FAA Information for Pilots

Tarmac Delay Plan

Bishop International Airport Tarmac Delay Contingency Plan

Overview: The Bishop International Airport Authority has prepared this Emergency Contingency Plan pursuant to USC 42301 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. Questions regarding this plan can be directed to Nino Sapone, A.A.E., Deputy Airport Director – Operations & Maintenance, at nsapone(at)bishopairport.org or (810) 235-6560. The Bishop International Airport Authority is filing this plan with the Department of Transportation because it is a small hub commercial airport described in USC 42301 for diversions.

This plan describes how, following excessive tarmac delays and to the extent practicable, the Bishop International Airport Authority (BIAA) will:

• Provide for the deplanement of passengers following excessive tarmac delays;
• Provide for the sharing of facilities and make gates available at the airport in an emergency; and
• Provide a sterile area following excessive tarmac delays for passengers who have not yet cleared U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The BIAA has facility constraints that limit our ability to accommodate diverted flights or maintain the airport’s safe operation and strongly encourages aircraft operators to contact the ARFF/Ops Duty Officer at (810) 235-0606 for prior coordination of diverted flights, except in the case of a declared in-flight emergency. Specific facility constraints include the following:

1. There are no international passenger processing facilities;
2. There are a limited number of aircraft parking positions available for diverted aircraft; and
3. BIAA can accommodate aircraft up to and including a Boeing 757.

In the event of an emergency requiring an aircraft to divert to BIAA from another airport please contact the following:

Name of Airport: Bishop International Airport, in Flint, Michigan
Contact: ARFF/Ops Duty Manager
24 Hour Contact Number: (810) 235-0606
Date of Plan Submission: May 12, 2012
Airport Category: Small Hub

Plan to Provide for the Deplanement of Passengers Following Excessive Tarmac Delays:

BIAA 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, BIAA personnel are not trained to assist in the deplanement of passengers using equipment owned or operated by air carriers or contract service providers. We will provide a list of airlines, ground handlers, fixed base operators, and others who may have the necessary equipment and personnel to safely deplane passengers to diverted airlines as soon as practicable after receiving requests from such airlines experiencing excessive tarmac delays at the contact number listed above. In conjunction with services from air carriers, ground handlers, and/or FBOs, the BIAA can provide a 15-passenger shuttle bus from remote parking positions to the terminal building within approximately 1 hour after the shuttle is requested.

Plan to Provide for the Sharing of Facilities and Make Gates Available in an Emergency:

The gates with jet bridges at BIAA are under preferential lease to air carriers and are not fully controlled by the airport during those time periods when the tenant’s usage of that gate meets the usage specified in the preferential use lease. We may be able to direct a tenant airline to accommodate another air carrier aircraft at its preferentially leased gate during those time periods when the tenant airline is not using, or not scheduled to use, the gates. We will direct our tenant air carriers to make gates and other facilities 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. Additionally, there are two remote aircraft parking positions and four deicing pad parking positions that, depending upon the time of year and weather conditions, may or may not be available to park diverted aircraft. After all identified aircraft parking positions are occupied, certain taxiways may be available for use to park additional aircraft (see Figure 1).

Plan to Provide a Sterile Area for Passengers Who Have Not Cleared United States Customs and Border Protection:

BIAA does not have international passenger processing facilities. However, we have coordinated 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.

Public Access to the Tarmac Delay Contingency Plan:

BIAA will provide public access to its tarmac delay contingency plan by; posting it in a conspicuous location on the airport’s website; providing notice of the availability of the plan on the airport’s social media accounts, and providing copies of the plan to all airport tenants, the TSA, CBP, FAA, and the FNT Air Traffic Control Tower.