Since planning for infrastructure is a long-term process, how can airport master plans be successful, especially amid rapid technological change?
Juan Negroni: In relation to future master plans concerning the regional airport system, it has become evident that these plans should encompass a broader perspective, treating the airports within the region as a cohesive system. This approach will enable significantly enhanced synergies and complementary aspects among these airports.
To illustrate, let’s take as an example the primary airport of Chile, located in Santiago. Originally designed for 25 million passengers annually, AMB boasts two terminals and two runways. However, it lacks any nearby backup. In the event of a disruptive occurrence, most of the traffic would need to be redirected to smaller airfields, which, unfortunately, do not have the capacity to efficiently manage such an influx of traffic and passengers. El Plumerillo Airport, also called Gobernador Francisco Gabrielli International Airport, located in Mendoza, Argentina, is one of the designated emergency backup airports for AMB. However, this airport is not equipped with the infrastructure capacity to handle large international flights and is situated 400 kilometres away from AMB. This distance renders it impractical to provide a true backup solution. A similar situation can be observed in Lima for Jorge Chavez International Airport.
Therefore, it is imperative that long-term planning not only considers the expansion of AMB, as an example, but also the establishment of a robust backup network. Ensuring that airports in Latin America can support each other during emergencies will be crucial for maintaining seamless operations and enhancing the passenger experience.
In the same manner, this broader view must include all the aeronautical systems, such as the traffic control systems, to help relieve the traffic bottlenecks that affect many locations in Latin America, in addition to improving systems for safety, efficiency and security matters.
Alberto Ruiz: Successful short- and long-term airport planning will also depend on a deep understanding of the local market needs and aligning them with government policies. This will require active engagement between airport authorities, local communities and government stakeholders to secure funding and develop resilient long-term environmentally friendly planning strategies that promote connectivity and sustainability. Latin America’s airports hold tremendous potential to become global models of green aviation infrastructure—but only if sustainability is embedded into the core of airport planning from the onset.
The key to transforming airports in Latin America into global models of sustainable aviation is shifting the master planning to proactive, systems-based design, integrating environmental, social and economic sustainability across all aspects of airport development. It is essential that airports are planned for the future by integrating cutting-edge technologies and practices, such as renewable energy, water conservation and waste reduction, while promoting circular economy with green infrastructure designs.
John van Woensel: Unlike airlines, which, in the case of sudden demand, can change routes or even park their aircraft in the desert in a matter of weeks, airlines must have the built-in ability to accommodate change. For example, airports may need to alter or add infrastructure, which is much more cumbersome and often takes years. So, almost by definition, airports often lag behind the airlines, which makes effective planning important.
The key to effective planning is building in as much flexibility as possible, to adapt to both a specific future demand forecast scenario and unexpected events as aviation tends to change in unanticipated ways. For a terminal building, that might mean a bigger interior clear span so that functions can be moved around as needed in the future. For the terminal curb frontage road area, that might mean leaving extra space between the parking garage and terminal face to allow for unforeseen needs such as added lanes, services or terminal front expansion.
Additionally, projections of demand should include different scenarios, such as stronger than expected growth, more sharply peaked demand and use of different aircraft to accommodate travel and cargo demand. Again, the point is not to plan around one scenario, not to close off accommodating options. A good plan is one that allows the airport to deviate from recommended future facilities in order to respond to actual future demand.
