I know the first time that I asked my little one “what do you want to be when you grow up?” He looked at me very seriously and said that he wanted to fly planes. It came as no surprise as we spent a lot of time travelling and every time we were at the airport, I could see how fascinated he was looking at planes taking off and landing… Being a pilot is a dream job for many children but did you know that there are many other jobs at the airport that are as exciting as flying a plane?
Today, I’ve partnered up with Aviation Spares & Repairs, ground support equipment supplier, who provide aviation equipment for airports all across the globe. They have been doing it for years, and so, have the experience and expertise to know all the ins and outs of airports and the jobs that can be found behind the scenes.
Flight attendant.
I’m sure you know all about flight attendants, but I had to keep them on this list. Also know as cabin crew, flight attendants keep travellers safe, greet passengers as they board, provide them assistance and offer food and beverages during the flight, all of this while travelling across the world.
Aircraft maintenance crew.
As this article on Tantrums to Smiles mentions, “just like any vehicle, an aircraft needs regular maintenance (and refuelling) to ensure it is safe to fly and to keep the passengers and crew safe on board.” This is done by aircraft maintenance crew, who perform regular maintenance tasks and inspection duties.
Air traffic controller.
Air traffic controllers have a lot of responsibility and focus on safety. They help monitor and direct air planes both on the ground and in the air, guide pilots during take-off and landing plus, communicate with flight and response crews in emergency situations.
Baggage handlers.
Not a glamorous job but an essential one. Baggage handlers, as Fizzy Peaches explains in this blog post, transport cargo and luggage from the baggage handling system to the airplane. Then, baggage handlers load the luggage onto a belt loader that takes the suitcases into the plane.
Aviation meteorologist.
Aviation meteorologists provide weather predictions and forecasts for pilots and airline flight dispatchers to help them avoid bad weather and fly around storms. These aviation-specific meteorologists predict weather conditions for all altitudes, including cloud cover, precipitation and speed of wind.
Airport animal health officers.
If you think that an airport only has travellers, staff and cargo, think again. Plenty of animals travel through airport’s corridors and airport animal health officers look after them. According to Heathrow’s airport website, in 2019 their airport animal health officers took care of 8,907 dogs, 5,026 cats, 3 ferrets and 26,145,553 fish.
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* Collaborative Post
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