covid safe business plan qld

The Queensland Tourism and Accommodation Industry COVID Safe Plan is the approved industry plan and has been developed by QTIC with the support of the Department of Innovation and Tourism Industry Development (DITID) and in collaboration with industry stakeholders. 

Operating within the provisions of the plan is mandatory for businesses who seek to increase patronage of their business past the numbers stated in the Qld Roadmap to Recovery and for businesses who choose to operate using the ‘approved options’ outlined in this plan.

The health management issues are complex for many businesses but the Plan will give operators guidance to return to business with increased confidence and in the knowledge that they can provide a COVID-safe work environment for staff and customers.

There are two documents available on our website, the plan and a word template for you to complete after reading the plan. You will need to have a copy of your COVID-safe plan available for WHSQ Inspectors or other Queensland Government officials if they ask for it. 

You will need to display a   once you have completed your plan.

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• 7th Hinchinbrook Birdlife Art Awards Exhibition Opening Night - Friday 7 October 2022
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• Council Connections - 1 August 2024

1st August 2024

9 th Hinchinbrook Birdlife Art Awards Exhibition Opening Night

Council is hosting the 9 th Hinchinbrook Birdlife Art Awards Exhibition Opening Night at 6.00pm on Friday 2 August 2024.

These awards inspire and create an awareness of birdlife within the Hinchinbrook region.

Celebrating the best in current practices across several media, the awards are an excellent platform for both emerging and established artists to showcase their work.

Date:    Friday 2 August 2024

Time:    6.00pm

Cost:     Free

Free event, cash bar and canapes provided.

Bookings are essential for catering purposes.

Book online for this event at www.hinchinbrooktickets.com.au . 

Exhibition on display from 6.00pm Friday 2 August 2024 until 4.00pm Saturday 31 August 2024.

For further information please visit the TYTO Regional Art Gallery Website, Art Awards Page or phone 4776 4725.

TYTO Regional Art Gallery is open daily 10.00am to 4.00pm.

First Half Yearly Rate Notices

First Half Yearly Rate Notices will be issued on Wednesday 7 August 2024 and due for payment on or before Monday 30 September 2024.

Property owners are encouraged to check the details on their Rate Notice and update if necessary.

A Schedule of Rates and Charges will also be included with your notice for reference.

Council encourages ratepayers who may have difficulty making payment to discuss a payment plan as soon as possible.

Ratepayers also have access to assistance under Council’s Financial Hardship Policy.

Council offers a variety of payment options including online, via telephone, mail or by visiting Council’s Main Office at 25 Lannercost Street Ingham.

Don’t forget, if you pay on or before the due date and have no rates in arrears, you will go into the draw to win $2,000 to be spent locally at up to five Hinchinbrook Shire businesses of your choice.

The winner will be drawn at Council’s General Meeting on Tuesday 29 October 2024.

2024 Senior’s Morning Tea Wrap Up

What a delightful morning we experienced at the Seniors Morning Tea – Tuscany Edition!

The event was a joyous celebration, enriched by local talent, the presence of our vibrant seniors, and the support of dedicated staff and attentive high school students.

Our heartfelt thanks go to the incredible entertainers who made the morning truly memorable: Kevin Spencer, The Dancers Academy of Ingham, Kaitlyn Rapista, Tweak Fitness, Ready Set Dance, and Ukes-Amundo.

Your performances were exceptional and added a special touch to the event.

We also extend our gratitude to Majestic Café for providing a delicious morning tea, and to the enthusiastic volunteers from Ingham State High School Year 11 Hospitality class for their impeccable service.

We appreciate Luciana, The Maraka Princess, for her valuable assistance, and Carly from NBN for her insightful session.

It was a wonderful morning, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who played a role in making it such a success.

Your contributions helped us celebrate our seniors and bring joy to our community.

Carer Gateway Community Forum

Carer Gateway Community Forum is an online space where carers can find connection and support from other carers.

The Forum is a safe, anonymous, online space for carers 18 years and over to connect, ask questions, and support one another.

For further information or to share your own experiences, please visit https://bit.ly/3YsyU9B .

