S.L.C. Airport Media Guide

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Policy

The Salt Lake City Department of Airports’ policy is to facilitate the needs of the news media and its coverage of events on airport property within its capability. However, the responsibility of safeguarding lives and property takes precedence in all situations. The Department of Airports is also responsible for preserving incident sites for investigation and preventing evidence from being destroyed or disturbed.

The Department of Airports can only provide information within its jurisdiction as the airport operator and will only respond when the actions or property of the Department of Airports is involved. The media should direct requests for specific information directly to the airline, company or agency involved. In the case of a major aircraft accident, information will be distributed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and/or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

As a rule, the cause of an accident or aircraft crash will be released by the National Transportation Safety Board after an investigation has been conducted. Other agencies/entities are directed not to speculate about the cause of an accident or to discuss details. The NTSB also operates a family assistance center intended to provide information to the families of those involved in an aircraft accident..

The passenger manifest (a list of passenger names and crewmembers on an aircraft) is released by the airline, not an airport.  Initial confirmation of any deaths resulting in the crash of a plane is made by the coroner, medical examiner or a designated law enforcement agency. Information will not be released until there is confirmation that family members have been notified. .

The Department of Airports will not speculate regarding cause or other details of an incident or event. Sensitive security information will be guarded and is subject to federal regulation.

The FAA is responsible for air traffic control. Inquiries about aircraft operations or delays in the air traffic system should be directed to the regional public affairs office. The FAA reports aircraft delay information at: www.fly.faa.gov. Real time flight status is also available on the Salt Lake City International Airport web site at: www.slcairport.com.

As private companies, each airline has its own communications system. A list of contacts for the airlines operating at Salt Lake City International Airport is below. The Air Transport Association (202) 626-4172 maintains a list of airline media contacts. Reporters should contact the airline for information specifically dealing with airline operations.

Information pertaining to the security screening process is handled by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). All inquiries regading any aspect of security screening, threat level, etc. should be directed to the local public affairs office.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has jurisdiction over incidents that occur onboard an aircraft, hostage taking, hijacking and other federally regulated criminal activity.

Initial Response

Initial briefings from the Department of Airports will consist of the following information if it is available: general nature of the incident, airline involved, flight number, type of aircraft and destination/origin. Initial information may be recorded on the airport’s media mailbox at (801) 322-6397 or (801) 322-NEWS. Information may also be posted on the airport web site at: www.slcairport.com. Information on large scale incidents may be found at http://slcda.blogspot.com,on Facebook and/or Twitter.

The following information will be provided when the incident is not airline or aircraft related: type of incident, agency involved, contact person (as available), number of persons involved and location.

The media will be referred to the airlines, other airport tenants or federal agencies for detailed information or follow-up. Contact information is listed below.

As confirmed information develops, applicable updates will come from the Department of Airports or from the airline, company or organization involved.

Weather Impact

Adverse weather conditions could affect airport operations due to airfield condition, visibility or other reasons. The airport does not close during most inclement weather conditions. At times, there may be a slow down or suspension of aircraft operations in order to clear snow and ice from the airfield or to wait for conditions to improve.

Heavy rain or fog does not usually close the airport. However, some aircraft may be delayed until the weather changes. Some airlines will divert flights during heavy fog to other airports.

Media Accreditation

When covering routine news stories at the Airport, identification will not be required although it may be to your advantage to carry it.  If access to the airfield or other secure area is required, you may be asked to present official identification of the media organization you represent. In some instances, you may be asked to wear an identifying armband or visitor badge distributed by the Department of Airports. You will only be allowed to enter these areas with a sanctioned escort. We ask that you send the minimum number of people necessary to cover the event (i.e. one reporter and one camera operator). Also, it will be in your best interest to use vehicles with company identification while covering news.

Emergency Categories

Alert 1 (Minor Difficulty) an Alert 1 indicates that a potential emergency exists that may require dispatch of emergency equipment and personnel - a standby situation.

Alert 2 (Major Difficulty) an Alert 2 indicates that a situation exists that requires the immediate dispatch of emergency equipment and personnel.

Alert 3 (Accident) an Alert 3 indicates that an accident is imminent or has occurred requiring the immediate response of emergency equipment and personnel.

Follow Up Press Conferences

Locations of follow up press conferences will be determined in relationship to the incident. They will most likely be held in either the Department of Airports Board Room (third level of the short-term parking structure) or the International Terminal.

Transportation

Arrangements for live coverage will be made if the situation can accommodate it. News media will be allowed as close to the incident as possible, consistent with security, safety and rescue requirements. News helicopters may not be permitted to fly within the designated airport emergency area. In some cases, pool coverage may be required. Access may be limited to once a day as opposed to each newscast or publishing.

