Pensacola International Airport has prepared this Emergency Contingency Plan pursuant to
§42301 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. Questions regarding this plan can be
directed to Byron Burkhart, Airport Assistant Director at bburkhart@cityofpensacola.com.
Pensacola International Airport is filing this plan with the Department of Transportation because
(1) it is a commercial airport or (2) this airport may be used by an air carrier described in USC
42301(a)(1) for diversions.
This plan describes how, following excessive tarmac delays and to the extent practicable,
Pensacola International Airport will:
- Provide for the deplanement of passengers;
- Provide for the sharing of facilities and make gates available at the airport; and
- Provide a sterile area following excessive tarmac delays for passengers who have not yet cleared United States Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
Airport Information
Name of Airport: Pensacola International Airport
Name and title of person preparing the plan: Byron Burkhart, Asst. Airport Director
Preparer contact number: (850) 436-5007
Preparer contact e-mail: bburkhart@cityofpensacola.com
Date of submission of plan: June 22, 2022
Airport Category: Small Hub
Contact Information
In the event of diversion or other irregular operations events, aircraft operators should contact the Airport Operations Center at (850) 436-5111 for assistance.
Plan to Provide for the Deplanement of Passengers Following Excessive Tarmac Delays
Pensacola International Airport does not own or operate any of the equipment needed to safely deplane passengers from air carrier aircraft and is, therefore, unable on its own to provide for the deplanement of passengers. Additionally airport personnel are not trained to assist in the deplanement of passengers using equipment owned or operated by air carriers or contract service providers. However, we have requested that each airline, ground handler, and FBO operation on the airport provide us with a list of the equipment and resources they have for deplaning passengers and contact information. We will provide this inventory and contact information to airlines as soon as practicable after receiving requests from such airlines experiencing excessive tarmac delays at the contact number listed above.
Plan to Provide for the Sharing of Facilities and Make Gates Available in an Emergency
Only one gate at Pensacola International Airport is under common use lease to the airlines and is controlled by the airport. Additionally there are nine gates at Pensacola International Airport that are under preferential leases to air carriers and are not fully controlled by the airport. We will direct our common use leases, permittees or users to make the gate available to an air carrier seeking to deplane at a gate during those time periods the gates are not in use or not scheduled to be in use, to the maximum extent practicable. If additional gates are needed, we will direct tenant air carriers to make preferential use gates and other facilities available to an air carrier seeking to deplane at a gate, during those times when the tenant airline is not using, or not scheduled to use, the gate to the maximum extent practical.
Plan to Provide a Sterile Area for Passengers Who Have Not Cleared United States Customs and Border Protection
Pensacola International Airport does not have international passenger processing facilities. We will coordinate with local CBP and law enforcement officials to identify suitable areas and procedures for establishing a temporary sterile area into which international passengers on diverted aircraft who have not yet cleared United States Customs and Border Protection can be deplaned. Once these efforts are complete, we will coordinate with local CBP officials to develop procedures that will allow international passengers who have not yet cleared United States Customs and Border Protection to be deplaned into these sterile areas to the extent practicable.
Public Access to the Emergency Contingency Plan
Pensacola International Airport will provide public access to its emergency contingency plan through one or more of the following means:
Posting in a conspicuous location on the airport website (http://www.flypensacola.com)
