An internship with Abu Dhabi Airport entitled Abu Dhabi Airport Internship report completed in partial fulfilment of the requirements for CEHS 396-Internship in Homeland Security
Abstract
This report offers the description of my internship at the Abu Dhabi Airport Company (ADAC) in the United Arabs Emirates. Fundamentally, Abu Dhabi Airport is a public joint-stock organization that is fully owned by the Abu Dhabi government. It is located 16.5 nautical miles east of the Abu Dhabi City, which is the second largest city within the United Arab Emirates. My primary duties and responsibilities as an intern were to understand about the different airports security plans and the implementation and the maintenance of the passengers, baggage and the entire staff and to implement the security measure based on the quality standards and practices through internal procedure. Throughout the internship, I was able to gain considerable skills and knowledge in relation in various aspects such as project management, Security or Safety Management Systems, Lifecycle Acquisition Management, integrated logistics, and disaster planning and management through emergency response programs. These roles form integral components of the Homeland Security, whose roles is to ensure that the nation is secure, safe and resilient against issues such as terrorism, and other hazards. I was able to demonstrate an excellent professionalism, which was depicted through effective teamwork, leadership skills and unquestionable accountability, integrity and accountability. I am planning to join the airport as an homeland security professional.
Key words: Abu Dhabi, Internship
1.0 Introduction
1.1. Organization’s description
Abu Dhabi Airport Company (ADAC) is a governmental joint-stock organisation that is fully owned and controlled by the Abu Dhabi government. It is located 16.5 nautical miles east of the Abu Dhabi City, which is the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates. The airport was established in the year 2006 with the aim of spearheading and facilitating the redevelopment of the aviation infrastructures of the Emirates. Ideally, it is important to recognise that the Abu Dhabi Airport does well in taking important roles towards the fulfilment of the government’s vision 2030. On a wider note, the Abu Dhabi Airport owns and operates various airports, with each given specific travel segments to serve. In this way, the Abu Dhabi International Airport forms a greater component of the ADAC.
Other than the individual terminals within the central Abu Dhabi Airport, various companies also operate within it and therefore carry out different types of commercial activities. These companies include the Abu Dhabi Airport Business City, which operates its facilities at Abu Dhabi Airports. The company’s principal aim is to foster public and private partnerships, investments and the property development. Other companies that operate in a similar way include the Abu Dhabi Duty-Free and the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS). Since 2006, the airport has grown tremendously due to the excellent performance and services it offers. Additionally, it has received many prestigious awards from various prominent international and local organisations. Ideally. The Abu Dhabi’s operational excellence, marketing and training, and corporate responsibility initiatives have all contributed to this success.
1.2. The mission and vision of the Airport
Abu Dhabi Airport has its processes and activities propelled by the desire to realise its vision of being the globe’s best airport groups. The organisation’s vision statement is “to be the world’s leading airports groups”. The company’s mission is to become an efficient organisation with high performing people. Ideally, the company aims to realise its vision through enhancing a proper understanding of its customers and stakeholders. Conceivably, its goals at delivering a world class airport services and infrastructure to its clients. Finally, it aims at honouring its corporate and social responsibilities. To achieve its missions, Abu Dhabi Airport is guided various values and principles, which include being proactive and ambitious, being innovative and pragmatic, being focused and accountable and finally being collaborative and responsive.
1.3. Student’s responsibility
My primary responsibilities during the internship were to work with the security department. In this way, I was required to understand about the different airport's security plans and the implementation and the maintenance of the passengers, baggage and the entire staff. Besides, I was required also needed to implement the security measure based on the quality standards and practices through internal procedures.
2.0. Main Responsibilities, Activities, and Obligations
Getting an opportunity to do my internship at the Abu Dhabi Airport offered me the chance to carry out various duties, responsibilities and duties, which are beneficial to the organisation itself and myself. As an intern, my responsibilities depended on the department where I was attached to. Notably, I was able to carry out my duties in several departments that included the security, Quality Assurance and EHS, and Airside Safety. These roles form integral components of the Homeland Security, whose roles is to ensure that the nation is secure, safe and resilient against issues such as terrorism, and other hazards.
Within the Airport security department, the internship period took place between 26th June to 14th July and my duties involved:
Learn the strategies for implementing the security measure based on quality standards and the activities through internal procedures.
Understand the mechanisms of direct investigations on critical security breaches or violations.
Learn the methodologies of monitoring security equipment and ensure its availability, thus able to meet both the national, international security standards.
Understand ways to manage response plans to airport security events and incidents that may occur to minimise impact of occurrence
Within the Quality Assurance and EHS, the internship period took place between 17th July to 28th July and my duties involved the following:
Learn the ways to drive and leverage environment, health and safety performance across the Abu Dhabi Airports and ensure that the employees have a proper understanding of the workplace’s hazards and risks.
Understand about the deliver environment, health and safety training as required by the certifications that are obtained.
Learn about the decisions related to planning, purchasing and other things. This was made to ensure that the environment, health and safety requirements are being met and complied to.
In addition, I was required to learn about the ways of raising the awareness across the Abu Dhabi Airports in relation to significance of adhering to the regulations related to the airport environment, the health and safety that are related to the potential implications of not complying with the regulations within this environment.
Within the department of Airside Safety, the internship period took place between 14th August to 18th August and my duties and obligations included:
Understanding the manner to respond to any emergencies in the airside and conduct preliminary investigation in the case of the incident in the airside.
Understanding the ways to handle the activities of Airside Permit (ADP) utilizations.
Understand the ways of conducting the airside safety awareness on the regular basis with an aim of ensuring that all airsides users are knowledgeable on the ways of preventing any injury to other personnel and other properties.
In addition, I was required to understand the processing of the Airside Vehicle Permit in relation to the Airport Security, thus ensuring all the essential documents are complete and the vehicles are safe for operation.
In the department of Safety Management System (SMS), my duties and obligations included;
Understanding the manner in which the implementation and improvement of SMS throughout the ADAC is carried out.
Understanding work plans, safety cases and the risks assessments in relation to the processes and the activities that take place within the Abu Dhabi Airport.
Finally, my duty and obligation within this department entailed understanding the handling procedures and mechanisms of the CAAP59 document, and its submission to the GCAA as part of the regulatory requirements. All these have greater impacts on the aerodrome infrastructure.
3.0. Lessons learned during the Internships
The Airport Security Management internship program provided me with the opportunities to learn the complex and dynamic profession of the airport security management. Ranging from the operations to security, I was able to develop and shape my personal organisation, and communication skills. Conceivably, I was able to develop my project management skills in the process of gaining the hands-on education in the highly specialised skills in the management of the security within the airport. My major focus during the internship involved carrying out various duties, responsibilities and obligations in three departments, namely the Airport Security Department, Environment, Health and Safety, Airside Safety, and the Security Management Systems (SMS).
As mentioned, my duties involved; (1). To understand about the different airport’s security plans and the implementation and maintaining whereby passengers’ baggage, staff, in addition to the users are safe ad protected from the unlawful acts, (2). Learn the strategies for implementing the security measure based on quality standards and the activities through internal procedures and finally (3). Understand the mechanisms of direct investigations on critical security breaches or violations. Overall, I was able to gain considerable knowledge and responsibilities about the Airport Security Management Systems (SMS), which broadly integrated various capabilities such as the Lifecycle Acquisition Management, the programs management, Technology Assessment and Evaluation, the policy analysis and regulatory development and the integrated logistics. In reality, I believe that my roles as a security manager intern were vital in making sure that there was efficient and compliance operation, especially in within such changing systems of the criminal attacks on the civil aviation and security regulations. A closer look at the SMS reveals that it is a set of the Abu Dhabi Airport’s security policies and guidelines which form an integral part of the whole organisation. In this way, it qualifies to be an element of the airport’s corporate social responsibility.
3.1. Gained knowledge and skills in Lifecycle Acquisition Management
As mentioned, I succeeded in gaining considerable experience in various aspects such as the Lifecycle Acquisition Management. As an intern, I was able to gain appropriate knowledge and skills concerning the support services for the engineered airport systems from the objective needs analysis and the requirement analysis, which all provide valuable oversight for the development, deployment and the in-service airport management. In this way, working under the Airports Quality Assurance Department enabled me to learn the ways to drive and leverage environment, health and safety performance across the Abu Dhabi Airports and thus ensuring that the employees have a proper understanding of the workplace’s hazards and risks. Besides, I gain a deeper understanding and knowledge about the delivery environment, health and safety training as required by the certifications obtained from the regulatory bodies. Moreover, I was able to learn about the decisions that are connected to airport planning processes, purchasing and other things. Ideally, all these are usually carried ensure that the environment, health and safety requirements and standards are met and complied with.
3.2. Project management skills
Acquisition of the knowledge on project management during the internship program was one of the major achievements. Ideally, the Airport Internship Program integrated a performance-based approach to project management. In this regard, I got an opportunity to utilise the piloted implementations of best programs related to project management practices and instruments, in addition to the effective utilisation of the performance metrics. Notably, the employment of this approach during my internship at the Abu Dhabi Airports enabled me to undertake effective executive decision-making about the objectives measures of the performance. While working within the Department of Safety Management System (SMS), I gained a deeper understanding of various ways related to the handling procedures and mechanisms of the CAAP59 document, including its submission to the GCAA, which all form part of the regulatory requirements. Ideally, these practices have substantial impacts on the aerodrome infrastructure.
3.3. Integrated logistics
Notably, I also gained substantial ideas in relation to the analysis and planning needed to deliver a complete logistics solutions for complex programs carried out within the Abu Dhabi Airport. This programs were integrated the logistic planning, assessments, RMA and the maintenance, thereby ensuring the optimal systems performance. On a wider note, I was able to acquire a deeper understanding of ways of implementing and improving SMS throughout the ADAC. Moreover, was able to understand work plans, safety cases and the risks assessments about the processes and the activities that take place within the entire airport.
As part of the internship programs, learning about disaster planning and management emerged as one of the major achievement and an outcome during my internship. The airports’ Emergency Response Plan (ERP) developed to be a valuable tool for all airport stakeholders, through the provision of clear direction for the actions, thereby leading to the exposure of the pain points that could average a real response. The program has therefore helped me develop a response plan that integrates or unites aircraft operators, airport authorities and the ground service providers, in addition to the state emergency response organisations. In general, I was able to learn and gain a deeper understanding of ways to which I could respond to any emergencies in the airside and conduct the preliminary investigation in the case of the incident in the airside.
4.0. What I will do differently If given the opportunity
The internships are not always completed with ease. My internship at the Abu Dhabi Airports consisted of both challenges and success; all of which are vital things in an individual’s professional development. As mentioned, I was able to understand the different airport’s security plans and the implementation and maintaining whereby passengers’ baggage, staff, in addition to the users are safe ad protected from the unlawful acts. Conceivably, I learnt the strategies of implementing the security measure based on quality standards and the activities through internal procedures.
I will start by demonstrating a professional behaviour from the first day. It will mean that even during the interview for that particular internships, I will be sure to notice some of the basic and common things with the organization. Such things will include taking a keener note of the mode of dressing and the ways of conducting meeting.
When it comes to prioritisation of work, I will focus on putting my best effort into every task am assigned. It is true that I will get bored up by some assignments but I will still apply in the same efforts and attention as I can to make the projects more exiting and highly productive. Through a consistent production of excellent results, I will be able to prove to my manager and other people at the organization that I am a professional with immeasurable capabilities, and who is willing to take any given duty whenever assigned. Lastly, I will build relationships with my manager and the co-workers so as to increase the chances of being hired full time.
5.0. Next career step
Creating an effective career step after internship is among the major problems that fresh graduates from the universities face. As an intern, I was able to gain appropriate knowledge and skills in relation to the support services for the engineered airport systems from the objective needs analysis and the requirement analysis, which all provide valuable oversight for the development, deployment and the in-service airport management. Ideally, these roles form integral components of the Homeland Security, whose roles is to ensure that the nation is secure, safe and resilient against issues such as terrorism, and other hazards. The next step after the completion of this internship will be building my career to find a suitable job that matches my skills and knowledge as a homeland security professional. Various initiatives and actions will facilitate this ambitions.
In this way, I will become vocal about my interests for future additional work together, should it be a possibility. This will be accompanied by requesting a written recommendation from my managers, bosses and the supervisor for the previous internship opportunity carried at the Abu Dhabi. In addition, I will update my resume and ultimately ask my supervisor to facilitate my understanding in describing my duties, responsibilities, obligations and the achievements during the internship. I will thereafter stay in touch possibly through making follow-up with the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) to secure a lucrative position within the airport. In this way, I will be able to be notified regarding the emerging job updates within my areas of interest and specialization. Lastly, I will reflect whatever I learnt in the internship in any job opportunity that I will secure. This will help refine my career goals based on what I desire to do and what I do not intend to do.
