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Houston Airport System
February 10, 2007
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At all hours of the night and day, they are the eyes and ears of Houston’s three primary airports.
When travelers are worrying about what they might have forgotten to pack or whether or not they will catch a flight, the men and women that work in the Airport Operations division of the Houston Airport System are observing - thoroughly and carefully observing, both inside and outside of the airports’ properties, for any unusual or unsafe conditions or activities.
They are not part of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, or of any local police department, but they take their jobs just as seriously.
Operations personnel like James Knott, who has been working in this division at Bush Intercontinental Airport for the past 10 years, know that even the most miniscule of irregularities can affect the overall functionality of an airport.
“We have to make sure that the pavement on the runways is still safe for the traveling public,” he said. “That’s just one of our responsibilities out here. Having a group like ours is very important to the overall safety of the travel experience.”
More than 60 airport operations personnel work at Bush Intercontinental, William P. Hobby and Ellington Field. These individuals are separated into two groups. One group works landside; the other works airside.
Landside operations personnel monitor the terminal areas, the airports’ roadways, public areas and secured areas, such as gates inside the terminals. Anything from maintenance, customer service and tenant repairs, among others, also fall into their realm of responsibilities.
For both air- and landside operations employees, the most important job duty is to remain alert and attentive.
“We deal with everything that happens at the airport; we get to drive on the airfield which gives us a perspective most people don’t get; and we respond to all airport emergencies,” says Kenneth Whittaker, superintendent of airport operations for the Houston Airport System. “It’s a dynamic, fascinating environment.” |
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Keeping Houston's airports rolling is a full-time job for Operations personnel. |
Airside, runway and taxiway inspections are the main focus of all operations personnel. Foreign object and debris, better-known as FOD in the aviation world, is enemy number one. FOD is anything that could be damaging to an aircraft – things like cigarette butts, coins, rocks, etc. that could fly into an engine and cause a disruption of flight operations.
Looking for and measuring the depth of holes in the pavement is also an essential part of the job for the operations division. Any hole on runway/taxiway pavements larger than five inches in diameter, three inches in depth and 45 degrees in slope is a violation of Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
If any such deviation is found, it must be addressed immediately.
“Safety is always first,” says Don Thompson, an eight year veteran of the operations division. “By having everything operating the way it is supposed to, we end up saving the airlines money. They don’t have to taxi as much and that saves gas. Ultimately, though, the passenger is our main concern.”
Not everyone, however, is cut out for a career in airport operations, Thompson noted.
“You have to be detail-oriented and alert,” he said. “We are always looking and listening; our eyes are always moving; for anything that could be unsafe or a problem.”
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