Shaun Weston, Chief Operations Officer and Senior Vice President of Guest Experience at Airport Dimensions, says airports must move beyond buzzwords to drive sustained success

In today’s dynamic business landscape, where continuous advancements in operations management are reshaping industries, the principles of operational excellence have become essential to achieving success.

From technological developments to increasing supply chain, logistical and labour constraints, it can be difficult for operations managers to identify and prioritise the factors that will facilitate business growth, profitability, and sustainability.

Nowhere is this more critical than within the complex ecosystem of an airport. Behind the flow of passengers lies an intricate web of interconnected operations that fundamentally shapes the travel experience.

Maintaining peak levels of efficiency, service quality and customer satisfaction are not merely desirable outcomes, but are essential for delivering value to travellers who pass through today’s airports.

Indeed, Airport Dimensions’ ‘Explore the Experience Era’ research ¹has shown that 82% of airport executives recognise that their airport terminals require significant or moderate improvement.

As travel demand continues to rise, airport decision makers face the challenge of evolving airport spaces to keep up with increasing passenger volumes and shifting passenger demands.

Operational excellence is the very bedrock upon which high-performing and sustainable airport operations are built.

It equips airport decision makers with the tools to navigate the evolving needs of passengers and the ever-shifting dynamics of the modern airport experience by encouraging future-ready infrastructure and systems to enable seamless coordination and agility, even during periods of peak demand.

In an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing market, a commitment to operational excellence is an essential component for airport operators striving to maintain a competitive edge and secure long-term success.

Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement 

At the heart of operational excellence lies a culture of continuous improvement. This positions innovation as a priority, enabling businesses to proactively identify emerging opportunities and seamlessly refine their service delivery processes.

The benefits are clear, allowing organisations to flexibly respond and adapt to the fluctuations of dynamic markets.

Central to this is a culture that engages teams and maximises operations, empowering employees across all levels of an organisation to quickly identify, analyse and act when a problem area is identified.

This proactive approach not only fosters a strategic advantage but also allows airport decision makers to create future-proof travel experiences that anticipate evolving traveller needs.

An organisational environment that encourages and rewards experimentation and adaptation boosts employee engagement and motivation.

When employees feel valued and empowered to make a difference, they are more likely to go above and beyond to create premium experiences for passengers.

Through the iterative process of implementing small changes, gathering feedback, and learning from mistakes, businesses can continuously improve their strategies and unlock the full potential of their workforce.

By creating a strategy that cultivates a collaborative company culture and a shared purpose and vision, organisations can establish a long-term shared responsibility to consider the best interests of a business and be proactive in developing ideas. Consequently, businesses will experience gains in overall efficiency and effectiveness.

Harnessing Technology Strategically 

Although technology allows airport operators to adopt new, modern approaches to problem solving, this cannot maximise value and service delivery if it is not strategically implemented and streamlined.

In fact, Airport Dimensions’ ‘Explore the Experience Era’ research has shown that while 94% of airports view digital capabilities as ‘absolutely essential’ or ‘important’ for improving commercial returns and success, 38% identified fragmented digital ecosystems as a major obstacle to improving digital services.

It is therefore vital that airport operators invest in cohesive digital strategies that are effective in streamlining and enhancing the passenger experience rather than disrupting it.

The airport experience is progressively being shaped by digital technologies, and travellers are showing a growing preference for digital solutions that provide enhanced value.

Our AX25 research revealed that over half of travellers (56%) want a single airport app to manage services and purchases on their mobile phones².

Given this, it is vital for airport operators to ensure that their technical systems are agile and integrated enough to respond to the high demand for digital-first experiences among travellers and drive usage.

Through the use of digital tools and strategies, airport operators may gain actionable insights based on customer needs and boost value for customers.

However, a balance must be struck between the impact and visibility of technology and company culture.

For the value of technology to remain sustainable and successful, it must augment human capabilities, consider the concerns of employees, and have a positive effect on the employee experience by improving the conditions of their work and helping them to deliver a premium experience for every customer.

Instilling Values Across a Partnership Network      

To drive and accelerate the development of an optimised system of operations, management teams must prioritise bridging the gap between enhanced passenger satisfaction and seamless operations.

With different day-to-day roles and responsibilities across a business, leadership plays a crucial role in articulating and translating the organisational purpose and vision into the day-to-day work of employees.

Organisations can leverage management to lead training and development programmes with consistent benchmarks and outputs.

Line management should help develop training materials based on specific business needs, conduct training sessions, and provide ongoing support to teams. This will equip and empower employees with the tools needed to succeed, and in the long term facilitate sustained operational discipline.

Training and development programmes should also prioritise customer centricity when identifying and defining collective values.

By placing customers at the heart of all operations, businesses can successfully balance commercial thinking and the drive for commercial success with operational discipline. This ultimately creates value for customers and unites all levels of an organisation in their goal to attract, serve and retain customers.

A Renewed Focus  

For airport decision makers, the principles and practices of operational excellence are of the utmost importance when it comes to redefining and accelerating the contemporary airport experience.

It is vital for airport operators to refresh culture, reinforce purpose, strengthen management, reassess training programmes and refine technological systems.

As the saturation and competition within the aviation industry continues to grow, no operator can afford to neglect the pressing need to understand and implement meaningful changes to their operations systems.

By embracing a renewed focus on operational excellence and embedding their core values across their entire partnership network, airport operators can not only navigate the challenges of today but also pave the way for sustained success and a truly competitive passenger experience for tomorrow.