Doha International Airport Management - Essay Example

Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Introduction The aim of this essay is to establish the use of evidence-based practice in improving safety at Doha airport by an introduction of Low Visibility Procedures (LVPs). Many organizations and managers have been making decisions and guidelines for employees without basing on best available evidence. Pfeffer and Sutton (2006) observe that managers have sought to cure organizational ills by relying on obsolete knowledge without proven evidence on their methods, patterns, experiences, and traditions. By learning from evidence-based medicine, managers in the corporate world can apply research to reach certain levels of decision making and management (Rousseau, 256). In this case, Doha international airport management can apply analytical approach because the problem is clear, and so is the information and solution. Evidence-based management: Safety at Doha international airport Qatar’s economy is fast growing with many visitors attending conferences and business trade fairs in Doha. Increased entry of people into the country exerts a lot of pressure on safety as more fleet of national carriers and traffic increases on a monthly basis. As a result, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA, 5) asserts that Doha international airport is instituting safety mechanisms by implementing new low visibility procedures. Aerodrome users and aircraft operations are vulnerable to additional hazards during low cloud conditions or reduced visibility (Kulesa, 35). General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA, 9) notes that the ability of air traffic staff, vehicle drivers, pilots and other personnel to take timely remedial action reduces with reducing levels of visibility. Equally, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA, 17) obtains that a pilot has limited time to assess the aerodrome environment visually in times of low cloud. Consequently, a number of procedures were developed and maintained for aerodromes that wish to be available for instrument approaches or continue operating in conditions of low cloud or poor visibility (NTSB, 44). Implementing procedures called Low Visibility Procedures (LVPs) during poor weather conditions are meant to safeguard operations of the aircraft. On the other hand, Runway Visual Range (RVR) is the range in which a pilot operating an aircraft at the centerline of the runway sees the lights delineating the runway or runway surface markings (Kulesa, 36). RVR is reported when the meteorological visibility is below 1500m. Low visibility procedures were introduced when airport management found that RVR was less than 550 meters, or forecast to fall to 200 ft, or reduced cloud ceiling to 200 ft, or is forecast to fall below 550 meters (GCAA, 5). The decision to declare LVPs is initially taken and aviation department notified. All facilities are assessed and considered for suitability when low visibility conditions are planned for an airport. In the establishment of LVP, specific types of operations are required. These include low visibility take-off, landing and approach landing conditions in Category II and III weather conditions, and deteriorating weather conditions precluding maneuvering area’s full visual observation. Conducting LVP is dependent on apron management and emergency procedures, surface movement control and guidance, and suitable runway protection measures. To ensure safe operations in low visibility conditions, the physical characteristics of the pre-threshold terrain shall be considered carefully. Protection of aircraft operating on the ground during low visibilities has been through guarding gates, regular inspection, maintenance and use of intruder detection equipment. Moreover, aerodromes, where lighting and ground marking is satisfactory, visibilities down to 500m, can safely sustain ground traffic flow rates. During take-off and landing phases of flight, the aeroplane on the ground is vulnerable especially when the pilot is restricted by actions to be taken. There will be possible damage or destruction to aircrafts when at high speeds collides with any sizeable object. Existing knowledge in airport security obtains that decreased visibility to an equivalent of 1000m Runway Visual Range (RVR) and still dropping requires withdrawal of personnel and vehicles involved in non-essential activities, maintenance and construction (GCAA, 6). Moreover, Hooey et al. (2001) notes that when RVR falls below 600m or cloud ceiling falling, all personnel and non-essential vehicles should be withdrawn from maneuvering area and brought under specific control by airport authorities. In this case, low visibility in the context of demanding approval from Qatar Aviation Authority is taken to mean landing with visibility of less that 550m RVR (800 meters); or a take off at visibility of less than 400 meters (GCAA, 8). However, there is a need for empirical evidence on safety measures to be taken with regard to the low visibility situation as discussed below. National Aviation Safety Data Analysis Center (NASDAC) in a cross-sectional study from 1989 up to early 1997 found that reduced visibility and low ceiling contribute to 24 percent of all general aviation accidents (NTSB, 9). They also accounted for 37 percent of air/commuter taxi accidents. The study furthers indicates that accidents due to poor visibility and low ceiling happen when pilots fly aircrafts not equipped with the necessary instrumentation or not properly rated. In another study in 1991, Visual Flight Rule (VFR) rated pilots from University of Illinois tested simulated weather conditions. Each pilot was then deprived visual contact (NTSB, 5). It was found that each pilot experienced loss of control when deprived visual contact, and took about 178 seconds to live after entering a cloud. