The IAAE Canada
Spring 2019
AIRPORT MAGAZINE
An official publication of the International Association of Airport Executives Canada
Coast to Coast, Land to Air: Shaping Your Industry with Finesse & Flair
Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661
Contents The IAAE Airport Magazine Published for: IAAE Canada 1383 King Street East Hamilton, ON L8M 1H6 Phone: (905) 297-2236 Fax: (905) 963-7833 headquarters@iaaecanada.org www.iaaecanada.org Printed by: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. 309 Youville Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2S9 Toll-free: (866) 999-1299 Toll-free fax: (866) 244-2544 sales@matrixgroupinc.net www.matrixgroupinc.net President & CEO Jack Andress Operations Manager Shoshana Weinberg sweinberg@matrixgroupinc.net Publisher Jessica Potter Editor-in-Chief Shannon Savory ssavory@matrixgroupinc.net Senior Editor Alexandra Kozub akozub@matrixgroupinc.net Finance/Administration Pat Andress, Nathan Redekop, Lloyd Weinberg accounting@matrixgroupinc.net Director of Circulation & Distribution Lloyd Weinberg distribution@matrixgroupinc.net
Throughout the Years
14 Now & Then: Watching Your Vision Take Flight Special Section 12 Join Us at the 14th Annual Facility, Operations & Airport
Sales Manager – Winnipeg Neil Gottfred Sales Manager – Hamilton Jeff Cash
Managers Conference
Sales Team Leader Colleen Bell Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Account Executives Andrew Lee, Bonnie Petrovsky, Brenda McPhee, Brian MacIntyre, Cheryl Klassen, Christina Di Manno, Frank Kenyeres, Jim Hamilton, Julie Welsh, Kaitlyn Murray, Kevin Harris, Renée Kent, Rob Gibson, Sandra Kirby, Selina Mills, Tanina Di Piazza, Tenisha Myke, Terri Erkelens Layout & Design Travis Bevan Advertising Design James Robinson ©2019 Matrix Group Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Printed in Canada.
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Up Front 04 A Message from IAAE Canada’s Chairman 05 A Message from IAAE Canada’s Executive Director 07 Why Should You Be a Part of IAAE Canada? Features 09 On the Run(way): Keeping Airfield Surface Conditions Safe
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13 IAAE Canada Training Coming Soon 13 Your Invitation to the 2019 SWIFT Conference & Trade Show Member Profile 17 Member Musings: The Value of IAAE Canada Membership Corporate Member Profile 21 Corporate Conversation: The Benefits of Being a Member of IAAE Canada
22 Index to Advertisers 3
UP FRONT
A Message from IAAE Canada’s Chariman Celebrating 25 Years of Building Relationships in the Aviation Industry
Paul Ritchi, A.A.E. Chairman, IAAE Canada
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nniversaries are opportunities for recollections of years gone by and for positive reflections on the years
ahead. This past year was a successful one in many ways—record-setting attendance at our Facility, Operations & Airport Managers Conference, increased membership, and a return to a positive bottom line.
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As I look back at 25 years of the International Association of Airport Executive (IAAE) Canada, I am struck by its enduring legacy—a commitment to the professionalism of the airport industry in Canada. When that initial group got together back in 1994, its focus was professional development and training; and IAAE Canada has been steadfast in its dedication to that initial purpose. But what is also enduring about those early years is the commitment to establishing a peer network through which problems could be shared and solved and relationships could be cultivated. Before 1994, with airports under the management of Transport Canada, this network was easily maintained. Keeping those communication and relational connections going was a challenge once Transport Canada no longer managed airports. The presence of IAAE Canada these past 25 years has kept those networks alive and growing. Of course, there have also been
more difficult paths to travel during that time. Yet, despite the odd stumbling blocks along the way, IAAE Canada has endured—united, supportive, and encouraging. We look forward to another wonderful 25 years of building and further-strengthening forged relationships and to responding to the new challenges airport managers will face with our innovative training programs. It’s been said that it doesn’t matter where you go in life, what you achieve, nor what you do; what matters most are the relationships you build along the way. IAAE Canada has been there, building and facilitating relationships with, and for, airports for 25 years and will continue that legacy into the next 25 years. I would like to thank you, our members, for your support, engagement, and interaction, as it enables IAAE Canada to exist and operate as a viable and leading aviation association.
