The number of scheduled passengers approached five billion worldwide in 2024–this rebound in travel nears pre-pandemic numbers, and airports are under pressure to modernize and expand to accommodate this increasing demand. In the US, $100+ billion in airport improvement projects are planned or underway, including major undertakings like the New Terminal One at JFK ($9.6 billion) and the PANYNJ LaGuardia Airport Redevelopment Program ($8 billion). These projects aim to increase capacity and address changing passenger expectations for technology and sustainability.
The primary limitation in nearly all airport modernization projects is space. Unlike greenfield projects, where new airports can be built on open land, expanding existing hubs means working within tight footprints while continuing operations. For example, LaGuardia’s redevelopment was achieved by moving the new airport facilities closer to the freeway, while maintaining the operation of the existing facility until its replacement was completed. It was a brilliant design and execution. On the opposite side of the coin, at JFK’s New Terminal One, construction required the demolition of two existing terminals, which increased congestion and created complex ground transportation routes to remote pickup zones.
In contrast, smaller regional airports typically face fewer space constraints but may be challenged with funding and justifying large investments.
Navigating Construction Obstacles
In addition to space constraints, project teams need to balance mitigating operational disruptions, addressing workforce and supply chain shortages, and resolving design coordination issues that may arise during construction.
A common hurdle is ensuring that construction timelines align with rising passenger demand. Fast project delivery is crucial to keeping revenue streams open, but the scale of airport projects makes this difficult. Even finding a place to park airplanes where they won't be in the way can be an interesting challenge when reconfigurations are taking place. Planes need to land, park, and takeoff, and these operations must be planned for and accommodated. Finding a secure spot to park a plane during a major airport reconstruction project is a significant challenge. While disruptions are inevitable, having clear project milestones and ensuring alignment between all project teams—designers, contractors, and facility operators—can help reduce inefficiencies.
The Role of Proactive, KPI-Based Scheduling
A successful airport project depends on a structured and proactive scheduling approach. Traditional Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling allows for a range of start times, but if teams wait too long, activities add up and create inefficiencies. Early-start scheduling reduces this by evenly distributing work, avoiding the overcrowding of trades, and ensuring materials arrive on-site when needed. It is the purest schedule and offers the most flexibility.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) play a critical role in construction progress. The most effective approach is to plan for and track labor force availability and productivity on a daily basis. If a project requires 100 workers on-site but only half show up to work, that gap will directly affect progress made on a given day. Utilizing dashboards that provide KPIs for actionable data at the start of each workday allows teams to anticipate and mitigate delays before they escalate.
Mitigating Delays Through Effective Communication
Delays are the most detrimental event in any construction project. There are many events that can cause delays - Requests for information (RFIs) and submittal approvals are notorious for causing construction delays. While the standard practice is to process RFIs within seven days, the process is often passive and can lead to significant holdups. This is especially true when errors in the original design plan are the root cause. Depending on how deeply embedded an error is, even a few small changes and the weeks required to implement them may adversely impact the schedule and make it difficult to get back on track. Taking a more proactive approach by convening all necessary stakeholders to resolve an RFI immediately can help avoid unnecessary delays.
This strategy is particularly important for large-scale airport projects, where even minor construction delays can result in costly setbacks. Weekly team synchronization meetings to proactively address future challenges—rather than just reviewing past issues— help keep projects on track. Field teams should also feel empowered to resolve minor obstacles, rather than waiting for administrative processing.
Leveraging Technology for Efficiency
Technology is transforming airport construction, especially in data collection automation and performance tracking. Drones, 3D scanning, and real-time project dashboards enable teams to monitor progress and identify discrepancies before they become critical.
Often, a major issue in airport construction is coordinating within ceiling spaces, which contain dense mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems. Traditional 2D drawings can lead to misalignment, where one contractor installs a system in the wrong place, forcing every subsequent trade to adapt. More advanced technology, like augmented reality (AR) and helmet-mounted cameras, allow workers to cross-check installations against digital models in real time, reducing errors and the need to rework.
Future Challenges and Opportunities
The next two decades will bring even more complexity to airport modernization projects. Airport upgrades have lagged behind other infrastructure sectors, but the recent wave of multibillion-dollar projects has signaled a shift. Between JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark, the New York metropolitan area alone has seen over $45 billion invested in airport improvements.
One of the biggest debates is whether airline-led or third-party financing is more effective for delivering large-scale projects. Delta’s investment in its own terminal at LaGuardia contrasts with that of JFK’s Terminal One, which is backed by a consortium of investors. Each funding source presents its own challenges—single airline terminals simplify scheduling and operations but may not maximize space utilization, while multi-airline terminals require more complex coordination but offer greater flexibility in adding new funding options. The latter strategy was adopted by Missoula Montana Airport, drawing on federal infrastructure funding for its terminal modernization project.
As land constraints persist, airports are likely to relocate non-essential functions offsite to create valuable airside real estate. Chicago O’Hare, for example, is exploring moving parking facilities further from terminals to make space for expanded passenger services. In addition, the need for parking has diminished as more passengers are taking taxis or Ubers and Lyfts. These parking facilities must be connected to the terminals with dedicated means to move passengers back and forth.
Successful modernization requires a holistic approach that brings stakeholders—airport operators, designers, contractors, and regulators—together at the beginning. A critical lesson to be learned from past projects is that early collaboration is necessary to avoid costly redesigns and disputes.
Airports are modernizing rapidly, so projects must adopt strategies that emphasize culture shifts to create one team, early planning, proactive scheduling, and technology-driven solutions. The industry is at an inflection point, with the next generation of projects requiring a balance of growth, sustainability, and resilience in ways that have not yet been done.
Refining project delivery strategies, embracing real-time data, and cultivating strong collaboration between teams will help airport authorities meet the rising demands of today’s travelers while keeping their facilities operational during construction. The challenges are daunting, but the future of airport infrastructure is full of exciting possibilities.
