By Jean Luc Devisscher
Date: 4 /9/2025

In recent years, one of the most critical and often overlooked areas of airport operations has emerged as a key battleground for efficiency: the apron. 

Airports and airlines are increasingly recognizing that the apron is where some of the greatest time savings can be made. Every minute gained improves stand utilization, enables more flight movements, and enhances both airline profitability and the passenger experience. Well-managed apron operations are essential for maintaining agreed schedules and optimizing turnaround times. 

This focus isn’t entirely new. In the U.S., airlines have long appointed Apron Managers to take ownership of an area of airport operations that was traditionally considered secondary and often neglected. Ground movements and apron activities were seen more as routine support functions than as strategic components of airport performance. As a result, they often lacked the coordination and accountability needed to drive real efficiency. That perception is changing, and airports around the world are beginning to adopt similar models to fill operational gaps and improve responsiveness, especially where Air Traffic Control (ATC) has been slow to adapt or share critical data. 

Shifting responsibility for ground operations from ATC to airports themselves is a logical next step. ATC remains focused on en-route navigation and the safe arrival of aircraft. Once an aircraft has landed, the airport is best positioned to assume operational control, managing ground movements, allocating resources, and driving all A-CDM (Airport Collaborative Decision Making) milestones critical for turnaround performance. 

Enter the Apron Manager, a role that is rapidly becoming central to modern airport operations. Typically integrated into the Airport Operations Centre, the Apron Manager coordinates aircraft ground movements after landing, monitors key performance indicators, and ensures adherence to agreed schedules. In the U.S., this role is even more developed: Apron Managers are often involved in pre-departure sequencing, allowing them to prioritize aircraft that are fully ready for takeoff. This added control provides operational flexibility and minimizes idle time, directly supporting airport throughput and service quality. 

As John Swift of Solus Consultants noted in a recent discussion, the growing importance of the Apron Manager role outside the U.S. represents a natural evolution in clearly defining responsibilities and driving greater accountability in daily airport operations. While in many regions ATC still oversees departure sequencing through systems like DMAN (Departure Manager), the trend is shifting toward more collaborative approaches, with apron leadership playing an increasingly active role. 

The airports that start preparing early for this shift, by strengthening apron oversight, integrating management into their operations centres, and enabling better cross-stakeholder coordination, will be best positioned to reap the benefits. Increased efficiency, reduced delays, and better use of available capacity are all on the table. 

The apron is no longer just a stretch of concrete between arrival and departure. It’s becoming one of the most strategic assets in the airport’s toolbox. 

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