All functions on an airport's airfield are supervised by airfield operations professionals. Specialists in airfield operations look after an airport's whole airfield. They are responsible for guaranteeing that airplanes take off and land safely, as well as preserving navigation equipment, completing maintenance, and coordinating with air traffic control. To guarantee a safe and secure aviation atmosphere, public and private airports, as well as military airfields, need airfield operations professionals. Restoration, emergency management, and administration are just a few of the duties that specialists do.

Customer service, arithmetic, community security, telecommunication networks, and aircraft rules are all essential information and abilities for these professionals. Most airfield facilities, particularly terminals, airports, and fuel storage sites, are inspected following airport and Federal Aviation Administration safety requirements by airfield management professionals. Weather conditions, general mechanical, animal activities, and runway circumstances are all monitored by experts to guarantee airport stability.


The arrival, departure, refueling, parking, and reloading of airplanes are all coordinated by air traffic control and airport operations professionals.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must possess at least 50% aggregate from a recognized institution in 12th, from any board PUC/CBSE/ICSE/ISC, etc. However, the cut-off margin varies with the selection process of different colleges. Only a science qualification is viable to pursue a degree in science.
• Should procure a valid score in entrance exams such as JEE-Main, KIITEE, SRMJEE, CEE, HITSEE, CET, etc., Different colleges offer their own entrance exams if you don’t have a satisfactory score in JEE or other competitive exams – colleges like NMIMS, Symbiosis International University, XUB, Andhra University, LPU, etc. Every state offers their own entrance exam as well.
• One must earn a degree in B.Sc/B.Tech or a Diploma to become an Airfield Operations Specialist. This is a basic qualification you must require to enroll in this line of work.
• An M.Tech in Aviation can also prove to be helpful while looking for a higher degree and better learning.

Tasks to perform

• To guarantee a safe operational atmosphere for employees and airplanes, introduce airport security protocols.
• Conduct and coordinate all aspects of airfield administration, particularly transportable aircraft administration.
• To execute responsibilities, use airfield landings and directional assistance, as well as digital data interface interaction facilities.
• Environmental statistics and connecting aircraft statistics, such as air routes or arriving and departing timings, are received and posted.
• Arrange aircraft itineraries and airline staff arrangements in collaboration with stakeholders.

Knowledge required

• Secretarial — Experience in technical and administrative tools and methodologies such as note-taking, document and record handling, stenography and annotations, the layout of forms as well as other workplace practices and etymology.
• Arithmetic Prowess — Being able to evaluate and interpret various mathematical equations and use them to address complex problems in arithmetic, geometry, calculus, and other areas.
• English Grammar – Familiarity in English Grammar, the form, and substance of the English language, along with the context and pronunciation of words, principles of grammar, and language.
• Computer Application — Understanding the prospects and functioning of circuit boards, processing units, circuits, electrical devices, computer equipment, plus applications and programming.
• Administration and Conduct — Knowledge of the market and management concepts used in strategic planning, capital distribution, human resource modelling, technical leadership, manufacturing processes, personnel and asset implementation

Skills required

• Influence — Inspiring and persuading people to change their behaviour and support a certain product, brand, or organisation to increase sales.
• Method of Learning — Practises and processes for selecting and implementing strength and conditioning approaches and techniques that are suitable for the case when learning or introducing new items.
• Strategic Thinking – Evaluating the possible expenses and advantages of various decisions in order to recognise the best one.
• Time Management — Interacting and switching between different tasks and activities without consuming excess time to provide results.
• Effective Involvement — Necessitates paying complete focus to what others are suggesting, using the time to consider the arguments being made, responding to questions as needed, and not disrupting at inconvenient moments.

Job roles offered

Once you procure the required qualifications for becoming an Airfield Operations Specialist, a myriad of options are open to you. There are multiple projects you can undertake throughout this line of work, and there are many other fields you can branch out to as well.

• Airport Manager: Airport managers are in charge of overseeing the day-to-day operations of airports, ensuring that laws are obeyed, security is preserved, and tasks are finished on schedule. They serve as the main center of communication for additional terminal authorities, carrier authorities, and the general population. These executives also serve as the airport's protection supervisor. By overseeing terminal operations, the airport operator strives to guarantee the safety of all customers, aircraft, governmental authorities, and personnel. Airport managers guarantee that a terminal runs efficiently and that all rules are adhered to. Coordinating building or management initiatives, estimating expenses, performing examinations, and coordinating the timetables of other airport workers are all examples of such. As an airport manager, you could be in charge of setting developmental objectives, assessing the airport's needs, researching areas where improvements are necessary, and putting the transformation framework in order.
• Flight Operations Manager:Flight operations managers operate for airlines in the transportation business, and many sometimes operate for major firms that control and operate their airplanes and aircraft. These executives are in charge of organizing, managing, and supervising the logistics management of their companies, as well as ensuring that flights are operated effectively and effectively in line with predefined legislation and norms. Flight operations managers oversee and regulate subordinate employees' efforts to ensure that it follows corporate rules, regulations, and processes, and they may perform personnel evaluations and offer regular feedback.
• Operations Supervisor: Operations supervisors are in charge of all activities in a company's specialized department or sector. They keep an eye on the department's overall effectiveness and make sure everything is running well. They also make necessary reports to senior management. The director of the division that manages them reports primarily to the operations supervisor. They work full-time hours and may be required to work longer hours to guarantee that their department meets its predetermined objectives. According to the sector in which they operate, operations supervisors may work in a variety of situations. Operations supervisors are in charge of managing and overseeing a team of workers. The amount of personnel in a division varies, but operational administrators should be able to change their supervisory style according to the number of individuals in their division.
• Airline Operation Agent: Airline operations agents are in charge of organizing operational processes, controlling timetables and travelers, and arranging loading and departing activities, as well as providing excellent customer service, responding to queries, and accommodating unforeseen situations. Airline operations agents must contact dispatch frequently to organize takeoffs and landings, as well as follow all boarding regulations and verify the correctness of documents. They also oversee airport protection, interact with communication technology, check weather predictions, and, if required, postpone or reschedule flights. They operate in a fast-paced workplace and should be able to concentrate on many tasks at the same time, as well as collaborate well with other agents to guarantee that planes reach on schedule. They may be responsible for refueling, filling out permission papers, and ensuring that all passengers satisfy flying criteria, and individual characteristics are essential in this role to work successfully with personnel and customers.
• Airport Manager: Airport managers are in charge of overseeing the day-to-day operations of an airport, which includes anything from regulating. They may be in charge of overseeing employees, developing and executing operational procedures, tracking airport spending, and coordinating building or remodeling projects with local government. Because of their degree of responsibilities, airport managers may be required to be on-call in the event of an emergency or other unforeseen situation; this position may entail nighttime and weekends schedules.

Career opportunities

Airfield Operations Specialist can opt for various fields of work in the companies listed below:

• IndiGo
• Spicejet
• Air India
• Jazz Aviation
• First Student
• Air Asia
• Air India
• CACI International Inc

Colleges offering courses

• University of Chandigarh, Chandigarh
• Amity University, Noida
• Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Hyderabad
• University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun
• Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram
• Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai
• Nehru College Of Aeronautics & Applied Sciences, Coimbatore
• India Institute of Technology, Mumbai
• Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
• Dayanand College of Engineering, Bangalore