Let's Get It Sorted Hinchinbrook! – Recycling at Home

Whether you have just moved out of home or got a busy family to keep up with, knowing what items can go in your yellow lid bin will help make sure we are recycling as much as we can and recycling correctly.

Recycling helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill which is good for the environment and your community.

Here are some simple ways to make sure you're getting your recycling sorted.

• Remember, keep it loose! Making sure your recycling is loose and not in a bag or box will help ensure facilities can sort and process it properly. So, make sure you never bag or box your recycling;
• Use a separate basket to collect recyclables from your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry. It's a simple way to make recycling at home a breeze in your household;
• Recycling aluminium and steel saves resources and uses less energy than producing these metals from raw materials. So, make sure your empty aerosol cans, aluminium foil and food tins go into your yellow lid bin; and
• Hard plastics, like shampoo and milk bottles, yoghurt tubs and ice cream containers, once recycled, can be turned into new products like garden furniture and decking whilst clear plastic bottles can be made into new bottles!

So Hinchinbrook, let's get our recycling sorted!

Check out what the Queensland Government is doing to encourage Queenslanders to recycle more and learn about getting your recycling sorted by visiting https://bit.ly/3LIadye .

Need to print the Council Connections page? Click on the link below for the printable version. 

COUNCIL CONNECTION - 1 August 2024

• Mayor's Message
• Media Release - 9th Hinchinbrook Birdlife Art Awards Winners Announced
• Media Release - Council Seeks Community Feedback on Living the Hinchinbrook Way Survey
• Media Release - Mount Fox Battery Energy Storage System Approved
• Council Connections - 18 July 2024
• Council Connections - 4 July 2024
• Media Release - Council Adopts 2024-2025 Budget and Operational Plan with a focus on Managing for Sustainability
• Council Connections - 20 June 2024
• Media Release - Hinchinbrook Welcomes its Five Newest Australian Citizens in June 2024
• Media Release - Festival of Small Halls Coming to Ingham!

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COVID Summer Surge: How to Get Free Tests to Keep Yourself Safe and Informed

Contagious new COVID-19 variants have led to a rising number of infections this summer.

The USPS stopped shipping free COVID-19 tests back in March.

It seems like nothing is safe from COVID-19 this summer -- the Paris Olympics and San Diego's Comic-Con have both shown how quickly COVID is spreading. Whether it's the heat waves or the new COVID variants that are to blame, doctors are saying that this summer is much worse than the last.

California was one of the first states this summer to report rising COVID cases, but it's not the only one -- 21 states and Washington DC are all displaying "high levels" of COVID-19 in their wastewater, per the CDC . If you're planning on spending time indoors with other people, especially for extended periods of time, at-home COVID-19 tests can be essential for keeping your loved ones safe.

Read more:   Are Your COVID Tests Really Expired? How to Find Out

Back on March 8, 2024, the Federal Government halted the US Postal Service's free COVID program, which would allow you to order free COVID-19 tests through the USPS. However, hope is not lost when it comes to getting free tests to detect COVID-19 infections. Read on to find out the ways you can still get free COVID testing, as well as how to get your hands on free treatments and  COVID vaccines .

For more, here's what to know about long COVID , and all of the latest information about bird flu in humans .

What are my free COVID-19 testing options? 

Now that you can no longer receive tests from the Postal Service, you have three main avenues to find free COVID-19 testing locations across the US: HRSA health centers, Test to Treat locations and ICATT testing sites. These options function similarly, but we'll break down the specific steps to find your nearest free testing location.

HRSA health centers offer free COVID-19 testing

HRSA health centers offer free COVID-19 testing. 

The Health Resources and Services Administration funds health centers across the US. At these HRSA health centers, you will be able to receive free COVID-19 testing. You can use HRSA's locator tool to find a center near you.

First, select the language you would like to receive your results in. Then simply enter the location you wish to search into the box labeled Location . The locator also allows you to widen your search radius, so you can see all the options your area has to offer. 

Once you've found a center that works for you, click through to that particular location's website and follow their specific instructions for obtaining a free COVID-19 test. 

