Category: Events

By Anika Robertson
Senior Editor/Assistant Public Relations Manager

Dozens of children and adults took their first “flight” April 12 with Wings for Autism, a dress rehearsal designed for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families and aviation professionals at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

ATL hosted the second annual event in partnership with Delta Air Lines, the Transportation Security Administration, The Arc Georgia and The Arc of the Midlands.

“Air transportation is a critical part of our lives,” Airport General Manager Roosevelt Council, Jr. said. “Many navigate through security, board planes and jet off to destinations near and far. While this is a normal routine for some, the air travel experience can be particularly challenging for children and adults with autism spectrum disorders.”

Wednesday’s event on Concourse E drew about 130 local individuals and families, who navigated the airport, maneuvered through security, boarded a Delta plane and toured the cockpit.

Wings for Autism facilitator and Delta pilot Eric Ries explained the “sensory overload” that affects individuals with autism, including his son.

“I’ve been all over the world. I’ve faced many challenges with mountainous terrain, language barriers, wind, rain, turbulence, all sorts of challenging and stressful situations,” Ries said. “But I don’t think it was as stressful sometimes as traveling with my son in the early stages.”

“I noticed the hypersensitivity to smell, sound and light, the difficulty at the airport when traveling, the meltdowns on the airplane, and at first I thought it was the terrible twos, turning into terrible threes … Finally the diagnosis came … Now he’s 10 years old, and I’ve traveled 45 times with him to many states and he does amazing.”

Speaking to other families and learning through trial and error, Ries compiled tips for traveling with an individual with autism.

“The families that come are literally frightened and scared to death to get on an airplane,” he said. “By the end of the tour, I can’t tell you [the number of] empowering statements we get.”

Launched in March 2016, Wings for Autism aligns with ATL’s customer service initiative.

“Through collaboration, we continue to focus on providing a safe and secure environment for all passengers to create a memorable experience for all our guests,” said Guest Relations Manager Carol Gaddis, who organized the event.

The Arc’s national network promotes and protects individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their inclusion and participation in the community.
“Wings for Autism was created by one of The Arc chapters to help a family in Boston who didn’t think they’d ever be able to travel on a plane … and now it’s a national event,” said Stacey Ramirez, state director of The Arc Georgia. “I’ve seen … how it’s changed our lives and opened a whole new world of travel and opportunity.”
The program also prepares airport, airline, TSA and other personnel to interact with autistic individuals and deliver services in a structured learning environment.

“We want to ensure that all our Airport team members and partners are sensitive to the needs of those with autism,” Council said. “With specialized training, our personnel will be able to recognize – and know how to handle – potential challenges with understanding, patience and support.”

By Anika Robertson
Senior Editor/Assistant Public Relations Manager

Seeing blue? The hue was part of a lively scene March 30 at the International Terminal, as ATL officials welcomed JetBlue Airways’ inaugural flight from Boston with cheers and applause.

“Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a customer-centric airport,” said Airport Deputy General Manager Balram Bheodari. “And air service development is one of our core initiatives. Today, with the addition of JetBlue service to Atlanta, our customers will enjoy continued connectivity throughout the U.S. and strengthen our global position as the world’s busiest and most efficient airport.”

The New York-based air carrier now offers five nonstop, roundtrip flights daily between Atlanta and Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS).

Atlanta Fire Rescue trucks greeted and escorted the plane, an Airbus 320, to Gate F14 upon arrival. Flight 0397 passengers received an Atlanta-branded canvas bag filled with treats from both Boston and Atlanta.

The occasion featured an array of American cuisine and Southern bites, a live band and a JetBlue-meets-Atlanta tiered cake, electrifying the atmosphere for travelers and Airport staff alike.

David Clark, JetBlue’s vice president of network planning, said the JetBlue team is “absolutely thrilled” that Atlanta is the carrier’s 101st destination.

“This is a big day for JetBlue,” he said. “We had a lot of demand from our customers, business customers [and] leisure customers, saying, ‘JetBlue, you’ve got to serve Atlanta.’ It has been our most requested destination by both our customers and our crew members.”

ATL Travel Industry Engagement Manager TJ Jackson sees JetBlue’s return to Atlanta after 14 years as necessary to increase passenger service options.

“The airline adds to the diversity of our air service,” said Jackson, also an event organizer. “JetBlue is a viable partner in customer service and community outreach, and we look forward to these opportunities to work together.”

Kevin Langston, deputy commissioner of tourism with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, also welcomed “new friends” to Atlanta. “We look forward to sharing our Southern hospitality with you,” Langston said.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Marty St. George, JetBlue executive vice president of commercial and planning, unveiled a poster commemorating JetBlue’s arrival into Atlanta. It featured iconic city destinations.

To cement its partnership with ATL, JetBlue staff and Department of Aviation employees teamed up March 29 to mark “JetBlue For Good Day.” During the event, officials donated 500 age-appropriate books to College Park Elementary School students and read to 150 second-graders.

