Skopje Airport staff ready for disaster scenario

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Skopje Alexander the Great Airport will have additional skills needed to cope with any possible natural or man-made disaster thanks to a three-day training course in disaster preparedness that started today. The training program, entitled “Get Airports Ready for Disaster” (GARD), is being implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the world’s leading transport and logistics company, Deutsche Post DHL Group, in cooperation with TAV Macedonia, the company that manages the country’s two airports - Skopje and Ohrid. The GARD program aims to increase the capacity of airport personnel to deal with the logistical demands involved in post-disaster scenarios. The training will define and enhance local logistical capacities and knowledge, ensuring that bottlenecks at airports can be avoided and that large volumes of incoming relief goods can be handled with optimum efficiency. 

The GARD concept has already been successfully implemented in almost thirty airports since 2005, including airports in Turkey, Armenia, Lebanon, Indonesia, the Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, Panama, El Salvador and Peru. The General Manager of TAV Macedonia, Zoran Krstevski, says, "Our thoughts are always positive and naturally we do not want, or think, that big disasters can happen. But, these kinds of scenarios occur, be it caused by nature or by а human factor. Therefore, GARD training is of a major significance. The final goal is readiness of Skopje Airport for managing the disaster’s effects". 

During the program, airport staff, together with staff from all relevant institutions that are part of the national crisis management system, including the Crisis Management Centre, the Protection and Rescue Directorate, the Civil Aviation Agency, the Ministry of Transport and Communication, the Ministry of Interior and the Red Cross, will assess the airports’ surge capability and management structure from a disaster relief perspective and create a tailor-made and detailed action plan to handle surge traffic in case of a major disaster. It is expected that this plan will become part of national-level contingency plans. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to conduct our GARD program together with the Macedonian authorities”, says Christof Ehrhart, Executive Vice President Corporate Communications and Responsibility, Deutsche Post DHL Group. “We have learned from experience that post-disaster situations entail specific requirements, especially in terms of logistics. The GARD initiative can help to prepare for these logistical needs ahead of a disaster. It is a valuable addition to our regular activities for disaster preparedness”.