Window seat issue no6 spring 2015 by Miami International Airport

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

Issue No. 6

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Spring 2015

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

CAMILO “CHI CHI” PAZ

Airport Operations Specialist 1929 – 2015 On April 17, the Aviation Department family said goodbye to one of our most loyal and dedicated employees: Camilo “Chi Chi” Paz. In 1991, at the tender age of 61, Chi Chi joined the MDAD team as an Operations Specialist in the federal inspection services (FIS) area. At an age when many think about slowing down, Camilo jumped into the fastpaced world of customer service at MIA, and he did so with a passion that was a shining example to us all. He was adored by his co-workers as a hard-working, kind, caring person who loved the airport and assisting its passengers. Probably the most remarkable thing about Chi Chi is that he worked at MIA almost until the day he died - working a 4 p.m. to midnight shift on his last day, no less. A few days later, he complained of feeling ill and apparently died from a stroke in the hospital. After his passing, his wife noted how much he loved MIA and how happy she was that he was able to work here until his very end, because that is what he wanted. Though he is gone physically, those of us who knew him can always have fond memories of his dedication to MIA and the airport community. With a last name that means “peace,” he is truly someone who deserves it in spades. Rest in peace, Chi Chi.

FROM THE CABIN TO THE COCKPIT Dear Employees: With 2015 already well under way, I thought I’d do something different with this issue of “Window Seat.” I want to take you out of the cabin and straight into the cockpit to give you a forward-looking view of where we are headed as a department by sharing some of my goals and priorities for 2015. As the Aviation Director, I want to improve communication across all levels of the organization. At our MDAD Leadership Summit last October, a key takeaway was that employees have a desire for more direct communication from department leaders. That responsibility starts with me. To that end, let me begin by saying that I am extremely proud of the work we did in 2014. As a direct result of all your efforts, MIA turned in another record-breaking performance with a new all-time high of 40.9 million annual passengers. That’s an increase of nearly 400,000 passengers over 2013’s total and the

fifth consecutive record-breaking year at the airport. We also set a new all-time record for cargo in 2014 with 2.2 million tons of goods moving through our global gateway. Despite ongoing political and economic unrest in a few of our key markets, passenger traffic through March was up four percent, and we still have the busy summer travel season and some exciting new routes in front of us. Many more important projects are in the works for 2015, which I’ll discuss shortly. But without you “on board,” we won’t get very far. While numerical growth, robust security and capital improvements are critical to our success, a commitment to customer service throughout the MIA community is equally important to us being one of the top airports in the world. With that in mind, welcome to the flight deck, buckle up, and get ready to enjoy this latest issue of the Window Seat. Sincerely,

Window Seat │ Issue No. 6 │ Spring 2015

CUSTOMER CORNER

NEW ROUTES TO LATIN AMERICA, EUROPE AND BEYOND

“We had never traveled using your services. I wanted to let you know your staff was excellent and they made a very difficult time more enjoyable. Thanks specifically to Skarlett Chavarria (Landside)” Adriene Mansell and Katherine DeSilva from Boston

“Our world needs people like you (Ernesto Lopez, Terminal) who like to help others…. “ Ernst Friedheim and family from Brazil

“I was relieved; Isis Quesada (Terminal) was really kind and gentle. What awesome customer service! I assure you that I’ll keep your excellent service in mind and that you’ll be in my recommendations.” Francy Ramirez from Quebec, Canada

