Whitehall drops 100K to keep airport model from crashing

"The module is part of the National Aviation Passenger Allocation Model, or NAPAM, which forecasts passenger airport choices. It consists of about 10,000 lines of code written in a Microsoft .NET C++ environment with Excel used for data input and output. It carries out iterative calculations until these hit a set value such as an airport's maximum number of passengers."

"The supplier will provide technical support and work alongside transport modelers, economists, and analysts to develop and maintain the model. NAPAM covers 29 UK airports with international flights and four overseas hubs - Amsterdam Schiphol, Dubai, Frankfurt, and Paris Charles de Gaulle - that are popular with Brits."

"The model has been around since at least 2010 when it was peer reviewed for the department and revised several times since then, including in 2017, 2022, and 2024. In 2020, the department spent £96,763 with the UK unit of Jacobs, a Dallas-based consultancy, on an update."

The UK Department for Transport is recruiting a C++ programmer to maintain and support NAPAM (National Aviation Passenger Allocation Model), a forecasting system that predicts passenger airport choices across 29 UK airports and four major European hubs. The model comprises approximately 10,000 lines of code written in Microsoft .NET C++ with Excel for data input and output. It performs iterative calculations based on passenger location data, transport times and costs, airport capacities, and Civil Aviation Authority surveys. The department offers a maximum budget of £100,000 excluding VAT over three years starting April 2026, though this is non-committal with no guaranteed volume. The programmer will provide technical support and collaborate with transport modelers, economists, and analysts. NAPAM has been operational since at least 2010 with periodic updates in 2017, 2022, and 2024.

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