Parking of News Media Vehicles

While covering news at Salt Lake City International Airport, the best parking option is in the short-term parking structure. The lot on the south end of Terminal One and the lot on the north end of Terminal Two are additional options. For special access or for live broadcasts, please call the Public Relations Director at (801) 575-2768 or Landside Operations at (801) 647-5159.

News Media Access

News media access to the public areas of the Airport is the same as for the general public. However, access to the airfield is strictly controlled. Requests for such access are handled through the Department of Airports' Public Relations Director or designee.

Access to an airport tenant’s leased area must be arranged directly with the tenant (including airlines).  The Airport's Public Relations Director can assist with this coordination.

Filming is permitted in the lobby areas of both terminals if it does not disrupt passenger processing including distracting the security screening agents. Close shots of the screens at the security screening checkpoints are prohibited.

Useful Phone Numbers

The following phone numbers are provided for your reference in reaching the appropriate individuals and agencies in covering news at Salt Lake City International Airport. Please be aware that this information is subject to frequent change.

Salt Lake City Department of Airports
Media Mailbox	(801) 322-6397
(recorded information on breaking news)	(801) 322-NEWS
Barbara Gann, Public Relations Director	(801) 575-2768
	(801) 913-6170 cell
24-hour Airport Control  Center	(801) 575-2400/575-2401
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)    Public Relations Office (Seattle)
Allen Kenitzer	(425) 227-2015
Mike Furgis	(425) 227-1203
24-hour Communications Officer	(425) 227-1999
General Information	(425) 227-2004
Small Aircraft Accident Information	(425) 227-1389
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) local
Salt Lake City Regional Center	(801) 320-2500
Salt Lake City Air Traffic Control	(801) 325-9660 tower
	(801) 325-9600
	(801) 325-9690 manager
National Safety Transportation Board (NTSB)
Seattle Office	(206) 870-2200
Denver Office	(303) 361-0600
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Debbie Dujanovic Bertram	(801) 579-4735
	(801) 842-5385 cell
Hill Air Force Base Public Affairs	(801) 777-5201
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)	below
Dwayne Baird	(801) 906-2345
	(801) 440-5921 cell
Suzanne Trevino	(602) 501-3195
Terri Harmon	(303) 204-2134
Operations Center	(801) 606-8887
United States Customs and Border Protection
Steve Wallace - Acting Port Director	(801) 524-3445 ext. 247
James Kosciuk - Public Affairs	(808) 356-4178
	(808) 551-3055 cell
San Francisco Office	(650) 837-2899
United States Department of Transportation
Lenny Alcivar	(202) 366-8563 ext. 4570
United States Secret Service Public Affairs
Marc Connolly	(202) 406-5708
Airline Contacts: (Local station manager listed first followed by corporate communications contacts- information subject to frequent change)
American
Faith Ikeda	(801) 828-9963
Andrea Huguely	(817) 967-1577
	(817) 938-3999 cell
Corporate Communications	(817) 967-1577
After hours emergency	(817) 967-7200
Continental
Tom Coates	(801) 575-2303
Local Supervisor	(801) 575-3535
Corporate Communications	(713) 324-5080 or
	(281) 354-0240
Delta Air Lines
Brett Rydalch	(801) 744-4580
Anthony Black	(404) 677-5786
Corporate Communications	(404) 715-2554
Frontier
Matt Kleis	(801) 575-2038
Jeff Hodas	(720) 374-4504
Corporate Communications	(702) 374-4560
jetBlue
Catherine Iversen	(801) 531-3520/792-4235
Bryan Baldwin	(718) 709-3056
Media Relations Hotline	(718) 709-3089
SkyWest
Dave Katsilas	(801) 258-4220
Marissa Snow	(435) 634-3548 office
	(435) 632-0535 cell
Nichole Drew	(435) 634-3545 office
	(435) 216-8961 cell
After hours dispatch	(435) 705-2989
Southwest
Communication Spokesperson On-Duty	(214-792-7675
	swamedia@wnco.com
	swamedia.com
United
Allen Field	(801) 575-2333 or
	(801) 448-4335
Jeff Kovik	(312) 997-8621
Media Relations	(312) 997-8640 after hours
US Airways
Dave Gould	(801) 575-2201
Corporate Communications	(480) 693-5729/693-5909
Other Tenants:
Central Parking	(801) 575-2887
Air Terminal Gifts - Tom Crismon	(801) 575-2540
Host International - Stacy House	(801) 575-2611
National Weather Service - Larry Dunn	(801) 524-5154 ext. 222
Federal Express - Sandra Munoz	(901) 434-7781/508-2097
Sally Davenport	(901) 434-7765/508-2075
Jim McCluskey	(901) 434-7764/508-2077
Corporate Communications	(901) 434-8100 after hours