It’s unfathomable to me how Pearson International Airport, Canada’s major international airport, can be so negatively affected by harsh winter weather during the last 2 weeks. After all, we DO live in Canada. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority, GTAA, has set the goal of making Pearson an international hub. If they want to achieve this lofty goal, it seems to me that they have to make allowance for the possibility that it might get colder than -10 degrees Celsius at some point during the winter. I’m quite sure the airport’s leadership has contingency plans and has exercised how to react to crashes and certain types of security risks. But the most likely threats, such as bad weather, pandemics, and various business scenarios must also be foreseen and exercised. What’s more, there are many other airports in Canada that are used to dealing with harsh winter conditions, such as Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal, and Quebec City. I’m sure they could provide a lot of knowledge and information to help with developing procedures and plans for the winter months.
Food for Thought
The difficulties of dealing with uncertainty are understandable, but staying in the dark or failing to cater to various emergencies and threat scenarios that are foreseeable is unexcusable. Especially if the information and knowledge are readily available or can be “wargamed” and contingency plans developed.
Richard Martin is a consultant, speaker, and executive coach. He brings his military and business leadership and management experience to bear for executives and organizations seeking to exploit change, maximize opportunity, and minimize risk.
© 2014 Richard Martin. Reproduction and quotes are permitted with proper attribution.