Benchmarking success: the power of an APOC Peer Review
In this month’s Five Minute Feature, we take a closer look at Airport Operations Centres (APOCs) – acting as the “nerve centre” of the airport, APOCs unite all key stakeholders under one roof to boost efficiency, enhance safety, and improve the passenger journey. But with no single definition of what an APOC should look like, how can airports ensure they are on the right track?
To explore this question, we speak to two leaders with first-hand experience: Nicola Luongo, Head of Airside Operations at Basel-Mulhouse Airport, and Patxi Artola, Head of the Paris-Orly APOC at Groupe ADP. Both recently underwent an ACI EUROPE APOC Peer Review – a unique service designed to help airports refine and strengthen their APOC operations. Their insights reveal not only the benefits of peer exchange but also the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for airports embarking on their APOC journey.
The Airport Operations Centre (APOC): once an ambitious dream for enhanced airport management, now a reality for many airports in Europe. APOCs serve as the nerve centre for airports – in simple terms, by offering a single location for stakeholders to act as one team. They contribute to a more efficient aviation ecosystem by improving operations, enhancing safety, and ensuring a smooth and pleasant journey for passengers.
As noted in the ACI EUROPE APOC Guidebook, however, there is no established and agreed-upon definition of an APOC, and its creation and manifestation in any single airport can differ greatly. How, then, can an airport know if their APOC is on the right track? How do they develop their APOC and continuously improve? The answer is through the ACI EUROPE APOC Peer Review service.
As APOCs become an increasingly popular choice for airports, the ACI EUROPE APOC Peer Review service offers airports the opportunity to have their APOC reviewed by an expert group, offering recommendations based on lessons learned, best practices and how to enhance APOC performance. Airports can gain insights from expert APOC managers, industry specialists and expert ACI EUROPE staff – through a goal-driven exercise tailored to each airport’s needs and aims.
To understand what this looks like in practice, we speak to Patxi Artola, Head of the APOC at Paris-Orly Airport (Groupe ADP) and Nicola Luongo, Head of Airside Operations at Basel-Mulhouse Airport.
Establishing an APOC is not a decision taken lightly, but for many airports, it becomes necessary. ‘We are a small regional airport, but we have complicated infrastructure issues,’ Luongo says. ‘Our real need was for better irregularity handling, quicker response times, better communication between partners and to move from reaction to anticipation.’
For Artola, new physical infrastructure at Paris-Orly Airport created an opportune time to establish an APOC. ‘Our APOC opened at the same time as our new terminal: it was essential for us to bring the operational teams under one roof, to optimise our internal organisation and make decision-making more efficient. With the merger between the former Orly South and Orly West terminals, we needed to synchronise for better performance to improve overall.’
The unique quirks of each airport, too, determine both an APOC’s needs and aims. One of the few airports in the world jointly operated by two countries (France and Switzerland), Basel-Mulhouse Airport saw an APOC as a way forward. ‘We have the same passenger separations as other airports – Schengen, non-Schengen – but we have to double it, because passengers can come and go from France or Switzerland. That our airport was built for Code B aircraft (smaller aircraft, such as Bombardier CRJ-200) and now largely handle Code C aircraft (larger aircraft, such as Airbus A320 and Boeing 737) also adds pressure.’ For Artola, the dense urbanisation of the area surrounding Paris-Orly adds operational complexity. ‘We operate under a strict night-time curfew: from 11:30pm – 06:00am, no departures are allowed. This creates a daily challenge for our operational team. Yet with a unified terminal, on time performance is in our DNA: we want optimal use of our airport resources.’
Why an APOC Peer Review? With a six-year-old APOC, Artola wanted to take stock of where they were. ‘We felt the need to assess how we were doing and our potential progress, and gain expertise from other APOC professionals. The ability to have an external view of our strengths and weaknesses was very valuable for us.’ Luongo, too, sought external expertise – ‘we wanted a kind of confirmation that our vision of an APOC was correct, and that our development was going in the right direction.’