An official publication of the International Association of Airport Executives Canada
UP FRONT
A Message from IAAE Canada’s Executive Director
Reaffirming Our Commitment to Fulfilling the Needs of Members & Customers
Joe Mauro
Executive Director, IAAE Canada
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wenty-five years is an outstanding achievement for any association. To reach that milestone for a national, voluntary, professional development organization is exceptional. It is a credit to a handful of visionary airport guys, who, in the early 1990s, began discussing the feasibility of establishing an accreditation program in Canada. Those visionaries believed that a professional designation would advance the credibility of the dedicated men and women
charged with managing Canadian airports, while ensuring the quality and safety of those airports remained high. Back in 1994, with the help of the American Association of Airport Executives, and the first group (which included John Bjore, Laurie Brown, Mike Campbell, Barry Feller, Bernie Humphries, Jeff Huntus, Ann McAfee, George Poirier, Doug Reid, and Shawn Sutherland), the International Association of Airport Executives (IAAE) Canada took off. Through its training programs, IAAE Canada works hard to improve the knowledge and expertise present at every airport. And in this silver anniversary year, we want to reaffirm our commitment to fulfilling the airport training and professional development needs of our members and customers. IAAE Canada’s vision is to be a leader in airport training and professional development,
and for 25 years that’s been true, as IAAE Canada is respected, trusted, and effective in delivering quality, authoritative, reliable training and professional development services. It’s this commitment to quality and reliability that enables our members and customers to meet job requirements and develop their careers. During this 25th year, IAAE Canada is celebrating the commitment, loyalty, and dedication of our members, customers and staff. Their support has been generous and untiring and will drive the next 25 years of helping airport personnel meet the challenges of managing small, medium, and large airports in Canada. I would like to thank the IAAE Canada members and airport professionals who contributed and became involved in our history. Here’s to another 25 years of helping careers take off!
Download your copy today! https://www.iaaecanada.org/article/
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UP FRONT
Why Should You be a Part of
IAAE Canada? Members of IAAE Canada have access to the following careerenhancing benefits. For details, please e-mail us at headquarters@iaaecanada.org, call (905) 297-2236 or log on to www.iaaecanada.org to apply for / renew your membership. THE TOP FIVE REASONS MEMBERS JOIN:
THE IAAE CANADA AIRPORT MAGAZINE
1. Industry-approved training programs. 2. Networking opportunities with industry peers. 3. Accreditation programs for A.A.E. and A.A.P. designations. 4. Access to the IAAE Canada weekly e-Report and Airport Magazine. 5. Member discounts on meetings, products and services.
Published semi-annually, distributed free-of-charge and delivered right to your door! Visit us at www.iaaecanada.org to sign up.
ACCREDITATION PROGRAMS FOR A.A.E. AND A.A.P. Obtaining an IAAE Canada designation is a great way to command respect in the airport industry. Since 1994, IAAE Canada has been committed to the advancement of aviation professionals by granting certified designations to individuals who demonstrate an ability to handle the challenges and responsibilities of airport management. The program is open to members of IAAE Canada and there are two streams: 1. The Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) is for current airport members; and 2. The Accredited Airport Professional (A.A.P) is available to current industry and corporate members.
THE IAAE CANADA WEEKLY E-REPORT Your gateway to the most up-to-date industry news, business opportunities, upcoming training, conferences, employment opportunities and more! Delivered directly to your inbox!
