Introduction
ENGECORPS has been working since 2020, in collaboration with AENA Brazil, on the start of concessions for Northeastern Airports and, later, with the BOAB, in a consortium with the companies Sener and TyLin GPO.
ENGECORPS is the leading company of the Consortium and plays a key role in the management of airport expansion and modernisation projects, through the contract of ‘Project Management Services at the Airports of the Block of Eleven Airports in Brazil (BOAB) — PMO Services’.
Brazil’s vast territorial dimensions make air transport a fundamental element for national integration and the flow of trade and tourism. Until the 1980s, the sector was highly regulated, with no competition and with established rates. However, liberalisation measures were implemented starting in the 1990s, such as tariff deregulation in 2001 and the creation of the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) in 2005.
Economic growth and social mobility expanded demand, resulting in strong pressure on airport infrastructure, which was already operating at its capacity limit in 2010. Faced with the need for modernisation and fiscal restrictions, the government began, in 2011, the airport concession process to attract private investment and optimise sector efficiency. The model has evolved from individual concessions to airport blocks, resulting in the private management of 59 airports that represent 89% of domestic passenger flow and 98% of cargo transportation in Brazil.
In this context, the Spanish operator AENA plays a key role in the country, managing 17 airports, six of them included in the Northeast region, awarded in the 5th round of concessions. The presence of AENA in Brazil was further consolidated in the 7th round, which incorporated into its management the airports of São Paulo/Congonhas—Deputado Freitas Nobre (SP); Campo Grande (MS); Corumbá (MS); Ponta Porã (MS); Santarém— Maestro Wilson Fonseca (PA); Marabá/João Correa da Rocha (PA); Carajás (PA); Altamira (PA); Uberlândia/Lieutenant Colonel Aviador César Bombonato (MG); Montes Clará/João Correa da Rocha (PA); Carajás (PA); Altamira (PA); Uberlândia/Lieutenant Colonel Aviador César Bombonato (MG); Montes Clará/João Correa da Rocha (PA); Carajás (PA); Altamira (PA); Uberlândia/Lieutenant Colonel Aviador César Bombonato (MG); Montes Clará/João Correa da Rocha (PA); Carajás (PA); Altamira (PA); Uber( MG) and Uberaba/Mário de Almeida Franco (MG), which form the Block of Eleven Airports of Brazil (BOAB).
Team Structure
To materialise and effectively apply the proposed methodology, the Consortium adopts an organisational structure divided into three major blocks, aligned with the BOAB requirements defined in the PPPT:
- Project Management and Technical Management (PMO) A.T.: responsible for overall project coordination, strategic planning, budgetary and risk management, ensuring compliance with the guidelines of the concession contract. The operational base of this equipment is located at Congonhas Airport (SP).
- Project Management and Technical Management Department — Planning, Engineering and Construction: responsible for the technical management of studies, projects and works, ensuring that interventions comply with operational and regulatory standards. The equipment is distributed among the 11 airports of the BOAB.
- Work Execution Supervision Department: responsible for monitoring the execution of works by construction companies, ensuring compliance with deadlines, costs, quality and operational safety. Supervisory engineers operate locally at each airport.
The interrelation between these blocks can be seen in the following figure and has been used as a basis for the mapping of processes, as well as for the clear definition of roles and responsibilities.
Interrelation between Consortium blocks
The challenges of managing works at multiple airports
This scenario has imposed a series of challenges to the management of works, first in the six airports in the Northeast and, currently, in the eleven airports of the BOAB (see figure). Among the main challenges are geographical dispersion, operational complexity and the need to ensure the continuity of airport operations during the execution of interventions.
Unlike projects focused on a single airport, the simultaneous management of works in multiple locations requires meticulous planning, precise coordination and the implementation of strategies that ensure compliance with the deadlines, costs and quality standards established in concession contracts and current regulations.
Distribution of the eleven airports in Brazilian territory
The following is a summary of the main challenges related to the management of the works programme, together with the corresponding action necessary to address them.
| Challenge | Actions to face challenges |
| Territorial dimensions | Implementation of detailed logistic planning for the movement of equipment and supplies |
| Difficulty finding direct flights between airports | Using integrated planning to reduce unnecessary travel and optimise the schedule |
| Heterogeneous equipment | Standardisation of unified processes and training, as well as digital platforms for efficient integration and communication between teams |
| Highly standardised sector | Structuring a compliance core to ensure compliance with national and international regulations and other client requirements, as well as continuous training of teams |
| Quality requirements | Adoption of quality control systems, frequent audits, and use of BIM technology to predict failures before execution |
| Need to meet deadlines | Implementation of consolidated methodologies and rigorous planning with continuous monitoring of progress using KPIs (see Figure Physical Progress Report). |
| Need to comply with CAPEX | Aim to ensure detailed financial management, strict contract control and the maintenance of evidence records, in order to effectively prevent and manage claims by contractors. |
| Occupational Health and Safety Challenge | Implementation of work safety programmes, mandatory training and continuous monitoring of work environments |
| Environmental requirements | Mapping the need for licenses and early obtaining through action with environmental organisations |
| Maintaining the operation of airports | Rigorous planning of work execution activities in phases to minimise operational impacts, close communication with airport stakeholders, and creation of contingency plans |
| Different types of works and operational interferences | Use of integrated management methodologies to make different works compatible and minimise interference in airport operations |
Implementation of a management system
The approach adopted in the management of the BOAB works was based on good practices from PMI, BPM, Lean Construction and Six Sigma, with the aim of achieving a structured transition and reducing resistance. The clear definition of roles and responsibilities, the use of technology for continuous monitoring and process optimisation were key elements in the implementation of the methodology.
