Principal Consultant - Aviation (Airport Planning)

Job Overview

We are inviting applications for a Principal Consultant role focused on airport planning within our Middle East Aviation Business. This position involves leading concept-level airport planning, functional spatial design, coordination across multiple disciplines, stakeholder engagement, and supporting design-oriented projects in major aviation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist project execution across various scopes with initial focus on delivering the Concept of Operations for DWC phase 2.
• Lead analytical evaluations of airport operations including traffic patterns, flight schedules, dwell times, and operational performance indicators.
• Produce and interpret capacity and Level of Service analyses spanning terminals, airside, apron, landside, and support facilities.
• Develop comprehensive multi-scenario forecasts covering passenger volumes, aircraft movements, cargo, and general aviation activities.
• Create and manage simulation models (e.g., CAST, AirTOP, AviPlan Analytics) to evaluate flow dynamics, efficiency, and operational robustness.
• Convert model data into clear, actionable insights to guide planning choices and infrastructure priorities.
• Maintain assured accuracy, traceability, and auditability of data, assumptions, and modeling procedures.
• Contribute to crafting airport masterplans and long-range strategic frameworks by providing data-driven planning inputs.
• Define functional and spatial requirements for terminal, airside, landside, and support infrastructure based on demand forecasts, Concept of Operations, and regulatory norms.
• Explore and assess planning alternatives including phasing strategies, triggers for expansion, and trade-offs in performance.
• Incorporate sustainability, resilience, airspace constraints, and innovative operational approaches in all planning scenarios.
• Offer structured planning guidance to design teams to ensure consistency with the masterplan vision.
• Engage closely with airport authorities, airlines, regulatory agencies, and internal teams to align on planning assumptions, criteria, and methodologies.
• Present complex capacity analyses, modeling outcomes, and planning insights in stakeholder workshops effectively.
• Lead technical dialogues, address queries, and update forecasts based on feedback from stakeholders.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams including terminal designers, airside engineers, operations experts, and digital specialists to ensure integrated, robust planning outputs.
• Collaborate across business units to deliver a unified service offering to aviation clients.
• Support bid preparation by contributing methodologies, scope definitions, effort estimations, case studies, and modelling insights enhancing aviation proposals.
• Improve internal planning practices through template development, analytical workflow enhancements, and sharing lessons learned.
• Mentor junior planners by providing technical advice on planning frameworks, modelling approaches, and project demands, fostering skill development within the team.

Qualifications and Experience

• Degree in Aviation Planning, Transport or Civil Engineering, Architecture, Aviation Management, or a related field.
• Eight to twelve years of experience in airport planning, capacity analysis, forecasting, simulation modeling, or airport masterplanning.
• Strong proficiency in analytical modeling, scenario planning, data interpretation, advanced Excel skills, and familiarity with AutoCAD/GIS tools.
• Excellent communication abilities for delivering complex technical information to clients, teams, and senior stakeholders.
• Experience working with airport operators, airlines, regulators, and multidisciplinary design teams, demonstrating sound professional judgement.
• A proactive, organized, and accountable approach with capability to lead workstreams and manage multiple priorities independently.

Additional Information

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