Using Innovation, Discipline to Master Your Infrastructure Projects

ACI-NA Vice Chair Lew Bleiweis led three airport professionals in a discussion on how airports across the U.S. and Canada approach and manage capital projects, particularly infrastructure projects. Los Angeles World Airports’ Robert Gilbert, Paslay Management Group’s Margaret McKeough (formerly of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority), and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Michael Moran discussed using innovative planning and design processes, techniques for managing capital programs, and project delivery strategies to meet the airport’s needs on time, on budget and on quality.

Panelists stressed the importance of organization-wide buy-in and commitment from leadership to drive the project forward and how building in time to focus on what actually needs to be accomplished.

“Have the discipline to make sure that what you have at the beginning is what you want to have in the end,” Gilbert said. “The principles are the same regardless of the size of your airport or the complexity of your project.”