Window seat issue no5 fall 2014 by Miami International Airport

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González Aviation Director, Miami-Dade Aviation Department

Issue No. 5

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Fall 2014

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

SANDY MESA

Computer Services Manager In past issues, we’ve proudly shone the Employee Spotlight on some of MIA’s frontline customer service superstars. This time around, we’re highlighting a behind-thescenes MDAD employee who truly shines and has an outsized impact on all things MIA: Computer Services Manager Sandy Mesa. Sandy has been a member of the MDAD team for a total of four years and a County employee for 27 years. With a degree in Computer Science and a passion for customer service and problem solving, she is a perfect fit for her role here at MDAD. What exactly does that entail? Simply put, Sandy is responsible for computer and desktop support and deployment (all things desktop), network security, e-mail, and mobile device support. If you’re reading this on your desktop or mobile right now, it’s because of Sandy and her team. Most recently, Sandy has been spearheading the technical development of MIA’s mobile app, which is detailed later in this issue. As our mobile app tech guru, Sandy is a bit like a ringmaster: ensuring that creative/content developers are on task; working closely with the programmers at Phunware to keep the coding moving; and leading MDAD’s in-house (continued on page 2)

ROUNDING THE FINAL TURN, HEADED FOR HOME

t’s hard to believe, but in just a few short months 2014 will be behind us and another year will begin at MDAD, filled with new challenges and new opportunities for growth. We have plenty to look forward to, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself: 2014 isn’t finished yet, and there’s lots to do between now and the end of this already eventful year. Major projects to check off on our collective 2014 to-do list include the totally reengineered and redesigned Central Boulevard, which is now well on its way to completion. We’ll be celebrating MIA’s grand new entryway in the coming months with our partners from the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority. Miami Central Station is slated to open by year’s end as well, offering even more options for employees and travelers to connect to our airport. And on the topic of connecting, MIA’s airline partners will be launching new service to Cap-Haitien, Haiti; Munich, Germany; Campinas, Brazil; and Helsinki, Finland

before year’s end, connecting our community to even more points on the globe. Along with these new transportation links, MDAD is about to take a quantum leap forward with new digital platforms that will make MIA fully accessible to mobile users wherever they are. I’ve got more to say on that exciting development in this installment of the Window Seat, plus a review of the many positive events that have happened across our system of airports since I last wrote. On a closing note, thanks for your continued efforts and for your full commitment to MDAD. Nothing featured in this newsletter – and I mean nothing – would happen without your hard work. Sincerely,

Window Seat │ Issue No. 5 │ Fall 2014

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT (continued from page 1)

SANDY MESA

Computer Services Manager techies as they push this complex, customeroriented project forward. It’s a herculean task, and it takes someone with Sandy’s organizational ability, analytical approach and resolve to make it happen. When she’s not keeping our department online, Sandy can be found enjoying one of her homemade rum cakes or on a spinning bike at the gym. Congratulations to this month’s Employee Spotlight recipient, Sandy Mesa!

WORLD CUP IS A WIN FOR MIA In the last issue of the Window Seat, I shared my excitement about the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and what it would mean for our airport, which is America’s leading gateway to that South American nation. With the trophy now in Germany and the confetti cleared away from the soccer pitch in São Paulo, MIA’s outstanding World Cup performance is coming into focus. This June, when the World Cup went into full swing, MIA served more than 178,000 passengers traveling to and from Brazil – a whopping 16-percent increase over last year, when we welcomed 153,000 Brazil travelers. That’s not all: with eye-opening, hip-shaking samba performances; a special send-off for the U.S. Men’s National Team; and a big boost to concession sales, MIA definitely emerged

a winner in this year’s World Cup. Thank you for making it happen – especially our front-line Ops employees, who stood out in their colorful jerseys. Up next: the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. It’s never too early to start preparing for our next big game!

GET READY FOR MIA MOBILE We live and work in a world that is increasingly connected – and driven – by technology, so it’s no surprise that we’re now accustomed to having all sorts of information right at our fingertips: weather, calendars, news, social media, even the score of the Dolphins game. Mobile apps have grown to be such a part of everyday life that Apple actually trademarked their popular “There’s an app for that®” catchphrase a few years back. Today, I’m happy to report that the saying will apply to MIA by the end of this year. With the help of our vendor, Phunware, MDAD staff has been working hard for months to design, write and produce a mobile app aimed at customers and employees, alike. For travelers, having all of MIA at their fingertips – maps, parking, shopping, dining, ground transportation and more – will be a huge customer service improvement. For

employees, the MIA mobile app will be a great airport reference tool, especially when it comes to pointing “app-less” travelers in the right direction and getting them on their way. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months.

