Airport Operations Roles - The Complete Guide
The Roles of Airport Operations Staff
Airports are the biggest employers in our industry. We want to explain how airports work, who the main employers are and the key roles that are standard across most – if not all – international airports. Marshalling for example.
We are lucky in aviation, the way we do business is standardized through ICAO and IATA as well as other Training and process organizations detailed further down in this article.
However we are a career site and so the focus will be on the roles and career-paths within each of the different parts of the Airport. So let’s fly;
Airport Operations by Location
Landside Operations Roles
- Terminal Building Management
- Retail
- Check-in / Ground Handling
- Passenger Facilitation
- Security
Airside Operations Roles
- Security
- Ramp/Apron Handling
- Ground Handling Companies
- Retail / Duty Free
- Wildlife Management
- Sustainability
- Fueling
- Cargo / Loadmaster
Air Traffic Management Roles
- Air Traffic Controller (Control tower)
- Ground Crew / Ground Controller
- Aircraft Marshaller
- Aircraft Movement / Taxi Engineer
- Runway Management
Airport Operations Jobs By Sector
Airport Security Roles
There are many AVSEC roles at the airport, not just passenger and baggage screening. We have a dedicated page on all the roles!
Air Traffic Controller
There is a global shortage of air traffic controllers. Why? There is a list of skills you need to have and excel at. The good news? You can use our guide to know if you qualify.
Airport Operations
This resource is for anyone seeking jobs at the airport and want to know which ones pay the best and what qualifications are desirable.
Airline Flight Operations
What are the Airport Jobs?
We ‘re glad you asked!
Because we know Airport Jobs!. Now, who manages these jobs and how they recruit can change depending on where you live. But the roles, training and most importantly – Management qualifications – are standard.
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Airport Operations Jobs and Salaries
| Role | Employer | Salary (p/a)* | Qualification | Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Manager | Industry Wide | $ 97,500 | Degree | Shift, Physical, Technical |
| Customer Services Rep | Airline | $ 39,000 | Higher Diploma, Experience | Shift, Confrontation resolution |
| Ticket Agent | Airline | $ 45,600 | Higher Diploma, College | Shift, Financial, organization |
| Baggage Handler | Airline | $ 30,000 | Higher Diploma | Shift, Physical, Noise, Cold, Heat |
| Cargo Agent | Airline, Freight Forwarder | $ 48,500 | Higher Diploma | Shift, Physical, Noise, Safety, Technical |
| Airport Manager | Airport, Airport Authority | $ 115,000 | Aviation Degree, Air Transport MBA | Management, Leadership, Organization |
| FBO Manager | Fixed Based Operators | $ 100,000 | Higher Diploma, Degree | Shift, Management, Organization, Regulatory |
| Station Manager | Airline | $ 79,000 | Higher Diploma | Shift, Physical, Leadership, Organization |
| Concession Staff | Retail Company | $ 30,000 | Higher Diploma | Shift, Financial, Management |
| Ramp Agent | Airline, Airport, FBO | $ 45,500 | Higher Diploma | Shift, Physical, Noise, Management, Cold/Heat |
| Air Traffic Controller | FAA, CAA, Military | $ 130,000 | Degree, Specialist Skills | Shift, Technical, Organization, Computational |
| Food Preparer/Chef | Airline, Catering Company, Airport | $ 59,500 | Diploma, Health Certificate | Shift, Culinary skills, H&S |
| Sky Cap | Airline | $ 45,000 | Higher Diploma | Shift, Customer Service, organization, |
*Salary is Median Range in US 2023 dollars according to the US Bureau of Labor statistics. This has been crossed referenced with five top G7 countries and found to be within 3-5%. For indicative purposes only.
Safety and Regulations in Airport Operations
Safety is a priority in all airport operations, and airports must abide by regulations to ensure the safety of passengers, employees, and aircraft. Airports must comply with laws set forth by EASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that govern air traffic control and the safety of aircraft. Specific regulations cover everything from runway design to maintenance standards for aircraft.
There are a number of roles and responsibilities that apply at the airport that you might be skilled at but did not know they were needed at the airport.
Aviation Authorities and Oversight
Security Protocols
Emergency Response
Who this is for?
This resource is for anyone seeking jobs at the airport. And want to know which ones pay the best and what qualifications are desirable.
We have a number of Articles and Guides that dig deeper into the roles and requirements. Click on each below to discover more.
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Specialist Airport Operations Roles
There are roles at the airport that are unique, and their entry points are either specific to that role or are via another sector. Policing being the prime example.
- IT/Cybersecurity. Information System specialists are in every sector and aviation is no different. Cyber security is defined in the Avsec area. There are also critical information systems within aviation that need to be protected.
- Meteorologists. Degree qualified meteorologists are employed at all airports. For Air Traffic reasons and for ground operations conditions. Snow, Ice, extreme heat, and micro downbursts are just some of the conditions to be considered when designing and operating airports.
- Technicians. Airports have complex ATC systems such as Radar, ILS (Instrument landing systems), Ground radar and an array of electronic based information systems.
On-time Performance/ Daily flights
- Scheduling Coordinator. Aircraft “slots” are the windows of operation approved for the airline at the airports. This is a whole ecosystem, and some slots are worth more than the aircraft itself. This is an airline role, but the airport is heavily invested in the subject and there are roles that are connected to airport revenue and ancillary results.
- Flight Dispatcher. We have a whole section on this on the Airline Operations page. This is an airline role but sometimes ramp managers, load masters and station managers are referred to as dispatchers. But in the USA, Flight dispatchers are as qualified (theoretically) as pilots and share flight routing responsibilities with pilots. In the EU they are known as Operations Controllers.
Modern Airport Management Systems
- Fire and Crash Rescue. These are specialist roles linked directly to the fire crews and brigades you would find in cities. These are Airport managed and state controlled.
- Security Specialist. Again we have a great resource page on the Avsec area. There are many roles within the area and ALL Airport staff have multiple Avsec courses and qualifications that are required.
