Incheon and Copenhagen Airports Guide Istanbul Airport Ops

Set up a three-way advisory program now with Incheon International Airport and copenhagen Airport guiding Istanbul New Airport through a full transition. The program centers on a knowledge exchange, atrs integration, and hands-on support for operational readiness during the first years of operation, ensuring that passengers experience smooth check-in, security, and boarding.

During the collaboration, teams from Incheon and Copenhagen will share best practices in construction readiness, overlaying workforce models with operations planning to ensure all steps from arrival to departure are streamlined. They will help operators set up phase-by-phase milestones for equipment, signage, and staffing to avoid gaps between construction milestones and live services.

Focus on passenger comfort and resilience by adapting layout, wayfinding, queue management, and standby resources. copenhagen‘s experience with multi-modal terminals and Incheon high-volume checks will contribute to reducing issues in a high-capacity operations environment, particularly during peak passengers surges and seasonal spikes.

Implement a joint governance structure with clear KPIs: operational efficiency, comfort metrics, and incident response times. Use shared dashboards to track knowledge transfer and services quality across the Türkiye işletmesi framework, and ensure that the Istanbul site can operate independently within 24 months while maintaining high safety standards.

In practice, the advisors will deliver on-site coaching, remote support, and regular workshops, covering staffing, knowledge transfer, and continuity plans. They will help map years of international best practice to the Istanbul operations model, from check-in to baggage handling, to maintain comfort and reliability for passengers, and to contribute to overall efficiency.

To begin, establish a joint task force, define data-sharing rules, and appoint a rotating liaison from each airport. The plan should specify from which date and what milestones to achieve, with concrete targets for services and operations alignment.

Scope of Consultancy Roles and Boundaries

Recommend establishing a formal RACI-style framework that assigns clear responsibilities and decision boundaries for each milestone, with Istanbul New Airport işletmesi as the client and the combined knowledge from denmark-based Copenhagen operations guiding the program. This approach directly supports the goal of maintaining operational performance and scalable capacity, and it aligns with the strategy to integrate two world-leading centers into one governance model across the worlds of airport operations.

Defined Roles and Boundaries

Assign executive oversight to the awarding authority and the Istanbul New Airport işletmesi, with Incheon and Copenhagen acting as knowledge centers for strategy, process optimization, and performance modelling. They have input on general concepts, risk assessments, and capacity plans, but they do not authorize capital or schedule changes. The operational changes and day-to-day scheduling remain with the airport management. The center network should have access to data and best practices to improve consistency across denmark, copenhagen, and the broader airports portfolio, ensuring the approach have a clear boundary between advisory guidance and issuing directives.

Governance, Knowledge Transfer, and Metrics

Institute quarterly reviews tied to milestone delivery, with dashboards tracking milestone adherence, safety indicators, projected passenger throughput, and cost-consciousness in design choices. Implement a central knowledge repository for templates, data models, and training modules that the society-facing teams can use to raise capability levels. The knowledge transfer plan should have explicit targets for the işletmesi staff to reach equivalent operational capacity within 6–12 months, and it must feed into the general strategy for continuous improvement across the largest airports. All reporting and data sharing occur within approved boundaries to support responsible awarding and dependable performance.

Governance, Decision Rights, and Stakeholder Alignment

Form a tri-party governance board that includes dhmi, istanbul corporation leadership, and consultants from the three airports, and grant them their binding decision rights on awarding contracts, construction milestones, capacity upgrades, and operational services across istanbul and its partners. This structure ensures full knowledge transfer, strong alignment on capacity and destinations, and clear accountability for performance against agreed targets. By embedding significant risk oversight and a rapid escalation path, the board can avert delays and keep timelines on track.

Governance Structure

Define a concise Terms of Reference with roles and responsibilities for the board, a fixed annual plan, and quarterly reviews. The board should approve awarding criteria, construction milestones, and major changes to airport capacity. Include independent experts to verify risk levels and ensure decision parity between istanbul, other partners, and world-class consultants. Maintain a single dashboard that aggregates safety, throughput, on-time performance, and customer satisfaction across the three airports.

Decision Rights, Stakeholder Alignment, and Knowledge Transfer

Set decision rights for awarding, procurement, and operational services with a matrix that marks which body approves capex, contracts with operators, and routes for escalation to istanbul or dhmi. Prioritize cross-learning: consultants will provide full knowledge transfer to dhmi and istanbul teams, including training, playbooks, and data models. This will ensure that capacity decisions reflect real-world constraints and that another entity can assume responsibilities with minimal disruption. Align incentives with travelers’ destinations and service quality metrics across the worlds of airport operations.