Test to Treat locations have COVID testing and medicine

The Test to Treat program makes COVID testing and therapeutics more accessible. 

Test to Treat is a federally funded health care initiative that provides more accessible COVID-19 care. This option differs from the others in this article as you can use the Test to Treat centers to receive both COVID testing and treatment for infections. Like the other COVID-19 free testing options, Test to Treat has a locator tool that you can use to find an eligible Test to Treat center near you. 

The Test to Treat center locator  works like the other COVID testing search tools. Enter your location into the search bar and the tool will display Test to Treat locations in your area. A sliding bar lets you resize the search radius to capture all of the Test to Treat centers within your area. 

Within the Test to Treat locator results, you'll be able to see each location's address, which COVID-19 therapeutics they offer and other special instructions you might need to know to get tested. If there's not an option to schedule a COVID test online through your chosen site, you may need to call.

Increasing Community Access to Testing provides COVID testing for the uninsured

ICATT offers free testing to uninsured patients who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or who have recently been exposed.

Increasing Community Access to Testing , or ICATT, is another free testing program that you can use if you need access to free COVID-19 testing. ICATT works a bit differently than the other programs on this list. 

ICATT is specifically designed for uninsured patients who have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Anyone can get an ICATT test at one of the program's locations, regardless of insurance status. If you are uninsured and you wish to be tested at an ICATT-eligible site, you will not need to pay for your test. If you are insured, you might need to pay a fee. 

The  ICATT locator tool works just like the other locator tools for free COVID testing -- input your address or your ZIP code to find ICATT locations near you. There is a search radius adjuster in this locator to tweak your searches to capture the entire area that you want to search. 

Once you've found a location, follow your testing site's steps for scheduling your appointment. 

How can I get free COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots?

COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are an important protection against contracting or getting seriously ill from the virus. Since the CDC has recommended updated COVID-19 booster shots for everyone 6 months or older, you might be wondering how to find free COVID-19 vaccines. 

If you don't have insurance or a health provider, don't worry. The Department of Health and Human Services website  says, "COVID-19 vaccines are 100% free for every individual living in the United States."

On Sept. 14, the Department of Health and Human Services launched the  Bridge Access Program , which will continue to provide free vaccines to those who are uninsured through local health departments and HRSA centers. CDC has also partnered with "more than 20,000 retail pharmacy locations nationwide" to provide free vaccines by modifying the existing ICATT program mentioned above.

The Bridge Access Program will end in December 2024, but until then, you'll be able to access free COVID-19 vaccines. To use it, go to vaccines.gov , choose which shot you want, and then click the "search" button. On the next page, select the option that says "Bridge Access Program Participant" to show which locations offer no-cost vaccines. 

For more, learn how your blood type could make you more susceptible to COVID and everything to know about the updated COVID-19 boosters .

Correction, Sept. 21, 2023 : An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information about the cost of vaccines for people without insurance. It has been updated with information about how people can get free vaccines.

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Politics latest: Poll reveals who public blame for riots - and despite Elon Musk's criticism, it's not the PM

Elon Musk has continued to echo far right criticism of Sir Keir Starmer as the government and police seek to get hold of the ongoing riots. A poll suggests the public don't blame the current administration for the violence - but social media platforms like Musk's X don't fare well.

Tuesday 6 August 2024 21:21, UK

Riots response

• PM holds emergency COBRA meeting
• Elon Musk echoes more far right criticism of Starmer
• Explained:  Musk vs Starmer - what's been said and when?
• Analysis: After being wooed by Sunak, Starmer must wish Musk would go away
• Poll reveals who public blame for riots
• Extra prison places made available | But courts at 'breaking point'
• UK riots latest: Follow live updates from our teams

We're bringing the Politics Hub to a close for the evening.

There's still no word from Downing Street on the details of tonight's emergency COBRA meeting, but once word reaches us we'll bring it to you via our dedicated live blog on the riots.

You can find that below:

The Politics Hub will be back up and running from around 6am tomorrow.

Have a good evening.

