Let me tell you, if you think it's the presidency then you're not a Heathrow regular.But weirdly enough it seems this actual question is going to be addressed. BAA, the little-loved operator of London's big three airports, is a finalist in the Project Management Institute's annual awards, due to be presented in Orlando tomorrow. So, it turns out, is Barack Obama's campaign team.
May the best man win. BAA press release below.
The
team responsible for a £60 million redevelopment of Heathrow's Terminal 1 will
go head-to-head with President Obama's campaign team next week, vying for a
prestigious international project management award.
Two
members of the Terminal 1 project team: Julian Foster and David Buisson will fly
to Orlando to attend the awards ceremony and deliver
a presentation to the Project Management Institute's Global Congress. The PMI
organisation boasts more than half a million members in 170 countries.
Says
Julian Foster, BAA Programme Director: "Going head to head with President
Obama's campaign team was the last thing on our minds as we redeveloped Terminal
1, but we relish the challenge and can we win this? Yes we can!"
"The
work at Terminal 1 was complex but rewarding and the excellent team delivered
the project back to passengers and airlines, on time and on
budget."
The
redevelopment of Terminal 1 was important in the context of Heathrow's major
investment programme, as it was the first in a series improvement programmes
across the airport. The team faced tight timescales and many challenges as they
delivered this project without any negative impact on the terminal's busy
operation. Around 20 million passengers use Terminal 1 every year and the
airport project team worked hard to ensure that passengers did not notice such
an intense period of activity.
As
one of the airport's oldest buildings the team had to integrate major
improvements onto a 40-year-old structure. One of their most obvious successes
is in Departures with the removal of check-in islands that had previously
cluttered the concourse. Moving the desks and installing more self-service
facilities has created an open and spacious environment, which is much easier
for passengers to navigate.
Says
Julian Foster: "The challenge wasn't simply moving check-in desks, the team also
had to move the baggage infrastructure that goes with them. Through innovation
and good communication they delivered a solution that's delighted everyone,
without interrupting anyone's
journey through the airport."
David
Buisson, Programme Manager says: "I feel incredibly proud when I walk around
Terminal 1 now, the improvements are obvious and given the challenges we faced,
the success achieved is even more significant.
"This
redevelopment was project management at its best, and it is great to see that
the approach and techniques used are influencing other projects underway across
the airport."
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