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González, Aviation Director - Miami-Dade Aviation Department

MIA E-MAGAZINE IN THE WORKS In addition to the MIA mobile app, MDAD staff are preparing to launch a new e-magazine aimed at travelers visiting our community and our airport. Designed for tablets and mobile devices with a slick, interactive design and plenty of colorful images, MIA Connections will be purpose-built for folks on the go. It’s sure to provide our guests with a great introduction to all that MIA and Miami have to offer: the latest airport offerings, neighborhoods to explore during a long layover, and even MIA’s exotic destinations.

MIA Connections is being produced in close partnership with our friends at the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and with HCP/Aboard Publishing. The first issue will debut for mobile users in November. If you’ve got story ideas, please send them to Greg Chin (gchin@miami-airport.com) or Dickie Davis (ddavis@miami-airport.com). We welcome your input!

LOOKIN’ GOOD! ARTWORK ADDS COLOR TO TERMINAL From new concessions to the new MIA Hotel lobby and upgrades to Central Boulevard, MIA is looking better than ever. But even great looking spaces can use a little splash of color to take things to the next level. On that front, MIA’s Division of Fine Arts & Cultural Affairs is doing a great job of brightening up our terminals. We have plenty of permanent art installations to enjoy – Harmonic Convergence and Carybé come to mind – and MIA Galleries keeps things fresh with a rotating lineup of art exhibits. In late May, MIA kicked off the World Cup travel season with the official unveiling of Show Your Colors, a soccer-themed art exhibit created by local students from Miami’s renowned Design Architecture Senior High (DASH). I hope that you had a chance to see the artwork up close – it was

a phenomenal showcase of local artistic talent and a fun way to get fired up for the World Cup. More recently, local scientific art endeavor Coral Morphologic put their stunning images of live corals on display near Gate D31 in August. The 11 large-format images feature live corals that are native to the waters of Miami, the only mainland U.S. city to have coral reefs. When they aren’t snapping incredible photographs, marine biologist Colin Foord and collaborator Jared McKay are busy rescuing corals, raising awareness of our fragile local reefs and even discovering new coral species. Be sure to take some time to see their eco-minded work for yourself – it’s on display through November.

Window Seat │ Issue No. 5 │ Fall 2014

CUSTOMER CORNER

OPA-LOCKA FLYING HIGH IN 2014

“…our experience at Miami International went from being stressful to enjoyable as a result of Terminal Operations Specialist Luis Perez’s help.” Gabe Kremler Victoria, British Colombia “Terminal Operations Specialist Sandy Morgan noticed we were alone and asked why a wheelchair was not provided for my wife; she offered to get one and my wife felt much better after her assistance.” Peter Belmar New York, NY “While I was in Miami, I unfortunately lost my cell phone in a taxi cab…I am very thankful to Landside officers Aracelo Perrera and Rey Hernandez for their hard work, dedication and persistence in getting my phone back.”

There’s no question that MIA is the ‘pack leader’ in our system of airports, but it’s important to shine a light on the great things that are happening at our GA airports, too. Opa-locka Executive Airport gets the star treatment in this issue, and for very good reason. Through the first half of 2014, OPF posted remarkable numbers that reflect the facility’s rise as a preferred choice for private jet travel in the competitive South Florida market. Through

June, year-over-year aircraft operations at OPF grew by a staggering 21.2%. Kudos to Nelson Mejias and the MDAD team at Opalocka Executive for keeping this great facility running smoothly and growing beyond our wildest expectations! With a combination of strong public management and major private investments, Opa-locka is poised to keep growing and I’m truly excited for what’s to come at our northernmost airport.

Alberta Abbiw Alberta, Canada “It is people like Landside Operations Specialist Lazaro Ramos who make a traveler’s experience (especially those just arriving in Miami) a memorable one.”

“IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A PLANE! NO, WAIT…IT’S AN A380.”

Alex Gomez Ft. Lauderdale, FL

MIA is getting a new visitor and you probably won’t be mistaking it for a bird, or just any ordinary airplane for that matter. Air France recently announced that it will use the mammoth Airbus A380 on its Paris-Miami route during the Winter season. With two full decks, seats for 516 passengers and a 262-foot wingspan, the superjumbo jet will be just the second of its kind to operate at

MIA, joining Lufthansa’s daily A380 service to Frankfurt. Like its sister aircraft, the Air France A380 will be using the specialized jet bridges at Gate J17. Keep an eye out for our new visitor beginning on December 1 – it will be hard to miss!

