There are two sides to work in this sector. First is the flight operation in front of the public. The public face of airlines comes from the crew: pilots, cabin and check-in staff. Second, administration behind-the-scenes: reservations, sales and marketing, information technology (IT), business planning and development. Depending on the size of the airline, several jobs could be combined, or there could be a whole department handling one job's functions.
The two 'streams' work in parallel, but it isn't often that one swaps over to the other. If this happens, usually a crew member takes a senior position training pilots or cabin crew.
Most airlines run a graduate program, but vacancies will depend on time of year (obviously) and on economic factors. If you are interested in an airline career, many airlines run work placement schemes, which are usually advertised on their Web sites. It's worth asking around, especially if there is a small airline near your home that might not have many applicants.
Jobs at the airlines
Arrivals service duty manager
One of my favorite people at Heathrow Airport is Bob Lake, now an arrivals service duty manager for British Airways. He is the person in charge of 'lost and found' or, as airlines like to call it, 'miss-routed luggage'. If a piece of luggage is lost, Bob knows where to find it stuck in Alaska or behind an office filing cabinet. Today, thanks to the computer, his job is probably easier in the luggage department, but problems are always there for arriving passengers.
Tip!
Bob wanted to work for an airline. He says 'I took an office job in accounts. Take whatever jobs are going as there are always lots of internal opportunities.'
Cabin crew support/crewing operations
To get an aircraft into the air needs a crew of pilots and cabin staff. Charged with getting the crew onto the aircraft, is the cabin crew support. They collate the paperwork and information that pilots need to fly an aircraft from plans of the airport/s en route, plus all diversion airports, weather reports, etc. They work out fuel required, organize crew rosters, book overnight hotels if needed, check crew are up-to-date with training, arrange courses, amend aircraft flight manuals and emergency checklists, and a whole lot more.
They work out crew rosters (taking account of preferences, which could be 'I must have that day off for my kid's sports day' to 'I am getting married on...'). When dealing with several thousand staff, this can be a nightmare! They also have to ensure that passports, inoculations and vaccinations are up-to-date. Otherwise a crew member may be refused entry to a country. The number of crew needed depends on the aircraft type, and the support team has to ensure that crew is qualified to fly on the type of aircraft. This is important - different aircraft have emergency exits positioned in different sections of the airframe, and the consequences don't bear thinking about if there is a fire and a crew member is searching for the exit door in the wrong area.
Salary
A tactical flight planning officer earns £15,784 plus shift allowances.
Call centers
Call centers handle the all-important airline ticket sales, or telephone sales. Call centers for companies such as BA, British Midland, etc. are often based in large complexes on industrial estates in Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, etc. well away from airports and cities, where space is cheaper. Staff deals with travel agents and the general public, making reservations, answering queries, quoting fares and issuing tickets. If you are disabled, particularly wheelchair-bound, this is an area that might well give you employment where you can use your skills.
If you speak a language fluently, many US airlines now employ staff in Britain in call centers to handle telephone bookings Europe-wide. For example, someone in Spain phones to book a flight from Madrid to New York. They call a local telephone number in their country, which automatically re-routes them to an office in Britain (the caller only pays for a local call, with the airline picking up the difference). In Britain they are answered by someone speaking fluent Spanish, and probably never know where their booking is handled. Computers linked with Spain, Germany, France, etc. will automatically issue the ticket. Isn’t science wonderful!
Tip!
Don't believe the recruitment agency that says working for an airline's call center selling airline tickets means 'you will be able to transfer over to cabin crew'. Believe that...!!
Cargo
Most major airlines have a cargo department using spare space in the giant holds underneath seating cabins. And there are airlines that only handle cargo, such as DHL and Federal Express. Most major airlines such as Finnair, KLMJAL etc, have their own cargo divisions. BA World Cargo is the world's fifth largest international cargo carrier, carrying a million tons of freight, mail and courier shipments a year with a team of 2,900 working for this section. Their base, Ascentis, is the size of six football pitches, and one of the largest automated freight depots in the world.
Carrying perishable food such as strawberries and other fruit is one of the most profitable cargo operations, and it all started when American airline TWA wanted to utilize spare space to make a bit of money. Persuading Florida growers it would pay them to ship their citrus and other fruit to Europe, from this germ of an idea spread the giant industry that carries food from countries around the world to markets eager for exotic produce.
Carrying racehorses around the world to top courses is another profitable section, and whenever there is a major earthquake, hurricane, flood or other disaster the aid agencies such as the Red Cross will be booking the giant Russian Antenov 124, the world's largest cargo carrier, to carry aid swiftly to where it is most needed.
Cargo call center agent
When a call comes in to ship something by air, it will be handled by an agent.
Case Study
Shipping a piano from London to Carnegie Hall, New York is one typical problem handled by a BA call center agent came through from a well-known concert promoter in London one Thursday morning. They had put together a concert in New York's famed Carnegie Hall, and their temperamental artiste suddenly wanted the Steinway piano he played on last time he gave a concert in London. Never mind that the concert is due to take place on Friday evening - when artistes of his stature demand something, they get it. It needs to be flown in urgently a call to BA sets everything in train. The agent checks that the piano will be properly crated, checks weight and size, then reserves space in a cargo plane flying out that night.
At Heathrow the piano is handled by a customs service agent at Carrus, BA's new business center, where the agent issues bar-code documentation and checks customs forms are in order. Then the lorry carrying the piano drives round to the front of Ascentis, where the airline takes over. Using sophisticated automated loading/unloading equipment, the Steinway is soon on its way through a range of security and tracking systems.
Behind the scenes, flight planners are checking that day's loads, carefully balancing the cargo to make sure freight is evenly distributed. By 10 pm the piano is in the hold of a 747 taxiing down the runway to New York.
Friday morning the piano is being unloaded at JFK Airport. After customs clearance it is sent to Carnegie Hall, unpacked, tuned, and the artiste is playing it during final rehearsal - a happy man!
