Javier Vago

Aeronautical engineer, with experience in management of contracts and airport projects, preparation of technical work files, administration of contracts and projects, execution and supervision of works under the good practices of the Project Management Institute (PMI).

With a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (France - Paris). Also with a specialization in Airport Project Management, having completed the Master in Airport Systems of the Polytechnic University of Madrid - Spain, complemented by several courses of Airport Planning taught by the same university, in conjunction with the National University of La Plata - Buenos Aires. He has several specialization courses in design, construction and planning of airport infrastructures, management and leadership of high-efficiency work teams.

Intern by Airports Argentina 2000 for a training program in operations and maintenance at their partner airports in Milan - Italy, where he specialized in the development of maintenance, airport operations, and in management of Aviation Projects. Intern of INECO / AENA to carry out a master's degree in airport systems at the Polytechnic University of Madrid - Spain, working at the same time in airport consulting where he was in charge of several local and international airport engineering projects.

He forged his specialization in the planning of airport engineering projects at Airports Argentina 2000 where he was in charge of the engineering projects of 38 airports between Argentina, Latin America, Europe and Asia; the development of the Master plans of the same airports and participating in several international biddings for international airport concessions.

His last job was held for 14 years as Manager of Cordoba International Airport – Argentina for Copa Airlines, where he forged his skills in leadership and executive management.

Javier exhibits more than 29 years of experience as an aeronautical engineer of which 25 years are in the domain of airports, 14 of which in executive / managerial management.

Airports Argentina 2.000 S.A (Airport Engineering and Design) 

From: 08/11/2021 To: date. 

Position: Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Maintenance and Engineering Manager (Area: Maintenance Engineering). Location: Buenos Aires – Argentina

Duties: 

• Responsible for the electrical, mechanical, thermomechanical, beaconing and building maintenance of all the infrastructures (air and ground side) of the Jorge Newbery Airport, with 160 direct people in charge.
• Among the infrastructures to mention a few: MT substations and MT rings, BT boards, elevators, escalators, fire systems, BMS and BHS management, tapes, building infrastructure, weak currents, runways, platforms, taxiways, beaconing.
• Major and minor reforms associated with the airport master plan.
• Planning, coordination, programming, monitoring and control of airport projects and maintenance works.

Copa Airlines: (Air Line)

From: 06/08/2007 to 15/03/2021 

Position: Airport Manager - (Area: Senior Management)

Location: Cordoba - Argentina

Duties: 

• Responsible for all the operations of the Córdoba station, managing and guaranteeing a safe, efficient, profitable and timely airport operation so that the image, reputation and customer service level agreements (OTP, EKAS, KPIS, etc.) are achieved and improved to the highest standards.
• Periodic review of the strategy to direct, guide and develop staff ensuring the maintenance of a workforce motivated towards the fulfillment of customer service.
• Representative of the airline in the appropriate official forums (AOC, working group meetings), acting as liaison with government organizations, airport authorities, GHA and other service providers.
• Responsible for the annual budget for income, expenses, and capital expenditures, to provide a cost-effective service that best represents value for money.

Achievements:

• It was optimized by 2% year to year, additional revenue from seats, baggage collection and upgrades in airport canals, thus maximizing revenue opportunities in a small market.
• Synergies and optimizations were achieved, making the operating structure more flexible, reducing the fixed costs of the operative budget by 1% over the past 7 years.
• The top 11 contracts were renegotiating, meeting the target of reducing fixed costs by 10% over the 4-year period and achieving better financial conditions.
• It was optimized in 10 min, both the operation of entry and exit of aircraft in apron, generating savings of 250K in fuel per year.
• We remained at zero for 9 consecutive years the aircraft hit indicator.
• Improved customer service kindness and efficiency by 2.5% over the previous 5 years.
• Punctuality was improved years-over-year to 94% during the period 2019, helping to make Copa Airlines the most punctual airline in the world for two consecutive years.

Transportation Engineering and Economics (INECO): (Airport Engineering and Design)

From: 27/03/2003 To: 27/03/2004

Position: Airport Project Engineer - Senior Engineer (Area: Consulting - Engineering Design)

Location: Madrid - Spain

 Duties: 

• Development of engineering and detail engineering projects for airport expansion (civil, electromechanical and architecture).
• Engineering technical assistance at the UNE Airport Projects.
• Intervention in projects of major relevance:
  • Enlargement Project of both runway thresholds at León Airport- Spain.
  • Runway enlargement project at El Torrejón Airport – Madrid - Spain.
  • Air side expansion Project at Barajas Airport – Madrid - Spain.
  • Electric Central expansion at Ibiza Airport – Ibiza - Spain.
  • Air side expansion Project at Walvis Bay Airport– Namibia.
  • Waiting threshold platform Enlargement Project at South Tenerife Airport – Tenerife Island – Spain.

