GIAA’s air terminal manager told the Legislature on July 24 that the airport is undergoing a multiday FAA Part 139 certification inspection and that self‑inspection practices across airfield lighting, pavement and rescue equipment showed strong compliance.

Airfield and certification: Air terminal manager Juan Rages said GIAA’s annual FAA inspection covers more than 125 items and thousands of records; his staff include nine trained self‑inspectors who perform daily checks of movement areas and airfield lighting. Rages said the recent inspection found no unlit lighting fixtures, a result he attributed to rigorous self‑inspection and maintenance.

Emergency exercises and military operations: The authority described its full‑scale exercise program (required every 36 months) and credited recent multi‑agency tabletop exercises for identifying coordination gaps; the airport hosted a November 2023 full‑scale exercise that exercised hijack and crash scenarios and included medevac helicopter coordination. Rages said coordination with military exercises (eg, reform pack) had been planned to avoid disruption of commercial flights; sorties during the current military exercise were scheduled to avoid night operations and continue mainly in daytime windows.

Drones and tech stops: Rages described the airport’s approach to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Authorized drone operations require FAA registration of the device, a certified pilot, and a certificate of authorization coordinated through the tower and flight standards; unauthorized drones trigger a law‑enforcement response. The airport also serves as a technical stop for a range of aircraft (fuel, crew rest and minor maintenance), averaging about a dozen tech stops monthly, Rages said.

Infrastructure resilience and public safety: Senators asked about sidewalk and pedestrian safety adjacent to the terminal; GIAA said it is coordinating with public works and transit agencies to identify interim and longer‑term solutions for sidewalks and passenger access.

Ending: The airport will provide the committee with inspection findings and the schedule for upcoming full‑scale exercises, and continues coordination with FAA on safety and airfield projects.