The challenge
Heathrow’s Terminal 5 (T5) processes more than 30 million passengers per year. The airport company intended to significantly increase the capacity of T5 while maintaining or improving customer service.
Wherever possible, this capacity increase was to be achieved through process improvement, and where that was not feasible, through a combination of process optimisation and infrastructure change. o&i consulting worked with the T5+ Programme team to help identify viable process solutions to realise additional capacity and minimise capital expenditure.
Our role
Initially, o&i consulting worked with the client and other stakeholders to develop a complete understanding of the existing T5 departure, transfer and arrival processes, identifying current capacity and constraints.
o&i consulting then supported the T5+ capacity team in identifying process improvement opportunities in all key processing areas. Our team conducted process measurement and analysis, and designed and managed operational trials in areas such as check-in (self-service bag drop), passenger security search, off pier and inter-terminal coaching, passenger boarding, immigration and baggage reclaim.
The outcome
The outputs from this work helped the client make informed decisions about where and how much new infrastructure was required to deliver additional capacity, in many instances reducing the amount of additional capital expenditure needed.