To ensure operational efficiency, the system was structured in three main pillars:
- Process Consolidation: Detailed mapping of activities, clear assignment of responsibilities and publication of flows on the Consortium’s intranet.
- Technological Tools: Use of MS Project, Construmanager, Typsa GIO (Comprehensive Construction Management) and Power BI for integrated management and decision-making based on data.
- Continuous Training: Training of teams through face-to-face and virtual meetings, in addition to the production of short videos to reinforce the practices adopted.
Management Portal
A key initiative to disseminate and promote the culture of management and supervision of works was the creation of a management portal, accessible to all employees through the Consortium’s intranet. This portal brings together the main management tools as detailed below.
Management Portal
Process Consolidation
The consolidation of processes is a key aspect in the implementation of the methodology considering both the cultures of the different companies that make up the Consortium and the heterogeneity of the team. In addition, it represents a fundamental issue to ensure that all employees understand and apply processes in an appropriate and homogeneous way. To this end, exhaustive work was carried out to map the assignments of the management and supervision team, based on the requirements that must be met by both the BOAB and the Consortium, including regulatory documents for the airport sector in Brazil, the documents of the concession contract, the PPPT for management contracting and applicable legislation. The process maps were developed using Bizagi Modeler, considering the key players involved in each of them. The diagrams representing the processes were published on the Consortium’s Intranet and are available to all collaborators.
Process Consolidation
Technological Tools
Another fundamental pillar of the methodology used by the Consortium is the use of technological tools that support employees according to their levels of performance. These tools include planning software, electronic document management, construction management software (GIO) and Business Intelligence (Power BI).
The planning of the works is carried out through MS Project, using a standardised structure defined by the Consortium and adopted by all the contracted companies. This standardisation allows the compatibility of various schedules associated with each airport, thus allowing physical progress indicators to be obtained both for each contract and for the entire airport and the project in general.
Electronic document management is carried out using the Construmanager tool, a collaborative system widely used in Brazil that facilitates workflow management in the document analysis and approval process. This platform allows the registration of the different designers involved, supports BIM models and makes it possible to establish the traceability of project documents in all their versions, as well as the comments made in each of them.
The management of the works is carried out through the use of GIO, both in its web version and in the mobile application. Field inspectors follow a weekly schedule based on the work schedule and, through the application, produce evidence of the progress of the works and compliance with quality, health and safety, and environmental requirements.
In addition, the data obtained using the tools mentioned above are consolidated in the form of dynamic reports prepared in Power BI, which are made available to the client (BOAB) through the Management Portal (see figure).
Physical Progress Report — Power BI
Continuous Training
All actions related to the development and implementation of the management methodology, as stated so far, were carried out in collaboration with the Consortium teams, which operate from the offices at each airport, and the companies that are part of the Consortium: ENGECORPS, Sener and TYLin, working both at the headquarters of the companies and in the offices of the Consortium. The development process also included several presentation meetings to the client, who also receives training.
Another important aspect that should be highlighted is that, since Congonhas Airport (SP) is the operational base of the PMO, it is essential to provide training to professionals who work in other airports, who, for the most part, are hired locally.
Faced with this scenario, training is carried out through face-to-face and virtual meetings, following a programme designed to serve both already mobilised collaborators and new team members, who join the Consortium as the phases of the projects progress. Another important tool used is the creation of video trainings, available on the Consortium’s intranet, which present short scripts of up to 3 minutes in length, illustrating the use of the tools used by the Consortium.
Conclusions
The implementation of a structured methodology in the management of the BOAB works guaranteed standardisation, strict control of deadlines and costs, and optimisation of resources. The integration between the equipment and the application of advanced technologies allowed for more efficient management, ensuring safe, reliable deliveries in line with the requirements of the concession contract.
The results already observed include:
- Reduction in response time to unforeseen events thanks to the use of digital monitoring tools.
- Improvement in quality control through the application of frequent audits and the use of BIM.
- Systematic recording of evidence, promoting instruments for contract management in order to mitigate surprises in the budget and ensure compliance with CAPEX.
A specific example of the effectiveness of this approach occurred at Congonhas airport (SP), where demolition of existing infrastructure began ahead of larger interventions. With the implementation of the construction management process, approximately 120 field inspections were carried out in three months, allowing detailed monitoring of the services and ensuring that the executing company met the deadlines. This continuous monitoring was essential for the smooth running of the subsequent works and minimised operational risks at one of the busiest airports in Brazil.
In addition, the continuous training of the teams and the use of the Management Portal were essential to ensure the effective implementation of the methodology, promoting transparency and operational efficiency.
The validation of this model in the initial phase will allow its application in the conduct of the subsequent works that will begin, seeking to ensure that the activities follow an already tested and optimised standard. The experience gained with this implementation can be applied to future infrastructure projects, ensuring the implementation and use of the methodology with quality, safety and predictability.
