News - Stephenville International Airport

By the end of March, Stephenville Airport will join all Canadian airports in implementing a new Safety Emergency System - which will see a downloading of services once performed by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada onto the airports themselves.

To comply with the new system, Stephenville Airport must create a new staff position - an SMS manager who will perform safety inspections at the facility and will oversee the airport's safety plan and regulations.

Airport Manager Larry Smith says the SMS implementation has gone well so far, with a consultant hired by the Atlantic Canadian Airports Association drawing up a plan for the facility as part of a cost-shared agreement with other airports in the Atlantic region.

Mr. Smith says regardless of what may come out the airport's new business plan, or whether or not the facility receives provincial or federal funding because of that plan, it remains business as usual for the staff who have kept the airport going for the past number of years.

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Day to day operations at the airport have been overseen for the past three and a half years by Mr. Smith, a former long-time air radio controller at the airport; Dianne Singleton, a 12-year airport employee responsible for the facility's finances and human resources; and Andy Murphy, the operations manager who worked first at the airport with Transport Canada and then under the corporation formed after privatization in 1998.

Mr. Smith says the airport's employees are hardworking and loyal - and takes exception to the notion that the airport's employees are somehow responsible for the facility's current situation.

Ms. Singleton says between the three main staff, they have seen the ups and downs of the airport first-hand.

"One winter we had to work in mitts. It was so cold in here [the terminal]," she says, explaining it was an early 90s board decision to spend its own money on fuel for airplanes. She says the practice sometimes led to there not being enough money to purchase heating oil for the facility.

If some question why anyone would put up with such a work environment, Ms. Singleton says it's because she has "seen it all."

"I've taken a pay cut for this place, and have given up too much to walk away now," she says.

Mr. Smith says it's the grit of employees like Ms. Singleton that has kept the airport going through both good and bad times. Now, as the community waits to hear about the latest of plans drawn up for the business, Mr. Smith wonders what more employees on the ground could have done with the facility's limited resources.

"The biggest problem that we've had is we've never ever had the funds to implement business plans," says Mr. Smith. "You can do all the business plans you want in the world. If you can't implement them, it's going to be of no value to you."

When the airport entered bankruptcy protection five years ago, Mr. Smith says every suggestion made by accounting firm Ernst and Young was listened to and changes carried out.

"We started off again with nothing in 2005. There was no finances to do anything - to upgrade the airport facilities or increase the fuel stock, to have fuel suppliers on the field," he says.

"Staff at that time took a 30 per cent cut in wages and benefits at that time to keep the airport running. I don't think for one minute that they intended it to be for five years."

Mr. Smith says regardless of whether or not the airport receives provincial or federal funding after its new business plan is submitted, one thing remains clear - the need for operating capital.

"If we don't have operating capital and have no way to generate it, you certainly can not exist for very long, which is our problem now."

Operation of the airport is costly, even more so during the winter. Mr. Smith says it takes approximately $115,000 a month to operate the airport during the months of December to April. [See sidebar for breakdown.]

This money is made from leases the airport holds with the Marine Institute, Provincial Airlines, Flare Air, car rental agencies, etc. Funds are also generated by diverted flights, once the airport's bread and butter, but are now few and far between.

Regardless of the mitigating factors, Mr. Smith says the staff of Stephenville airport remain committed to seeing the facility stay open.

"From my point of view, and I'm sure from the people who work here, I would say that we're not looking for handouts - we're looking for the chance to make this a viable operation."

Becoming a viable operation is what the many boards who have overseen the airport since its privatization have tried to accomplish against the odds.

Ms. Stapleton says, in the end, all airport staff want is a fair chance.

"A handout's not going to work," she says. "We're tired of handouts. It's all we've had. I gave up 30 per cent of my pay for what? ... To let us exist? It's crazy."

reporter@thegeorgian.ca

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Stephenville Airport, by the numbers
-- Airport manager Larry Smith says it costs over $100,000 to operate Stephenville Airport from the months December to April. Here's a look at some of these costs:
-- $66,000 per month for winter payroll;
-- Approximately $20,000 per month for fuel for buildings and vehicles;
-- Approximately $16,000 NL Power;
-- Approximately $5,000 for insurance;
-- Approximately $2,300 workmen's compensation;
-- Approximately $3,200 for phones and communication.