| | MARCH 20208Vantage Point By Jairam Panch, Managing Director, Turner India T he projected growth of aviation and its contribution to the over-all economy in years to come is quite encouraging; however, the deep-rooted challenges in its construc-tion which have shown several symp-toms of their existence time and again need to be addressed with due atten-tion, implementation and action. Airport projects are quite complex with their unique nuances and idiosyn-crasies. The construction of an airport entails a diversity of activities and pro-grams at the airside, terminal as well as landside zones. The airport operator is responsible for proper management of air transport operations as well as coordination with the contractor and other agencies. The success of well managed Airport development starts with developing a good strategy to manage several factors which may be operational, technical, financial, the environmental, legal, political or cul-tural in nature. Needless to mention that numerous stakeholders, regula-tory bodies, tools, techniques, manag-ers and staff, and workers need to be aligned for a favorable outcome. Project success, especially in the Aviation realm, depends significantly on how well the project planning and management is executed along with the coordination, communication, and interaction among the various func-tional units that bind the construction, strategy and operational value chains. Such synergies can be facilitated by efficient Project Management experts, and the infographic depicted below is an overview of how project man-agement capabilities can enhance the operations at every aspect and phase of construction.Integrated single team of operator and consultants with clearly defined goals, shared responsibilities and ac-countability at all levels regardless of whether they are client or consultant is an important ingredient for the suc-cess of the project. Mature and stable leaders with excellent people skills, able to form a team, develop and men-tor are needed at all times. While tech-nical skills are definitely essential, but people skills are extremely important and becomes single most factor that drives success.The next important ingredient for the success is communication and col-laboration across team. The team shall develop clear communication strategy, communication platform, documenta-tion procedure, internal and external communication guidelines. A defined approach will improve the integrat-ed team's efficiency, decision making, communication procedures and deal with adversities if and when they arise. Poor communication between key stakeholders have also been leading to delays, accidents, costly rework, and unhappy project team. The pattern of communication impacts the progress of a construction project. Challenges THE INCREASING SIGNIFICANCE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
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