Delivery Momentum, Restored:
How a Global Airline Cut Time‑to‑Productivity by 50%
In 2023, a major global airline faced a transformation challenge that strategy alone could not solve. A growing backlog, protracted project lead times, and a slow ramp-up for new talent were stalling both legacy system upgrades and the rollout of cutting-edge data and AI solutions. Impellam Project Services stepped in, designing a services delivery approach that quickly alleviated immediate pain points and has since evolved into a go-to resource for expertise, process excellence, and change management across the airline's digital transformation.
Talk to our teamA global carrier with decades of brand equity and a digital transformation agenda that needed to accelerate.
This is one of the world's most recognized airlines, serving approximately 46 million passengers annually across more than 200 destinations on six continents, with a fleet of 250+ aircraft and annual revenue of £14.6 billion. At that scale, the ability to deliver on a digital transformation agenda isn't just a technology question; it's a competitive and operational imperative.
By 2023, critical product and service deliveries were suffering. Bottlenecks were hampering the experience for passengers, crew, and stakeholders alike. Suboptimal workflows, limited access to specialized skills, and ambiguity over ownership were slowing momentum, while a growing backlog of work and protracted project lead times stalled both legacy system upgrades and the implementation of new data and AI solutions.
There was also a more strategic challenge: digital investments weren't landing with business leaders. A disconnect between the vision of technology teams and the value understood by stakeholders was dampening engagement; without alignment, even well-resourced initiatives struggled to build momentum.
Backlogs, slow ramp-ups, and a stakeholder alignment gap that was costing momentum.
The airline needed more than additional resource. The delivery system itself had friction built into it; without addressing how work was structured, governed, and understood across the business, adding headcount alone would not move the needle.
Aging work orders had accumulated as a result of skills gaps, legacy system constraints, and unclear technical ownership. Projects proceeded haltingly; without a more structured approach to delivery, the backlog would continue to grow faster than teams could clear it.
New talent was taking months to reach meaningful productivity, a pace that couldn't support the speed of change the transformation demanded. Scaling capability required a fundamentally different approach to onboarding and squad formation.
Digital investments were meeting a lukewarm reception from business leaders who struggled to connect technology initiatives to tangible outcomes. Without that alignment, even well-funded programs lacked the organizational momentum they needed to succeed.
What was needed was a partner that could redesign how work got done: clarifying ownership, restructuring governance, and translating technical ambitions into measurable business impact. The business required a more agile approach to foster innovation and accelerate portfolio delivery.
Not a resourcing exercise. A delivery system redesign.
From the initial discussion with the airline's Director of Transformation, it was clear that filling roles wouldn't be enough. The delivery system had structural problems: unclear ownership, inconsistent governance, and a disconnect between technical delivery and business value. Addressing those required a different kind of engagement.
Impellam Project Services designed a services delivery model built around dedicated product squads, each operating with a unique Statement of Work to ensure absolute clarity of mission. Rather than managing resources through a line-based model, the approach was capability-led, aligning specialist skills to specific product needs and empowering squads to act independently while remaining aligned with stakeholders.
Critically, the engagement also addressed the stakeholder alignment gap directly, helping translate technical ambitions into measurable business outcomes, so that digital initiatives could build the organizational enthusiasm they needed to succeed.
Capability-led squad design. Moving away from line-based management to 13 product-support teams aligned to specific delivery outcomes, with delivery assurance specialists embedded within the group.
Bespoke Statements of Work. Unique SOWs for each engagement gave every worker and squad a clear mission, eliminating the ambiguity over ownership that had previously caused projects to stall.
Repeatable mobilization governance. A bespoke mobilization approach and supplier pipeline enabled rapid squad formation, reducing the lag between identifying a need and having capable resource in place and productive.
An agile PMO framework that turned delivery friction into delivery velocity.
The program brought together 88 AI, data and digital delivery specialists operating across 13 capability-led product teams, supported by structured delivery frameworks, embedded assurance, and a governance model designed to keep work moving rather than let it linger.
AI, data and digital delivery specialists deployed across the airline's transformation program, working cross-functionally to address both legacy system challenges and new data and AI implementation priorities.
Product-support teams structured around capability rather than reporting lines, with delivery and product assurance specialists embedded within each group to maintain quality and accountability without adding governance overhead.
Workflow redesigns clarified ownership, identified dependencies, and empowered squads to act independently while remaining aligned with stakeholders, ensuring tasks were completed efficiently without lingering due to resource or skill shortages.
Beyond delivery execution, the engagement provided consultative support to bridge the gap between technical vision and business understanding, ensuring digital initiatives built stakeholder buy-in alongside delivery momentum.
Impact at a glance.
By assessing current and future requirements alongside the airline's digital leadership, the program accelerated the carrier's transformation journey, delivering measurable gains in productivity, release cadence, and organizational alignment. The airline's Director of Transformation has described the approach as something "no other company in the world is doing."
The airline now has a sustainable governance framework in place for deploying Statement of Work resources, enabling rapid responses to shifting skills and business needs. In a highly market-sensitive and regulated industry, the organization is better positioned to compete on both efficiency and customer experience, while upholding its decades-long brand.
Digital initiatives that now have the whole business behind them.
One of the most significant shifts is in how digital initiatives are perceived. Through a consultative approach, all stakeholders now clearly understand the tangible value of the transformation journey. This alignment ensures that every initiative directly supports the airline's ambition to become a data-driven and AI-empowered leader in the industry.
"No other company in the world is doing this."
across industries.
