Guiding Principles of Airport Planning and Development
Discover a big-picture perspective of the airport planning and development process to meet the complex challenges of the 21st century.
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Course description
Airport planning and development is a complex process that requires coordination across multiple stakeholders and strategic foresight. In an era of global uncertainty, evolving airline models, and rapid technological change, airport management must rethink traditional approaches to ensure future resilience.
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the airport planning and development process - from high-level strategic planning and system integration to master plan design and project implementation. Participants will explore global trends including climate change, geopolitical shifts, pandemics, and emerging technologies such as AI, biometrics, and urban air mobility.
Through case studies and discussions, you’ll learn how to integrate sustainability, safety, and financial feasibility into planning decisions while adapting to new realities in passenger behavior and industry expectations. By the end of the training, participants will understand how to build adaptive, future-ready airport development strategies that align with both regulatory frameworks and commercial imperatives.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this class, participants will be equipped to:
- Understand the strategic role of airport planning in the global transport ecosystem
- Apply fundamental principles of airport master planning and development
- Recognize the impact of global challenges—pandemics, climate crisis, and geopolitics—on airport planning
- Integrate sustainability, ESG goals, and financial feasibility into development strategies
- Evaluate emerging technologies shaping future airport operations
- Develop critical thinking skills for planning and implementing resilient airport projects
Who should attend
- Airport planners and development managers
- Strategic and master planning specialists
- Civil aviation authority representatives
- Government transportation policy makers
- Airport consultants and infrastructure advisors
- Project managers and commercial development professionals
Meet your instructor
Jim Robinson
Mr. Robinson has over 30 years of experience in the strategic planning and development of air transport projects. The majority of Mr. Robinson’s experience has been in international airport development, including strategic planning, airport master planning, investment risk analysis and mitigation, land use and environmental policy planning, and benefit-cost studies for major capital improvement programs.
Jim provides overall direction and strategy for Pegasus Aviation Advisors. Key recent assignments in include serving as strategic advisor to the new Solidarity Transport Hub in Warsaw, a new greenfield 100mppa airport and multi-modal hub.
He led the master plan team as strategic advisor to Western Sydney Airport, a new greenfield second airport for Sydney Australia. Jim also served as aviation strategic advisor for the master plan for the New Istanbul Airport as well as developing the support facility master plan for Turkish Airlines. Other recent projects include advising on the hub development strategies for Air France at Charles de Gaulle Airport and Aer Lingus at Dublin Airport.
Prior to establishing Pegasus Aviation Advisors, he was Head of Strategy for Dubai Airports and Manager for Airport Planning ay Abu Dhabi Airports. In addition, he served as a partner at Jacobs (formerly Leigh Fisher Associates) an international airport management consulting firm.
Why you should attend?
The aviation sector is undergoing transformative change driven by pandemics, the climate crisis, geopolitical instability, and rapid digitalization. These forces are redefining how airports are planned, financed, and operated.
By attending this course, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to respond strategically to these challenges. You’ll learn to integrate sustainability, resilience, and innovation into airport development, and to align planning decisions with evolving regulatory, environmental, and economic realities.
This training offers real-world insights, case studies, and best practices from global airport projects, equipping you to:
- Rethink airport development strategies in an era of uncertainty
- Build business-driven master plans that balance operational and commercial goals
- Address climate and sustainability imperatives
- Anticipate how emerging technologies will reshape airport operations
- Apply lessons learned from recent global disruptions to strengthen resilience
This training is ideal for professionals seeking to shape the future of airport infrastructure with a forward-looking, strategic approach.
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