ATLANTA, Georgia (Atlanta News First) – A new drone program at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport was fully showcased Tuesday during the airport’s Operations, Safety, Security and Risk Expo.

“We come together and really share knowledge,” said Jordan Biegler, deputy general manager for operations at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The expo, now in its eighth year, was held at the Georgia International Convention Center, bringing together representatives from several of the country’s largest airlines, including Atlanta-based Delta, and other industry experts all in one location.

“We offer educational workshops and live demonstrations,” said Biegler.

One of these live demonstrations included Hartsfield-Jackson’s new drone inspection program, which launched in early January.

Geoffrey Gaskin leads the team tasked with ensuring the airport’s perimeter fence is secure and the runways are level and clear of debris. Today, drones are helping with this process.

“We actually found some depressions in the security areas that we hadn’t noticed and couldn’t see because of the grass cover and things like that. That really helped us improve our performance,” said Geoffrey Gaskin, deputy director of flight operations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Atlanta’s 1,800-hectare airport, along with Los Angeles International Airport and New York’s LaGuardia Airport, is now able to use state-of-the-art aviation technology to ensure the safety of its more than 100 million passengers year-round.

“When I get home, I fly around the neighborhood or something like that – but now I can do that and get paid for it, and that’s even better,” Gaskin said.

During the Expo, the airport management honored 23 airport employees who are actively committed to safety in the workplace.

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