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THE IAAE CANADA ANNUAL FACILITY, OPERATIONS & MANAGERS CONFERENCE (FOAM) Join us for three days of informative workshops and discussions on the current and important industry issues that matter most! Each year, our conference brings you informative lectures, panels and group workshops. Take advantage of member rates!
TRAINING DISCOUNT All members get the discounted rate for all courses and conferences offered by both IAAE Canada and the American Association of Airport Executives. If you are not attending, you have the option of lending your training discount to a fellow employee for the purpose of attending courses or conferences at the same reduced cost.
IAAE Canada | 1383 King Street East | Hamilton, ON L8M 1H6 Phone: (905) 297-2236 | Fax:Â (905) 963-7833 E-mail: headquarters@iaaecanada.org Web: www.iaaecanada.org 7
FEATURE
On the Run(way): Keeping Airfield Surface Conditions Safe Throughout the Years By Leonard Taylor, President & CEO, Tradewind Scientific Ltd.
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ccurate and timely airfield surface condition reporting is an essential component of maintaining safe airport operations during inclement weather. The loss of braking ability and directional control on wet and winter-contaminated runways continue to be a major safety concern, resulting in more aircraft incidents / accidents worldwide than any other single cause. The last 25-plus years of airfield inspection and reporting have seen major changes and improvements, both in process and in supporting technologies. This is particularly true in jurisdictions such as Canada and Scandinavia, where aircraft operations on winter-contaminated surfaces normally occur for several months every year. In the early 1990s, airfield inspections were carried out by airport maintenance and operations personnel visually monitoring the surface conditions, making handwritten notes on specified forms such as the Transport Canada Airfield Movement Surface Condition Report (AMSCR) or the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) SNOWTAM form. Most of the recorded data was based on subjective assessments and supplemented by runway friction measurements using various instruments. A summary of the airfield condition data was then typically passed by radio from the vehicle through to local air traffic control and then followed up by a more detailed report transmitted by fax from the airport operations office.
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At the time, the most common type of friction measurement device in use was the mechanical decelerometer, though larger airports in Europe and the U.S. had started to use continuous friction measurement equipment such as the BV-11 Skiddometer and the Saab Surface Friction Tester. All of these friction assessment methods represented a significant advancement from the classic “lunchbox� technique, which involved the operator of an airfield pick-up truck making a subjective evaluation of the braking performance of the vehicle and resulting in the qualitative acronyms BRAP, BRAF & BRAG (Braking Action Poor / Fair / Good). The advent of electronic recording decelerometers ERDs eliminated many of the vehicle- and operator-specific issues encountered with their mechanical predecessors and they were quickly adopted as the instrument of choice at many airports. Transport Canada had been involved in the original development of one of these devices (the TES Electronic Decelerometer), which evolved through several versions to become the de facto standard for Canada. For airfield condition reporting to achieve its objective of enhancing safe operations, focus must be given to the three Cs of the process: ensuring the data is correct, complete and current. While the first two of these items could be achieved by regular field inspections with experienced, trained airport staff, the flow of the reported condition data through to the
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end-user was often a slow, multi-step process. The information could take 30 minutes or longer to reach en-route aircraft. In response, some airports experimented with expediting the delivery of the detailed AMSCR or SNOWTAM forms via fax machines and cell phones directly from the airfield inspection vehicles. It was evident that
An example of a current-generation Cloud-based airfield inspection and monitoring system.