By Tom Clarke , science and technology editor

"We feel very proud, very excited to have you," said Rishi Sunak as he introduced Elon Musk in London last November.

Now his successor, Keir Starmer, must wish Musk would just go away.

While the government knows the very unhelpful views of a private individual would best be ignored, when that individual has 193 million followers on a social media platform they own, that isn't going to work.

Musk's promotion of far right cause

Musk is well known for controversial posts on X, the platform he owns, but this is something different.

He appears to be on a mission, criticising the causes and policing of the ongoing riots, and getting personal, too.

He's used the hashtag #2tierkeir in reference to right-wing criticism of alleged two-tier policing, and interacted with far-right activists like Tommy Robinson - handing the former EDL leader a level of profile he could only have dreamed of at a pivotal moment.

And it's not just the UK in his sights…

But Musk isn't just trolling the UK government - having come out in support for Donald Trump's re-election bid, he's also ramped up his opinions about US politics and criticism of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Are we simply seeing a rightward slide in Musk's politics?

There's more to it than that. Legislation like the UK's Online Harms Act, the EU's equivalent, and efforts to pass the same in the US, could threaten his social media business.

The balance of power is shifting

That meeting between Sunak and Musk confirmed something that should trouble all democracies: the balance of global power has shifted.

Musk – or his business interests in AI and building gigafactories for electric car batteries – was seen as a solution to some of the UK's woes.

He has wealth rivalling that of smaller nation states, giving him privilege and power akin to world leaders.

But he's not bound by the same rules - and he knows it.

No longer seen as a solution to our needs, he's now a massive problem.

Nigel Farage, who has been accused of contributing to the ongoing riots through his initial response to the Southport attack which sparked them, has been defending himself this evening.

The day after the stabbings last Monday, he posted a video on social media suggesting police might be hiding things from the public.

That was amid rampant, false, online speculation the suspect was a Muslim migrant who had arrived on a small boat. 

We later found out he was Cardiff-born teenager Axel Rudakubana.

Farage told LBC radio earlier: "I asked a very simple question: was this person known [to the security services] or not?"

The Clacton MP denied having fallen for false claims about the suspect, saying he "didn't believe any of it".

Farage accuses PM of 'misreading' crisis

In another video later posted on X, Mr Farage said it had been an "appalling" few days and described rioters as "thugs".

But he also accused the prime minister of having "misread" the crisis by calling out the actions of the far right - and repeated his accusations of two-tier policing that have been denied by top cops and the PM himself.

The Reform leader referred to the actions of Muslim counter-protesters who surrounded a Sky News crew in Birmingham yesterday, including a masked man wielding a knife who stabbed the tyre of their van.

Watch Sky News van being attacked:

He also criticised the policing of previous Black Lives Matter protests, singling out the Whitehall statue of Winston Churchill "being defaced" and the Cenotaph "being abused".

It's worth noting the Churchill statue was pelted by flares during a far right rally in the capital last Wednesday - and some protesters were also seen doing Nazi salutes at the Cenotaph.

This evening's emergency COBRA meeting about the riots has ended.

It was the second such gathering in as many days, again chaired by the prime minister as the government looks to get a grip on the crisis.

Ministers, police chiefs and other personnel involved have started departing and we should be getting an update on what was discussed a little later this evening.

The prime minister has warned anyone whipping up violence online will face the full force of the law.

But how does what is said online translate to violence in the streets?

Sky News's  data and forensics correspondent   Tom Cheshire has been looking at the evidence.

The home secretary has told police any extra cash needed to deal with the riots will be supported by the government.

Yvette Cooper said the police have her "unwavering commitment" to do what's necessary to stop the "appalling displays of violence" we've seen.

Additional costs, including overtime pay for officers, will come via an existing Home Office grant scheme - similar to how forces adapted to the 2011 riots, when more personnel had to be deployed.

For the current disorder, forces have been told there are thousands of specially-trained riot officers on standby to be deployed wherever they are needed across the country.

The government was keen to avoid being "dragged into" a war of words with billionaire Elon Musk, but it's proved impossible.

