"The new

policies and procedures detailed in this report will seek to ensure that

in the event of severe winter weather that disrupts airline service, passengers

will be kept informed and accommodated comfortably in the airport instead

of on an aircraft," said John Selvaggio, Delta Air Lines' senior

vice president, airport customer service, and task force cochairman.

"The task

force's cooperative effort will allow us to continue to put customer's

concerns first.

In the report,

the task force set forth several objectives which seek to maximize customer

service, including:

F Developing

and implementing an early warning system that will ensure that all key

personnel within the airport community including the Department of Aviation,

vendors of airport food and custodial services, the airlines and the FAA

are prepared more than 48 hours prior to forecasted severe winter weather.

F Implementing

a quick response effort to reduce delays on the ramp.

F Ensuring

that passengers inconvenienced by snow conditions are offered all necessary

accommodations and provisions while waiting.

F Communicating

effectively, both internally and externally, to inform passengers about

the weather and its impact on their travel plans.

The task force

was created Jan. 8 in response to the disruption of flights scheduled

and the customer service issues that arose during the unexpectedly heavy

snowstorm the prior week, Jan. 2-3. The snowstorm brought more than 4.6

inches of snow and resulted in thousands of passengers being stranded

at Hartsfield for extended periods of time.

"The severe

winter weather event of Jan. 2 resulted in scores of passengers being

stranded on aircraft, some for as long as nine hours," said DeCosta.

"Hartsfield, the city of Atlanta, the FAA, Delta and AirTran, as

well as other members of the airport community, have developed solutions

and ongoing collaborative protocols to ensure that that kind of situation

never arises again."

The SWAT team

met weekly over the past six weeks to develop the report. For a complete

copy of the report log on to Hartsfield's Web site at www.atlanta-airport.com

and click on "Things To Know."