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a much more efficient and effective method of collection, recording, and distributing the airfield surface condition data was required. Beginning in the late 1990s and continuing into the new millennium, new technologies were employed that resulted in a major change for both airfield condition data entry and transmission. Instead of starting with a handwritten form, observed conditions could be input via touchscreen on a computer in an airfield inspection vehicle, then transmitted rapidly as digital data via a radio link to a receiving station at the airport. The office PC could then
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display, store, and distribute the reports electronically via modem or fax. By the mid-2000s, airfield inspection and reporting systems of this type became the norm and were in service at over 100 airports in Canada, the U.S. and northern Europe. In 2006, Avinor (the Airport Authority of Norway) decided to take the whole process one major step further. Their plan was to integrate the procedure from the ground up, starting with trained airport personnel, dedicated airside inspection vehicles with touchscreen reporting systems, secure Wi-Fi transmission infrastructure, and
a network-based server architecture that communicated directly with the Norwegian Aeronautical Information System and then onward to Euro Control and an internet-based pilot planning website. The resulting Automatic Warning of Runway Conditions system was the first national system of its type in the world, and by the end of the decade, it was operational at 50 civil, private, and military airports in Norway. In Canada, while many of the international, national, and regional airports had some form of electronic airfield condition inspection and reporting systems in place by the early 2010s, the onward communication of the resulting data was quite limited and transmissions of field condition reports to NAV CANADA were restricted to fax. To improve this situation, NAV CANADA began development of their SNOWiz application, which was designed to permit both direct office-based internet data entry as well as data submission from thirdparty electronic inspection systems through a machine-to-machine interface). The NAV CANADA SNOWiz system took approximately three years to complete, test and implement, but is now used nationwide by nearly all Canadian airports. Some airports have recently supplemented their operator-based visual inspections with new and emerging-technology sensors that permit automatic assessment, recording and GPS position-stamping of surface temperature and friction readings as well as contaminant type, depth, and coverage. Worldwide, high-profile aircraft incidents and accidents on contaminated runways resulted in a renewed interest by various civil aviation authorities and by the ICAO to improve and standardize the inspection and reporting of airfield conditions. While many jurisdictions, including Canada, the U.S., Norway, Sweden, and other northern European countries have relatively mature runway state reporting processes, the output of their systems varies from country to country. The end result is that an aircraft departing from Munich on a winter afternoon, landing in Montreal, and then continuing on to Minneapolis on the same day could well receive three distinct reports, each varying significantly in data content and format, despite potentially similar surface conditions. In the U.S., following an accident at Chicago-Midway, the Takeoff & Landing Performance Assessment – Advisory Rulemaking Committee was formed to investigate potential
An official publication of the International Association of Airport Executives Canada
An early version of the integrated electronic runway condition monitoring system (Munich, Germany circa 2002).
improvements in the inspection and reporting of runway conditions. Many other nations followed suit, coordinating their efforts to arrive at a Global Reporting Format (GRF) that would be agreed to and promulgated by ICAO. The Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM) originally developed in the U.S. was generally adopted, with modifications, as the basis for the GRF. The current schedule for the full implementation of the GRF process is November 2020. In Canada and other winter-climate countries, the changes to airfield inspection and reporting procedures are substantial. First, the acceptable contaminant list, descriptors, depths, and percentages are different than those currently used. Second, the reporting of conditions in runway-thirds along the length becomes the norm, and the standard cleared-width / remaining-width distinction is no longer made. Third, the observed and reported conditions are processed through
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the RCAM logic for each runway-third to result in a new single digit parameter, the Runway Condition Code (RCC). Finally, the role of measured runway friction values such as the Canadian Runway Friction Index has been revised to be more secondary, though the values may be used to adjust the determined RCC under certain circumstances. Various jurisdictions, including Canada and Norway, may need to file special exceptions to the standardized ICAO GRF procedure in order to recognize and accommodate unique winter operational conditions that are not normally encountered in more temperate climates. Achieving a globally recognized and accepted process and format for reporting runway surface conditions is undoubtably a commendable goal. However, in doing so, we must ensure that in searching for a common denominator to accommodate all stakeholders, we do not introduce additional uncertainties and safety risks.
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SPECIAL SECTION
We are pleased to invite you to the 14th Annual Facility, Operations & Airport Managers Conference
Join your aviation industry professionals across Canada in Victoria, BC Spring 2020 Three days of informative workshops, engaging industry panels, and an interactive trade show. Join your aviation industry peers in Montreal. Don’t miss out! Three days of informative and timely discussions on the industry issues that matter most to you.