In December, we reached another major milestone with our 100th airline, which is the most among all airports in the U.S. The record-breaking number was the culmination of a fantastic year in which we added eight new carriers and eight new international routes. To put this into context, some major U.S. airports wait years to get a single new international carrier or route. You may have seen our “100 Carriers Strong” logo we’re using to commemorate this milestone, and I encourage you to add it to your e-mail signature as we continue to share the good news about our growth. To get the campaign logo, contact Creative Services. More new routes and airlines are on the way. In March, we welcomed Aeromexico’s new daily service to Monterrey, Mexico - our fifth destination in that country. American Airlines will also begin serving this route with six

weekly flights in June. In May, Thomas Cook Airlines will start service at MIA with direct flights to our second U.K. destination, Manchester, England, and American Airlines will begin flying to Frankfurt, Germany in May as well, followed by new Barranquilla, Colombia service in June. In March, Austrian Airlines announced it will begin serving MIA in October with five weekly flights to Vienna, Austria, our 17th European destination. Finally, Turkish Airlines just announced it will begin daily service in October to Istanbul – another major gateway hub to Europe, Asia and beyond. We continue to pursue new air service to the continents of Asia and Africa, and I think my recent trip to Taipei helped bring us one step closer to that goal. Routes to either – and hopefully both - of these regions would be seismic game-changers in our efforts to be the global gateway we envision, and I hope to have more good news on that front as the year progresses.

MIA CRUISE CENTER: BRINGING MIA AND PORTMIAMI TOGETHER MIA welcomes 96 percent of all the visitors to Miami and provides PortMiami, the cruise capital of the world, with more than 70 percent of all its customers. Together, MIA and PortMiami are the face of our community to the millions of visitors we see every year. To enhance the customer experience for connections between the two gateways, we are now working with our PortMiami partners

to develop the MIA Cruise Center, a dedicated reception area for cruise passengers on the lower level of the airport. More than one million of our passengers every year are headed to the Port for a cruise, so it’s important that we make their transit back and forth as seamless as possible.

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

ENHANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

MIA is becoming a recognized industry leader in the use of technology to enhance the airport experience for customers. We are one of only two airports to launch CBP’s customer-friendly Mobile Passport app (www.mobilepassport.us), we will soon double our number of automated passport control kiosks to 72, and our kiosks will soon be able to process 70 percent of

our international arrivals - all with the goal of decreasing wait times at our community’s front door. In the last six months, we have also successfully launched the MIA Airport Official mobile app and the MIA Connections digital magazine (www.miaconnex.com), which put the world of MIA directly in the hands of our smartphone and tablet users.

We’re only getting started with our technology overhaul at MIA. Free WiFi service has quickly become a must-have for any airport aiming to provide world-class customer service. By the end of 2015, we will begin offering free WiFi with the industry average of the first 30 minutes free and additional time requiring a fee. For our foreign passengers who need to check email or get on the Web in between flights, this will be a huge help. Also, you may have heard that we’re the only airport in the world to install Bluetooth low-energy beacons throughout its terminal. With the ability to pinpoint the mobile device of anyone in the terminal who grants permission, beacon technology has the ability to do everything from track in realtime how busy our checkpoints are and send personalized advertising and emergency alerts, to measuring the temperature in every zone of the airport. We will be utilizing the beacons in version 2 of our mobile app to provide more customized information to our customers. Stay tuned for more updates as our technological makeover continues.

THE FUTURE OF CENTRAL TERMINAL

Certainly, modernizing the under-developed Central Terminal area between Concourses E and G is also one of my top priorities. While we now have a comprehensive, long-term redevelopment plan in hand, short-term demand for gates and terminal space also must be addressed. The MDAD leadership team will be meeting regularly to ensure that both our nearterm and long-term projects are progressing as scheduled. Progress can already be seen in the redevelopment of the MIA Hotel. Work will soon

begin to convert the hotel’s former sushi and sports bars into an Air Margaritaville bar and grill – the first airport location of Jimmy Buffet’s popular brand. The same contractor will also be doing a $5 million renovation of the former Top of the Port restaurant into America’s very first Viena restaurant, a well-established Brazilian buffet-style eatery. Because of their pre-security locations in the center of MIA, we expect the two new restaurants to draw travelers as well as meeter/greeters from both ends of the terminal. Air Margaritaville is scheduled to open by August and Viena is projected for November.

