The beauty of airport life is that no two days are exactly alike. I can spend a day doing community outreach type activities, including recruiting and negotiating new development deals. While the next day I may be pulled into several staff meetings, providing guidance on policy issues or planning projects. I have a great team of managers in place that continue to do a great job, so at times I just need to support them and make sure they have the tools necessary to achieve success.
CAREER
Airfield Operations Specialists
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$51,330
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+6.1% (as fast as the average)
Most Common Level of Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Airfield Operations Specialists Do
Ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. Duties include coordination between air-traffic control and maintenance personnel, dispatching, using airfield landing and navigational aids, implementing airfield safety procedures, monitoring and maintaining flight records, and applying knowledge of weather information.
Other Job Titles Airfield Operations Specialists May Have
Airfield Operations Specialist, Airport Operations Agent, Airport Operations Coordinator, Airport Operations Officer, Airport Operations Specialist, Flight Follower, Operations Agent, Operations Coordinator, Operations Officer, Operations Specialist
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
Everyday is different. Our operations is 24 hours with 3 shifts covering that. We do what is called a self inspection on each shift, where we inspect runways and taxiways to ensure they are safe for aircraft operations. Somethings we look for are potholes in concrete that could damage aircraft, wildlife that needs to be mitigated, proper water drainage. We also respond with the fire department to aircraft emergencies and act as incident commanders.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
- Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
- Conduct inspections of the airport property and perimeter to maintain controlled access to airfields.
- Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
- Initiate or conduct airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Airfield Operations Specialists
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Bachelor's degree (35%)
Some college, no degree
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Aeronautics/Aviati...
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Great judgement skills are needed. If something is wrong you need to make a quick decision based on the limited information, you have to ensure the airport is safe. A great skill set is having a pilots certificate because you know the aviation lingo and understand how flight crews think.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
College Students
Get an internship with an airport in airport operations. Get some experience there then apply at smaller airports to start out at and learn the ropes, the move to larger airports and up the career ladder.
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