Details will be available soon at www.iaaecanada.org “This was only my second FOAM Conference. I thought the topics presented were excellent.” —Robert Nesbitt, Brandon Municipal Airport “I continue to feel this conference is an excellent networking opportunity with many professionals.” —Rita Pittman, Georgian College
SPECIAL SECTION
IAAE Canada Professional Development Training
Date
Training Program
Location
June 10 to 12, 2019
TP312 5th Edition
Red Deer, AB
August 12 to 13, 2019
Basic Airport Winter Operations
Toronto, ON
September 9 to 10, 2019
Basic Airport Winter Operations
Waterloo, ON
October 1 to 3, 2019
Winter Aircraft Movement Surface Condition Reporting
Calgary, AB
October 21 to 22, 2019
Basic Airport Winter Operations
Red Deer, AB
October 21 to 25, 2019
Accreditation Academy
Calgary, AB
October 28 to November 1, 2019
Accreditation Academy
Toronto, ON
For more information on these and upcoming programs offered by IAAE Canada, please go to www.iaaecanada.org/article/scheduled-courses-12503.asp.
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FEATURE
Watching Your Vision Take Flight
Left to right: Bernie Humphries, Shawn Sutherland, Barry Feller, Doug Reid, and Jeff Huntus helped the form and launch IAAE Canada 25 years ago.
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he year: 1994. It was a very interesting time for airports in this country, as the federal government had just passed the National Airports Policy. It was a real game-changer, creating the management structure we have today and removing Transport Canada from day-to-day management of airports in favour of Canadian Airport Authorities. In addition, Transport Canada would not be involved in airport operations training, creating a huge gap that needed
to be filled. At the same time, the American Association of Airport Executives was looking to expand its reach internationally. This set the stage for the International Association of Airport Executives (IAAE) Canada to be born. Recently, we spoke to a few of the original group that helped get IAAE Canada started—Barry Feller, A.A.E.; Bernie Humphries, A.A.E.; Jeff Huntus, A.A.E.; Doug Reid, A.A.E.; and Shawn Sutherland, A.A.E.—to get their thoughts and recollections on the past 25 years.
IAAE Canada’s first board of directors comes together to establish a Canadian professional accreditation program for airports.
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Barry Feller, who was manager of finance and administration at YWG at the time, recalls the training component was key. “As we and other airports were transitioning to authorities, there was a need to satisfy airport training needs, as all of Transport Canada training would be gone,” says Feller. The timing couldn’t have been better for an organization like IAAE Canada to form. Airports all across the country were transitioning from Transport Canada control to local airport authorities, and they needed support.
Members of the IAAE Canada board unwinding after a full day of meetings in February 2004.
An official publication of the International Association of Airport Executives Canada
The sixth FOAM Conference in Victoria, BC brought together aviation industry professionals from across Canada to engage in workshops, industry panels, and an interactive trade show.
In 2014, the eighth Facility, Operations & Airport Managers Conference was held in Halifax, NS.
“There was a real gap that needed to be filled,” says Bernie Humphries. At the time, Bernie was at the Saskatoon Airport and was encouraged by his airport manager, Bill Restall, to get involved. Humphries was joined by another Saskatoon operations guy, Doug Reid, who designed the IAAE Canada logo. Most of the discussion in those early days was very informal, Doug recalls. “Whenever we met at a conference, like SWIFT, we’d get together and talk,” he says. “From there, a plan grew, and the key element was establishing a professional accreditation program.” “We needed to up the professionalism” Bernie adds, reminiscing. Shawn Sutherland agreed. “At the time, there was only one guy in Canada with an A.A.E. designation, and that was Wayne Steel,” says Shawn. So, the group turned their attention south, to the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). Barry Feller and Jeff Huntus joined IAAE’s board, which was a committee of AAAE. From that contact, both men saw the potential of a Canadian program based on the U.S. accreditation model. “There were no standards in airport management,” says Jeff Huntus, who was at Niagara District Airport at the time, “but we knew we needed something. By the time the National Airport Policy was announced, we had the IAAE Canada framework in place.”