His "incendiary tweets" about Sir Keir Starmer and the policing of riots gripping the UK have required a response, says our political correspondent Darren McCaffrey , with his assertion the UK was heading for "civil war" causing particular "angst" among ministers.

Darren notes it's somewhat bizarre how committed Musk seems to "taunt" the prime minister on his social media platform X.

But it will no doubt play into the "retrospective" on the riots when they eventually end, as the government will want to look into the role social media has potentially played in "inflaming tensions".

That's "clearly something the government will be looking at in the weeks and months to come", Darren adds.

We've just been hearing from one of the last parliament's lead voices on social media moderation about the role those companies are playing in the ongoing UK-wide riots.

Damian Collins is a former technology minister and ex-chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, which has in the past grilled tech executives about harmful content on their platforms.

"Big tech companies have their own platform policies against hatred and inciting violence, but we didn't feel they were enforced properly," the Conservative told Sky News.

"That's what we've seen over the last few days."

The Online Safety Act

One of the biggest pieces of legislation passed by the last government was the Online Safety Act, which gives media regulator Ofcom power to hold companies like Meta and X to account.

It lists specific offences in law, as well as a legal liability for firms to uphold their own content rules.

Mainstream platforms claim to be against things like inciting racial hatred and violence, but such content is often allowed to spread - as we've seen since the Southport attack last week.

Mr Collins said legislation to enforce those rules was needed because "we can't trust people" like X owner Elon Musk "to make decisions".

Platforms like X 'need to be held to account'

"This is not just about freedom of speech," he said.

"Platforms like X are profiling their users and driving content they say is 'for you' to them, and in many cases that could be radicalising people, that could be extremist, and driving people to take part in violent acts.

"That company has taken a business decision to do that and needs to be held to account for it."

The Online Safety Act is yet to be fully implemented however, as Ofcom carries out a planned consultation on its new powers.

Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed news that children injured in the Southport knife attack last week have been discharged from hospital.

Three girls - Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King, and Alice da Silva Aguiar - were killed during the stabbings, while eight other children and two adults were seriously injured.

Starmer thanks hospital staff

Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool said all the children in its care had now gone home, which the PM said was "very welcome news".

"Thank you to the staff at Alder Hey and all the frontline workers who have worked tirelessly to help those affected by the horrific tragedy in Southport last week," he said in a post on X.

"My thoughts remain with the grieving families during this terrible time."

It's time for the Politics Hub's evening bulletin.

Here are the main things you need to know:

• The prime minister will chair another emergency COBRA meeting this evening ahead of more far right rallies across the UK;
• Sir Keir Starmer will lead the gathering of his top ministers, police chiefs, and security bosses ahead of what our political correspondent Tamara Cohen says would be a "critical 24 hours" in the riots crisis;
• That's because police have said they are aware of at least 30 rallies being planned for Wednesday evening ;
• As you'd expect, polling from YouGov today shows the vast majority of the public are wholly opposed to the unrest we've seen - with the finger of blame chiefly pointed towards the far right, social media, immigration policy, Tommy Robinson, and previous Tory governments.
• If you're looking for live updates on the riots themselves, you can head to our dedicated live blog via the link above ;
• Key updates so far today include Elon Musk continuing to peddle far right arguments regarding the riots and UK policing, as London's Met vows to use "every power, tactic, and tool" to tackle "thuggish" behaviour .
• In a few other bits of political news, the government is repealing a Tory law that would have limited the ability of unions to strike ;
• The government has welcomed a record £168m fine for water companies over the sewage scandal ;
• And Wales has selected its first female first minister , as Eluned Morgan replaces the short-lived Vaughan Gething in the job.

That's all for now - we'll bring you updates from tonight's COBRA meeting whenever we find out more.

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First wave of airport speakers announced for International Airport Summit 2024

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Posted: 5 August 2024 | International Airport Review | No comments yet

We are thrilled to announce a stellar line-up for the International Airport Summit 2024.

