How to Become Airport Manager?

An airport manager is one of the high rank and most prestigious officials in an airport. He/she is the one who is responsible for managing all the departments in an airport and supervising all the running functions. The airport manager makes sure all airport staff and officials are working properly and on time. The airport manager is always connected and coordinated with all departments. It is a very hectic profession that requires a lot of alertness and hard work.

Becoming an airport manager is very difficult as it requires a bachelor’s degree in aviation management related courses like BSc in Aviation, BTech in Aeronautics, and BBA in Airport Management. After that one must first gain ground-level experience by joining an entry-level job such as Junior Airport Operations Officer and after serving many years, based on their performance and personality test one gets promoted to a higher level in the post. And through this process, one can become an airport manager after several promotions and tests/interviews.

Aviation related jobs are one of the most popular and demanded jobs all over the world as they provide certain benefits and prestige in societies. Are you one of those who are willing to work in the aviation industry and want to become an airport manager? If yes, and browsing the details about airport managers and the ways that one can become an airport manager then this article is made for you because in this article I will share the complete procedures about how to become an airport manager. So, keep consuming knowledge till the end of this article.

Who is Airport Manager?

An airport manager is a person who is responsible for the management of the entire airport. He/She is the one who gives direction to his/her department in the airport and enforces all Federal Aviation Administration regulations. The airport manager oversees all the work and makes sure that all the processes are running smoothly and if there is any problem then they have to solve it as soon as possible so that the passengers do not face any problems.

They are also managing and balancing the overall airport budget. They make sure that all employees attend to their duties and are doing their jobs properly. If there are job vacancies in any department, it is the responsibility of the airport manager to conduct the survey and provide the proper data to their higher officials. So that they release job opportunities publicly for recruitment.

Airport Manager Salary in India

The salary of an airport manager depends on various factors such as Airport Type, Airport Location, Candidates Experience, Work Profile, and so on. On average, a newly appointed airport manager gets around Rs. 40,000 monthly and can go up to Rs. 1,00,000 based on performance and experience.

Average Salary:- ₹5,00,000 – ₹12,00,000 per annum

How to Become an Airport Manager in India?

First candidates must complete their graduate degree in aviation or a related field. After that candidates have to apply for lower-level posts like Airport Operation Manager, Airline Relationship Manager, Ground Staff Manager, Cargo Manager, and Air Traffic Controller as there is no direct way to become Airport Manager. First, the candidates have to work in a lower level department as a manager in the aviation industry, then they are promoted to a higher level post based on their experience and work profile.

In this way, after getting some promotions and completing one-year training for airport managers, one can become the General Airport Manager of the airport. However, there is another way to become an airport manager, that is if you are already working in a top management department in an industry like Hotel or Marketing then you are eligible to become an airport manager. Also, most of them who want to become an airport manager has to take the certificate the name Accredited Airport Executive.

Airport Manager Qualifications

• Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in aviation or airline management field such as BSc in Aviation, BTech in Aeronautics, BBA in Airport Management.
• Applicants who have completed their Master’s or PhD in the aviation management field are also eligible to apply.
• Applicants should complete their bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.
• Applicants must have obtained at least 60% aggregate in their bachelor’s degree.

Types of Airport Manager

When applicants are selected to work in their respective posts, they have to first see and face the ground reality in an airport like controlling the crowd, working in a structured manner, resolving the problem of passengers, ensuring safety, and coordinating with other officials. In this way, newly hired persons gaining experience by face requires working at the grassroots level. Applicants can apply for any of these job types at the starting date.

• Airport Operation Manager:- He/She is the one who is responsible for managing all the operations that take place in the airport by coordinating with all the airport authorities. He/She makes sure that all operations are running on time.
• Junior Airport Operation Manager:- It is a lower-level post as compared to Airport Operation Manager and it can also be said from this that he/she is the airport operations manager’s assistant.
• Ground Staff Manager:- The Ground Staff Manager is always present at the ground level and manages and directs the staff inside and outside the airport. He is one who is also responsible to provide staff for the transportation of baggage inside the aircraft belonging to the check-in area.
• Airline Relationship Manager:- They are the persons who communicate for the operations between the airlines and the airport.
• Cargo Manager:- They are responsible for managing all transportation of goods and services in the airport.

Airport Manager Opportunities in India

Name	Location
1. Indira Gandhi International Airport	Delhi
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport	Mumbai
3. Kempegowda International Airport	Bangalore
4. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport	Kolkata
5. Chennai International Airport	Chennai
6. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport	Ahmedabad
7. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport	Hyderabad Airport
8. Pune Airport	Pune
9. Dabolim Airport	Goa
10. Cochin International Airport	Kochi

Top Hiring Companies for Airport Managers

• Air India
• GMR Group
• Adani Airport Holdings Ltd
• Airport Authority of India
• Octamer Group
• IGAI
• Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd

How to Become Airport Manager after 12th?

To be honest, a candidate cannot become an airport manager only after 12th because the minimum educational qualification needed to become any type of manager in an airport is a bachelor’s degree in airport management or a related field and after that, they required one year of training for the management field. After that, there are no such criteria that applicants become Head Airport Manager through direct recruitment. Candidates have to work in different departments of the airport in the initial phase. So that they get good knowledge and experience of everything in the airport. Based on their performance they are promoted to a higher level. Thus after many years of service and based on their performance they can become General Airport managers.

Duties of Airport Manager

• Ensure full safety and security in the airport.
• Monitoring of all daily operations taking place in the airport.
• Coordination with all the officers of the department in the airport.
• Make Sure that all ground staff are performing their duties properly.
• Maintain all daily data records of the airport.
• Make sure the airspace is secure.

Airport Manager Benefits

• They get a handsome amount of salary.
• They manage various departments that are not offered by most other jobs.
• They meet a lot of people from all over the world.
• They are facing different kinds of problems every day. As a result, it improves their leadership skills.
• They get job security.
• They learn a lot of experience every day.
• The airport manager is highly respected in the aviation industry.

Airport Manager Skills Requirements

• Complete knowledge of airport emergency operations and security regulations.
• Knowledge of essential management skills.
• Knowledge of weather conditions.
• Good ability to plan and execute airport operations.
• Having good communication and social relationship skills.
• One should have the ability to think with a cold mind even in hard and pressure times.
• Must have the courage to take the whole team along.

Difference Between Airport Management and Aviation Management?

Airport Management	Aviation Management
1. Deals with the management of airport operations.	1. Deals with the management of the aviation department.
2. Managing an airport.	2. Managing all airports and aircraft.
3. Ensuring the safety and security of an airport.	3. Ensuring the safety and security of all airports.
4. One airport come under companies.	4. Aviation department come under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)