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) used a case-control methodology to investigate 72 general aviation accidents by collecting data between August 2003 and April 2004 (NTSB, 6). The study also contacted 135 non-accident flights who consented to provide information on their aircraft, flights, demographics, experience, and training. The pilot’s written and practical test results were provided alongside their previous incident/accident involvement. The identified factors in a statistically significant model of accident risk weather were related and generalized to the large population of general aviation operations. Although historical accident data suggest high risk to generation aviation operation to reduced visibility weather, safety issues may extend beyond the weather (ACI, 10). This indicates that there is a need to develop low visibility procedures to reduce incidences and cases of accidents during poor weather conditions. The study recommended that evaluation and periodic training is necessary to ensure pilots maintain weather-related skills and knowledge and reduce weather-related general aviation accidents (NTSB, 6). Doha international airport, after learning from the above empirical evidence, came up with proposed solutions to the problem. After weighing a variety of options, two solutions were proposed for consideration. The first solution was commencing low visibility operations after certain conditions have been met in all the three phases. The second solution involves establishing a holding pattern in Doha airspace. The first solution was considered for implementation. It involved three phases namely phases; I, II and III. Phase I commences when reported visibility is 1500m or less, conditions in a maneuvering area impedes visibility from the control tower, and the cloud base is 1000 ft or less. Phase II commences when at least two RVR readings show 1000m or less, reported meteorological visibility is 1000m or less, and further deterioration is expected. Finally, Phase III begins when any RVR readings indicate 600m or less, reported meteorological visibility indicates 600m or less, and the reported cloud base is 300ft or less. The first action plan is implementing the three phases through training the pilots, taxi operators, and other personnel in the aerodrome section. The training will take three months, and each employee will spend 5 hours per week depending on their availability. Learning materials will be disseminated to the trainee’s emails and any other communication relayed on their mobile phones. There will be two sessions within the three months to test competence by undertaking ground tests and drills. The second action plan is to source alternative data on weather not available in the standard weather briefings. This will be communicated to the mobile phones of all the airport personnel at Doha international airport at regular intervals of time in every 24 hours. Conclusion The use of evidence-based management is applicable in business organizations to inform decision-making at the corporate level (Kinicki & Kreitner, 31). As indicated in the managerial decision at Doha International Airport, evidence-based management employed an analytical approach to the safety of personnel and aircrafts at the airports by using empirical studies. The studies found that low visibility conditions at the airports account for a huge proportion of general aviation accidents. This implies adoption of low visibility procedures (LVPs) in three phases based on RVR readings, meteorological visibility and cloud base. Finally, the essay suggests training and regular communication of weather-related information to key personnel at the airport. Works cited Airports Council International (ACI). Airport safety. ACI position brief. 2009. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Airside safety management. CAP 642. 2005. General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Low visibility procedures (LVP). Civil aviation advisory publication-CAAP 44. Abu Dhabi, UAE. 2010. Hooey, B. L., Foyle, D. C., and Andre, A. D. The design of aircraft cockpit displays for low- visibility taxi operations. In A. G. Gale (Ed.) Vision in Vehicles IX. Holland: Elsevier Science Publishers. 2001. Kinicki, A., & Kreitner, R. Organizational behavior: Key concepts, skills and best practices. New York: McGrawHill. 2003. Kulesa Gloria. Weather and Aviation: How Does Weather Affect the Safety and Operations of Airports and Aviation, and How Does FAA Work to Manage Weather-related Effects? FAA’s Aviation Weather Research Program. 2002. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Risk factors associated with weather-related general aviation accidents. Washington DC. Pfeffer, Jeffrey and Robert Sutton. Evidence-based management. Harvard Business Review. Decision making . 84 (2006) 1-13. Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA). Standards for Aerodrome design. Doha. 2014. Rosseau, Denise. Is there such thing as ‘Evidence-based Management’? Academy of Management Review. 31. 2(2006) 256-269. Read More