By Pete Cooper
CEO, Skillion
Risk management isn’t just a spreadsheet exercise—it’s about real people, real systems, and often, real stakes. Nowhere is that more evident than in aviation. I learned this firsthand as the lead project manager for Qantas’ Boeing 747 reconfiguration program—a $250 million undertaking involving 20,000 parts, 2,200 drawings, and a mission to turn the first aircraft around in just 42 days.
The Challenge
In 2010, Qantas launched a massive program to upgrade nine Boeing 747 aircraft. The goal? Redesign cabin layouts with premium seats and new inflight entertainment to rival the award-winning A380. We weren’t just moving seats—we were reengineering floors, certifying every bolt, and testing new systems mid-air. It was complex, high-pressure, and high-stakes.
When I joined, we had 18 months before the first aircraft (VH-OEG) would land in the hangar. My Gantt chart looked like a never-ending scroll. The days were long, and the issues were constant—but the biggest challenge of all was managing risk.
Qantas’ Risk Management Approach
Qantas takes risk seriously. Their process is a full lifecycle:
- Identify risks
- Rank them
- Plan mitigations
- Implement plans
- Monitor and review
We applied this across five categories: engineering, certification, supply chain, financial, and staffing. At one point, we were tracking over 140 risks.
One early example involved increased seat loads potentially stressing the aircraft floor. We ranked this risk as medium-high—likely to happen and with high impact. Working with Boeing and Heath-Techna, we engineered structural upgrades to floor bracing and seat tracks, which successfully dropped the risk rating to “very low.”
But mitigation often introduces new risks. More structural changes meant more scrutiny from regulators like CASA and the FAA. Thankfully, with certifiers involved from day one, this risk was low and manageable.
When Risk Becomes Reality
No matter how diligent your planning, things can still go sideways. Business-class seats failed flammability testing after installation—a nightmare scenario with millions on the line. The aircraft was grounded, and we faced a choice: redesign or replace all the seats.
Why wasn’t this caught earlier? Because risk ranking is part science, part art. Despite the seat manufacturer’s assurance, the ranking was too optimistic. But we didn’t panic. The team found a solution: apply a Kydex flame-resistant coating and repeat the tests. After multiple rounds, the seats passed, and we replaced only those necessary.
This was no longer risk management—it was issue management. But because we had de-risked so many other aspects of the program, we had the bandwidth to handle it.
The First Aircraft, The First Victory
In August 2011, VH-OEG touched down in Avalon, Victoria. Our hangar became a maze of old and new parts, technical staff, and testing stations. I remember walking in, seeing the disassembled aircraft, and thinking: “How are we ever going to get this flying again?”
But we did. Certification, testing, flight checks—it all came together. And we got that aircraft back in the air in under 45 days.
Final Thoughts
Risk management isn’t just about avoiding disaster. It’s about being prepared enough to handle the unexpected. At Qantas, it was the difference between grounding and flying. For program managers in any field, the lesson is simple: treat risk like a core system, not a side report.
As I’ve learned across aviation, software, telehealth, and beyond—the best programs aren’t the ones that avoid problems. They’re the ones that are ready when problems arise.
— Pete Cooper
