Upon its opening, Perth Airport Terminal 2 became the new home for Alliance Airlines, Skywest Airlines and Tiger Airways, and with an initial opening capacity of 1.2m passengers per year, the opening was of both regional and national importance and received significant media attention. The airport wanted to ensure the new terminal and operations were ready to operate efficiently on opening day.

We delivered an Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition (ORAT) process tailored specifically for Perth Airport’s new AUD120m domestic Terminal 2. This process focussed on complete stakeholder readiness including training, familiarisation, activation, transition, and migration management. We planned and implemented a coordinated programme of process trials designed to progressively test the building’s operational and support functions, culminating with an advanced trial.

The advanced trial provided the opportunity to test the entire ‘end to end’ passenger experience, from drop-off at the terminal’s forecourt, through to aircraft boarding and subsequent passenger arrival at the terminal. The trial simulated the peak period of any normal day of operations and provided Perth Airport confidence in the operational readiness of their new facility before it opened to the public on 2 March 2013.

Operational readiness for opening day

We implemented a rigorous programme of 30 process trials which demonstrated that all terminal personnel, systems and facilities were able to perform under standard, irregular and emergency operating conditions prior to Terminal Opening Day (TOD).

Baggage, check-in and boarding trials identified opportunities for improvements to the building and processes prior to TOD and provided the Perth Airport executive management team with confidence that the terminal had been proven to operate successfully.