by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Although the events of Sept. 11 made many people skeptical about getting on an airplane, the crash of an American Airlines plane in New York Monday really has people skittish.
In an effort to help assuage the fears of the business traveler and regain the trust of the vacationers, the Jacksonville Airport Authority has decided to revisit an old public relations campaign.
“We are reinstituting our Speakers Bureau Program,” said Laurene Carson, chief of communications for the JAA. “It’s a grass roots campaign to go out into the community and talk to people.”
Carson said she, JAA executive director John Clark and Chip Snowden, director of operations and facilities, are all making the rounds, talking to any group that wants to hear them. On Oct. 23, Snowden addressed the Northside Businessmen’s Club and tonight he’ll meet with the American Society of Highway Engineers Northwest Section. Clark spoke to the Civic Round Table Nov. 11 and Carson met with the Travel Association of Jacksonville Oct. 4.
While the town hall-like meetings give Carson, Clark and Snowden the chance to talk to people about what security and safety measures are being taken at JIA and by the airlines, Carson said they are also proving to be therapeutic in a way.
“People are so receptive and appreciative,” said Carson. “They are finding these meetings helpful. They can vent their frustrations and ask questions. A big part of it is just letting people talk and see what they have to say. It makes them feel better.”
Carson said they sent letters out to virtually every civic association in the area served by JIA and intend to address every group that requests a representative.
“We will do this as long as we want to,” said Carson. “We have had success in the past with it and we were doing about four of five a month. That may now become more with three of us doing them.”
The scope of the meetings often depends on the size of the group. Obviously, the bigger the group, the better the potential for longer meetings with more people wanting to ask questions or speak. Carson said they have spoken to groups as small as 25-30 and as large as 100.
Regardless the size, most every group wants to hear about the security measures at JIA and what is being done to assure that flying is once again one of the safest methods of transportation. Right now, passengers are being restricted as to what they can carry on the plane and their baggage is being heavily scrutinized. Only ticketed passengers are allowed at the gates. Carson said she cannot see a day when virtually anyone can roam freely around an airport, ticketed or not.
“Three months ago I would have said customer service at the airport was our biggest concern,” said Carson. “Today, it’s safety and security. Life is not the same since Sept. 11. I do not see anything other than safety and security being our top priority.”
Carson would not even speculate as to how long it may be before unticketed passengers are allowed in the concourses at JIA.
“I wouldn’t even attempt to guesstimate on that,” she said. “You can plan on that indefinitely.”