With both of their APOC Peer Reviews complete, both airports have discovered valuable recommendations. ‘We were glad to see we were indeed going in the right direction,’ Luongo says, ‘but we profited greatly from the discussion we had about EUROCONTROL and ACI EUROPE KPIs: it was extremely interesting, and they will help us streamline cooperation with EUROCONTROL and other airports in Europe.’ For Artola, and Paris-Orly’s mature APOC, the Peer Review offered tailored insight on where they could develop in the future. ‘We received feedback on how we operate today, and how well we do – it helped us know the things we need to keep. We also had good discussions on how to integrate ground handlers and airlines into the APOC: we are planning to integrate these in the future, so the feedback and recommendations were invaluable. We particularly enjoyed hearing the examples from Brussels Airport, who were part of the expert group, and the actionable recommendations they could provide us with.’
Motivation, indeed, formed an added benefit of the APOC Peer Reviews – helping confirm the collaborative mindset needed for an APOC’s success. ‘It was very motivating to see the efforts we’ve made and the work we are doing is rather positive. Tasks are now done with more confidence: we know we’re doing the right thing,’ Luongo confirmed. For Artola, positive confirmation also motivated his team. ‘It was a very positive experience, and we have very good memories of it. It’s nice to talk to other APOC geeks!’
The ability to meet with external experts from other airports and EUROCONTROL forms a unique benefit – and opportunity – of APOC Peer Reviews. ‘It allowed us to have detailed insights from both an airport point of view, but also the broader network point of view’, Artola notes. ‘It was important for us to remember we’re all interconnected – and the importance of maintaining this global view of total airport management.’ Luongo, too, confirmed the importance of the network: ‘we are now much better included in EUROCONTROL’s operations, which is extremely important. We’re included in their planning, in their real-time work. We have physical contacts with EUROCONTROL just a phone call away. They’re very helpful and nice – it’s an excellent cooperation! We always felt like the little, small regional airport – and we are – but we’re motivated, being part of the global network.’
The APOC Peer Review have already led to adaptations and improvements for both airports. At Basel-Mulhouse, curfew handling has improved: ‘Our internal procedures have changed to handle flights that are at risk, for instance, of curfew problems. Together with EUROCONTROL, we’ve been able to save several flights from diversions or cancellations.’ At Paris-Orly, the inclusion of a map of the airspace view from the NOP (Network Operations Portal) on their video wall was a recommendation of the Peer Review they have chosen to use. ‘It’s an important detail that the Peer Review pointed out – it gives us an idea of the overall airspace as well as French and Parisian airspace specifically.’
Both airports are now looking to the future – for Paris-Orly, they aim to incorporate ground handlers and airlines, as well as considering how to better monitor environmental challenges through the APOC. For Basel-Mulhouse, Luongo explains that the Peer Review has led to a mindset change that will help prepare them for any future challenges. ‘Now we regularly sit together and discuss irregularities, set up checklists – and not just with our operational team, but with our management team also. Rather than acting as two separate worlds who meet perhaps once a year, our operational team can update management with problems much more quickly, so we can act efficiently.
For airports looking to begin their APOC journey, both Artola and Luongo have valuable advice. ‘Use the ACI EUROPE APOC Guidebook!’ states Luongo. ‘We banged our heads many times, so we were grateful to exchange with other airports and know how important it is to engage with them before you start. APOCs also require a culture change: you can have the best planning and project in the world, but if you don’t get your people on board, it will be difficult. This should be your highest priority. The APOC lives with the people involved: good, solid change management matters.’ At Paris-Orly, strong backing from top management, a focus on change management, and innovative tools are key. ‘Think of IT tools from the beginning,’ Artola adds. ‘Think, also, of more space – APOCs very quickly grow. Think about the shape of your APOC in a few years’ time. When an APOC works, it works well, and needs space to grow. That can be difficult once you’ve begun operations: APOCs never stop!’
Find out more about how to establish your own APOC in the ACI EUROPE APOC Guidebook, and discover more about ACI EUROPE’s APOC Peer Reviews on our dedicated page.
