At the 2026 AAAE/ACC Airport Planning, Design, and Construction Symposium in Indianapolis, Chrysalis Global Managing Partner Suzanne Phelps moderated a panel on how ORAT programs help airports move from construction to day-one operations with confidence.
At the 2026 AAAE/ACC Airport Planning, Design, and Construction Symposium in Indianapolis, Chrysalis Global Managing Partner Suzanne Phelps moderated a lively panel session titled “ORAT Unlocked: The Hidden Engine Behind Smooth Airport Openings.” The discussion brought together industry leaders to explore how Operational Readiness, Activation, and Transition (ORAT) programs help airports move from construction to day-one operations with confidence.
The session highlighted a central message: successful airport openings are not simply construction milestones but rather complex operational transformations that require early planning, structured coordination, and strong leadership across the entire airport ecosystem.
The expert panelists emphasized that ORAT should be integrated into projects from the earliest stages rather than introduced late in the process.
"If you are trying to develop your policies in the middle of an incident, you are far too late," said David Gruber, Assistant Vice President, ORAT, of WSP, during the discussion. "That has to be done from the beginning."
The panel underscored that ORAT programs are most effective when leadership recognizes their strategic value and supports them from the top.
"It is critical that ORAT have an owner champion at the executive level," Gruber added. "Without that, this function does not work."
Another key theme of the session was the importance of engaging airport teams at every level, from executive leadership to frontline staff.
According to Consertus Vice President Sarah Hyre, early engagement helps organizations identify risks before they become operational failures.
"I have observed when you engage the owner early and the owner gives line workers permission to interact with the ORAT teams, there's more understanding of what could go wrong before it happens," Hyre said. "It also gives additional ownership to those team members."
This collaborative approach allows airport operators, airlines, concessionaires, and regulatory partners to test systems and workflows long before passengers arrive.
While ORAT is often associated with large hub airports, the panel noted that its principles apply to projects of every size.
"ORAT can be scalable," explained Joe Hoeing, Project Manager for Planning and Development at Spokane International Airport (GEG). "It can work on a large hub, multiple projects, small hubs, no hubs. But you need to fit it in."
Whether supporting a multi-billion-dollar terminal expansion or a smaller facility upgrade, ORAT frameworks help ensure that operational planning keeps pace with construction progress.
Spokane International Airport engaged Chrysalis Global Aviation on its revolutionary GEG Terminal Renovation and Expansion Program.
Throughout the session, panelists repeatedly returned to the importance of communication within project teams and with external stakeholders.
"If you can't communicate with your stakeholders or your own teams, nothing is going to be successful," said Angie Cotter, Manager of Logistics and Facility Transition at Nashville International Airport (BNA). "ORAT handles that."
By serving as the connective tissue between airport departments, airlines, technology providers, and construction teams, ORAT programs help translate project decisions into workable day-one operations.
The session used a creative "investigation" theme to illustrate what happens when operational readiness planning is overlooked. The session showed how poorly coordinated openings can cascade into missed flights, delayed operations, and reputational damage for airports and their partners.
The takeaway was clear: ORAT exists to prevent these failures before they occur.
Through structured planning, integrated testing, and stakeholder coordination, ORAT ensures that airports open not just as finished buildings—but as fully functioning systems.
As airports around the world continue to expand and modernize their facilities, the role of ORAT programs is becoming increasingly central to successful project delivery.
Sessions like ORAT Unlocked highlight how early planning, strong leadership, and clear communication can transform complex construction projects into smooth operational launches.
For Chrysalis Global Aviation, the conversation reflects a core belief that operational readiness is not the final step of a project; it is a guiding strategy from day one.
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For more information about Chrysalis Global Aviation's work, visit chrysalisglobal.com/aviation.
