WE MINISTER:
- to employees working at airports, including flight deck and cabin crew of the airlines; and
- to passengers travelling through the airport who may have some special need; and
- which provides a place of prayer and worship if the opportunity is there (often called a Chapel or Prayer Room) and to care for it and maybe to provide times of prayer or services of worship, together with faith literature for the use of Chapel visitors.
- We are also drawn into further responsibilities by the airport authority, through close links at airport level. This includes providing for a special emergency response of spiritual first aid and human welfare at emergency centres set up in the case of a major aircraft accident or other airport or airline emergency incident.
Working out these responsibilities within the local situation at the airport becomes the daily work of the Airport Chaplain. Many varying opportunities for service and ministry will result. In the case of assistance to passengers, it has been called "ministry of the moment" - and the moment of encounter or engagement with the passenger needs to be taken proactively when possible. For ministry to staff, further opportunities will come through ongoing contact. In some situations this will involve mostly practical assistance, in others a readiness to give time and listen carefully, offering spiritual comfort and sometimes counsel - but always as a faith representative in the mission situation that is the airport. Coupled with all this will be the need and the desire to understand the regulations and operational procedures of the airport and the needs of the industry.
