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For Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest commercial airport in the US, efficiency is a key metric. And it's got to be-the airport logged in more than 976,000 flights last year alone, and more than 88 million passengers walked through its gates. All the while, Hartsfield-Jackson was in the midst of a 15-year, $6.2 billion capital improvement project, and with the airport being a central hub for both Delta and Air Trans airlines, any delays could have serious flight repercussions across the US.
"All eyes were-and still are-on us," said Curtis Wilson, cost and scheduling manager for the HartsfieldJackson Development Program. "We're roughly halfway through our capital improvement program, and the seamless scheduling of hundreds of simultaneous projects continues to be mission-critical to our success."
So far, so good. The project's first major milestone, Runway 10-28, came in 11 days early and $102 million under budget-a feat Wilson attributes in part to effective and incentive-driven scheduling.
Runway 10-28: A Microcosm for Construction Success
The 9,000-foot runway, situated on 900 acres of land, is the first of five major components in the airport's development program, which was commissioned in 1999. Other major enhancements include a new air traffic control tower, an international terminal, improvements to the central passenger terminal complex, and a $450 million consolidated rental car facility-the airport's next major undertaking.
"Everything is progressing quite smoothly," Wilson said. "In fact, Runway 10-28's completion provided us with an excellent template for success. We plan to take what we've learned there and apply it to the remaining airport improvements."
Runway 10-28 is the airport's much needed fifth runway, and more than just the city of Atlanta was depending on its successful completion. "Delays were estimated to cost the airline industry about $5 million a week," said Dwight Pullen, director of Runway 10-28. "It was absolutely paramount to complete the runway first and give the airport additional capacity for more flights."
The stakes were also high for the contractors. Every day that the $1.28 billion runway remained incomplete after May 27, 2006-the slated completion date-would have cost contractors an additional $5 million in penalties.
Combining superior scheduling solutions with strong project management, close communication among shareholders and standardization of technology and procedures makes the Runway 10-28 program a...