We are thrilled to announce the stellar line-up of speakers for this year’s International Airport Summit on 13-14 November in Amsterdam, featuring some of the most influential leaders and innovators in the aviation industry. We have speakers joining us from all of the world including the first and sixth, and eighth busiest airports in the world by passenger numbers Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (1) and Denver (6), and Los Angeles (8), and the busiest cargo airport in the world: Hong Kong International .

Take a look at the list below to see who will be featuring on the International Airport Summit agenda this year and make sure you grab your ticket !

Speakers include:

• Nazareno Ventola , CEO and MD of Bologna International Airport
• Piervittorio Farabbi , Chief Operations Officer, Tirana Airport
• Thomas Romig , Chief Operations Officer, Brussels Airport
• Brian Dranzik , Airport Director, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport 
• Denise Pronk , Head of Sustainability, Royal Schiphol Group
• Kristoffer Plenge-Brandt , Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President, Copenhagen Airports
• Martins Tamovics , Airport Development Director, Budapest Airport
• Sarah Marquez, Senior Vice President of Operations, Denver International Airport
• Luis Soto , Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Technology Officer, El Dorado International Airport
• Fred Lam , Chairman, Hong Kong International Airport
• Alessandro Fidato, Chief Operating Officer, SEA Milan Airports
• Jason Inniss, Director of Airport Operations, Bermuda Skyport Corporation
• Keshav Singhal , Head of Sustainability, Noida International Airport
• Maurice Jenkins , Chief Innovation Officer, Miami International Airport
• Anurag Shandilya, Vice President of Airport Operations, King Salman International Airport Development Company
• Billy Shallow , Senior Director of Security, Technology and Innovation, ACI World
• Shawn Smith , Senior Vice President, Culture and Strategy, Denver International Airport
• Pietrick Voyer , Director of Operations, Grantley Adams International Airport
• Tijn Borms , Director of product – passenger experience platform, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
• Shiv Kumar , Chief Marketing and Passenger Experience Officer, Manohar International Airport Goa
• Giulio Ranucci, Head of Innovation, Digital & Corporate Venture Capital ADR, Aeroporti di Roma
• Nicola Gualandi , Retail & Advertising Manager, Aeroporto Marconi di Bologna
• Tyronia Smith , Assistant General Manager Commercial Revenue, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
• Gaurang Harit , Project Director, Groupwide BHS projects, Malaysian Airports
• Claus Grunow , VP Corporate Strategy & Digitalization, Fraport AG
• Dr. Lutz Weisser , Managing director, Munich Airport International
• Laxman Moyo , Director Aviation Security, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe
• Chris Woodroofe , Managing Director, Manchester Airport
• Ian Law, Chief Digital Transformation Officer, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)
• Ramón Miró , President & CEO, Quito International Airport
• Gerri Sinclair , Interim Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, Vancouver International Airport
• David Surley , Senior Director Air Service Development & Marketing, Aarhus Airport
• Johanne Gallant , President & CEO, Fredericton International Airport
• Abhi Chacko , Head of Innovation and Commercial Development, London Gatwick Airport

Do you want to meet, network with and put the world to rights with any of the above speakers?

Register for your place at the International Airport Summit today!

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Videh Kumar Jaipuriar has been nominated for his exemplary leadership in managing and navigating Delhi International Airport (DEL) during the COVID-19 pandemic. He led multiple initiatives to ensure business continuity at DEL, which included passenger safety and convenience, stakeholder management, cash conservation, adoption of new technologies, and care for environment and employee safety.

He proactively engaged with the government stakeholders and supported them in safeguarding aviation through strong confidence building measures for travellers, such as developing several indigenous technology solutions like air circulation with six changes per hour and a combination of UV and plasma disinfection systems to provide safest journey experience to their passengers. Under his leadership, DEL has been forefront of implementing safety measures which was later adopted across the country.

Despite lockdown, Jaipuriar ensured that DEL was operational for rescue missions, medical evacuations, and transporting medical essentials to various parts of the country. He further led the Vande Bharat Mission flights of Government of India (a rescue mission to get Indians back to India), as well as rescue flights by other international governments. His outstanding leadership across all areas across the stakeholders in the aviation ecosystem and going beyond the call of duty in managing and navigating this crisis for a national capital airport having national importance makes him the apt choice for the Person of the Year Award.

