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Isavia in the community

community participation

Isavia is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the infrastructure that is the basis for aviation services in Iceland, connections to the wider world and flights between three continents over a large area. Iceland’s airports constitute important public-transport infrastructure. Of these airports, Keflavík Airport is the largest entry point into Iceland and is especially important for the transport of passengers and goods by air in and out of the country. Isavia’s operations are of considerable national interest, and its employees make every effort to conduct their work in a safe and efficient manner in harmony with the community.

 Isavia follows a policy of corporate social responsibility, with priorities in accordance with the company’s overall policy. The company is working on and participating projects linked to this policy in various ways. The common thread running through these projects is that they support us in being part of a pleasant journey for passengers, customers and other stakeholders.

Isavia’s Emergency and Crisis Coordination

Isavia’s Emergency and Crisis Coordination was formally established in 2015 by formalising collaboration measures and specific procedures within the company that were created as result of the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull (Eyjafjalla glacier) in 2010. The method used was to form a team of employees who have a variety of skills and experience and good connections both within and outside the company to lead the work. The experience gained under different conditions has subsequently been used to form and develop the company’s ability to meet anticipated and unforeseen events.

The role of Isavia’s Emergency and Crisis Coordination is to:

  • Ensure that Isavia’s responses are co-ordinated and harmonised during times of risk and emergencies.
  • Ensure comprehensive responses to events that threaten the operative security of the company and to mitigate their effects.
  • Provide support to management and employees.
  • Ensure the return of full services as soon as possible.

To achieve these goals, the Emergency and Crisis Coordination employs flexible and performance-driven procedures that address events in an organised manner.

Covid-19

Isavia’s Emergency and Crisis Coordination was a highly active venue due to bad weather conditions and other events in the months at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020. In discussions during such meetings, news of a new contagious disease that was spreading across China began to be heard. Immediately thereafter, discussions were held about the company’s plans for the future, and in fact, the work of the Emergency Committee began. Although discussions or decisions at the time were not, as such, crucial for responses in January, the general tone was set and shows how important it is that members of such organisations meet regularly and discuss possible threats based on what might happen based regarding effects on the operation of airports and air travel. On 24 January, the Emergency Committee attended its first meeting with Almannavarnir (the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management) and the Chief Epidemiologist to discuss the matter.

The infection prevention plans for international airports was issued in 2019 in collaboration with the office of the Chief Epidemiologist and Almannavarnir. These plans were used as a good base for Covid-19, although adaptations were made to meet this new threat. The process has at all times been flexible to be able to meet a variety of scenarios.

A number of other aspects also play an important part in the organisational and planning preparations at the same time as extensive organisational changes were implemented within Isavia in 2020. The Emergency Committee operates across Isavia units and its subsidiaries, and as a result, the decision was immediately made to co-ordinate all fields of the operation, i.e. the parent company, air navigation services, domestic and international airports.

The Emergency Committee activated its information sources and channels to stakeholders as well as connections that were formed during regular joint meetings. Responsiveness and short communication channels within Isavia as well as to external parties have been important, while the close co-operation between the Emergency Committee and Almannavarnir and the Chief Epidemiologist as well as the dynamic collaboration with airport stakeholders have been a key element in good collaboration and of excellent results.

Within the company, regular information flows, employee meetings and an information site were activated. Access to the Emergency Committee was extremely open, and anyone could send enquiries and receive advice from the very beginning. Isavia’s educational department was quick to issue information that Isavia employees and other stakeholders at the airport could use to their advantage. In addition to the fact that managers needed to find new ways to contact their employees as efficiently as possible when the workplace was divided into home-based work and different infection-free zones, employees and managers must be congratulated for being extremely flexible as regards their work based on different scenarios and infection prevention rules.

All the actions in which the Emergency Committee is involved are subject to examination. As regards long-term projects, it is important to investigate, although actions have not been completed. By the beginning of June, a summary was prepared of what actions had been successful and what could have been done better during the first wave of the pandemic. All the employees of the company were given the opportunity to voice their opinion, and the results were used to fine tune procedures as points that were used during organisations in the next wave that began at the end of July / beginning of August.

Everyone has contributed, care has been taken to ensure infection prevention and the result is that no employee working for the airport or related operations has been infected at work (as far as we know).

Covid 19 marketing material

Our people

- foresight is important

Elva Tryggvadóttir og Friðfinnur Freyr Guðmundsson

Elva Tryggvadóttir & Friðfinnur Guðmundsson

Project managers of emergency and crisis coordination

A lot of strain has been on Isavia‘s Emergency and Crisis Coordination last year because of Covid-19 and earthquakes, how has that been going?
The Emergency and Crisis Coordination team works well together. The team is interdisciplinary and works across the company. It is activated when events that can affect operation are imminent or have already happened.

Due to unusual circumstances the team has been in action since December 2019 when we had a great storm.

