www.MetroAirportNews.com Serving the Airport Workforce and Local Communities February 2020 INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Coronavirus Outbreak Evolving in the U.S. and Around the World Impacting Air Travel As we know the Coronavirus, stemming from the Wuhan area of China, now has cases around the world including the United States. The Trump administration declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a public health emergency in the United States, issuing a quarantine of Americans who have recently been to certain parts of China and halting en- 03 try into the United States by those traveling from China. Centers for Disease Control and The Port Authority Celebrates PHOTO BY SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES Prevention officials said it was the first quar- WE SOAR Awards antine order issued by the federal government in over 50 years. “The risk of infection for Americans re- mains low,” said Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services and chairman of the coronavirus task force set up by Trump. “We At the terminal that serves airline passengers bound for China, airport employees wear are working to keep the risk low.” medical masks at John F. Kennedy Airport out of concern over the Coronavirus. Continued On Page 5 14 FedEx Pledges Transportation New York Airports of the Past: Mitchel Field Support to Aid in Coronavirus Emergency FedEx Corp. is committing transportation and uses its expertise in shipping and logistics to crisis. The company has donated $6 million in logistics support to humanitarian relief agen- connect organizations, communities and indi- cash and in-kind assistance to support humani- cies as they respond to the coronavirus out- viduals with the resources they need through tarian organizations so far this fiscal year, break. As part of these efforts, FedEx Express charitable shipping and cash donations. which began on June 1, 2019. These contribu- will ship today more than 200,000 surgical “FedEx is proud to mobilize its global network tions have helped with other crises such as the masks and personal protective equipment such to deliver aid, comfort and care to people suffer- wildfires in Australia, the Taal volcano erup- as gowns and gloves to its Asia Pacific Hub in ing in the wake of this unprecedented health tion in the Philippines, Hurricane Dorian in the Guangzhou, China to assist the humanitarian emergency,” said Raj Subramaniam, president Bahamas and the earthquake in Puerto Rico. ■ 19 work of Direct Relief. FedEx is working closely and chief operating officer, FedEx Corporation. with China Post which will deliver the aid from “We will continue to work closely with humani- Big Turnout for Co-Sponsored Guangzhou to Wuhan Union Hospital. tarian and disaster relief organizations to pro- Airport Neworking Event “Direct Relief is deeply thankful to FedEx for vide support and deliver supplies, doing what we enabling this rapid response to fulfill a very spe- do best to help those who need it most.” cific order that the medical staff in Wuhan’s FedEx is working closely with Guangzhou largest hospital selected from our current stock- Baiyun Airport Customs as well as the China pile, “said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief Presi- Post on these relief shipments to swiftly com- Your Best Source dent & CEO. “In rapidly unfolding situations plete clearance and get the critical supplies to such as this, it’s obviously important to move Wuhan. China Post is coordinating the move- for Airport Jobs fast but with precision and proper coordination ment of the supplies into Wuhan to deliver the with all the relevant authorities – which FedEx’s relief as quickly as possible. extraordinary team has made possible.” FedEx has a long history of working with PAGE 20 This collaboration is part of the FedEx Cares nonprofit and government entities to support “Delivering for Good” initiative. The company communities and economies during times of Looking for a New Job? Airport Employers Are Looking for You Too! Upload Your Resume Today and Get Found. Get Ready to Take Off With One of the Many Career Opportunities at the Metro New York Airports Aircraft/Building Cleaner • Customer Services • Management & Supervisory • Retail & Food Services Aircraft Maintenance • Ground Services • Office Administration & Clerical • Security REGISTER ONLINE TODAY! jobs.metroairportnews.com Scan the code on the left with your mobile phone, or visit our The Best Read, and Most Trusted Newspaper website at jobs.metroairportnews.com to search for jobs located at all the metropolitan New York airports. Your FREE for New York Airport News and Employment. account allows you search by airport, job type, create job alerts, and add your resume so that employers can find you. www.MetroAirportNews.com February 2020 | Metropolitan