International standard

Redeveloping Auckland Airport while it remained open demanded a high level of co-ordination among airport authorities and construction teams

View of retail shops and seating area at interior design, retail, shopping mall — View of retail shops and seating area at airport building.

View of airport with mezzanine floor, stairs and glass, leisure centre, metropolitan area, structure, gray

Building to house airport baggage handling system. aerospace engineering, factory, hangar, industry, black

View of baggage handling equipment in building at factory, manufacturing, motor vehicle, gray, black

The key consideration behind the upgrade of Auckland Airport was to increase security to meet new international requirements. To do this, a new floor was constructed above the existing pier to separate incoming and outgoing passengers. With dozens of contractors working to tight deadlines in restricted areas, smooth coordination with airport security was vital to the project's success.

Hawkins Construction was in charge of the redevelopment. Project director Ted Senner worked closely with the airport and security services to ensure security remained tight throughout the project.

"Passenger safety and security was the highestpriority throughout the build period," says Senner. "Over a thousand staff and contractors went through the site safety induction programme and about 10 million passengers went through the international pier during construction."

With Civil Aviation Authority regulations taking effect at the beginning of 2006, completing the pier construction on schedule was critical.