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Working with the likes of Teakoe Coleman, Carol Greenwood, Chip Barkley, and others at AAAE, the Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) program was brought to Canada. An accelerated A.A.E. program was launched and conducted through Georgian College. In the early 1990s, Georgian College ran the accreditation program. The accelerated program quickly placed accredited airport executives in airports across the country and built membership for the fledgling association that was IAAE Canada. But there wasn’t interest in replicating the complete AAAE model in Canada, as everyone was more interested in focusing on training. Training, communication, and designation—the 3 pillars on which IAAE Canada would be built. A key element would be networking, an invaluable and often overlooked component of training. Keeping the natural communication channels that existed through Transport Canada was important and is the reason why in-class training has been so successful today. But none of this would have been possible without the support of airports that funded the travel so that those early meetings could take place. There was also valuable support from the Airport Managers Council of Ontario. From those originally involved in helping IAAE Canada take flight, everyone feels good about what the association has done over the last 25 years. It’s been an impressive evolution, and the mandate continues to be relevant today. It is also an accomplishment to see the A.A.E. designation, or pursuit of the designation, is a preferred requirement on more and more job postings industrywide. As for the future, they all agree that IAAE Canada will continue to improve the quality
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of training and increase the recognition of the A.A.E. / A.A.P. designation, while maintaining its position as the prime source of airport management development and technical training in Canada. IAAE Canada’s first 25 years relied on a lot of hard work and dedication from a collection of great people who did the groundwork and laid a solid foundation for the next 25.
Terry Bos, A.E.E., shows off his a newly-minted accreditation plaque.
Cameron Nicolson, A.E.E., proudly receives his accreditation plaque from IAAE Canada.
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An official publication of the International Association of Airport Executives Canada
MEMBER PROFILE
Member Musings:
Eric Tolton poses next to the graveyard on the infield at Pearson Airport in 1997.
The Value of IAAE Canada Membership An interview with IAAE Canada member Eric Tolton, who recently “retired” from the industry
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t’s a true sign of passion when you’re eligible to retire, yet you choose to stay involved with the industry you’ve worked in for your entire career. Eric Tolton has had many roles, in many locations, over his 37 years in the airport industry. It started with Transport Canada in Air Traffic Services in 1980. In the 2000s, he took an active role in the growth of the International Association of Airport Executives (IAAE) Canada. After working with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, an independent consultant, and parttime with Canadian Base Operators, Eric Tolton, could unplug from the industry. But he chooses to stay connected through IAAE Canada, an organization he has seen grow and change over the years. “It has gone from being a couple of cardboard boxes in someone’s basement to a professional organization that provides needed services to our industry,” says Tolton. “It took a lot of effort by a lot of people over a number of years to accomplish it, and I am really proud to have been a part of that team.” Being part of a professional association means sharing great ideas with your peers. Other times, it means swapping incredible, one-upping, stories. “Face-to-face meetings always ended with long conversations about work,” says Tolton. “I remember sitting at a conference in Atlanta, having a discussion with my colleagues. The theme of the conversation was, ‘You can’t make this (stuff) up.’ After a
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few minutes of swapping stories, Bob, from Kennedy Airport, had his phone ring. A flight attendant had just gone ballistic with a passenger, grabbed a beer from the galley, blew the escape chute on the aircraft door, and was running around on the apron. Real-time proof that you can’t make this (stuff) up.”
Eric Tolton on the job in Inuvik, NWT, working the radios as a flight service specialist in 1981.
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“After a few minutes of swapping stories, Bob, from Kennedy Airport, had his phone ring.A flight attendant had just gone ballistic with a passenger, grabbed a beer from the galley, blew the escape chute on the aircraft door, and was running around on the apron. Real-time proof that you can’t make this (stuff) up.”
