Student improving safety at airports
A former James Hargest College student is earning a great reputation with groundbreaking work to improve airport safety.
Jamie Henderson, 21, dreamed of flying planes, having grown up watching Warbirds Over Wanaka with his dad and granddad.
But his hopes were dashed when preliminary testing revealed he was colour blind.
‘‘In some ways it was a blessing in disguise because the prospects on the commercial side of the [aviation] business are far greater,’’ he said.
Jamie and his Massey University classmate, Hamilton native Isaac Henderson (no relation) developed an integrated safety management model for Palmerston North Airport which has attracted attention from other aviation organisations.
While the pair used an internationally recognised framework, it was uncommon in New Zealand, Jamie said.
‘‘It is groundbreaking in some ways.’’
Safety management plans were not required in New Zealand yet but the Civil Aviation Authority had indicated they could become mandatory soon, he said.
‘‘The other problem is that many organisations have found some of the policy documents released by the CAA difficult to interpret.
‘‘When we spoke to industry organisations, it became clear that many were grappling with how to implement a safety management system.
‘‘We saw there was a need for research in this area and an opportunity for us to create some commercial opportunities for ourselves as well.’’
The pair spent hours speaking to people at all levels at the airport, from senior management to frontline employees.
The result was a 200-page report which included a gap analysis outlining the changes the airport needed to make to meet future legislative requirements and an implementation plan to close those gaps.
Palmerston North Airport aeronautical and infrastructure manager Glen Pleasants said the report would be ‘‘incredibly useful’’ as the airport revamped its safety management systems.
‘‘What Isaac and Jamie produced was a full front-to-back safety management system so it’s going to take time to work through it all, but it’s definitely saved me a lot of time,’’ he said.
‘‘The CAA is pushing airports in this direction but some of their most useful recommendations go above and beyond what the CAA is requiring.
‘‘They have researched global best practice and even uncovered ways of meeting ACC requirements to decrease our levies.’’
While the students’ report was customised for Palmerston North Airport, they were able to develop a framework and templates for more general use.
The duo have since completed a plan for another airport and have another airport interested, Jamie said.
While Jamie and Isaac hope their fledgling consultancy business will continue to attract clients, they recognise the market for implementing safety management systems is quite small in New Zealand. So both are undertaking their Masters of Aviation Management at Massey and pursuing other aviation research projects.
‘‘I’m always keeping my eye open for commercial opportunities,’’ Jamie said.
‘‘It’s great to be able to get some practical, real-world experience while studying and even make a little bit of money on the side.’’