Inverness Airport (HIAL)

In 2018, Mackenzie Construction’s Inverness team worked on an exciting project to improve environmental performance at Inverness Airport for HIAL. The works incorporated a phased water drainage project, working both inside and outside of the airport boundaries. Phase one of the project was focused on surface water drainage within the airport boundaries.

Throughout the project, the highly regulated and controlled aviation environment required meticulous planning and procedural compliance in order to ensure exact airside standards and requirements were met. This environment also requires high levels of collaboration, strong working relationships and consistency of communication in order to manage and meet the standards and regulations efficiently and effectively.

Throughout the first phase Mackenzie worked closely with emergency services, air traffic control, operations staff at Inverness Airport and Highlands & Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL) to ensure safe, managed and compliant working practices airside. Almost 1000m of drainage pipe work along the taxiways of the airport was installed in close cooperation with Inverness Airport, working together to schedule work around clear airport operational restrictions and practices.

Sections of the project works were also constructed near to Bristow’s Air Sea Rescue Operation. With strong communication and planning, Mackenzie Construction site teams have ensured compliant practices as they worked in proximity to the emergency operational requirements of their life saving work.

Other aspects of the project included installation of a new wastewater treatment plant and pump station and excavation of a new swale to allow the treatment of the de-icer that maintains the aircraft and runways during periods of cold weather. Finally, a new oil interceptor was installed which will entail excavation to a depth of around 5m in order to stop the flow of oils, and other hydrocarbons, reaching the existing swales.