Airport construction operates under a rule that does not apply anywhere else in the built environment: the site can never fully close. Curtis Wilson, Vice President of Transportation and Infrastructure at H. J. Russell and Company, appears with host Michael Russell to explain the measures needed to upgrade some of the busiest airports in the country. At the same time, flights continue to take off, bags keep being handled, and passengers keep going through the terminal. 

 Having more than 30 years’ experience on major aviation projects, such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, DFW, and LAX, Curtis is able to provide a first-hand account of the changes that occur when construction and operations are carried out simultaneously. 

The aviation infrastructure nationwide is becoming older, and the need to modernise it is increasing all the time. Curtis mentions that there is a requirement for a $175 billion investment over the next five years if the sector is to keep up with growing passenger numbers and the outdated systems that currently exist. He explains that nowadays airports operate more like small cities than merely as single construction sites, with airport owners, airlines, the TSA, the concessionaires, and passengers all having an interest in the results. It is this level of complexity that has made programme-level co-ordination, rather than the management of individual projects, essential for keeping a capital improvement programme on schedule. 

Modular construction is a clear illustration of the way airports are responding to that pressure. Curtis explains how carrying out the widening of Concourse D at Hartsfield-Jackson as a modular project cut the conventional construction period by 48 months, with the concourse remaining open to passengers. He also discusses the situations in which modular construction does and does not apply, and stresses that owners should begin with the business case for a project rather than with the current construction trend if they are to commit to it. 

The coordination of the entire project is the responsibility of program management. Curtis outlines the reason why the most effective programs involve bringing the operations, security, and maintenance teams into the discussion at an early stage, setting up definite governance rules for the way decisions are taken, and giving phasing and sequencing the same level of importance as the construction work itself. When considering the future, he identifies the factors that will place the greatest pressure on airport infrastructure over the next ten years, including the ageing of existing systems and the shortage of workers as well as the growing use of digital twins and predictive maintenance. Throughout the interview, his view remains consistent, always prioritising operations before construction. 

Key Takeaways 

• Airports need an estimated $175 billion in infrastructure investment over the next five years to keep pace with aging systems and rising passenger volumes. 

• An airport functions like a small city, and successful capital programs require aligning airport owners, airlines, TSA, concessionaires, and passengers around one coordinated plan. 

• Program-level coordination, not isolated project management, is what keeps interconnected airport projects from working against each other. 

• Modular construction reduced the Concourse D widening timeline at Hartsfield-Jackson by 48 months, without shutting the concourse down. 

• Modular construction works best when it shapes the design from the start, not when it is applied after a project has already been designed traditionally. 

• Clear governance, defining how decisions get made and escalated, is one of the most important tools for keeping a program moving efficiently. 

• The strongest programs operate on a simple principle: operations first, construction second.