Annual FOD Walk Attracts 200 Airport Employees

HARTSFIELD-JACKSON IN THE COMMUNITY

Annual FOD Walk Attracts 200 Airport Employees
by Zaree Walker

Sponsored by the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation, the 5th Annual Foreign Object Debris (FOD) Walk was held on Wednesday, July 12. The Walk's purpose is to increase awareness of FOD and educate the airport community on what can be done to prevent the unwanted objects. Held on the Airport's new Runway 10-28, more than 200 employees participated in this 30-minute event.

FOD is described as any object potentially harmful to the airfield. It can range from bolts, screws and metal pieces, to rocks, paper, plastic and plants. FOD can cost airlines up to $4 billion annually, as a result of damages to aircraft.

Participants gathered in a hangar at 6:30 a.m. at Hartsfield-Jackson to begin removing any debris that seemed harmful to aircraft.

"The FOD Walk's ultimate goal is to promote awareness of potentially hazardous items on the airfield to the airport community," says Neil Deevy, senior operations supervisor of the Airport Operations Division and coordinator of the walk. "This is the ideal way of making everyone aware that FOD is a big priority."

Delta Air Lines, who had the most participants, along with Department of Aviation staff, other airline carriers, maintenance workers and service companies were among the 200 helping with the event.

In an effort to eliminate problems stemming from FOD, Airport General Manager Ben DeCosta and Operations Supervisor Deevy established a FOD Policy to promote ground and flight safety by reducing and eliminating foreign object debris/damage.

Hartsfield-Jackson is one of the few airports in the U.S that has implemented such a program. Since its inception in 2002, awareness has grown nationally and the FOD Walk is steadily increasing awareness in airports nationwide. Deevy, who also serves on the board of directors for the National Aerospace FOD Prevention, Inc., feels that Hartsfield-Jackson is doing its part in eliminating FOD.

Other companies such as HMS Host, AirTran Airways, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, American Airlines, Central Images and ASIG helped sponsor the event.