Air Force officials evaluate damaged Haitian airports

[The Straight Story]

Air Force officials evaluate damaged Haitian airports

Posted 1/15/2010 Email story Print story



by Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

1/15/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials are working with U.S. Southern Command and the Haitian government officials to determine what's needed to bring damaged airports up to par to accept more humanitarian relief supplies, officials said Jan. 15.

A massive U.S.-international relief effort is under way to help Haitians stricken by a Jan. 12 earthquake that damaged much of the country's capital of Port-au-Prince.

Ongoing evaluations to determine how to increase traffic at the main airport at Port-au-Prince should be completed sometime today, Col. Steve Shea, the director of the combat support center within the Air Force Office of Logistics Readiness, said during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable.

"The Air Force is part of the joint and international support (effort) to help stop the suffering of the Haitians and to try to restore the infrastructure so they can essentially return to normalcy," Colonel Shea said.

The major supply route into Haiti right now is at the Port-au-Prince airport, the country's largest and the Air Force already has deployed airport security personnel, air traffic controllers and ground operations technicians to Port-au-Prince, Colonel Shea said.

The use of aluminum ground matting, he said, is an option being considered to increase ramp and runway capacity at Port-au-Prince and other Haitian airports.

Additionally, a U.S. joint assessment team is evaluating ways to increase the Haitian capital's seaport capacity, which also was damaged by the earthquake, Colonel Shea said.

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123185879