Costing aviation expansion projects
Air travel is booming with passengers expecting a better and more efficient airport experience. To meet demand, airports around the world will need to be improved or expanded. Aviation expert Bryony Martin identifies some key considerations when creating a new airport facility and the cost implications for airport operators.
Over the next 20 years, air passenger numbers are expected to double with 45 of the world’s 100 busiest airports already experiencing capacity issues. The figures, published in a recent International Air Transport Association (IATA) report, indicate a need for airports around the world to develop robust capital investment plans and development programmes to meet increasing demands.
To improve an existing airport’s performance, each aspect of the passenger journey needs to work seamlessly with the other, from arriving at the airport to take-off, with the use of smart technologies, such as autonomous vehicles which reportedly use 50 per cent less energy than fixed conveyors, and budget airplane operating models already driving more efficient use and management of assets and space.
However, there are a number of important considerations when undertaking any significant airport terminal development, such as future-proofing the design to harness new technologies, the implications of carrying out major works in an airside environment where safety and security are paramount and competition for resources.
There are also several key cost drivers: technology, resourcing, designing to budget, planning and site management. However, aviation terminal developments can generate significant opportunities to mitigate much of the capital expenditure incurred via a variety of tax reliefs and incentives.
We explore these issues and more in our cost model for a new airport facility with a gross internal area of around 50,000m2, with a focus on safety and the customer experience.
Download our aviation facility cost model here.