Airport reassures community over runway inspections

(CNS): Following a number of comments on Cayman News Service last week raising concerns that the Cayman Islands Airport Authority only conducts a runway clearance exercise once a year, the management reassured the public Friday that the runway is inspected several times every day. The annual Foreign Object Debris (F.O.D) walk is a team effort conducted at the year end to promote more awareness among all the agencies at the Owen Roberts International Airport about the importance of keeping the runway clear. The airport boss said the year-end walk is designed to mark the ongoing safety efforts at the airport.

“FOD checks and many other scheduled inspections are carried out multiple times each day by qualified airport personnel, in order to ensure the safety of the travelling public at all times during operational hours of the airports,” explained Senior Manager Andrew McLaughlin. The reason for a big send off at the end of each year in the form of an Annual FOD Walk, followed by a special lunch, is to reward and celebrate the continued efforts we expend daily as well as the countless extra inspections performed when safety concerns arise.”