Achievements:

• To have obtained the scholarship by AENA to work in one of the principal transport consultant of Spain INECO and in turn to study the master's degree in airport systems at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
• Having balanced the time required by the master's course versus the demands of daily consulting work, where urgent projects often came out.

 Airports Argentina 2000 S.A: (Airport Management)

From: 01/02/1999 To: 30/03/2003

Position: Infrastructure Maintenance Manager at Jorge Newbery´s Airport (Area: Maintenance Engineering).

Location: Buenos Aires - Argentina

 During the period 1999 to 2003 I grew in several positions within the hierarchical organizational. Entering as a Junior Engineer in February 1999 in the Directorate of Operations and Maintenance – Corporate, I was promoted to the position of Infrastructure Chief at Jorge Newbery Airport in April 2001, and then promoted to Maintenance Manager at the same airport in May 2002.

Duties: 

• Planning, coordination, programming, monitoring and control of airport projects and maintenance works (Landside and Airside).
• Operational coordination with the different airport operators, both civilian and official.
• Statistical analysis related to the movement and airport traffic.

Achievements:

• Achievement in record time of the re-pavement and extension of the runway, shoots and apron of Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Airport, reducing in 10 days the times set by the bidding.
• Replacement of 2500 m2 of concrete slabs of the only runway at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Airport, (most congested airport in all Argentina with 1 operation every 3 minutes) with habilitation at 48 hours for landing and takeoff of aircrafts.
• Experimental development of a paint with special siliceous aggregates, which improves the friction coefficient of the runway on those runways with smooth surfaces or worn by aircraft operation. The paint allowed to raise in its application of 4 hours, the friction coefficient below the minimum 0.38 to 0.68 for a period of approximately three months.

 Reconquista River Unit Coordination Project: (Public work - Civil and electromechanical infrastructure)

From: 01/1995 To: 02/1999

Electromechanical Works Inspector - Supervisor (Area: Civil and Electromechanical Engineering)

Location: La Plata - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 Belonging to the Ministry of Public Services and Works of the of Buenos Aires Prov. Project financed by the Interamerican Development Bank (B.I.D.). US$350,000,000 to give definitive solution to the floods of the basin caused by rain and undeste, and to carry out the environmental sanitation of the river basin.

The project consisted of the construction of: 20 road bridges, 4 sewage effluents treatment plants for the city, channeling of 50 kms of the river basin, 10 pumping flooding stations (each about 12 m3/sec) for flood drainage control for the all effluents of the river, 12,000industries control of effluents, establishment of a monitoring and alert network.

Duties: 

• Inspector of Electromechanical and Civil Works of the project.
• Preparation of bid specifications and plans.
• Designs and calculation of engineering and detail engineering.

• Control and management of works.

Achievements:

Having managed to heal the Basin of the Reconquista River, Argentina's second most polluted river, allowing the inhabitants surrounding the river to no longer suffer the effects of flooding, and all the adverse biological effects that a flood causes with such a polluted river. I’m proud to know that we saved many lives after the completion of engineering works and improved the quality of life of its inhabitants.

 

Official Aircraft Directorate: (Aeronautics -Aircraft)

From: 04/1992 To: 12/1994

Aircraft Technical Office Supervisor - Young Professional - (Area: Engineering)

Location: La plata - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 Duties: 

• Supervision, pursuit and control of the maintenance and inspection of airplanes:

  Citation II, C441, C412, C402, C182 and helicopters: BO105, BK117.

• Aircraft inspection, supervision, monitoring and control of aircraft maintenance works.
• Operational planning of inspections.
• Translation of airworthiness manuals and directives.
• Updating the technical documentation 
• Work group planning.

Master in Airport Systems (Graduate):

From: March 2003 Until: March 2004

Polytechnic University of Madrid (Madrid - Spain)

Study Area: Airports Average: 8.5

MBA - Master in Business Administration & International Business (Graduate)

From: February 1997 Until: June 1999 

Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (France - Paris) 

Study Area: Business Administration Average: 8.7

Aeronautical Engineer (Graduate)

From: February 1987 Until: June 1994 

National University of La Plata –Aeronautical Engineering School (Buenos Aires - Argentina) 

Study Area: Aeronautical Average 7.6