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HawkAir
Making News in British Columbia
Skies
Terrace: Northwest BC's own
airline is pleased to announce the purchase of a
third Dash 8 aircraft. Hawkair partner Dave Menzies
says the additional airplane will be used to
increase service to the northern communities of
Prince Rupert, Terrace-Kitimat, and Smithers.
"We're basically doubling the flights for Rupert
and Smithers. And Terrace gets an extra flight on
an extra-busy day." Both Prince Rupert and Smithers
will have two departures on weekdays, while Terrace
gets a third flight on Fridays.
Smithers retains its early
morning departure and evening arrival flights,
popular with local residents, and gets an
additional midday arrival/departure. Smithers Base
Manager Sandra Heeley says, "There's a definite
demand for mid-day. It's ideal for those who need
to travel a few hours before they get to an
airport." She says customers in Houston, Hazelton,
Burns Lake and further afield are looking forward
to the convenience of the extra choices in flight
times.
Prince Rupert's dedicated
plane will be based in Vancouver to serve Digby
Island. The new early morning arrival in Rupert and
an evening departure to Vancouver will be provided
in response to customer requests, particularly
business travellers. An already popular midday
schedule will also be offered.
 HAWKAIR
USES THE "HUGGER" FOR AIR
SAFETY
Two Terrace-based
companies are taking significant steps to be
proactive when it comes to addressing the issue of
safety in the workplace and in the
air.
In mid-October, Rhonda
Keegan, Flight Attendant Manager of Hawkair, and
Chris Arnold, a consultant with the Provincial
Networking Group, will attend a training seminar in
Surrey, England. As a
follow&endash;up to the Disruptive Passenger
workshop Arnold developed for Hawkair pilots,
flight attendants and Customer Service Agents in
July, the two will attend a "train the trainer"
workshop in the use of a new passenger restraint
devise developed specifically for the airline
industry.
Arnold says, "This
particular devise is compact, easy to use, and does
not put the passenger at risk of injury." The
"Hugger" is like an oversized zap strap, and slips
over the passenger and seat back to effectively
immobilize the individual quickly and
safely.
In the July workshop, Keegan
explains, staff were trained to identify common
passenger behaviour types, triggers that contribute
to an agitated passenger's stress levels, early
warning signs to watch for, and how to diffuse the
situation before it reaches extreme levels. The
program also trained Hawkair employees in
techniques to physically intervene with a violent
passenger in a manner that decreases their
likelihood of injury while maintaining the safety
of staff, the individual and other
passengers.
With the assistance of the
Provincial Networking Group, Hawkair is a
nationwide-leader in the development of programs to
deal with disruptive passengers. The training
session in England and the purchase of the devises
are also a first for Canada.
The Provincial Networking
Group Inc. is a private consulting, training and
specialized employment agency based in Terrace.
Chris Arnold's specialty is in the area of working
with potentially violent and aggressive
individuals. Since 1992 he has been teaching crisis
management skills to social service, education and
other professionals throughout the northwest and
the province.
Hawkair Aviation is a
low-cost, full-service passenger airline serving
the cities of Terrace, Prince Rupert and Vancouver,
BC. Their second 37-seat Dash 8, to be delivered in
October of 2001, will offer increased services to
these centres and a new daily service for Smithers,
B.C. Rhonda Keegan is Flight Attendant Manager,
overseeing the airline's cabin safety procedures
and policies under the Canadian Aviation
Regulations.
INFO: Chris Arnold, PNG, 1
(250) 635-4479
Rhonda Keegan, Hawkair, 1
(250) 635-1302
Charlynn Toews, Hawkair, 1
(250) 635-8763
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