Mumbai Terminal 2 - Arup led the entire Operational Readiness Activation and Transition (ORAT) process, transforming the building from a construction site to a fully operational environment.

We work to ensure all dimensions of airport operational life are aligned and harmonious, leading to an organisation that’s ready to address operational challenges and infrastructure changes, from senior leadership down to frontline operatives.

Operational performance improvement

Detailed, holistic understanding of a business is essential to successful, sustained performance improvement. We provide operations consulting services to support airlines and airport operators in the planning, implementation and ongoing improvement of their operations. We help our clients to establish and deliver sustainable business improvement through a combination of specific aviation sector experience in operations management and performance improvement with wider cross-industry expertise.

Asset management 

Our teams develop robust and reliable asset management solutions essential for long-term business stability, preservation and resilience. Our analysis examines whole life considerations of critical assets to ensure they meet the needs of the business and remain valuable for the long term. We assist our clients to make informed decisions in line with their business objectives, linking the top-level drivers with Asset Management activities as they are carried out on the ground. This “line of sight” enables the management of assets to be optimised over the entire asset life cycle based on informed decisions and to ensure the tools are in place to implement these decisions–all within a strategic business framework and best practice asset management principles.

Baggage handling systems

Baggage handling is central to the success and efficiency of airport operations. With a team of experts drawn from airlines, airports and system suppliers, we are able to provide an independent and pragmatic approach to planning, design and implementation of systems and operations. We are uniquely able to develop solutions, fully integrated and coordinated with passenger processes and IT systems with terminal and airside infrastructure, be they for new facilitates or upgrades of existing installations.

Logistics

Our logistics team helps airports to ensure the efficient inward and outward movement of goods, people, waste and resources. We develop efficient and effective logistics strategies for retail, servicing, trolleys and ground support equipment, which inform the planning, design and operation of airport infrastructure. Clients gain a sustainable goods in/waste out logistics design, analysis and plan tailored to existing and future airport operations.

Operational readiness, activation and transition (ORAT)

Airports are under increasing competitive pressures to enhance the passenger, visitor and staff experience. They need to become operationally more efficient and effective. There are opportunities to generate new revenues from technology-driven services. There are challenges to effectively integrate technology into capital programmes. And every airport eventually faces the need to successfully bring new terminals and related facilities into operation. 

Our ORAT process prepares airport operators for all of these and many other challenges. We combine our understanding of the built environment, with the operational needs of an airport, our in-depth technical knowledge and our people and process specialists to provide a globally experienced team that mitigates client risk to provide a successful opening day of a new facility.