombardier Learjet 36A was taking off from Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport in Virginia on March 26, 2007, when the crew heard a loud "pop". Aborting the takeoff, the crew tried to control the "fishtailing" plane in vain. The plane ran off the runway, its tyres blown. Airport personnel reported seeing rocks and pieces of metal on the runway.
- On June 24, 1982, British Airways Flight 9 en route to Perth, Australia, flew into a volcanic ash cloud over the Indian Ocean. The Boeing 747-200B suffered surges in all four engines until they all failed. The passengers and crew could see a phenomenon known as St. Elmo's Fire around the plane. Flight 9 dived down until it exited the cloud allowing the ash to clear the engines, which were then restarted. The cockpit windshield was badly pitted but the aircraft landed safely at Jakarta, Indonesia, where passengers disembarked safely.