Also upcoming is the construction of the new Airport Operations Center, which will replace our Operations Control Room and provide a consolidated, world-class facility in the middle of the terminal to monitor and coordinate all MIA operations, communications and emergency responses. I expect development of this project to be in full-swing by the end of the year.

Window Seat │ Issue No. 6 │ Spring 2015

BRAGGING RIGHTS •

100 carriers – more than any domestic airport

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40.9 million passengers in 2014 - an increase of nearly 400,000 passengers over 2013

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5th consecutive recordbreaking year at the airport

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Single-day record 146,257 passengers on January 4, 2015

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All-time record of 2.2 million tons of cargo moving through MIA in 2014

SPOTLIGHT: FLOWER POWER AT MIA

Fruits and vegetables of every variety, fresh fish, priceless art, electronics from Asia, and even live animals arrive and depart MIA on a daily basis. But in the Spring time, it’s another type of cargo that’s getting plenty of attention these days: fresh cut flowers. Each year, 200,000 tons of cut flowers make their way into the United States – and across the Atlantic to Europe – through our airport. MIA handles an incredible 91 percent of all flower imports to the U.S., so chances are that folks from coast to coast have MIA to thank for that beautiful bouquet they gave to their sweetheart on February 14th. In the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, our airport

handled up to 22 million flowers per day, and the same is expected right before Mothers’ Day. Our airline partners at LAN Cargo, UPS, FedEx, DHL and many others work around the clock to make it all happen, flying the stems in from South and Central America before U.S. Customs and Border Protection clears them for distribution across the country. Aside from putting smiles on countless faces, the flower trade at MIA is also a $1 billion business that puts food on the table for tens of thousands locally and nationally. So the next time you give or receive flowers, you can take pride in knowing that they probably made their way through our airport.

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

Congratulations to our six MDAD employees who participated in the 70th ACI-ICAO Airport Management Professional Accreditation Program (AMPAP) Gateway Air Transport System (ATS) course, which was held in Miami last month.

Nigeria, Trinidad & Tobago and the Cook Islands, who all took part in the course, which is designed to provide airport managers with a broad understanding of the global air transportation system from an airport professional’s viewpoint.

Our staff joined 15 other participants from airports in Ghana, Oman, Aruba, the Dominican Republic,

Congratulations to you all!

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

DID YOU KNOW?

MIA was recently featured on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 show and The Wall Street Journal for being the first U.S. airport - and one of only two - that screens all of their workers before they enter a secured area. http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/02/us/airportsecurity-investigation/index.html

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

DEVELOPING A CARGO MASTER PLAN

Outside of the terminal, our powerhouse cargo area handles nearly $70 billion annually in trade, generating immense economic activity for our community and the State of Florida. Last year, a record 2.2 million tons of goods moved through MIA, further strengthening our position as America’s busiest airport for international freight. Beyond these impressive numbers

is the fact that countless numbers of jobs are supported by MIA’s cargo operations. Quite literally, thousands of families put food on their table and a roof over their heads because of our cargo business. Given the importance of this business for us, our cargo facilities in 2015 will receive more

of the attention it has long deserved. That process begins with the development of a Cargo Infrastructure Master Plan that takes stock of how current operations and facilities must evolve for MIA to remain competitive. We also plan to expand into untapped industries like the growing field of pharmaceutical cargo.

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

THE FINAL WORD Our passenger traffic is off to its best start in three years. One year after launching service to the Gulf Region with Qatar Airways, we will soon welcome daily service to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines – another rapidly expanding market for our global network. This year, we will add exciting new amenities like The Centurion Lounge by American Express, Air Margaritaville, and Brazilian restaurant Viena. All that and so much more is on the horizon. Claymore got so excited when I told him all this good news, that I had to take this picture. He could hardly contain himself! Let’s keep up the great work as we head into what promises to be a busy summer travel season.