Adnan Saggaf continues to demonstrate strong leadership skills throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and brought out of the box ideas in attracting traffic and to support his team during this difficult time. With new innovative ideas in balancing cash flow, the facilities were kept maintained and the personal were kept employed. 

Saggaf has protected the financial stability of his staff income, ensured valuable cost cutting management, shown excellent performance of crisis management, and exceptional negotiation skills shown with authority regarding agreement restructuring and receivable payments.

To handle the loss of Umrah traffic to the airport, Saggaf chose to attract new airlines, mainly LCCs, to use the terminal with attractive offers and more reliable services. He built a new strategy by diversifying the airport offers. He prepared the facilities by deploying new technology and working on enhancing passenger experience. Saggaf also initiated a capacity building programme for the airside team by drafting SOPS, training and coaching, as well as initiating dedicated workshops to discuss ideas and to deploy new initiatives.

Leaders show strength in difficult times, and this is exactly what Saggaf showed and why he deserves to be awarded as the Person of the year 2021.

Peter has been with the Sangster International Airport for over 25 years. 

He has experience in customer service, operations and now oversees the security function and is also the Chief Operations Officer. 

Peter has been instrumental in co-ordinating the preparation and implementation of a COVID-19 response plan for not just MBJ, but to guide the operation of all agencies operating on airport. The aim of this plan was to ensure a safe environment for staff and the travelling public; therefore, this plan was instrumental to establish consumer/travellers/public confidence and provided information and guidelines on the new protocols implemented at the airport.  

Peter is well known for his expertise in investigation and aviation security. His co-operation with law enforcement stakeholders has been unrelenting in assuring the security of the airport and stakeholders alike. 

While Peter is known as a firm individual that displays the outmost professionalism and integrity, he operates on the basis of equity and fairness in all matters relating to staff, clients, passengers and the general public.   

Robson Freitas has developed and led the BH Airport plan for the resumption of airport operations post-COVID-19, as well as being responsible for leading the group of Directors and Managers at the airport, defining the three main pillars of recovery: Health and Safety of People, Institutional and Integrated Communication and Institutional Partners. These central pillars include ensuring hygiene and health and social distances measures for passengers, users, and the airport community, in addition to participating in strategic committees involving the public sectors to comply with regulatory rules. Freitas developed the COVID guardians programme, who were responsible in monitoring and following up on the measures already implemented for COVID-19 and advising users, employees and other people on compliance with distancing, hygiene and health measures recommended by health authorities. He also developed a COVID booklet with information and guidance for the airport community regarding good hygiene and health practices and led the beginning of the publication of a monthly newsletter with passenger curve information, allowing the planning of reopening and rehiring by commercial stores. Freitas also supported the reduction of OPEX by planning the temporary closure of areas, toilets and equipment in common use and internalising some activities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Raghunath worked closely with all the aero concessionaires and cargo operators to minimise disruption and provide financial relief to them. The airline marketing team helped launch a historic first route to the U.S. West Coast and the cargo team at BIAL also achieved record numbers over this period, with the airport becoming India’s leading airport for the export of perishables. Despite the impact of COVID-19, Raghunath has led a digital transformation and expansion at BIAL airport, with new initiatives and the deployment of the fully biometric-based self-boarding solution for seamless passenger flow and travel experiences and a process automation and analytics platform. These initiatives amongst many others, meant that the airport won ACI World’s ‘Voice of the Customer’ initiative, which recognised BIAL airports efforts to prioritise their customers during COVID-19. Raghunath has remained a staunch and resilient leader during such an uncertain time and is very much appreciated by his team.

As Head of Operations, Alicia Prince has played a critical role in leading and navigating Cairns Airport through the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, Prince implemented a functional plan to ensure business continuity and staff welfare, segregating front-line operational staff into work teams to avoid interaction between groups, as well as strict sanitisation processes. She ensured that the $55 million domestic Terminal upgrade continued safely despite the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.

