Airport is a highly secured area, buzzing with passengers and staff all the time. Working in an airport is not like working in a regular 9 to 5 job. The first thing we need to remember is that an airport is a place which is functioning round the clock i.e.24/7. This is the most challenging aspect of working in an airport as ground staff as they are expected to work in shifts and have long working hours. Like every coin has two sides similarly there are many advantages and disadvantages of working in an airport. Candidates with pleasing personalities, approachable, hard-working, time management etc are often selected for the role of ground staff.

Let’s look at the positive side of working in an airport.

For ground staff the minimum education qualification required is basic high secondary and sometimes graduation. The aspirant has to be 18 years and above. To be a ground staff we don’t need to have majors any particular qualification which means even an 18-year-old who has completed his Higher Secondary education, has good communication and personality can start their career immediately. At Skillsetter Institute we have a lot of students who after completing their higher secondary and turning 18 years of age embark on their career journey as ground staff. This enables them to start supporting their family financially and become more independent.

Atithi Devo Bhava is the Tourism Tagline of India. It is a Sanskrit phrase which mean Guest is like God.  Hence as a customer service representative everyone strives to achieve excellence.

Working in an airport means meeting people from different nationalities and ensuring their comfort. Ensuring all customers have a hassle-free travel is important. Facing customers from different nationalities gives us an exposure about their cultures and widens our outlook.

Meeting celebrities is one of the advantages of working in the airport. VIPs, CIPs and media personalities are often seen at the airport, handling these high-profile customers can be challenging and rewarding at the same time as it develops ground staff’s confidence and ability to communicate professionally.

We have often observed Skillsetter students who start working at the airport develop and improve their personalities a lot.  Working in a professional environment makes them more responsible and helps them understand the value of money.

Ground Staff are often paid handsomely. They have a basic as well as over time which helps them earn a six-figure salary from their initial days. At an early age they are able to contribute towards their family earning.

Work timings in the aviation industry are not fixed since airports are generally functional 24/7 hence aviation staff works in shifts. Handling these flexible work timings can be challenging however even rewarding. However, the concept of weekends offs is not fixed for the staff working at the airport. They generally get offs on weekdays and seldom on weekends. So, ground staff generally end up missing on family functions and sometimes lack work life balance.

We all know that aircrafts are often delayed due to technical, weather, ATC delays hence ground staff often face long duty hours as they cannot sign out of duty before a particular flight doesn’t take off.  This also leads to facing angry and irritated customers. Handling them is a challenge and to tackle such situations ground staff need good customer handling techniques. At Skillsetter Institute we often perform role plays which helps the student to learn how to handle these situations.

Today Ex-students of Skillsetter Institute have successfully been placed as ground staff in various airlines like Air Mauritius, Vistara, Air France, Gulf Air etc. Once these students get used to working in the airport, they enjoy working in this energised environment and don’t feel like leaving the airport.

Being a ground staff helps student to be financially independent, channelize their energies in the right career direction, develop a calm and mature personality.

Tags: Ground staff management, Air hostess training institute, Cabin crew training institute, Airport ground handling, Diploma in air hostess, Self confidence builder, Airport management.