By Anika Robertson
Senior Editor/Assistant Public Relations Manager

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport officials on Feb. 9 signed a Sister Airport Agreement with the Airports Authority of Jamaica, forging a relationship built on cooperation and the open exchange of ideas to increase efficiencies and boost travel and trade.

“Beyond making these amazing airports better, this agreement will help strengthen the ties that exist between our two great nations, promoting international understanding and goodwill,” said Interim Deputy General Manager and Chief Financial Officer Greg Richardson.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) drew attendees from the City of Atlanta, Jamaica and Delta Air Lines as well as Consular Corps representatives from the Caribbean islands of Barbados, Guyana, Haiti and The Bahamas.

The Airports Authority of Jamaica oversees Norman Manley International Airport (KIN) in Kingston as well as Sangster International Airport (MBJ) in Montego Bay on the island nation.

Candace Byrd, chief of staff for Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, said the friendly relations between Atlanta and Jamaica can be attributed to longstanding commonalities.

“Atlanta and Montego Bay, which has Jamaica’s largest aerotropolis, are major logistics hubs,” she said. “Both our economies have strong export activities and are popular tourist centers. We also share a strong commitment to education, health and cultural expression.”

Under the leadership of former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, the City of Atlanta signed a sister city agreement with the City of Montego Bay in 1972. The current MOU – fittingly signed in the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal – expands the partnership by establishing an “exchange of ideas and information to increase passenger and cargo traffic.”

Airports Authority of Jamaica President Audley Deidrick said his country’s relationship established with Atlanta four decades ago served as the foundation for the MOU.

“The ATL-AAJ Sister Airport MOU also presents in a sense an extension of the Atlanta Montego Bay sister city relationship,” he said. “These objectives will be pursued through the establishment of a technical working group or working groups for exchange of these educational visits and act as goodwill ambassadors between the airports.”

During the signing, Jamaica Minister of Transport and Mining Lester Michael Henry paid tribute to the memory of Jackson and his visionary leadership that advanced ATL as a prominent international hub.

“You have shown through the work of ancestors that you can deliver a whole development here [in Atlanta], outside the realm of what was the basic economic structure,” Henry said. “As I adopt open skies, as I sign all the agreements that are necessary … I am seeking to ensure that we take our rightful place back in the connectivity of the transport of goods and services across the globe and create a whole new vision for Jamaica.”

The agreement marks the fourth MOU signed by the City of Atlanta with sister airports. ATL signed similar agreements with Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL) in El Salvador and Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport (ABJ) in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

By Anika Robertson
Senior Editor/Assistant Public Relations Manager

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is marking it with a series of events to inform the public about its dangers, warning signs and heavy toll.

“Every year, men, women and children fall prey to human trafficking, which is believed to be the third largest criminal activity in the world,” Airport General Manager Roosevelt Council, Jr. told dozens of onlookers Tuesday, Jan. 10 at a press conference. “These victims are weakened, silenced and trapped in many situations … this is why in addition to encouraging our employees to be vigilant, we’re also asking our guests, the 101 million people who pass through our Airport each year, to be aware of suspicious activities.”

Council was joined by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, U.S. Attorney John Horn, Clayton County District Attorney Tracy Lawson, ECPAT-USA Executive Director Carol Smolenski, and other federal, state and local law enforcement officials and outreach organizations.

Also Tuesday, ATL became the first airport in the world to sign the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct, a document outlining ATL’s pledge to stamp out the sexual exploitation of children.

During the event, Horn stressed collaboration to fight human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery that presents unique challenges to law enforcement, as victims are often reluctant or afraid to seek help.

“The prosecutions and the hard work of the organizations [against human trafficking] have collectively raised the consciousness and the awareness of the public to this problem,” Horn said. “Working together, we will have a positive impact.”

During his remarks, Carr underlined the state’s progress with youth victims under local nonprofit Georgia Cares. In 2016, 469 child victims were served by Georgia Cares. Since 2009, there have been more than 1,800 referrals for domestic minor sex trafficking from 102 counties, he said.

“After receiving Georgia Care services, 75 percent did not return to the life,” he said. “As Georgia’s economy continues to flourish and we accept new visitors from around the world for large-scale events like the Super Bowl, the Final Four and the College Football National Championship, we must continue to make it known that we will not accept this type of behavior.”

National Human Trafficking Awareness Month was established by presidential decree in 2010 and officially proclaimed National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch recently released a National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, which outlines what is being done for survivors and offenders.
“We have made great strides, but we still have a long way to go in the fight to end human trafficking,” Carr said. “One child who is safe from a life of bondage makes it all worth the effort.”

Hartsfield-Jackson will hold two additional events this month to call attention to human trafficking. A roundtable discussion with Airport stakeholders will take place Jan. 18 and a high school community outreach forum is set for Jan. 25.