The procedures and methods of next-generation screening, and increased demand for air travel, required the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (OMCIA) and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) additional space to complete preboard screening.

This multi-phased program took place while the passenger terminal, retail concessions and gates remained fully open and operational. The preboard screening operation moved from level 2 of the airport to an expanded space on level 3. To accommodate the infrastructure change, we moved retail shops and restaurants from level 3 to a new central food court area on level 2. In addition to the modern architectural features, a new set of elevators and escalators smooths the flow of people to restaurant areas and the hold room, where passengers wait to board flights.

OMCIA and CATSA needed us to build the new infill floor and complete all other construction at the busiest location in the terminal without causing any disruption or delays to daily operations or affecting passengers’ experience when boarding flights. We did this by building a full overhead work platform and a construction corridor that included flight display boards, upscale lighting, billboards, automated bank machine, washroom doorways, even a water fountain, which represented the typical airport concourse for a seamless flow of passengers.

Ongoing changes to transportation security requirements had the potential to hold back progress. The COVID-19 pandemic also played a role, as it disrupted both the construction industry and travel services. The project team implemented a rotation, however, which kept these and any other factors from affecting the schedule.