Knowledge Transfer and Training Plan

Recommendation: implement a staged knowledge transfer plan featuring clear checkpoints and hands-on training delivered by advisory teams from Incheon and Copenhagen aviation hubs to support Istanbul’s new mega hub operations.

Stage 1: Readiness and gap assessment
- Define target outcomes for passenger experience, safety, and service reliability within the new hub environment.
Stage 2: Capability-building and knowledge transfer
- Deliver a balanced mix of classroom sessions and hands-on drills in a simulation environment, focusing on passenger services, baggage handling, and security workflows.
- Provide role-specific tracks for managers, supervisors, and frontline staff; align with existing processes and defined performance indicators.
- Publish a digital knowledge library housing SOPs, case studies, checklists, and after-action reviews; ensure easy search and offline access for on-site teams.
- Establish data-sharing agreements and a common terminology to enable seamless collaboration between partner teams and Istanbul staff.
Stage 3: Shadowing and live execution support
- Deploy a shadowing plan during early operation phases, with pairs of senior advisors accompanying local teams in key shift windows.
- Run paired go-live exercises and live simulations to validate procedures with real traffic volumes while capturing deviations for rapid correction.
- Track progress against defined KPIs such as throughput, dwell times, incident rates, and customer satisfaction, updating dashboards weekly.
- Provide short-cycle coaching and feedback to support a smooth ramp toward autonomous operations.
Stage 4: Sustainment and continuous improvement
- Institute refresher training twice a year and keep the knowledge repository current with quarterly updates from lessons learned.
- Maintain an ongoing improvement backlog and assign owners for timely closure; integrate updates into SOPs and training materials.
- Schedule biannual governance reviews to align goals, confirm resource commitments, and adjust plans according to new conditions.

Technology and Systems Integration Approach

Adopt a unified Technology and Systems Integration Platform that links Istanbul New Airport with Copenhagen and Incheon, using open APIs, a common data model, and a phased migration plan. The goal is real-time coordination of flight operations, baggage handling, security, and passenger services across all touchpoints, with DHMI governance preserved and standards aligned to airports’ safety requirements. Through this approach, denmark experts from copenhagen will contribute knowledge that accelerates decision making, supports passengers, and strengthens transport with society, delivering better service to destinations.

Implementation blueprint

Architect the system in three layers: data, services, and orchestration. The data layer collects feeds from airline operations, airport control systems, and external partners; the services layer exposes four domains: passenger flow management, baggage handling, security coordination, and information services; the orchestration layer coordinates flows to align passenger movement with aircraft docking and luggage routing. Among four operators, Copenhagen is among them, enabling capacity planning and seamless handoffs for destinations. The project follows a milestone path with four milestones, the first accomplished by API standardization, the second enabling cross-terminal data sharing, the third delivering integrated passenger services, and the fourth going live with coordinated operations.

Operational Readiness Timeline and Go-Live Milestones

Provide a 120-day readiness sprint that aligns the center teams from copenhagen, denmark, Incheon, and dhmi, with the consultants to define four phases for Istanbul New Airport’s go-live. This setup taps strong experts and research from both airports to validate strategy and secure capacity targets.

Phase 1 – Baseline and research (days 0-30): Collect data across operations, center control, and airline interfaces. Map core flows for arrivals, departures, baggage, ground handling, and security. Produce a gap analysis and a prioritized action list that feed Phase 2. The period ends with a signed action plan and updated risk register.

Phase 2 – Strategy and design (days 31-90): Develop standard operating procedures, capacity models, staffing plans, and IT interface designs. Establish a denmark-based denmark-denmark? center of excellence that anchors operations and could contribute to continuous research. Align with dhmi requirements and international best practices. Define roles for operators, consultants, and airlines, and set measurable targets for capacity, dwell times, and reliability.

Phase 3 – System integration and testing (days 91-150): Run end-to-end simulations, drills, and contingency tests. Validate data exchanges among airport operations, airline systems, and ground services. Validate training outcomes meet the needed competence levels, and update SOPs accordingly. Maintain tight coordination with them across Incheon, copenhagen, and the Istanbul New Airport team to keep milestones on track.

