RC121 NovDec 2025 - Magazine - Page 20
AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION
you get the product put in place once, that you don’t have to come
back and tear things out and redo them.”
For Xuereb, the responsibility extends to every subcontractor.
“Challenging the process, holding all of our subcontractors to the
same level of quality expectations—it is a feat. But it has to start from
the very beginning and be maintained right to the very end.”
Jog added the owner’s perspective, including monitoring how facilities are actually used.
Without those being the top priority things like cameras and doors
and air handling units wouldn’t function. Even something as simple
as a door in an airport takes about 12 trades.”
Jog emphasized the human side. “You have mechanical components, you have technological components, electrical, and then most
importantly you have human components. Even making sure that the
sta昀昀 understands how the ORAT process works is a big key.”
Airside vs. landside
Di昀昀erent zones present di昀昀erent challenges, according to Xuereb.
“Airports are not designed to take this large
quantity of tra昀케c. Nothing’s o昀昀 the table if it
assists operations. The transition from land side to
air side is the largest challenge for most airports.”
Jog added:
“For airside construction you’re basically
shutting down 昀氀ights. Landside projects, you’re
dealing with the human component. Managing
and trying to dictate human behavior doesn’t
always go your way. A successful outcome of a project means a happy
passenger going through your airport.”
For Kelley, you can’t separate landside from airside.
“The terminal has both landside and airside. We built a satellite concourse in the middle of the active aircraft operating area, but we came
up with a plan to change the secure line and actually make it land side
to start with.”
“Managing and trying to dictate human behavior doesn’t
always go your way. A successful outcome of a project means
a happy passenger going through your airport.”
“Even if the designer had the best quality product installed how
somebody ends up using it abuses the product unfortunately. That is
only made possible when you have a good standard of quality management program established.”
Security clearances and material logistics
Airports are also high-security environments, which a昀昀ects both personnel and materials explained Jog.
“During onboarding we expect [contractors] to go through their
security clearances. When you do not have a designer or a constructor
holding the security clearance, then we also have a security contracting 昀椀rm that escorts construction teams in and out of those high secure
areas.”
Kelley noted that design regulations vary depending on whether
work is in domestic or international areas, and contractors must adapt
accordingly.
Xuereb highlighted the strain of managing large workforces and
deliveries.
“Badging o昀케ces are not designed to take three, 4,000 people. Everything has to come on a transport truck, so you can imagine what that
volume looks like. Airports are unique. Having tra昀케c studies done
by professionals is very important because the constructor is going to
exhaust local roadways that are not normally designed for that kind of
tra昀케c.”
Jog added: “Just to get air side, you 昀椀rst have to go through the
primary security line … then non-passenger vehicle screenings. It can
be very time-consuming … planning and coordinating and working
together is the key.”
ORAT: Operational readiness
The operational readiness and airport transfer (ORAT) process ensures
all systems work before opening, something everyone involved in an
airport construction project must keep in mind from the very beginning, explained Kelley.
“First line you draw on a piece of paper must be thinking about
how the owner is going to accept this. All these pieces are so interrelated from a technology standpoint today that you really need an
integrator who understands and can bring all those pieces together.”
Xuereb highlighted PCL’s recent work at Los Angeles International
Airport (LAX) as an example.
“There were 26 IT rooms that were literally the brain of the project.
20—RENEW CANADA – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
Looking ahead
The panel closed the discussion looking to the future.
Jog spoke of major projects in Edmonton and beyond.
“We are the gateway to the north. Our cargo operations are one of
a kind. A lot of our assets are at the end of their life cycle. So again,
a lot of large-scale projects coming through the pipeline. Stay tuned,
everybody. Lots coming down for all the airports.”
Kelley highlighted both demand and technology.
“The North American market takes up over 50 per cent of all global
air tra昀케c and facilities age three times faster than any other type of
building. Within the next 昀椀ve years, you will not even need your
smartphone to go through the process. It’s going to be all biometrics.”
Xuereb saw both opportunity and challenge ahead.
“We see quite a bit of pursuits ahead of us in terms of growth in airports. It’s great for the economy, but it also gives us a glimpse of how
we have to prepare our market to be ready for these large expansions
across the country.”
Final reflections
The ultimate measure of success, according to the panelists is the
passenger journey.
“What we really want to do is think about how the passenger is going to be more relaxed, more comfortable in the setting,” said Kelley.
“One of the things most people don’t realize is all the things that go
into actually putting together a project.”
For Xuereb, satisfaction comes when “the owner, architect, and
contractor are completely satis昀椀ed with what we’ve given them as an
end product, both in functionality and in quality.”
For Jog, passengers are king.
“I can’t emphasize enough on how much a passenger journey
means to the airport. By constructing projects, by enhancing functionality and end user requirements, which are again the passengers, is the
key for us.”
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