The Flight Factory: Terminal Operations Lean reshaping

This paper investigates the knowledge transfer from Lean mind-set to airport spatial management. This transfer could reshape airports integrating efficient spatial solutions, quality, satisfactory travel experience and social sustainability of Airport Operations. Joint to a basically flexible project design, this contributes to reach the System Optimum of the airport terminal. In airports, terminal operations (i.e. boarding and un-boarding processes) are run efficiently exploiting the features of spatial management. Airport Operations – hence the parallel on-going aviation and business processes within the terminal – in the Lean mind-set are intended as a temporary production system, whose focus is seamlessly processing passengers in a stress-relieving environment. The satisfaction level regarding the two processes – namely Passenger Experience – is a valuable index for operation process and post occupancy project evaluation. The current practices matrix of Airport Design does not bear up appropriately with Passenger Experience requirements. The airport can be considered in fact a flight factory, whose layout is crucial both for operation efficiency and user satisfaction as well, main metrics for quality service evaluation. The implementation of Lean principles in airport spatial operation aims to the re-evaluation of terminal design drivers (namely POM – Project Operational Memories), fostering advanced management models and easy understanding of processes by all operators and users in suitable spaces (i.e. path-finding). Prime recipients of Lean integration are airport management service companies and airport owners, aiming towards operational flexibility and achievement of high-end passenger experience. Integration of Lean mind-set is aimed towards the Operation phase of the Airport life service, to evaluate proposals for programmed infrastructure revamping or implementation.