Airport owners around the world are undertaking larger and more complex construction programs to accommodate growing passenger and air-cargo demand and replace aging infrastructure and facilities. This is especially true in the Southeastern United States, one of the fastest growing areas in the country. A surging population and new funding programs are creating opportunities for the region’s airport owners to enhance their assets and improve the passenger experience for years to come. However, today’s large and complex construction programs entail large and complex challenges.

One of the most consequential challenges, and one shared by every active airport, is maintaining safe, reliable operations while construction is underway. According to Aviation Program Director Lawrence “Larry” Estrada, a leader on Hill International’s South Florida Aviation team, even a small construction project at an airport will affect operations. “On major infrastructure programs, leaders have to mitigate the unavoidable impacts through early, high-level planning and continuous coordination with stakeholders, including airlines, airport operations, passengers, concessionaires, federal and state transportation agencies, drivers using nearby highway networks, and utility providers,” he says. “By carefully managing the many interfaces, program teams can deliver construction safely and preserve a positive passenger experience.”

Larry also emphasizes the importance of robust collaboration within a program organization. He explains that regularly bringing together team members from different departments and different levels and listening to their ideas and concerns builds trust, which can help program teams stay aligned and navigate the most challenging periods.

For Larry, the complexity of today’s aviation programs necessitates a boots-on-the-ground approach from program executives. “It is crucial for leaders to make certain that program performance at every level aligns with an owner’s expectations,” he says. “For example, before I comment on someone’s inspection reports, I want to get into the field, speak with workers and stakeholders, and confirm that the right processes are in place to assess quality under actual site conditions. That discipline is especially important on large, complex programs, where small procedural errors can go unnoticed and eventually develop into program-wide issues or claims.”

A resident of Broward County, Larry looks forward collaborating with colleagues on Hill’s South Florida Aviation Team to build Hill’s aviation presence in his community. By deepening relationships with stakeholders and industry partners, connecting clients with Hill’s global technical resources, and leveraging his own wide-ranging industry experience, Larry aims to help Hill’s aviation clients deliver successful construction programs, accelerate the industry’s momentum, and facilitate continued regional growth.

“Our team is filled with outstanding program, project, and construction management professionals, and I am confident that we are well positioned to help airport owners overcome challenges and achieve their goals,” he concludes. “We are committed to earning the trust of our clients and delivering the infrastructure of change alongside them.”

Larry Estrada has decades of experience in a variety of roles on multibillion-dollar construction programs across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He served as project director on the $16 billion Hamad International Airport program in Doha, Qatar, and has contributed to programs at Jorge Chávez International Airport, Dubai International Airport, King Fahd International Airport, O’Hare International Airport, and Fujairah International Airport, as well as St. Pancras International rail terminal in London. To discuss your aviation program with Larry, contact him at [email protected]. To learn more about Hill’s global aviation practice, visit hillintl.com/aviation.