Profession airport chief executive

Airport chief executives lead a group of airport directors who are responsible for all areas of the airport. They envision and make decisions on the strategic direction of the airport based on the information provided by their team of managers.

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Personality Type

• Enterprising / Investigative
• Enterprising / Conventional

Knowledge

• Airport lighting equipment

  Know various types of lighting systems and airport lighting equipment e.g. low-intensity runway light (LIRL) systems, medium-intensity runway light (MIRL) and high-intensity runway light (HIRL).

• 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.

• Airport planning

  Know airport planning for different types of aircrafts; use that information to mobilise resources and people in order to handle the aircrafts while they are in the airport.

• Airport electrical systems

  Know the different elements that comprise airport electrical systems, such as air navigation equipment, electronic landing aids, radars, and meteorological services. Know the function and operation of each of these elements.

• Airport safety regulations

  Know airport safety regulations and instructions.

• 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.

• Responsible gambling

  The proper behaviour when participating in a gambling game such as how to be aware of others people's reactions and why people act and react as they do.

Skills

• Interact with airport stakeholders

  Meet government officials, environmental experts, developers, special interest groups as well as the general public, airport users, and other stakeholders, in order to assess different services, facilities, and the usability of the airport.

• Show diplomacy

  Deal with people in a sensitive and tactful way.

• Create an airport master plan

  Compose a master plan for the long term development of an airport; draw graphic representations of current and future airport features.

• Liaise with colleagues

  Liaise with fellow colleagues to ensure common understanding on work related affairs and agree on the necessary compromises the parties might need to face. Negotiate compromises between parties as to ensure that work in general run efficiently towards the achievement of the objectives.

• Supervise maintenance activities in airports

  Supervise airport staff during operational and maintenance activities such as aeroplane refuelling, flight communications, runway maintenance, etc.

• Liaise with managers

  Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.

• Direct airport subcontractors

  Direct the work of consulting architects, engineers and related subcontractors. Establish project schedules and cost estimates, and communicate developments to senior management.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Compile airport certification manuals

  Compose and keep up-to-date airport certification manuals; provide exhaustive information on airport facilities, equipment and procedures.

• Prepare airport annual budget

  Prepare annual airport budget, taking into account factors such as fuel supplies, facilities maintenance, and communications.

• 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.

• Report airport security incidents

  Compose comprehensive reports on airport security incidents, such as the detaining of unruly travellers, confiscation of luggage items, or damaging of airport property.

• Monitor airport service performance

  Assess the day-to-day service quality delivered by the different departments of an air transport operator to its customers. Short- and long-term summaries of this information provide a vital input to the company.

• 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.

• 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.

• Coordinate airport environmental policies

  Direct and coordinate airport environmental policies and regulations to mitigate impact of airport activities e.g. noise, reduced air quality, heavy local traffic, or the presence of hazardous materials.

• Consider economic criteria in decision making

  Develop proposals and take appropriate decisions taking into account economic criteria.

• Prepare airport emergency plans

  Prepare an airport emergency plan that ensures the safe and efficient handling of any emergency situation that may arise.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB