A Guide to Airport Careers

The airport industry has many different avenues for people to pursue when it comes to a career, it is a fulfilling and passionate role, requiring anyone interested in the industry to be open-minded and caring to others. Here are some of the roles that you can go into:

Pilot & Co-Pilot

As you may have figured these people have one of the most important jobs in the airport industry as they are the ones that take people to the destination that they want to go to. They are responsible for ensuring that the air traffic safety is kept to its highest standard and able to stay calm when things do not go as smoothly as they may have wanted to, it is an incredibly important and sometimes stressful role which takes a lot of experience, skill and education to be able to do.

Air Traffic Control

The main role of an air traffic control officer is the keep all the aircraft safe by monitoring their movements continuously and communicating with each plane to ensure everyone is sensible. This is not only subject to when the aircraft is in flight, air traffic controllers are also in charge when they are on the ground, letting the pilots and co-pilots know when they can move forward or take off. They are also there to provide information if any changes are happening whilst the aircraft is on the ground or in the sky. People within this industry need to be calm and collected as sometimes times can be stressful when handling a lot of aircraft at once in emergencies.

Airport Security

As the title gives away, these are the people who oversee ensuring the safety of both passengers and employees within the airport. Their role includes guiding travellers through screening procedures, asking security questions, checking baggage and always being on the lookout for any sort of suspicious activity. It is a job that requires a great deal of concentration, attention to detail and stamina to stay focused as the environment is consistently changing and new problems can arise at any moment.

Airport Police

Like the security but this is an actual police workforce that will have different equipment on them in case of an incident occurring within the airport. They are paramount to the safety of the passengers and keeping everything running smoothly. Spotting dangers and possible security breaches are a key role that they play and dealing with suspects if they have been deemed suspicious by the airport security staff. These will also be the people that will most likely have firearm training if that is required in the airport.

Cabin / Flight Assistant

This role includes a broad range of responsibilities, from giving the passengers of each aircraft safety instructions, to serving food and drinks, making sure the passengers are comfortable and happy and communicating with the pilot or other people on the ground. A major perk to this role is that you get to go and see the world and travel a lot.

Airport engineers and mechanics

These people are responsible for ensuring that the airport in all assets remains functional for all the tasks that it needs to complete. This can be done to aircraft needing some repairs, to general issues occurring within the airport facilities. Engineers is an advanced role and need a good set of skills, experience, and education to be able to pursue this career.

Baggage Handler

The job requires people to have some sort of manual handling experience because of the physical demand that is needed. They need to be willing to work in all weather conditions and be very careful with baggage for the happiness of the customers. Heavy lifting is a given, so younger people usually find this role easier to complete on a day-to-day basis. Though, it is a good starting point for people wanting to get into the industry as there is not a high entry requirement to qualify

Hospitality

This is a large range of people that work inside of the airport completing a variety of tasks. From coffee shops to clothing there are a lot of positions that are related to hospitality. This can be travel information, ground transportation and food/beverages. They vary in a lot of different ways and that means there is an array of skills that may be needed, but the main one is ensuring high-quality customer service is given at all times and being willing to work unsociable hours.

As you can tell the airport industry is vast in what sort of jobs people can acquire, but it does lead to an exciting and dynamic environment.

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