Airport director

Airport directors oversee a group of managers who lead or supervise a particular area of the airport, programme or a project.

The following job titles also refer to airport director:

airport duty manager
baggage programme director
airport manager
terminal operations manager
airport security compliance manager
station manager
airport section director
airport environmental operations manager
finance director
airside and expansions operations director
director of tax
customer relations and service director
aerodrome section director
aerodrome section manager
airport security manager

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as airport director. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Airport director is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to airport director.

airport chief executive
airport environment officer
airport planning engineer
aviation communications and frequency coordination manager
online sales channel manager

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of airport director. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of airport director with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of airport director.

Airport environmental regulations: The official regulations for environmental standards in airports as dictated by national codes for planning airport facilities and related developments. These include regulatory aspects which govern noise and environmental aspects, sustainability measures, and impacts in relation to land use, emissions, and wildlife hazard mitigation.
Airport operating environment: Thoroughly understand the airport operating environment, the operational characteristics, services, activities, and procedures of a general aviation airport service area, as well as of those of the suppliers, partners, and other airport agencies.

These skills are necessary for the role of airport director.

Create solutions to problems: Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
Exert a goal-oriented leadership role towards colleagues: Embrace a leadership role in the organisation and with colleagues as to provide coaching and direction to subordinates aiming at the achievement of specific objectives.
Ensure customer focus: Attitude that puts customers at the centre of the business in all cases.
Follow ethical code of conduct in transport services: Carry out transport services according to accepted principles of right and wrong. This includes principles of fairness, transparency, and impartiality.
Implement improvement procedures in airport operations: Carry out improvement procedures in airport operations based on an understanding of the needs of an airport. Plan and develop improvement procedures using adequate resources.
Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Provide assistance to a variety of airport users: Satisfy needs of various types of airport customers; prepare and implement plans to address the request of stakeholders.
Comply with legal regulations: Ensure you are properly informed of the legal regulations that govern a specific activity and adhere to its rules, policies and laws.
Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
Ensure public safety and security: Implement the relevant procedures, strategies and use the proper equipment to promote local or national security activities for the protection of data, people, institutions, and property.
Work in an aviation team: Work confidently in a group in general aviation services, in which each individual operates in their own area of responsibility to reach a common goal, such as a good customer interaction, air safety, and aircraft maintenance.
Negotiate sales contracts: Come to an agreement between commercial partners with a focus on terms and conditions, specifications, delivery time, price etc.
Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
Identify airport safety hazards: Spot threats related to security at the airport and apply procedures to counteract them in a quick, safe, and efficient way.
Implement strategic management: Implement a strategy for the development and transformation of the company. Strategic management involves the formulation and implementation of the major objectives and initiatives of a company by senior management on behalf of the owners, based on consideration of available resources and an assessment of the internal and external environments in which the organisation operates.
Supervise maintenance activities in airports: Supervise airport staff during operational and maintenance activities such as aeroplane refuelling, flight communications, runway maintenance, etc.
Apply airport standards and regulations: Know and apply the accepted standards and regulations for European airports. Apply knowledge to enforce airport rules, regulations, and the Airport Safety Plan.
Maintain inventory of airport operations: Keep an up-to-date inventory of all aspects of airport operations.
Have computer literacy: Utilise computers, IT equipment and modern day technology in an efficient way.
Build business relationships: Establish a positive, long-term relationship between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the organisation and its objectives.
Show diplomacy: Deal with people in a sensitive and tactful way.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of airport director. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of airport director. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Implement airport emergency plans: Design and execute the plan to ensure full implementation of emergency procedures during any crisis or disaster situations. During development of the plan, envision the way crew members should work together during preventative, and actual emergency situations. Manage communications in the airport, prepare evacuation procedures and routes, and restrict access to zones during simulations or real emergency situations.
Implement marketing strategies: Implement strategies which aim to promote a specific product or service, using the developed marketing strategies.
Apply business acumen: Take appropriate actions in a business environment in order to maximise possible outcome from each situation.
Prepare airport annual budget: Prepare annual airport budget, taking into account factors such as fuel supplies, facilities maintenance, and communications.
Apply strategic thinking: Apply generation and effective application of business insights and possible opportunities, in order to achieve competitive business advantage on a long-term basis.
Implement sales strategies: Carry out the plan to gain competitive advantage on the market by positioning the company’s brand or product and by targeting the right audience to sell this brand or product to.
Prepare airport emergency plans: Prepare an airport emergency plan that ensures the safe and efficient handling of any emergency situation that may arise.
Plan event marketing for promotional campaigns: Design and direct event marketing for promotional campaigns. This involves face-to-face contact between companies and customers at a wide range of events, which engages them in a participatory position and provides them with information about a specific product or service.

1324 – Supply, distribution and related managers

 

 

---

 

 

References

1. Airport director – ESCO