What have been the main challenges for the company during this time?
The main challenges regarding the earthquakes and Covid-19 are to keep transport routes as operable as possible. Airports are important infrastructures, after all we live on an island and are therefore dependant on all routes being open. Plans and response needs to be in good cooperation with all employees in addition to good collaboration with the other responders, government, and service providers at the airport.

Is there need for improvement? What lessons have you learned and how did the employees respond?
There is always room for improvements, and it is important to review all processes regularly.

What we have today does not need to be identical to what we have tomorrow, so foresight is important. Emergency preparedness is based on foreseeing and being prepared with contingency plans and processes for everything that can happen, and new scenarios are constantly emerging. The plans are most often drilled but you can say that the last year has really been one continuous rehearsal with new challenges in between. Although this process has been long and difficult, it has gone well with the synchronized effort of Isavia‘s employees and subsidiaries. Employees have certainly been very resilient, been especially flexible and never given up despite difficult circumstances, that is priceless.

CIVIL PROTECTION AND ACCIDENT RESPONSE

Isavia plays an important role in the management system of the Civil Protection Department and plays a key role in response plans for search and rescue in the Icelandic air traffic control area and development of accident response plans on land. Full scale airport emergency plan exercises at the airport are an important part of Isavia’s preparedness as well as civil protection measures and their development. As a rule, four full scale airport emergency plan exercises are held every year throughout Iceland. Participation is without fail good, with more than 1,000 people from all response units usually taking part in these exercises as well as the general public. Since the company began holding full scale airport emergency plan exercises at airports, the response plans of the Civil Protection unit for multi-party accidents have developed in line with the working procedures used in airport exercises. The company’s exercises have therefore become a consultation forum for response entities for the development of knowledge and procedures that have been codified in regulations and the Civil Protection Act.

There were four Airport emergency plan exercises scheduled in 2020 at the largest airports in Iceland (including Keflavík Airport). As a result of Covid-19, however, these were all cancelled and have been rescheduled to 2021. The ban on gatherings was instrumental in this respect, as it was important to ensure the safety of all responders. Preparatory work for the exercises was carried out during the year.

safety first photo

The ICELANDIC ASSOCIATION FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE (ICE-SAR) and the ICELANDIC RED CROSS

As of 2012, a grants fund with the purpose of supporting accident equipment has been operated throughout Iceland in co-operation with partners. The equipment is available as necessary in the event of major accidents, accidents that occur in remote places or when people need to be housed in mass relief centres. Co-operation between Isavia, ICE-SAR and the Red Cross been successful, and the volunteers from these organisations are an important part of the airports’ response systems throughout Iceland.

UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT

Isavia is a party to the UN Global Compact. By virtue of its participation, Isavia undertakes to ensure that its polices and work practices are in accordance with the ten principles of the United Nations on human rights, work issues, environmental issues and actions against corruption. Isavia also undertakes to participate in projects supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and to publish information on the company’s social responsibility in accordance with the criteria of the UN Global Compact and the GRI.

UN WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES

Isavia signed the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, an international initiative spearheaded by UN Women and the UN Global Compact. As a signatory, Isavia undertakes to address equality issues with the company, demonstrate social responsibility and take the initiative in the field. The agreement contains seven criteria to guide the efforts of companies and institutions to foster equality and increase their participation of women in business. Signing this Convention is the natural continuation of other efforts made by the company under the banner of social responsibility and dovetails with the company’s objectives on gender equality.


Heimsmarkmið Isavia

UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Isavia has set itself a policy-making objective linked to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Special emphasis has been placed on 5 (Gender equality), 7 (Affordable and clean energy), 8 (Decent work and economic growth), 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), 12 (Responsible consumption and production), 13 (Climate action) and 17 (Partnerships for the goals).


Mynd af logo GRI

gri - Global Reporting Initiative

This is the fourth time Isavia is issuing an Annual and Corporate Social Responsibility Report. The report is modelled on the GRI Standards: Core criteria together with GRI-G4 special provisions for airports. These special provisions deal specifically with the challenges and opportunities faced by airports when it comes to sustainability. The aim of issuing this report is to provide transparency, a more in-depth view of the company’s activities and their effects on society at large. The information in the report is based on operations in 2020.

FESTA – ICELANDIC CENTRE FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Isavia is an active member of Festa - the Icelandic Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility. The aim of Festa is to raise awareness of CSR in Icelandic companies and in the community and encourage research in this field.

RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

Responsible tourism is a motivational project with the aim of Icelandic tourism companies agreeing on some clear and simple actions concerning responsible tourism. The purpose of the project is to promote Iceland as a desirable tourist destination going forward, which supports sustainability for future generations of the country. Isavia has taken part in the project from the beginning.

ICELAND TOURISM CLUSTER

Isavia is a collaborative member of the Icelandic Tourism Cluster. The role of the company is to strengthen competitiveness and enhance the value of Icelandic tourism. It is a real addition to the tourism-related activities conducted elsewhere (e.g. by the Travel Industry Association, the Icelandic Tourist Board and Promote Iceland, to name but a few). The Iceland Tourism Cluster focuses on greater co-operation with these and other partners throughout Iceland.