Post by slackie on Jan 10, 2021 19:02:46 GMT 12
What follows is an extract from a recent NZALPA Newsletter...
"Some of you may be aware of the media articles released this weekend mentioning Paraparaumu Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) and a connection that was made to the circumstances involving a diversion and subsequent delay to a medivac flight. The reported connection was an issue with the remote aerodrome lighting normally controlled by Paraparaumu AFIS or terminal staff. The actual and primary cause of this event was in fact an emergency evacuation of the Airport, including the tower, due to serious concern for the personal safety of staff caused by direct threats and inflammatory comments made on social media.
Although aware of the truly sad story related to this event, NZALPA does not support the assumptions made in the articles with regard to any individual(s) being responsible for those events. Significantly, there are differences in documented procedures between normal tower Closing Watch (at the end of each day), and sudden or Emergency Evacuation procedures. In this case the correct procedure was followed. However, given what transpired, it is clear that these procedures need to be reviewed and NZALPA will be taking steps to ensure that occurs.
In the meantime, our priority has been supporting those members who did indeed follow the published Emergency Evacuation procedures correctly and are sadly, once again, experiencing considerable personal distress, through no fault of their own. Comments on some popular aviation forums since these articles were published have had a similarly negative personal theme. This is unacceptable and should not be supported in an aviation Just Culture environment.
With this, albeit superficial, summary of the situation, you now hopefully have a better understanding of some of the difficulties our Paraparaumu AFIS colleagues continue to face in the course of simply doing their jobs. And with this knowledge, it is important the actual facts are shared by NZALPA members to everyone in the NZ aviation industry and further afield. Please communicate these sentiments with those that attempt to attribute individual or collective blame to not only this weekend's media articles, but more so the greater events surrounding the temporary NZPP closure NOTAM's that led to the appalling social media threats being made.
We are professionals, and we have a duty to ensure representation of situations in our aviation professions are factual and correct."
"Some of you may be aware of the media articles released this weekend mentioning Paraparaumu Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) and a connection that was made to the circumstances involving a diversion and subsequent delay to a medivac flight. The reported connection was an issue with the remote aerodrome lighting normally controlled by Paraparaumu AFIS or terminal staff. The actual and primary cause of this event was in fact an emergency evacuation of the Airport, including the tower, due to serious concern for the personal safety of staff caused by direct threats and inflammatory comments made on social media.
Although aware of the truly sad story related to this event, NZALPA does not support the assumptions made in the articles with regard to any individual(s) being responsible for those events. Significantly, there are differences in documented procedures between normal tower Closing Watch (at the end of each day), and sudden or Emergency Evacuation procedures. In this case the correct procedure was followed. However, given what transpired, it is clear that these procedures need to be reviewed and NZALPA will be taking steps to ensure that occurs.
In the meantime, our priority has been supporting those members who did indeed follow the published Emergency Evacuation procedures correctly and are sadly, once again, experiencing considerable personal distress, through no fault of their own. Comments on some popular aviation forums since these articles were published have had a similarly negative personal theme. This is unacceptable and should not be supported in an aviation Just Culture environment.
With this, albeit superficial, summary of the situation, you now hopefully have a better understanding of some of the difficulties our Paraparaumu AFIS colleagues continue to face in the course of simply doing their jobs. And with this knowledge, it is important the actual facts are shared by NZALPA members to everyone in the NZ aviation industry and further afield. Please communicate these sentiments with those that attempt to attribute individual or collective blame to not only this weekend's media articles, but more so the greater events surrounding the temporary NZPP closure NOTAM's that led to the appalling social media threats being made.
We are professionals, and we have a duty to ensure representation of situations in our aviation professions are factual and correct."
