Operations are paramount to function as an airport and resilience is considered fundamentally critical. Airport operation is always vulnerable to unforeseen or unplanned events, be it a major system failure, adverse weather or an aircraft incident. All these events can impede or bring any operation to a halt with very little or even without warning. Learn how Paul Cheng manages resilience and emergencies in a large international airport.

1. Resilience and
Emergency Management
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)

2. CONTENTS
 Emergency & Crisis Management, Business
Continuity Planning – Policy & Process
 Integrated Airport Centre / Airport Emergency
Center
 Crisis Management
 Business Continuity Response

3. Emergency & Crisis Management,
Business Continuity Planning – Policy & Process
Integrated Airport Centre
Airport Emergency Centre
Crisis Management
Business Continuity Response

4. Crisis – Working Definition
A crisis is any critical event requiring an immediate, proactive
response in order to minimize its negative impacts to the Airport’s
operations, reputation and profitability.

5. Potential Crisis – Public Health
SARS in 2003
 WHO Travel Advisory in May
2003
 Epidemic brought down
passenger traffic
 Affected people flow, money
flow, and airport business
 SARS = a health BCP issue

6. Potential Crisis – Weather
Landslide and Airport Highway Flooding - 7 JUNE 2008

7. Potential Crises
Security
 Hijackings
 Sabotage
 Explosive devices
 Suicide bombs
 Surface-to-air missiles
(MANPADS)

8. Other Potential Crises
 Aircraft accidents
 IT failures
 Cyber crimes
 Labour disputes
 Civil unrests
 Typhoons
 Earthquakes
 Tsunamis

9. Airport Disruption
The Chaotic Situation

10. Emergency Response, Crisis Management &
Business Continuity Planning
 Given that there are many potential crises out there, emergency
response, crises management and business continuity plans must
enable :
▫ early detection of incidents; and
▫ if crises develop, plans must be able to :
- Minimize scope of impact
- Minimize scale of impact
- Minimize duration of impact
 Plans must enable compliance to various international & local
regulatory framework

11. Managing Crises
Regulatory Compliance Framework
 Highly regulated industry
 Issues Aerodrome License
Emergency Procedures Manual
 Stipulated and approved by CAD
 Amendments to be approved by CAD
ICAO
International
Standards &
Recommended
Practices

12. Corporate Policy
Mission Statement
To deliver a validated crisis management capability
through a Business Continuity Management
System based upon industry best practices and a
comprehensive Annual Preparedness Program

13. Risk Management Process
Industry Best Practices
The process put in place to effectively manage
potential negative events.
Managing residual risks
Strategies to lower
risks to acceptable
level
 Risk Transfer
 Risk Avoidance
 Risk Reduction
 Risk Retention

14. Business Continuity Management System
An integrated, multi-layered, business-driven, process-based approach to plan for
and manage business disruptions & crises
Preventive & Maintenance Plans
TIME
Industry Best Practices
Disaster Recovery Plans
Fallback Plans
Business Continuity Plans
Business Continuity Plan for each key
business process and operational system
Pre-failure Plans Post-failure Plans
Failure Event Business Recovery Plans

15. Implementation
The 3 Steps
Planning :
 Meticulous, detailed planning for all foreseeable and probable
crises
- Across all internal departments
- All Airport business partners & stakeholders
Testing :
 Annual schedule of drills and exercises
Training :
 Seminars, workshops, drills and exercises
 Includes staff as well as staff from business partners & Airport
stakeholders

16. Emergency & Crisis Management,
Business Continuity Planning – Policy & Process
Integrated Airport Centre
Airport Emergency Centre
Crisis Management
Business Continuity Response

17. Integrated Airport Centre (IAC)
Day-to-Day Operation
 IAC is the operational nerve center of Hong Kong International
Airport
 Airport Duty Manager in charge 24/7
 Monitors the daily operations of the Airport
 Monitors & maintains critical flows of :
– People
– Baggage
– Aircraft
– Cargo
– Information

18. Function of the IAC
Closer coordination to achieve service delivery standards
Customs
ATC
Integrated
Airport
Centre
Police
Security
Immigration
Commercial
Cargo
Terminal
Airlines
Surface
Transport
Baggage
Handling
Airport
Emergency
Centre
Ramp
Handling
Agent Maintenance
Port Health
Fire &
Rescue
Service
Contractors
Passengers