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Sharing stories and knowledge at industry conferences can lead to lasting professional relationships that benefit the industry as a whole. An example of this came in 1998, when the Greater Toronto Airport Authority purchased new snow removal equipment,along with Kennedy and Boston Logan, they were the first airports in North America to own this specific equipment and were soon followed by Chicago O’Hare and Calgary. Recognizing his colleagues might be experiencing growing pains with their new equipment as was Pearson, Tolton reached out to see how they were doing. “Using the contacts I had established, we started hosting a monthly conference call with our counterparts to discuss the operation and maintenance of the equipment,” says Tolton. “‘How were you using it? How did it perform when you did it that way?’ We had all sorts of questions for each other, and we learned from sharing our experiences.” Those monthly conference calls morphed into a face-to-face workshop and what is now the American Association of
An official publication of the International Association of Airport Executives Canada
Airport Executives’ Hub Airports Winter Operations and Deicing Conference. This year marks the 19th meeting, and it all started because of networking and inter-airport collaboration. During his 37 years in the airport industry, Tolton worked through many significant events that changed the industry, including Sept. 11, airline bankruptcies, and Transport Canada’s changing role. He believes out-of-the-box thinking and resourcefulness is crucial for success. In the next five to 10 years, he sees efficiency driving change. And those who will be successful will be the ones who learn to innovate and adapt. “Our industry will always be evolving,” says Tolton. “Airlines will demand more fuel-efficient aircraft. That will lead to changes in aircraft size and shape. The facilities we operate will have to adapt to those changes. Nothing will ever be static in aviation.” The stories, the camaraderie, and sharing knowledge that moves the industry forward are all reasons why Tolton has maintained his membership with IAAE Canada, even into his retirement in 2017. The benefits of being part of a professional association allow members to tap into invaluable resources. “No matter how good your organization is, it doesn’t have all the answers for the industry,” says Tolton. “There are lots of brilliant minds out there, working on innovative solutions to the same issues that you are dealing with. By being part of a professional association, you get the opportunity to meet and network with your peers across Canada and around the world. It allows you to share your wisdom and gain insights from others.”
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An official publication of the International Association of Airport Executives Canada
CORPORATE MEMBER PROFILE
Corporate Conversation: The Benefits of Being a Member of IAAE Canada
“One head cannot hold all wisdom.” —Maasai proverb
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n a perfect world, everyone would just know everything there is to know. This is not our reality. So, it is important to share our knowledge and experiences among our peers to help them flourish. The Silver Dart Group now shares its specialized expertise to help its clients in the airport industry. But when the founder of the company was starting out, he gained valuable knowledge from the International Association of Airport Executives (IAAE) Canada. Silver Dart Group is a strategy and consulting company based in Toronto, ON that services clients across Canada and internationally. The company’s chief business officer, Maxx Kochar, A.A.E., established the company in 2012. As a proud member of the IAAE Canada, Kochar recalls benefiting from the resources and wisdom of the association—before he even knew it existed. “My first formal career in business was at an airport,” says Kochar. “I spent 13 years at Toronto Pearson, starting in groundside operations as a first responder in public safety. Terminal One was being built, which allowed me to work on many projects in airport business roles. As I moved from one project to the next, I had a lot of people guide, coach, and mentor me. At the time, I didn’t know what IAAE Canada was—but, looking back, those people who shared their knowledge and supported my learning were accredited members.” Today, Kochar uses his airport industry experience to come up with creative strategies to help his clients grow their businesses and solve problems. One of these tactics is through business storytelling. “A common business analysis technique is called process mapping,” says Kochar. “It’s when you look at a business, break it down into its core processes, and then break it down
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to the task level, finding opportunities and weaknesses. The evolution of the process map is something called business storytelling.” Kochar says business storytelling builds on process mapping by adding photography and analysis. While doing preliminary discovery work to map the processes at a client’s airport, Kochar began taking reference photos of the activities that were going on. Taking these photos back to the boardroom and combining them with traditional process mapping sparked new ideas as Kochar’s clients studied and evaluated their work in action. This process of business storytelling can shift how people view their own business. “A picture really is worth a thousand words,” says Kochar. “In the boardroom, we ask, ‘What story do you want to tell?’ There’s a bit of a gap when you only talk in terms of data and facts. But, suddenly, when you introduce pictures of your processes in action, you recognize the way you want things to be and the way they currently are. From there, we go into the strategy of how to bring those things together.” Being able to go into a client’s workspace to contribute and collaborate is an important part of Silver Dart Group’s process for strategizing with its clients. Visiting job sites helps Kochar and his colleagues really understand the current situation of clients, their successes, and their business challenges. Airports are important economic and transportation hubs in communities, and looking to the future, Kochar sees airports playing an even bigger role in community leadership. In the years to come, management and executives at airports could find themselves being part of conversations on public transportation systems, social business and enterprise initiatives, and environmental issues in their communities.
