How Vantage Creates a Seamless Transition from Airport Development to Day One Operations
When it comes to airport development, the people designing the facility and those who will run day-to-day operations have traditionally worked in parallel, with limited visibility into the other team’s work. The transition from construction to day one operations is critical, with the entire project’s success depending on things going smoothly.
At Vantage, our Operational Readiness and Transition (ORAT) team ensures that all stakeholders — from designers and architects to operators and frontline workers — are working toward the same goal. ORAT serves as the bridge between planning and operations, ensuring a smooth transition by aligning plans, training, documentation, and protocols to deliver safe, efficient, passenger-ready facilities from day one.
Serving as the critical link between construction and operations, the team works to deliver a seamless terminal launch through prepared staff, updated systems, and innovative operations, ready to meet real-world demands.
Preparing for Day One of Airport Operations
The ORAT team is embedded into a project from the earliest stages of development to help ensure new facilities are prepared to operate at full efficiency on opening day.
Leveraging insights gained through previous projects also helps inform smarter decisions, allowing operational considerations to help guide construction decisions, and vice versa.
This approach was instrumental in the success of LaGuardia Terminal B. ORAT was involved as soon as LaGuardia Gateway Partners assumed the lease and operational responsibility. Throughout the process, the team provided oversight of planning efforts, supporting a seamless transition to live operations.
During the development of LaGuardia Terminal B, teams across the terminal were united by a shared vision. Collaboration and passion made the difference. Being recognized as a two-time Skytrax winner after construction was completed is a testament to the incredible staff who continue to operate the terminal at the highest level, every day.
Every stakeholder brings a unique vision and sometimes competing priorities to design and operations. Members of the ORAT team expertly balance these perspectives. Whether evaluating new programs or integrating emerging technologies proposed by airline partners, the team works closely with designers and builders to determine how ideas can be implemented effectively. The goal is not to simply execute a design concept, but to ensure the people who operate the facility every day are set up for success.
Setting a New Standard for Passenger Experience Starts with Collaboration
Clear, consistent communication is central to this work. The ORAT team serves as the primary liaison among a diverse group of stakeholders that manage different priorities, including airlines, government agencies, vendors and internal project teams. By creating open lines of communication and facilitating collaboration, the team helps align those priorities by allowing all voices to be heard.
With an understanding of the standards required to achieve an exceptional passenger experience, the ORAT team brings insights from past projects, like LaGuardia Terminal B, where their members played an integral role in its transformation into a 5 Star Skytrax rated facility. Those lessons are being applied in the current redevelopment of JFK Terminal 6, shaping a terminal experience built on past success while incorporating new ideas that reflect evolving passenger demands.
Balancing Airport Design with Operational Requirements
Collaboration between those designing the terminal and those who will ultimately operate it plays a critical role in designing a strong guest experience. While construction and design teams may not be passenger- or airline-facing, their decisions have a direct impact on how the terminal functions day to day.
“I’m a firm believer that if we get people involved early and give them a voice, it changes their outlook,” said Sek. “People want ownership in what they’re building. Open collaboration and communication — both internally and with our partners — goes a long way in creating better results.”
The ORAT team translates operational requirements into practical and functional design solutions to ensure every design element supports real-world terminal performance. This includes validating signage visibility, refining passenger flow strategies to ensure commercial areas are accessible, visible and operationally feasible and confirming all critical systems such as baggage handling, security screening, and passenger processing technology are fully integrated and thoroughly tested.
By evaluating challenges from every angle, the team resolves operational risks that respect both design intent and operational requirements — guiding conversations toward outcomes that support a safe, efficient, functional, and enhanced passenger experience overall.
Supporting Operations Beyond Day One
ORAT is a core area of expertise in Vantage’s full range of advisory services. The team works closely with airport stakeholders to co develop tailored plans that enable confident terminal management and operations throughout construction, opening, and the transition to steady-state performance. Just as the team is involved from the earliest stages of planning, it remains engaged for months after opening to support stabilization and continuous improvement.
During this period, the team evaluates whether operational manuals, procedures, and directives are functioning as intended in a live environment. And as passengers begin using the facility, ORAT monitors trends, identifies necessary adjustments, and collaborates with teams to update documentation as needed. These insights not only improve current operations but help inform future projects, constantly finding ways to enhance the passenger experience.
Recently, Vantage partnered with Kelowna International Airport (YLW) to provide a comprehensive ORAT framework to ensure a safe, seamless, and successful transition to expanded terminal operations. The plan was developed through intensive collaboration with YLW’s operational leadership, including a multidepartment workshop, detailed facility assessments, and a comprehensive gap analysis covering 130 operational functions. This work enabled risk-based prioritization and directly informed a structured six phase implementation framework tailored to YLW’s environment — guiding readiness activities from early planning through post opening support and providing a clear road map for Day One and beyond.
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