Phase 4 – Cutover and go-live readiness (days 151-180): Final rehearsals, staged go-live, and cutover plan. Coordinate with airlines and service providers to minimize disruption. Confirm 24/7 operations support during the initial period and establish weekly reviews among partners to track progress, capacity utilization, and incident response. Ensure documentation is complete and that the consortium can provide continued improvement through the first full operating period.

Risk Management, Safety, and Compliance Framework

Recommendation: Implement a unified risk management framework blending ISO 31000 with IATA safety standards, led by operators and a consultancy team from istanbul and copenhagen. The framework includes a live risk register, clear control owners, and a quarterly milestone review with society stakeholders. Integrate atrs analytics to strengthen early warning, and ensure data from operations translates into concrete actions. This consultancy-driven effort has accomplished rapid wins and created a strong, scalable foundation for ongoing risk management over this period.

Safety, security, and compliance are built on a clear strategy that links safety controls to operational activities. The framework defines performance metrics, incident reporting, and corrective actions to address issues quickly. It strengthens capacity for both passengers and society, helping operators contribute more reliable services during peak period.

Governance and Compliance Architecture

Assign risk owners and appoint consultants; establish escalation paths to the board. The policy catalog and risk registers reflect işletmesi practices in istanbul and align with international standards. Documentation, audits, and records provide a transparent trail that supports regulatory review. Among stakeholders, this structure reduces bottlenecks and speeds decisive action. The framework’s milestone approach ensures compliance is not a one-time check but an ongoing discipline.

Operational Readiness and Training

Implement targeted training for front-line teams and management. Run quarterly drills, tabletop exercises, and atrs-informed simulations to test response times. Compile lessons learned into updates to procedures, with ownership assigned to specific units. This approach connects consultancy insights from istanbul and copenhagen to tangible coaching that boosts safety culture and service quality for passengers, contributing to more reliable services during high-traffic period.

Performance Metrics, Monitoring, and Improvement Loop

Implement a baseline KPI dashboard across all phases to quickly detect issues and drive improvements. Combine data from the operations center, AODB, baggage handling, and passenger services, and share insights with them and with airlines that operate at the airports to support a plan for Istanbul New Airport. This approach will reveal significant bottlenecks in capacity, gate utilization, and service quality, creating a strong foundation for the dhmi collaboration.

Establish an improvement loop built on four core steps: measure, diagnose, act, verify, repeated in quarterly periods. Tie each step to a milestone and plan across phases from pre-opening to ramp-up, ensuring the combined efforts of the Incheon and Copenhagen consultancy teams are embedded into Istanbul’s operations. Awarding incentives for meeting or exceeding targets will reinforce accountability and keep teams focused on the best outcomes.

Key Metrics and Data Sources

The metrics below reflect both airport-wide capacity and the quality of services that airlines and their passengers expect. Data streams come from the center of operations, frontline platforms, and partner systems to ensure coverage across all destinations and services.

Metric	Definition	Target (Peak)
On-time performance (departures/arrivals)	Share of flights that depart/arrive within 15 minutes of schedule	≥95%
Baggage handling accuracy	Correctly delivered baggage within the first attempt	>=99.5%
Gate utilization	Average gate occupancy versus available time	Target around 85%
Average security wait time	Time from arrival to screening clearance	≤7 minutes
Capacity utilization index	Utilization of terminal capacity during peak periods	90–95%
Customer satisfaction (CSAT)	Passenger satisfaction score from random surveys	≥85%
Issue resolution time	Median time to close operational issues	≤4 hours
Cost per passenger	Operating cost divided by passenger volume	Within approved budget

Improvement Loop and Implementation Timeline

Implement quarterly cycles with explicit owners, timelines, and review points. Align each cycle with the Istanbul project plan and the history of both Incheon and Copenhagen airports to bring proven practices into play, from risk assessment to final delivery. Integrate feedback from dhmi and airlines into the loop to ensure the plan remains responsive to real-world conditions and capacity changes.

The timeline starts with a 90-day ramp-up to establish data collection, governance, and baseline benchmarks, followed by six-month iterations to test interventions in controlled environments. Each phase culminates in a milestone review that validates results, informs adjustments, and supports the next set of actions–moving from pilot improvements to full-scale implementation across terminals, services, and destinations.

Incheon and Copenhagen Airports to Serve as Istanbul New Airport’s Operational Consultants