19. Integration and Streamlining
Terminal 1
Technical
Services
Information
Technology
Terminal 2
&
Landside
Security
Apron Control
IAC
Airport
Emergency
Centre
Media

20. IAC Incident Management
Time
Incident
Crisis
Level of Response

21. Emergency & Crisis Management,
Business Continuity Planning – Policy & Process
Integrated Airport Centre
Airport Emergency Centre
Crisis Management
Business Continuity Response

22. Crisis Management
Aims of the Airport Emergency Centre (AEC)
 Effective and coordinated management of :
- Information
- Resources
 Command, control and coordination (C3) centre for airport
response
 Coordination of media response
- Airline’s response
- Airport community response
- Government response
 Business continuity and recovery

23. Coordination Between IAC & AEC
Integrated Airport Centre Airport Integrated Airport Centre
Emergency
Centre
Real Time Operations
Severity of impact over
time

24. Integrated Airport Centre (IAC) &
Airport Emergency Centre (AEC)
AEC IAC

25. Airport Emergency Centre (AEC)
Activation

26. AEC Composition
 Led by AEC Manager (initially the Airport Duty Manager)
- Representative from Government departments (e.g. Civil
Aviation, Fire Services and Police etc.). Airline(s) involved,
handling agents, airport licensees/franchisees and other
business partners
 Crisis Management Team led by operation directorate with
support from senior operation management staff of the
Airport Authority
SSBCE

27. AEC Activation
 Co-located IAC/AEC commissioned in
July 2007
 To date, over 80 AEC activations
 Over 90% activations are business
continuity related
 Examples of aircraft related incidents
resulting runway was blocked:
- A340 emergency landing with both
engines out on 3 April 2010
- A380 tyre burst on 7 April 2012

28. Emergency & Crisis Management,
Business Continuity Planning – Policy & Process
Integrated Airport Centre
Airport Emergency Centre
Crisis Management
Business Continuity Response

29. Business Continuity Responses
 Include any natural or man-made crises
- Severe weather, protest and demonstrations, crowd
management situations, etc.
 AEC is also activated to manage the crisis as well as
maintain business continuity
- Continue to manage the flow of aircraft, passenger,
baggage, cargo and information

30. Annual Drills & Exercises
 Scheduled drills and exercises
- Over 40 cross-organizational exercises are conducted on an
annual basis
 Training workshops & seminars
- About 40 annually
 Special incidents / events :
- Weather briefing & coordination meetings
- Other eventful activities - e.g. MC6, Olympics, East Asian
Games etc.

31. Drills & Exercises Programme

32. Drills & Exercises
Crowd Management
Air Crash

33. Business Continuity Plan Activation
Severe Weather
3 - 4 days before the approach of
tropical cyclone
Daily coordination with HK Observatory
About 1 day before anticipated issuing
of No. 3 storm signal
Organize HKIA community-wide
weather briefing & airport coordination
meeting; preparation include crowd
management set-ups, F&B outlets
stocking up, etc.
Upon issuing of No. 3 storm signal
Activation of AEC; manned by skeleton
staff
When higher storm warning signal is
hoisted
Full manning by all relevant
stakeholders
Lowering of storm signals
AEC as coordination center for
recovery; crowd management, Flight
info updates,
Flight rescheduling control etc.

34. Weather Briefing & Coordination

35. Tropical Cyclone Movement
Multi – centres Forecast Tracks

36. Tropical Cyclone Movement Probabilities
Valid at 12 UTC 18 Jun 2012 Valid at 12 UTC 19T aJliumn 2012 Valid at 12 UTC 20 Jun 2012

37. Air Traffic Control Update
The Hong Kong Flight Information Region (FIR)
HKFIR

Aircraft flow control may be exercised
as dictated by the weather within the
HK FIR

38. Summary
 Scope of risk management, business continuity & crisis
management covers far and wide right through the Airport
community
 Works across functional and company boundaries
 Helps maintain the flows of passenger, baggage, cargo,
aircraft and information
 For the benefit of all in the Airport community

39. Questions?

40. Thank You!