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González, Aviation Director - Miami-Dade Aviation Department

MIA PAUSES TO REMEMBER 9/11 On the second Thursday of September, the MIA family gathered together to pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 innocent civilians, airline employees and first responders who died in the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. The day began with a brief remembrance ceremony at the Flag of Honor installation in the North Terminal. Representatives from MDAD, the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Aviation Division, the Miami-Dade Airport District Police and the TSA Honor Guard assembled there to observe a moment of silence and to lay a wreath at the foot of the Flag of Honor. MDAD employee Byron Hoffman capped the moving ceremony by playing “Amazing Grace” and “God Bless America” on the bagpipe.

At 12:00 noon, a memorial service organized by MDAD’s Melvin Payne, Jr. was held in the MIA Auditorium. The service was well attended by first responders, MDAD employees and employees from our airline partners. Miami-Dade Police Director J.D. Patterson delivered a moving address, while Wings of Song and the Pyton Brothers/Golden Trumpets of Miami brought the service to life with music. I’m most grateful to all of our employees for taking the time to remember those who tragically lost their lives thirteen years ago this month. A special thanks to Marcia FernandezMorin and our Special Events team for their efforts in putting these moving observances together.

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. González, Aviation Director - Miami-Dade Aviation Department

MDAD AWARDS

Like many of you, I tuned into the 66th Emmy Awards last month and watched as ‘Breaking Bad’ took home lots of shiny hardware. MDAD didn’t make it to the show, but our department has been earning plenty of aviation industry accolades we can all be very proud of. Below is a brief recap of the awards that MDAD and MIA have earned thus far in 2014, thanks to your efforts. While there aren’t any golden statues, this is still quite a haul! In June, the U.S. Department of Transportation ranked MIA among the top five U.S. airports for small business hiring, a remarkable achievement that places us in the top 8% of airports audited by the federal agency. This national recognition was earned by the concerted efforts of MDAD’s Administration, Facilities Maintenance, and Operations divisions, and by our Minority Affairs Division,

in particular, whose ongoing outreach campaign directly engages small – and often disadvantaged – local businesses to perform work at our airport. In July, for the seventh consecutive year, the Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada presented MDAD’s hardworking Finance Division with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the Department’s 2013-14 budget. The national award is the only one of its kind in governmental budgeting and reflects a commitment to its highest principles. In early August, the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), named MIA its “20132014 Airport of the Year” for our steadfast commitment to engaging with the pilots who operate at MIA to ensure the highest

safety standards for passengers, crew and cargo. To provide some perspective on this achievement, ALPA represents more than 51,000 pilots in the U.S. and Canada who operate at some 150 airports. It is from this impressive lineup that MIA emerged as ALPA’s “Airport of the Year.” Hats off to our team in the Aircraft Operations Area for making it happen! Finally, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recertified MIA’s Maintenance and Engineering Division under its 14001 standards for the implementation of Environmental Management Systems. The ISO 14001 certification is a clear affirmation that MDAD is taking a focused, quality-based approach to its environmental management responsibilities. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, ISO is the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards and is made up of 163 member nations.

ODDS AND ENDS On June 10, Five-Star global airline Qatar Airways touched down at MIA for the first time, creating Florida’s only direct service to the Middle East in the process. The Miami-Doha route gives MIA

customers access to Qatar Airways’ vast global network and premium service. On June 19, MIA’s social media channels marked one year of connecting passengers, employees and aviation fans with all things MIA. You can get the very latest at http://www.facebook.com/Iflymia and @iflymia.

June marked the expansion of MIA’s popular automated passport control kiosk program to international travelers from 38 countries participating in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. MIA’s self-service passport kiosks have gone from serving an average of 5,000 passengers per day to an average of 11,000 passengers per day. On August 9, the LAN Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down at MIA, making LAN the first airline to offer regular service to Miami using the high-efficiency long-range aircraft.

The Official Newsletter of Emilio T. GonzĂĄlez, Aviation Director - Miami-Dade Aviation Department

THE FINAL WORD

So far, 2014 has been a fantastic year for MIA and our general aviation airports. With your continued efforts, I look forward to finishing the year strong and carrying that momentum right into 2015. Onward and upward!