Unlocking lasting improvements in airport punctuality : The challenges facing airports and how they can be met
Abstract
This paper explores the multifaceted challenges and strategic opportunities involved in improving on-time performance (OTP) at major airports, with particular reference to London Heathrow Airport’s recent initiatives and sector-wide trends. The primary aim is to highlight how sustained focus on punctuality can serve as a lever for operational efficiency, capacity optimisation and enhanced passenger experience, especially as global air travel demand continues to escalate. The paper demonstrates that OTP improvement is not a siloed pursuit. Instead, it depends on transparent stakeholder collaboration, data-driven decision making and integrated sustainability objectives. Readers are provided with practical insights into how airports can more effectively align expectations and incentives across airlines, ground handlers and third party suppliers. These include establishing joint key performance indicators, fostering community forums for real-time issue escalation and resolution, and leveraging shared operational data to target areas for process improvement. The paper also details Heathrow’s adoption of innovative technologies, such as turnaround management tools and ramp cameras, illustrating how accurate, real-time data can drive robust changes in performance. Furthermore, the paper tackles the environmental dimension by explaining how operational initiatives to reduce aircraft auxiliary power unit usage and transition towards alternative ground support not only cut emissions but also deliver cost and service benefits. By reading this paper, airport managers, policy makers and aviation professionals will gain a thorough understanding of how to collaboratively set trajectory-based OTP targets, adopt data and technology for continuous improvement and drive sustainable, resilient growth across the airport ecosystem. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Mark Elliott was an aviation expert at PA Consulting up until retirement, where he specialised in leading teams that provided analytical and financial decision support to clients, for which he drew upon his experience as a finance professional and former airline finance director (FD) and chief financial officer (CFO). He has 35 years’ experience working within the aviation industry and helping leadership teams, boards and shareholders of aviation businesses to identify profit improvement opportunities and assist with the planning and implementation of those initiatives. Mark has hands-on experience with airlines, airports, aircraft lessors and aviation start-ups and has led multiple diagnostic reviews, financial benchmarking studies, operational performance improvement reviews, regulatory pricing reviews and due diligences, as well as acting for different parties during the sale of aviation businesses. He was also a core member of PA’s Optima team, which brings PA’s market-leading aircraft engine maintenance cost optimisation tool to market. Mark is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and was committed to helping PA’s aviation clients better understand what drove value and ensuring that investments and change initiatives had a positive impact on the bottom line.
Ken Conway is a sustainable aviation expert at PA Consulting, bringing nearly 30 years’ international experience to the sector. Renowned for his strategic foresight and expertise in sustainable aviation, Ken has advised more than 100 airports in 26 countries, as well as air navigation service providers and airlines. He excels in helping clients navigate complex regulatory changes, adopt cleaner technologies and build resilient, future-ready strategies that balance growth with environmental responsibility. Before joining PA, Ken guided aviation organisations on their environmental, social and governance journeys, net zero transitions and climate risk mitigation, and played a pivotal role in promoting responsible supply chains. Ken’s industry involvement extends to service on influential committees, including the ACI World Environment Standing Committee and the Editorial Board for the Journal of Airport Management. His work continues to shape the aviation sector’s approach to sustainability and technology-enabled transformation. Passionate about helping aviation clients to future-proof their businesses, Ken is committed to supporting industry frontrunners to be cleaner and smarter as they automate, digitalise and re-energise their operations in a changing climate.
Tayo Oyetan is the Head of Airports at PA Consulting. He also leads the business design and operating model team in transport, bringing more than 24 years of experience of delivering complex transformation, change and capital programmes successfully. He is a chartered engineer and a chartered management consultant who brings strategic focus, leadership and drive to help solve complex problems. His experience includes high-profile projects in the UK and internationally, helping senior industry leaders to navigate uncertainty and deliver their desired outcomes. Over the years, Tayo has successfully delivered a portfolio of projects with major airport brands in strategy development, operations performance improvement, transport security, transformation, customer experience, organisational effectiveness and safety improvement. He has worked as a speaker, panellist and host at seminars, and contributes to industry publications. Prior to PA, Tayo led the transport sector practice and the capital projects capability at Moorhouse Consulting. In industry, he previously sat on the Programme Committee of the Major Projects Association and the Infrastructure Working Group of the Management Consultancies Association.
Kata Cserep is Global Aviation Lead at PA Consulting, where she leverages nearly two decades of expertise in commercial aviation to help airports, airlines, investors and policy makers tackle the industry’s most complex challenges. Known for her strategic approach and thought leadership, Kata is recognised for shaping global standards in airport carbon goals and environmental reporting and was honoured by Airline Economics Journal as one of aviation’s ‘Top 40 under 40’ professionals. Kata joined PA in 2023 after serving as Global Head of Aviation at ICF, advising public, private and finance sector clients on policy, business strategy, forecasting and sustainability. Her work is characterised by cross-sector collaboration and innovative solutions that guide aviation organisations through transformation, whether the goal is decarbonisation, digitalisation or operational excellence. With a deep understanding of the macro trends shaping aviation — including energy transition, adoption of artificial intelligence and data science, and capacity expansion — Kata leads PA’s international team based in the UK, Netherlands and the USA. She is frequently invited to speak at industry conferences and contributes articles to leading aviation journals. Passionate about sustainability and the future of flight, Kata excels at bringing diverse expert teams together to design actionable strategies for airports and airlines.
Gary Harman is the Head of Punctuality and ATM and joined London Heathrow Airport in 2014. He previously held leadership roles in project management, technical development, operations and continuous improvement and with a degree in aeronautical engineering, is an aviation enthusiast who thrives on the sheer complexity of the airport operation and its myriad interdependencies. During his time at Heathrow, Gary has held leadership roles in Terminal Operations and the Airport Operations Centre, before establishing and heading up Heathrow’s Process Improvement team to optimise operations through people and process. In his current role, Gary owns the punctuality improvement and air traffic management roadmaps, spanning short-term tactical improvement activity to sponsoring and steering long-term capital investments. He draws on more than 25 years’ professional experience for what is an enormous and highly complex improvement project, with many dependencies outside of the airport’s direct control. Gary firmly believes that the recent success and punctuality improvement is down to putting data and people at the heart of the thinking, anchoring the whole community to a single plan with common goals.
Rod Fraser is Head of Strategic Planning at London Heathrow Airport where he leads cross-operational strategy and thought leadership to shape the airport’s digital future through 2030 and beyond. He is the main architect behind the design of the Operations Digital Future, helping define and execute transformative initiatives that leverage generative artificial intelligence, automation and robotics to modernise core airport functions. Rod’s strategic focus includes value creation from turnaround management, optimising stand allocation, and planning and developing future-ready operational roadmaps that align with Heathrow’s long-term corporate and digital vision. He is deeply engaged in evaluating the practical applications of emerging technologies to drive efficiency and resilience across airport operations while playing an active role in overall strategy. Rod’s ability to translate complex strategic goals into actionable programmes makes him a key player in Heathrow’s transformation journey. Prior to Heathrow, Rod held senior roles at Project One, AbbVie, Allergan and Premier Inn, where he delivered high-impact change portfolios across multiple sectors. His background spans commercial strategy, programme delivery, General Data Protection Regulation compliance and executive support, with a reputation for building loyal, high-performing teams.
