The Aviation Changemaker

United States | Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Reading Time : 4:30 minutes

Spending time with her father while he worked at airports growing up in the Dominican Republic gave Indhira a front row seat to the inner workings of these complex facilities and sparked her passion for aviation design. Indhira brings her experience with large scale program work to the future planning and customer experience needs of the “mini cities” that are today’s airports. From landside to terminal to airside, Indhira understands how technology intersects with planning, design, construction and operations to create a seamless ultimate passenger experience.

Describe the responsibilities of your position and describe your background/experience?

I am an engineering geologist by degree, so that's an interesting mix. I began my career studying small particles below ground and now I work above ground planning, designing and program/construction managing large facilities for airport. I've been providing civil engineering services for various infrastructure programs and projects including maritime, transit, highway and bridge facilities and now airports, which I've been doing solely for the last 15 years.

Airports were my summer camp. My dad ran all the operations for the airports in the Dominican Republic back in the 1980s.

Currently, I run the national aviation business for WSP in the U.S. and it's been amazing! I really enjoy talking to clients about how we can help them improve their facilities with designs that are more innovative and sustainable.

Indhira with WSP colleagues, Sofia Berger and Sean McIntire during construction at Denver International Airport Concourse Expansion project, which was recognized by Engineering News Record as a Southeast 2023 Best Project of the Year.

What inspires or motivates you in your career?

I love what I do. I love seeing the final product. I love seeing how we are serving our communities. Safe, efficient and reliable infrastructure is critical. Airports are mini cities. They provide jobs and help support the economy of the area.

Being part of a professional services like WSP really fulfills me. When I go on vacation with my kids, they ask, “Mommy, did you work in this airport?” That motivates me to continue on, to leave a legacy for my family and making them proud of what we are leaving behind for future generations.

What is the biggest challenge in your field that you're working to help resolve?

The biggest challenge in our field right now is people. We've had a shortage of professionals in the aviation industry for several years now. One of the things I'm doing is working with organizations to promote a career in aviation starting at the middle school and high school level to get students interested in the field very early on.

Another challenge is technology. How fast can we pick up technology to make airports more user friendly when arriving, going through checkpoints and getting to the gate? That is something we're doing as we develop responses to planning efforts and designs. What innovative ideas can be brought forward to enhance airport capacity?

Presenting during the SOARS event in Seattle for the Airport Minority Advisory Council. Indhira currently serves as the organization’s Northeast Regional Director.

What are some impactful projects that you've been part of?

I think Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York was an impactful project for me. We were expanding the size of the terminal, and I was pregnant at the time, so I remember it very clearly! I was concerned about delivering the program before the baby was born but I was supported by everybody, and the end product was fantastic.

Time passes, passenger needs change, and the region has grown so fast and we are back at that terminal again. Getting to see what I worked on in the past brings back great memories but now I am excited about connecting with the client to improve, expand and make their facilities Future Ready®. I’ve come full circle here. It’s very fulfilling that way.

Why do you enjoy working at WSP?

It's easy, it’s the people. I love working with the team. The team is so wonderful, so cohesive. They are very eager to know what's next and get engaged. I love to help to mentor too. People are the biggest differentiator for WSP. They are technically capable and wonderful to work with.

Indhira speaking at the Denver International Airport Concourse Expansion project ribbon cutting. WSP is the Program Manager overseeing the delivery of 39 additional gates across concourses A, B and C.

So what are some of the solutions for building a more resilient Florida that you're passionate about?

Climate change and the intensity of storms is a factor up and down the East coast. I think getting really bold in terms of how you're going to change things is important. For example, Orlando Airport suffered with horrible storm flooding problems because their drainage system could not handle all that water at once. How do we capture and divert water in a way that is innovative for the future while protecting people and keeping the airport running?

Our teams are identifying the problems and with that, we can come up with very ingenious solutions on how to make sure that airport assets are improved and more resilient to storm events.

What is critical or what trends do you see for Florida aviation agencies and/or operators?

Right now, overall, the big trend is electrification and energy transition. Clean air and clean transportation are very big focuses for everyone in the industry. Every airline, every airport is concentrating on how to reduce that carbon footprint.

The catch is—where do I put all the infrastructure to power my facilities? For example, where do I put the microgrid and hydrogen fueling infrastructure? We need to plan and look at the costs associated with these changes to significantly reduced carbon emissions and work toward net zero.