The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González Aviation Director, Miami-Dade Aviation Department
Issue No. 4
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
May 2014
DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
JOHN ARROYO
Landside Operations This month’s Employee Spotlight is on Landside Officer 2 John Arroyo, who has been a member of the MDAD team for more than 31 years. John is a customer favorite who has received numerous positive comments on his customer care. Here are just a few examples of what MIA customers are saying about John’s top-notch customer service: “Can’t say enough about the service and his help. I will continue to see MIA as a great and easy destination to fly in and out of.” Jessica Blackburn Nashville, TN We arrived at MIA from abroad and were looking for the train to Ft. Lauderdale. John Arroyo cheerfully and graciously helped us. We really appreciated him because when we had to travel in the opposite direction from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami, we had to pay $80 for a cab because the hotel we were staying at didn’t know the train existed! It was only a few dollars and very comfortable and speedy. A big thanks to Mr. Arroyo! Dixie Johnson Grangeville, ID
A Little Extra Spring in Our Step
S
pring is in the air – not that winter is ever too noticeable here in sunny Miami – and the signs of new growth are everywhere at MIA. Six new international carriers are launching service at our airport this year and more are in the works. Last month, travelers from Belgium and Aruba began arriving at MIA, and additional travelers from places like Finland, Bolivia, Spain, and Qatar will soon be joining the tens of thousands of passengers that pass through MIA’s concourses each day. These new arrivals from abroad will provide a welcome boost to our international passenger totals, which are already growing at a fast clip. At the same time, we’re gearing up for one of the planet’s premiere sports events – the World Cup – which will be kicking off in Brazil in June. MIA is America’s leading gateway to the host country, with 10 Brazilian destinations and daily flights to places like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, so be on the lookout for soccer aficionados proudly wearing their country’s colors as they pass through our airport on their way to and from the games. You can also expect to see plenty of World
Cup-themed events and promotions at MIA in the coming months to welcome the influx of fans of the jogo bonito – music and dance performances, soccer-themed concessions and artwork, just to name a few. Even Claymore has caught the fever, as you’ll see in this issue. All this growth is good for MIA, but it comes with some growing pains, too. With so many international flyers coming to MIA, many of our customers have been caught waiting in long lines to get their passports stamped and clear customs. But every challenge represents an opportunity and we’re working hard with our partners from CBP, as well as with our South Florida congressional delegation and Florida’s U.S. senators, to get more CBP staff. A big shout out to the Terminal Ops staff for their hard work in our federal inspection areas to help passengers during this challenging time. As far as airport problems go, growing too fast is a wonderful problem to have. New growth, new airlines and World Cup travelers coming through MIA: plenty of reason to have a little extra spring in our step this year.
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