Jonathan Leach, Chief Operating Officer, Chicago Department of Aviation, USA

Speaker Biograghy: Jonathan is the Chief Operating Officer for the Chicago Department of Aviation, which owns and manages O'Hare and Midway International Airports. Annually O'Hare and Midway account for over 1.13 million operations as well as 99 million passengers, combined with an annual operating budget of over US$1bn. Jonathan's responsibilities include overseeing all planning, design and construction activities at O'Hare and Midway, as well as the management of all facilities, airside, landside and terminal operations at O'Hare. In addition, Jonathan oversees the operations of O’Hare's airfield, including the annual certification inspections, snow removal operations during the winter, the maintenance and operation of O’Hare’s 21,345-space parking system, and operation of the automated transit system that serves the remote lots and all four terminals. Jonathan also manages the Department's Environment Division, which administers all sustainable initiatives and noise programmes for the Department's airports.


Day 1 - 14 March
Session: Airport Design, Planning & Development

10:50 - 11:25 - O’Hare SATCT: maximising value through design innovation and collaboration
Synopsis: The new South Air Traffic Control Tower at Chicago O’Hare International Airport began as a site adaptation of the recently completed North Tower. Due to code changes, FAA objectives and City goals, an extensive collaborative process ensued between the City of Chicago, the FAA, and EXP, resulting in an innovative design process that considered function, aesthetics, cost and schedule from the start. Designing for innovative construction methods, incorporating numerous sustainable initiatives, and making opportunities out of code challenges, constructability and long-term operations and maintenance were significantly improved over standard tower designs, resulting in reduced short- and long-term costs.

Audience will learn: