AIRDAT is pleased to announce the return of Airside Driver Training to London Gatwick Airport, delivered exclusively via AIRDAT Passport and our onsite team. 

Working with the airport directly over the last few weeks, the team has been able to pull together an entirely new, world leading process that provides Gatwick with greater visibility, control and assurance around their scheme, whilst helping to mitigate the COVID-19 risk for candidates.  Here’s a snapshot of that process:

From today, ADP learning material will be delivered exclusively via an online eLearning course, available for enrolment via AIRDAT Passport.  The content includes a range of tailored live action videos, feature 3D animations, imagery, iconography and quizzes that ensures learners remain engaged and have understood the material, prior to a 30 question assessment that is fully integrated into the course. 

Once completed, a certificate can be printed that includes an area for companies to sign off that a ‘vehicle familiarisation’ has been carried out for each piece of kit the candidate will be operating. 

Next comes a full Airside Tour – which must be booked within 60 days of completing the eLearning.  When booking the tour using Passport, users will be required to upload copies of their DVLA check certificate (or non-UK licence declaration), their ADP medical certificate, the completed vehicle familiarisation certificate and, in addition, they must take a photo.  These are validated by the AIRDAT team.  

Our whole tour operation has been fully risk assessed and where possible, we have mitigated COVID-19 hazards to a minimum.   Our new processes include:

  • Drastically reduced numbers per course in the tour vehicle
  • Candidates are required to complete a COVID Health Questionnaire prior to attending
  • Candidates must bring their own face coverings to be worn at all times
  • Temperature checks prior to being accepted onto the course
  • Candidates will be asked to utilise hand sanitiser at the start and end of the course
  • Strict boarding and disembarking procedures to minimise any contact
  • Where possible, windows will be left open to assist with better ventilation
  • The training vehicle is thoroughly cleaned between sessions and further decontaminated using antiviral products each day
  • Our team will be using appropriate PPE

At the end of the tour, candidates will be issued with their Airside Driving Permits.  

In addition, we have new processes to enable Airside Driver Medicals to take place too – and continue to offer consolidated ‘ADP Medical + Airside Tour’ courses for convenience. 

All of this has been implemented without the need for any additional fees to our end customers.  ADP’s remain the same price as they were in 2019 for both 3rd parties and Ground Handling Organisations.  With our Stripe Card integration, it’s even easier to make and manage your bookings. 

Bringing all these elements together in such a tight timescale takes a huge amount of team work – especially when handled remotely too.  Our thanks go out to the GAL Ops team, in particular Derek Carlton (Gatwick’s Airside Training Manager) and the Gatwick Procurement & Legal teams.  In addition, internally, Chris Harvey, David Lane, Rupert Willis and Rebecca Mason – our Video Production team Mark Castro & Max Philo and our eLearning partners, Nimble – it wouldn’t have been possible without your dedication.

Our team is really looking forward to welcoming you back airside at Gatwick during this new ‘normal’ – we promise there are big smiles behind the masks and we are very pleased to see you again! 

For more information on this process and support head to https://support.airdat.org/article/454-gatwick-adp-process 

If you are an airport that needs to adapt to the ‘new normal’ with potentially limited resources, AIRDAT has the team and the tech to help.  Get in touch via [email protected] or 01227 200066.