Airport News 3 The Port Authority Celebrates PUBLISHER WE SOAR Awards Kathryn Bliss WE SOAR Reward & Recognition Luncheons nominations. Winners received a $500 AmEx [email protected] were held at EWR, JFK and LGA to celebrate Gift Card. (It truly does pay to be nice!) Heart- the amazing employees that work at our air- warming to hear comments received from EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ports, ensuring our passengers and fellow em- global visitors describing how nominees went Joseph Alba [email protected] ployees are safe and cared for through simple above & beyond to assist, step up, offer comfort and sometimes not so simple acts of kindness. and come to the aid of others all in a day’s work. CREATIVE DIRECTOR It was truly inspirational to hear the stories Visit www.wesoarhigher.com to nominate Raymond F. Ringston that passengers and fellow employees took the someone that you witness or benefited from [email protected] time to share about how one selfless act really their exceptional service and read the stories of EWR Award Recipients: ASSOCIATE EDITOR - changed a bad situation around. those already nominated on the WE SOAR ■ Paul Maldando - ABM LIFESTYLE & The winners were randomly selected from Wall of Fame. ■ COMMUNITY RELATIONS ■ Grace Suren Delarosa Guillen - Roberta Dunn United Ground Express [email protected] ■ Abby Pratts - United Airlines ADVERTISING ■ Freddy Calle - JCM Edward J. Garcia [email protected] ■ Jennifer Cordon - InMotion Sal Campo ■ Leon LeBlanc - ABM Taxi Dispatch [email protected] ■ Sharon McDuffie - Pagan-ERMC EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS ■ Harold Jenkins - ERMC Michael Baldini ■ Angela Green - Travelers Aid [email protected] Jonathan Katz [email protected] JFK Award Recipients: METROPOLITAN AIRPORT NEWS ■ Elizabeth Serna - JetBlue JFK International Airport ■ Jassodra Peters - PO Box 300877 Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) WE SOAR Award Recipients Hallmark Aviation Services Jamaica, NY 11430 Tel: (347) 396-0904 ■ Marsha Durden - ABM Taxi Dispatch Fax: (347) 474-7331 ■ Narinder Kaur - Hudson News [email protected] ■ Tasdika Ahmed - Smarte Carte www.metroairportnews.com ■ Chevelle Griffiths - ABM Taxi Dispatch Editorial contributions ■ should be addressed to: Krishna Ramoutar - ABM Taxi Dispatch Metropolitan Airport News, JFK International ■ Airport, PO Box 300877, Jamaica, NY 11430, Carla Hamiltom - ERMC and must be accompanied by return postage. ■ Jane Westfield-McGivney - ERMC Publisher assumes no responsibility for safety ■ Sherrille Marcelin - Traveler’s Aid of artwork, photographs, or manuscripts. Permissions: Material in this publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval LGA Award Recipients: system, or transmitted in any form or by any ■ Victoria Amesimeku - ABM means (electronic, mechanical, photocopy- ■ Portia Tweneboah -ABM ing, recording, or otherwise) without the prior John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) WE SOAR Award Recipients written permission of the publisher. ■ Michael Morales - Swissport The views and opinions expressed in Metro- ■ Tricia Hall-Walcott - politan Airport News are those of the authors ABM Taxi Dispatch and advertisers, and do not necessarily reflect ■ Margarita Cantillo - ERMC the policy or position of the publisher. Articles presented in this publication are for general ■ Katerini Platellas - ERMC information and educational purposes and do not constitute legal or financial advice. ©Copyright 2020 by Metropolitan Airport News All rights reserved Printed in the USA LaGuardia Airport (LGA) WE SOAR Award Recipients 4 Metropolitan Airport News | February 2020 www.MetroAirportNews.com Jetblue Takes Steps to Become Carbon-Neutral JetBlue Airways Corp. said it will become the Greta Thunberg has spearheaded a campaign first large U.S. airline to offset emissions from against air travel. all of its domestic flights, aiming to become JetBlue Chief Executive Officer Robin Hayes carbon neutral by July as pressure grows on the said his airline’s program isn’t a reaction to that industry from climate change activists. growing criticism. The carrier also will begin using sustainable “This is part of a long-term commitment we aviation fuel on its flights from San Francisco and the industry have to have to reflect the cli- International Airport, the New York-based air- mate reality we are in,” he said in an interview. line said. “Aviation has a central and important role to JetBlue declined to disclose the cost of the play, and has to make sure it’s preparing for the offset program but said it won’t increase air- new climate we are operating in.” fares as a result. The airline produces about 8 JetBlue will earn carbon credits by investing million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emis- in projects that protect forests