The First Step of a Transformative Journey Jorge Gutiérrez De Velasco

General Manager | Querétaro International Airport

The project to create the Strategic Plan for the Development of the Queretaro International Airport to 2035 is, by itself, a challenge, both methodologically and in terms of reconciling wills. Its usefulness will lie both in the strength of its proposal and in engaging the right team and stakeholders. There are factors that can increase the chances that an exercise like this is executed correctly:

The project team.

Inside the Queretaro International Airport (AIQ), the project team that will be working on the creation of the strategic plan has to be multidisciplinary, led by the strategic planning department. The project will be composed of leaders from all areas: air operations, human resources, finance, information technology and legal, just to mention a few. The team’s sponsor is the general manager. The nature of the strategic plan is that it must include the deployment of coordinated actions from all departments at the right timing in order to achieve the proposed goals.

Support from world-class experts.

The support from world-class experts with experience in the creation of this type of strategic plan at other airports around the world provides the confidence that the necessary elements to make it feasible will be considered. The experts’ participation will also speed up the document’s construction.

The stakeholders.

Involving and taking note of the needs, opinions and perspectives of the right stakeholders is perhaps the factor that gives the strategic plan its greatest certainty. Among the most relevant stakeholders are the government of the state of Queretaro, airlines, courier and cargo service companies, users of cargo services, such as associations of auto parts producers, passengers and the aeronautical authority in Mexico. These should all participate in well-targeted and concrete consultation exercises.

Analysis of successful models around the world.

The analysis of the commercial and operational models of similar airports around the world is an essential condition to incorporate world-class practices into AIQ’s vision of the future. Talking with the leaders of these airports will provide a clear idea of the opportunities that exist and are already a reality in other parts of the world, which include technological trends, sustainability, operational and commercial practices as well as the passenger experience.

Industry studies.

The last key factor to consider in the process of creating the strategic plan is, without a doubt, the analysis of industry studies of air operations in the region and the world. From there, trends in air operations, fleet growth forecasts, needs for new routes and business opportunities, among others, will be incorporated.

In the case of Queretaro, it is important to analyze the opportunities and threats that exist due to the cancellation of the construction of the Texcoco Airport and the creation of the new Felipe Ángeles International Airport in the context of the national airport system.