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As many industries look for more environmentally friendly ways of doing business, Kochar sees sustainability as an expanding area of importance for the airport industry in the years to come. Silver Dart Group is proud to be involved with Partners in Project Green, an initiative to build stronger green communities in the Toronto region. Membership to a professional organization has benefited Silver Dart Group and its founder. The networking, knowledge-sharing, and training that comes with membership to IAAE Canada are important to Kochar, but he says the biggest benefit of being part of this professional association is the relationships. “Successful business is built on good relationships,” says Kochar. “I am a firm believer in this philosophy, as it has only served me well along my journey as a businessperson. As the old saying goes, ‘Sometimes, it’s not what you know, but whom you know.’”
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INDEX TO ADVERTISERS AERIAL MAPPING & GIS ASAP Geomatix...........................................................................................................IBC
ENGINEERING & DESIGN Associated Engineering.................................................................................................19
RECRUITMENT / AVIATION MANAGEMENT Georgian College.........................................................................................................10
AIRFIELD LIGHTING ADB Safegate Americas LLC........................................................................................OBC
ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS Stantec.......................................................................................................................19 Tetra Tech Canada Inc..................................................................................................22
RUNWAY SWEEPING REPLACEMENT BROOMS United Rotary Brush Corporation...................................................................................11
AIRPORT / AIRPORT AUTHORITY Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corp....................................................................20 AIRPORT PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT Operations Economics Inc.............................................................................................20 AIRPORT RUNWAY LIGHTING SYSTEMS Seguin Morris................................................................................................................4 BAGGAGE TRACKING Sick Ltd......................................................................................................................IFC BUSINESS CONSULTANT Silver Dart Group.........................................................................................................22 CONSULTING, ENGINEERING, DESIGNING & PLANNING SERVICE WSP Canada Inc...........................................................................................................5
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FACILITIES CONTRACT MANAGEMENT GRM Inc.....................................................................................................................20 FIRE PROTECTION & BUILDING CODE ENGINEERS LRI Engineering Inc......................................................................................................11 FUEL SYSTEMS ICING INHIBITOR Air Support Inc.............................................................................................................21 INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER J.A. Larue Inc..............................................................................................................20 INDUSTRY EVENTS British Columbia Aviation Council – Spring Conference – Facilitating Connections..............22 Canew 2019..............................................................................................................16
SECURITY SERVICE Commissionaires...........................................................................................................6 SNOW EQUIPMENT Trecan Combustion......................................................................................................18 SWEEPERS & SWEEPER ATTACHMENTS Eddynet Sweepers Inc..................................................................................................16 UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLIES PowerWright...............................................................................................................20 WEATHER FORECASTING, NOISE MANAGEMENT & GLARE MITIGATION RWDI...........................................................................................................................8 WINDSOCKS & TOWERS - FRANGIBLE Millard Towers Ltd........................................................................................................18
An official publication of the International Association of Airport Executives Canada