Our last major snowstorm gave the Bangor International Airport an unexpected opportunity to exercise its Disaster Response Plan according to Director Rebecca Hupp. With 1200 unexpected overnight “guests”, the airport staff and emergency response community sprung into action. In all there were five diverted flights that deplaned passengers who stayed overnight in Bangor at area hotels and the airport. There were two Aer Lingus flights, and one each from Icelandair, Lufthansa, and Continental.
In addition to those flights, there were three other airlines, Jet Blue, Delta, and American that diverted to Bangor but after a delay went on to their destinations. Approximately 130 of those domestic passengers deplaned in Bangor to pursue ground transportation. Air France also diverted to Bangor but since those passengers were traveling internationally, they were not allowed to deplane.
“This was an excellent opportunity for us to test our emergency preparedness and response efforts in a real-world situation. We are very grateful to the organizations that responded quickly to assist the stranded passengers. Because of their efforts, the passengers’ experience in Bangor was much more pleasant.” says Airport Director, Rebecca Hupp. An after action review of the overall response will be conducted Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 9:00 AM at the Airport.
The Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross provided blankets, cots, personal care kits as well as personal assistance to passengers. As the numbers grew, St. Joseph’s Hospital provided more blankets for the stranded passengers and the Maine Air National Guard brought more cots. Emergency supplies were also provided by Downeast Medical Institute.
Also on hand to help with the situation were Bangor’s Police and Fire Departments who sent staff to assist with the large numbers of people. They coordinated services and assisted with crowd control measures. The offices of Transportation Security Administration, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection were also called into extra duty to facilitate the unexpected situation and process passengers.
“This situation highlights the economic importance of the Airport to the region. Passengers stayed in hotels as far away as Bucksport, rented cars and dined in area restaurants. The agencies that responded to assist passengers did a tremendous job and it reflects very positively upon our community at a time when you hear so many negative comments about airline service.” commented Bangor’s Mayor Richard Greene
Bangor International Airport is a full-service regional airport offering non-stop, affordable flights to Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Detroit, New York’s LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, and seasonal flights to Minneapolis. The Airport is an enterprise funded entity operated by the City of Bangor and is supported solely through Airport generated revenue.
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