This year, there have been a series of passenger plane accidents and troubles at Haneda Airport and New Chitose Airport. What are the serious issues at airports that cannot be said to be "unrelated" to the cause? Airport-spec fire trucks lined up right next to the runway. Some people even take photos in the driver's seat... The person in charge said, "We use 5,000 liters of water, mix 3% of the chemicals, and shoot it with a spray gun (to extinguish it)." Students gathered mainly in Sapporo listened to the explanation intently. Next, we headed to a hangar where jet towing vehicles and vehicles that refuel. What on earth are they doing? The person in charge said, "You can see (the refueling work) from the terminal, so we would be happy if you could see that this is the company and get to know us." It's a "tour" to see the work sites at airports that you don't usually have a chance to see. In fact, the "labor shortage" is a serious problem in the aviation industry, including New Chitose Airport. It is feared that the collision between aircraft on the 16th is not unrelated. Aviation commentator Hiroyuki Kobayashi: "At any airport, the labor shortage is a very big and serious problem. It also affects safety, so we need to quickly resolve the labor shortage among airport workers. And one of the key points is to ensure that they are adequately trained and skilled." Let's take another look at the labor shortage at New Chitose Airport, which is related not only to "tourism" but also to "air safety." New Chitose Airport is used by 24.6 million people a year (2019). With the COVID-19 pandemic under control, the airport has recently become crowded with many foreign tourists. Meanwhile, the number of people working at the airport peaked at about 9,000 in 2020, and at one point fell to about 7,600. As of April last year, the number has not yet returned to its original level of about 8,400. That's why the "Work Festival" was planned. 50 people, mainly university students from Sapporo, participated in the second tour of the year. Participant (University student): "I thought it was cool, so I took a ride. I'm starting to think that ground handling work is cool, so I'm glad I got to see it up close like this." "I'm most interested in ground service. Japan is a tourism-based country, so I think the aviation industry is an important company." The participants saw ground support work around the runway, snow removal, and firefighting. They also observed airport counters and security checks. It is said that the shortage of manpower is particularly serious for these ground jobs. Aviation and travel analyst Kotaro Toriumi: "The most noticeable is the security check staff. And then there are the ground staff and ground handling staff. There is a shortage of people who do things like loading luggage." So, a "working group" made up of Hokkaido Airport, which operates New Chitose Airport, and others, has been holding events to introduce airport jobs to students since last year. They are focusing on securing human resources. A Skymark representative who participated said, "There are few people who want to be ground handlers." A Senon representative in charge of security inspections said, "The current situation is that we can't open all the security checkpoints." This labor shortage is an issue at airports all over the country, but it is particularly noticeable at New Chitose Airport, according to aviation and travel analyst Toriumi. Aviation and travel analyst Toriumi Kotaro: "The number of international flights increased sharply during the inbound tourism popularity before COVID-19, especially in Hokkaido this winter, including the snow festival season. Then, for the three years of this COVID-19 pandemic, there were almost no international flights. In this situation, New Chitose Airport, in particular, is facing a serious labor shortage." As demand for air travel has fallen, the aviation industry has seen a rise in job-changers. On the other hand, while the number of foreign tourists has "recovered" more rapidly than expected since last spring, the recovery of manpower in the aviation industry has not kept up with it. Former Japan Airlines captain and aviation commentator Kobayashi Hiroyuki fears that such a situation "could threaten air safety." Aviation commentator Kobayashi Hiroyuki: "I don't know if this accident is related to the labor shortage, but in any case, it affects safety, so the airport staff shortage needs to be resolved quickly. And the key (to eliminating trouble) is to provide sufficient training and skills." Ground handling and security work, which are particularly severely understaffed, such as guiding aircraft and loading and unloading cargo, are often outsourced to local companies, and there are cases where people who changed jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic have not returned. Aviation and travel analyst Toriumi lists the following two points as key points for securing human resources in the future. ●Improve working conditions, such as raising wages [Reference] Average annual income (2023) Ground handling: Approximately 3.57 million yen Security inspection: Approximately 3.74 million yen *National average is 4.58 million yen (2022) ●Increase the number of full-time employees to ensure employment stability COVID-19 has created an image of instability, so this must be dispelled Airport work is done from early morning to late at night, so there are few students who want to work there. In November last year, ANA and JAL announced that they would standardize the qualifications for ground handling. The "Airport Job Festival in New Chitose Airport" will be held again next month on the 17th and 18th. Updated at 15:40 on Thursday, January 18, 2024 #Hokkaido #News #HBC ◆Please subscribe to the HBC News channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCTp