We safeguard our ‘crown’
Guus Vlaming-security manager international stations-together with his team they do everything to protect KLM from external threats. “Whether its demonstrations in Bangkok or that drones have been spotted around the airport of Damman; everything that happens in the world has an impact on safety. It means that not a single day is the same!” Curious as to why this is? Read on and step into the forever changing world of Guus!
Together with a small team of specialists, Guus searches for potential risks for KLM. Simply said: they advise and implement regulations for anything that could potentially harm any part of KLM. ‘So: colleagues, airplanes, buildings and our operation’, says Guus. ‘Especially since the MH17 crash we work more proactively and our responsibilities have considerably grown.’ No sinecure, as aviation is all about safety. Hence Guus and his team map out the risks, they either squash them or take measures to minimize them. Day in, day out.
We safeguard our ‘crown’
Guus Vlaming-security manager international stations-together with his team they do everything to protect KLM from external threats. “Whether its demonstrations in Bangkok or that drones have been spotted around the airport of Damman; everything that happens in the world has an impact on safety. It means that not a single day is the same!” Curious as to why this is? Read on and step into the forever changing world of Guus!
Together with a small team of specialists, Guus searches for potential risks for KLM. Simply said: they advise and implement regulations for anything that could potentially harm any part of KLM. ‘So: colleagues, airplanes, buildings and our operation’, says Guus. ‘Especially since the MH17 crash we work more proactively and our responsibilities have considerably grown.’ No sinecure, as aviation is all about safety. Hence Guus and his team map out the risks, they either squash them or take measures to minimize them. Day in, day out.
Courtesy visits
Whether it concerns crew baggage that arrive at an outstation or writing a risk profile for a crew hotel in the Middle East; if you work at Security Services, you are in touch with every part of KLM. From the Baggage Hall to the 7th floor at our head office. The variation, being in touch with colleagues of all ranks; that’s what makes it so interesting for Guus. ‘The international aspect of course also contributes. We frequently visit KLM outstations and make- also very important- curtesy visits to airports and local authorities.’
‘Building a network and maintaining it, is essential in obtaining actual information. And you must be aware of cultural differences. The way of working with Europeans is completely different to working with Asians. I recall my first visit to China well. At the Ministry of Police and Tourism, dressed in a light grey suit. Smartly dressed I thought. Then a colleague of the Dutch embassy whispered in my ear that if you wear a dark blue suit that they you far more serious.... Or in India, where you do not finalize business in an hour. Of course not. You introduce yourself, place your business card on the table and drink thee with one another. You talk smalltalk. Only after about 1,5 hour you carefully start to make the conversation more business orientated.’
‘Building a network and maintaining it, is essential in obtaining actual information. And you must be aware of cultural differences. The way of working with Europeans is completely different to working with Asians. I recall my first visit to China well. At the Ministry of Police and Tourism, dressed in a light grey suit. Smartly dressed I thought. Then a colleague of the Dutch embassy whispered in my ear that if you wear a dark blue suit that they you far more serious.... Or in India, where you do not finalize business in an hour. Of course not. You introduce yourself, place your business card on the table and drink thee with one another. You talk smalltalk. Only after about 1,5 hour you carefully start to make the conversation more business orientated.’
Taxi driver
'This department is really a very modern company within KLM. We are agile and there is little hierarchy. You are able to do a lot yourself and you have an unprecedented amount of freedom for such a large corporation. I think that our department is a blueprint for the future. This is also necessary to be able to attract and retain knowledgeable workers. Young people now active in the labour market, live in a world where they believe that anything and everything is possible. They think that anything goes and that you should immediately change jobs if you can earn a little more elsewhere or are enjoying it a little less at that moment.'
Taxi driver
'This department is really a very modern company within KLM. We are agile and there is little hierarchy. You are able to do a lot yourself and you have an unprecedented amount of freedom for such a large corporation. I think that our department is a blueprint for the future. This is also necessary to be able to attract and retain knowledgeable workers. Young people now active in the labour market, live in a world where they believe that anything and everything is possible. They think that anything goes and that you should immediately change jobs if you can earn a little more elsewhere or are enjoying it a little less at that moment.'
From crew hotel to airspace
Because KLM also flies to politically unstable countries, and our crew spends the night there, KLM takes care of their safety. Guus: ‘A few years ago it was very restless in Bangkok. Demonstrations of red and yellow shirts led to unrest in the streets. In such a case we use a threat-analysis to make a risk assessment. By doing so we could mitigate the risk for the crew by rerouting them from the airport to their hotel and hence by passing any possible demonstrations.’
From crew hotel to airspace
Because KLM also flies to politically unstable countries, and our crew spends the night there, KLM takes care of their safety. Guus: ‘A few years ago it was very restless in Bangkok. Demonstrations of red and yellow shirts led to unrest in the streets. In such a case we use a threat-analysis to make a risk assessment. By doing so we could mitigate the risk for the crew by rerouting them from the airport to their hotel and hence by passing any possible demonstrations.’
COVID-19 requires measures
‘The COVID-19 pandemic also effects our work. Imagine that there are no more security checks at a South American airport because of the 1,5-meter rule. Then we need to check if the local authorities are still doing the work, we require them to do so. KLM does want all passengers checked because of the possibility of carrying illegal items which we do not want in our airplanes.’
‘Besides this, the many restrictions from abroad are challenging. When a country decides that a PCR test is mandatory for our crew, then KLM will do everything in its power that the crew does not need to spend the night in that country. We do not want our crew to have to stay in case of a positive test. And most definitely not in Central Africa, for example. We can advise an alternative route. For example, India, together with our Netwerk Department the routing was changed. A stopover in Dubai, where the crew spends the night but also switches.’
External threats will always remain, albeit in different shapes and forms. Every situation requires its own way of dealing with it. There is never a dull moment for Guus and his team, sometimes that have to mitigate on the spot. Guus agrees: ‘I always say: the only way to learn is to just do it! It sometimes requires you to step-up, but the advantage is that over the past 14 years I have never been bored.’
COVID-19 requires measures
‘The COVID-19 pandemic also effects our work. Imagine that there are no more security checks at a South American airport because of the 1,5-meter rule. Then we need to check if the local authorities are still doing the work, we require them to do so. KLM does want all passengers checked because of the possibility of carrying illegal items which we do not want in our airplanes.’
‘Besides this, the many restrictions from abroad are challenging. When a country decides that a PCR test is mandatory for our crew, then KLM will do everything in its power that the crew does not need to spend the night in that country. We do not want our crew to have to stay in case of a positive test. And most definitely not in Central Africa, for example. We can advise an alternative route. For example, India, together with our Netwerk Department the routing was changed. A stopover in Dubai, where the crew spends the night but also switches.’
External threats will always remain, albeit in different shapes and forms. Every situation requires its own way of dealing with it. There is never a dull moment for Guus and his team, sometimes that have to mitigate on the spot. Guus agrees: ‘I always say: the only way to learn is to just do it! It sometimes requires you to step-up, but the advantage is that over the past 14 years I have never been bored.’