She also deployed the COVIDSafe Operation Plan for Cairns Airport, which was endorsed and later commended by Queensland Chief Health Officer. As part of this plan Alicia developed an airport layout to provide physical separation of low risk and high-risk arrivals and initiated increased hygiene and sanitisation protocols. The health and safety of the airport community was paramount to maintaining operations, and in response to this Alicia initiated a COVIDSafe training program for the entire airport community and worked closely with her team to deliver.

As a result of the great work Prince has done to ensure COVID-19 best practices, Cairns Airport was one of the first Australian Airports to be awarded an ACI Global Health Accreditation.

Alicia also led the terminal optimisation project, which assessed and implemented terminal downscales due to the crisis. Significant savings (both financial and environmental) were achieved by reducing the operational footprint of the airport.

Whilst maintaining operations throughout the pandemic was a priority, Alicia ensured her team were kept well informed and engaged. Cairns Airport has a team of 33 volunteers which form part of Alicia’s wider team. To ensure they remained connected and cared for, Alicia and her team created care packages including home-made cakes and personally delivered to each of the volunteers’ houses in a COVIDSafe manner. Alicia demonstrated great leadership throughout the pandemic and continues to do so today. Her clear and transparent communication and collaboration with other Australian Airports and key agencies to ensure best practice and alignment contributed greatly to business continuity. Furthermore, all the above was managed whilst working remotely and juggling home schooling with her two young boys.

Balram Bheodari leads Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as North America’s most efficient airport, due to his vast knowledge of and astute attention to efficiency in aviation, which has allowed the airport to thrive in the most difficult of markets. Bheodari combines operational expertise, integrity, and selflessness to provide a quality of leadership throughout Atlanta Airport. He oversees all facets of airport governance, including operations and a multi-billion-dollar capital improvement programme, ATLNext, designed to pave the way for Atlanta’s growth over the next 20 years. During COVID-19, Bheodari developed a comprehensive resumption of operations playbook that served to support ATL’s recovery efforts. With guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) amid evolving health and safety guidelines, Bheodari steadfastly encouraged collaboration among stakeholders, team-building among aviation employees, and adaptability in uncertain times. Throughout the pandemic, he participated in daily calls with Airports Council International and other large-hub airports to share best practices as well as information from Washington, D.C. federal offices and the CDC.

He aimed to restore customer confidence and ensure the airport was a healthy facility using COVID-19 safe protocols. Since, the airport achieved Airport of the Year by the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC).

During the height of the pandemic, Bheodari was the most ardent supporter of our mission-critical employees. Having worked his way up through the ranks, he fully appreciates the oftentimes thankless jobs these employees perform that keep the Airport safe and running optimally at all times. Morale never flagged because Bheodari made sure those employees felt valued through hazard pay, special meals, social media posts, intranet spotlight features, and other incentives.

His actions and his directives all reflect his commitment to the three key focus areas of our organisation’s strategic plan: people, purpose and performance.

Jonas Abrahamsson has shown the strength to steer the company towards its long-term sustainable goals, despite the challenges of COVID-19. Abrahamsson has ensured that Swedavia achieved its net zero target for all ten of the airports in 2020 and has continued to support strategic development and innovation to further the cause of sustainable air travel. During 2020, when passenger numbers where down over 90 per cent and a lot of investments were paused, he decided that investments in the company’s net zero target should proceed, allowing Swedavia to become the first net zero airport group by the end of 2020.

Chris Dinsdale has worked at Budapest Airport since 2015, originally as CFO until March 2021, where he was nominated for the position as CEO. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dinsdale, as CFO of the airport at the time, fought relentlessly to make sure that the company survived the crisis and worked with great commitment to secure the funding of the airport. For example, a voluntary salary cut for the executives and the founding of the Budapest Airport Foundation, which supports blue collar workers who lost their job during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After being nominated to CEO position in March 2021, Dinsdale continues to work closely with the executive team to create a clear COVID-19 recovery strategy for Budapest Airport. This will also mean that we come out stronger of the pandemic and have a clear focus. Dinsdale is an inspiring true leader who helped us all to cope with the very difficult times of the pandemic and I am convinced that he truly deserves this award.

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