Mérida, Mexico - The International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders in Merida (CIFAL Merida) successfully concluded its XIX international seminar on hurricane preparedness, bringing together decision-makers from airports in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. A key objective of the seminar was to analyze and review emergency plans before the hurricane season to ensure that airports remain operational if impacted by a disaster.
Representatives from 50 airports from Mexico, the United States, Santo Domingo, Curazao, Jamaica, Venezuela, and Costa Rica to mention a few participated in the seminar, having the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences related to airport preparedness and reactivation while learning about the accurate interpretation of meteorological and forecast products that help determine potential impacts.
This training seminar has been offered by CIFAL Merida since 2005 providing a space to share good practices, lessons learned and experiences on the risks from hurricanes, begin pre-season preparations, alert the community and be ready to respond before, during and after a hurricane. CIFAL Merida was critical in preparing airports from the region to prepare and respond to major hurricanes such as Wilma in 2005, hurricane Odile in 2014, and most recently hurricane Otis in 2023.
At the same time, the seminar has included experiences and good practices from airlines and how the aviation industry has prepared in advance for hurricanes. An example presented was the case of the Airport of Puerto Rico and how this prepared for Hurricane Maria.
Experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Outreach Aid to the Americas (OAA) and the Airspace Navigation Services of Mexico (SENEAM), as well as meteorologists and experts on security systems for airports, airline representatives, and airport operators, took part in the seminar.
