Overview

An intensive, practice-driven program for current and emerging airport leaders to master strategy, operations, safety & security, commercial growth, stakeholder management, and transformation. The course blends executive decision-making with hands-on simulations aligned to international best practice (e.g., ICAO Annexes & Doc 9859/SMS, IATA AHM/IGOM/ISAGO principles, ISO 31000 risk, ISO 22301 business continuity, ACI guidance).

Duration: 5 days (35 contact hours)
Delivery: In-person or Live Virtual (interactive workshops, labs, and simulations)
Format: 70% applied exercises / 30% lectures & case studies
Certification: Certificate of Completion (KHDA-aligned, if delivered in Dubai)

Who Should Attend

• Airport directors, terminal/airside/landside heads, duty managers, ops control, AOCC leaders

• Safety, security, engineering & maintenance, commercial & route development leads

• Regulators/ANSP liaisons, ground handling & airline station managers

• Digital transformation, PMO, ORAT, customer experience, sustainability and finance leaders

Prerequisites

• 3–5+ years in airport/aviation operations or leadership

• Working knowledge of airport processes (airside/terminal/security) and basic KPIs

Learning Outcomes

By the end, participants will be able to:

1. Build and communicate an airport strategy and operating model tied to capacity, safety, commercial targets, and service quality.

2. Lead safe, resilient operations using SMS, risk, and emergency management frameworks.

3. Optimize throughput with A-CDM, flow management, and AOCC decision-support.

4. Elevate customer experience (ASQ) while balancing security, cost, and punctuality.

5. Grow aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues, negotiate concessions, and manage PPPs.

6. Govern large programs (ORAT, master planning, BHS upgrades) and drive digital transformation (AODB, RMS, eGates, biometrics, cyber).

7. Lead people through change: culture, performance, labor relations, and crisis communications.

Methods & Tools

• Executive briefings, tabletop exercises, red-team drills, role-plays

• Data labs (capacity models, OTP root-cause Pareto, risk registers, KPI dashboards)

• Templates: SOPs, SMS artifacts, BC/ER plans, stakeholder maps, commercial models

• Tools referenced: A-CDM milestone boards, AODB concepts, basic Power BI/Excel models, incident command checklists

Detailed 5-Day Agenda

Day 1 — Airport Strategy, Governance & Operating Model

Module 1: Global Airport Context & Strategy

• Industry drivers: traffic mix, hub vs. point-to-point, LCC waves, cargo surges

• Strategic positioning: connectivity, capacity envelopes, resilience, sustainability

• Operating model choices: insourced vs. outsourced, roles of ANSP, GHA, security, police

Module 2: Governance & Risk

• Regulatory ecosystem (ICAO Annex 14/17 overview), national CAAs, operator accountabilities

• Enterprise risk (ISO 31000): hazard register to risk appetite; 3 lines of defense

• Board-level KPIs: OTP, ASQ, A-CDM adherence, safety index, EBITDA, NAR share

Workshop: Build a one-page Airport Strategy Map (objectives, KPIs, initiatives, owners)

Day 2 — Safe, Reliable, and Efficient Operations (Airside/Terminal/AOCC)

Module 3: Airside Excellence

• Movement area safety: FOD, wildlife, works in progress, apron management

• Turnaround optimization (IATA IGOM practices), de-icing, stands & GSE orchestration

• Capacity fundamentals: runway/stand/slot; delay coding & OTP recovery

Module 4: Terminal & Landside Flow

• Check-in, security lane design (queueing basics), immigration/eGates, BHS/BRS reliability

• Landside congestion, kerbside management, special assistance, irregular ops handling

Module 5: AOCC & A-CDM

• Milestones (EOBT/TOBT/TSAT), DPI/DMAN concepts, disruption playbooks

• Data-driven decision boards; performance reviews and root-cause analysis

Simulation Lab: A-CDM disruption scenario—recover a hub after a weather/ATC constraint using milestone adjustments and recovery waves.

Day 3 — Safety Management, Emergency/Crisis & Business Continuity

Module 6: SMS in Practice (ICAO Doc 9859)

• Safety policy, hazard identification, occurrence reporting, investigations & just culture

• Safety assurance, SPIs/SPTs, safety action groups, internal audits

Module 7: Emergency Planning & Crisis Leadership

• Airport Emergency Plan (AEP): command structures, mutual aid, victim & family assistance

• Multi-agency coordination (airlines, ATC, police, fire, medical, security)

• Crisis communications: media, stakeholders, social channels, rumor containment

Module 8: Business Continuity & Cybersecurity

• ISO 22301 BCMS: BIA, MTPD, recovery strategies (facilities, IT/OT, people)

• OT/IT cyber risks in airports: access control, BHS PLCs, AODB/IDMS protection

Tabletop Exercise: Mass-casualty/aircraft incident; activate AEP, lead press briefing, and draft a 24-hour recovery plan.

Day 4 — Commercial Strategy, Finance & Sustainability

Module 9: Airport Economics & Route Development

• Aeronautical charges, incentives, slot coordination, air service development

• Forecasting & capacity/CapEx planning; funding models and PPPs

Module 10: Non-Aeronautical Revenue & Retail

• Concessions strategy: duty-free, F&B, car park, advertising, real estate

• Contracting and performance SLAs; walk-through retail vs. dwell-time models

• Customer experience & ASQ: balancing throughput, security, and spend

Module 11: Sustainability & Environmental Stewardship

• Noise, local air quality, waste & water; ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation levels

• Energy management, fleet electrification, green buildings, ESG reporting

Workshop: Build a mini business case—new route incentive + retail re-zoning, with P&L sensitivity and risk mitigations.

Day 5 — Capital Programs, ORAT & People Leadership

Module 12: Capital Delivery & ORAT

• Master planning interfaces, stakeholder requirements, commissioning & trials

• BHS/hold-baggage upgrades, eGates/biometrics rollouts, terminal refurbishments

• Handover to operations: readiness KPIs, defect punchlists, ramp-up governance

Module 13: Leading People & Change

• Operating with scarce resources: rosters, fatigue risk, multi-skilling, unions/contractors

• Performance management: dashboards, tiered huddles, continuous improvement

• Coaching, difficult conversations, psychological safety, and recognition

Capstone Simulation: Lead an ORAT command center for a terminal expansion while managing a live disruption and media scrutiny. Present a 90-day leadership plan.

Assessment & Closing:

• Group presentations (capstone), individual quiz, action plans

• One-to-one coaching feedback and development roadmap

Certification