Airline Customer Service Agent Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Airline customer service agent

Hours

30-40 per week
Starting salary

£12,000 + per year

If you like being in a lively environment and you enjoy working with people, this could be perfect for you. Airline customer service agents make sure passengers and their luggage board the right aircraft safely and on time. They can also be known as passenger service agents or check-in assistants.

There are no fixed entry requirements for this job but many employers ask for GCSEs or equivalent qualifications.

You will need the customer service skills to be able to deal with upset or angry passengers. Basic computer skills will be useful.

The work

As an airline customer service agent, you would usually work for an airline, or for a ground services agent on behalf of an airline. Your job would include:

dealing with passenger enquiries about flight departures and arrivals
checking passengers in
giving seat numbers
providing boarding passes and luggage labels
telling passengers about luggage restrictions
weighing baggage and collecting any excess weight charges
taking care of people with special needs, and unaccompanied children
calming and reassuring nervous passengers.

You may sometimes help passengers through immigration and customs, or escort passengers who have night flight connections. You could also specialise in different areas of airport work, such as computer control.

Hours

Airports usually operate 24 hours a day, so you would normally work on a shift system.

You would mainly work at a check-in desk, and your employer would provide you with a uniform.

Income

Starting salaries are between £12,000 and £14,000 a year.

Experienced agents can earn from £15,000 to £20,000 a year.

You may receive extra allowances for working overtime and unsocial hours, and for special skills such as foreign languages. Some airlines provide subsidised travel after a certain period of employment.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

There are no fixed entry requirements for becoming an airline customer service agent. However, employers may ask for GCSEs (A-C) in subjects like English and maths, or equivalent qualifications. Some may ask you to take a medical test.

Employers may want you to have previous experience of working in a customer service role and the ability to speak a foreign language. They may also look for applicants who live near the airport or have their own transport. This can often be important as shifts may be outside normal public transport hours.

You may be able to get into this job through an Aviation Operations Apprenticeship. You will need to check if this is available in your area. For more information, visit the Apprenticeships website.

Apprenticeships

For more details about airline careers, see the GoSkills website.

GoSkills

Training and development

Once you start work, your initial training programme would usually last from four to eight weeks. It would cover:

basic procedures
knowledge of the airport
security training
emergency and evacuation procedures
using the public address system
manual handling.

This may be followed by further training, which could include working alongside and observing existing staff. Your employer may also ask you to complete a first aid certificate.

You could work towards one of several qualifications, such as:

NVQ Level 2 and 3 in Customer Service
NVQ Level 2 in Providing Aviation Operations on the Ground
NVQ Level 3 in Co-ordinating Aviation Operations on the Ground
NCFE Level 2 Certificate for Airport Passenger Service Agents.

Skills and knowledge

To become an airline customer service agent, you will need to have:

good customer service skills
strong written and spoken communication skills
basic computer skills
a patient and reassuring manner
a polite and professional approach
the ability to deal tactfully with upset or angry passengers
teamwork skills.

More information

People 1st (Opens new window)
2nd Floor
Armstrong House
38 Market Square
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB8 1LH
Tel: 01895 817 000
www.people1st.co.uk

Opportunities

See the International Air Transport Association website for a list of airlines, the Airport Operators Association website for airport contact information, and the AirlineUpdate.com website for a list of airline ground handling companies.

International Air Transport Association (list of airlines in the membership section)  
Airport Operators Association (contact details of all UK airports)
AirlineUpdate.com (directory of airline ground handling companies in the UK)

Jobs are also advertised in the local and national press, at Jobcentre Plus and by recruitment agencies.

With experience, you could progress to a management position, for example flight dispatcher, overseeing all aspects of aircraft turnarounds. You could move into other areas of airport operations, or train to become a cabin crew member.

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The aviation industry is represented by People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism. The passenger transport sector incorporates rail, aviation, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, light rail and metro, driver training, and UK waterways. The sector accounts for 735,000 jobs, most of which are within the bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, and aviation industries. The passenger transport sector comprises a myriad of roles, from pilots and transport planners, to essential support roles in finance, marketing and human resources.

The aviation industry is a large employer in the UK and includes 30 commercial airports, plus numerous private airports and airfields. It includes people employed in:

highly skilled and technical roles, such as pilots and air traffic control
customer service roles, including passenger check in and support, terminal and airport management and cabin crew
ground services undertaking tasks, such as baggage and cargo handling, aircraft preparation and flight planning

The UK aviation industry is dominated by a small number of companies. The introduction of the low-cost airlines changed the structure of the industry, but growth in this area is expected to slow.

Key facts:

There are 138,000 people working in the aviation industry
Only 4% of companies employ more than 100 people, but this 4% employ 86% of the UK aviation workforce
The average age of an employee is 40
There are female dominated roles in the industry, the main being cabin crew. Male dominated roles include baggage handling and aircraft ramp services
The average working hours for an aviation industry employee are 38 per week.
Just 10% of the workforce is employed part-time
In 2009, more than 218 million passengers were handled by UK airports

Jobs in the industry fall into the following areas:

Ground handling services – such as baggage/ramp handling, aircraft preparation, load planning officer, ramp supervisor, aircraft dispatcher
Airport operations – such as airport duty staff, support officer to team supervisor, airport terminal manager, customer support staff, air traffic control
Airline operations – such as passenger services staff, ground handling, cabin crew, first officer pilot, flight captain, cabin crew officer, aviation operation passenger services

National and regional data

[N.B. Regional data presented are for the aviation industry and the passenger transport sector as a whole. Data derived from the Labour Force Survey, 2007.]

East Midlands – There are 4,900 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 14% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26-49 years and 32% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; job related IT; and safety/accident management.

East of England – There are 13,600 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 9% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 52% is 26-49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

London – There are 25,300 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 20% of the workforce in the region is female. 42% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 70% is 26-49 years and 26% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; safety/accident management; booking operations; and logistics and scheduling of services.

North East – There are 2,100 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 17% of the workforce in the region is female. 3% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 51% is 26-49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; and safety/accident management.

North West – There are 13,600 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 61% is 26-49 years and 33% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; disability awareness; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

South East – There are 49,100 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 11% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 48% is 26-49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and job related IT.

South West – There are 6,100 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26-49 years and 40% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

West Midlands – There are 6,500 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 27% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 65% is 26-49 years and 28% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; safety/accident management; foreign languages; maths/working with numbers; and disability awareness.

Yorkshire and the Humber – There are 2,200 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 13% of the workforce in the region is female. 18% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26-49 years and 30% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; job related IT; and Welsh language.

Northern Ireland – There are 2,200 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 21% of the workforce in the region is female. Data are unavailable on the ethnicity of the workforce. 9% of the workforce is under 25 years, 74% is 26-49 years and 17% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; safety/accident management; job related IT; and disability awareness.

Scotland – There are 10,400 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 2% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26-49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and disability awareness.

Wales – There are 1,800 people working in the aviation industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 18% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 54% is 26-49 years and 38% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: Welsh language; foreign languages; disability awareness; safety/accident management; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.