Airport information assistant Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Airport information assistant

Hours

Variable
Starting salary

£11,000 + per year

As an airport information assistant your job would be to help and support passengers in the airport. You would deal with their requests for information. You would also keep passengers updated on changes to flights.

An airport information assistant needs to have excellent communication skills. They need to be able to respond quickly and efficiently to customer requests.

Most employers expect a good standard of general education, including GCSEs or equivalent qualifications. You would usually need to be over 18 because of shift work rules.

The work

Your duties would include:

giving out up-to-date information on flights and services
directing passengers to find their way around the airport, to send them to the right departure gate, for instance
answering telephone enquiries
making announcements on the public address system
handling complaints
updating and monitoring a computerised flight information system.

Most of your time would be spent at the information desk in the main concourse, working as part of a small team.

In smaller airports your duties may also include:

exchanging currency
booking hotels and car hire
dealing with lost property.

Hours

Information desks are usually staffed 24 hours a day and you would typically work shifts on a rota. Part-time hours may be available.

Airports are often busy, crowded and noisy. You would deal with a range of enquiries and may need to use your initiative in certain situations, such as helping passengers who do not speak English, or helping to reunite parents with a lost child.

Income

Starting salaries can be between £11,000 and £14,000 a year.

With experience and extra responsibilities, this could rise to between £17,000 and £24,000 a year.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

Most employers would expect you to have a good standard of general education, including GCSEs (grades A-C) in English and maths, or equivalent qualifications. You would usually need to be over 18 to comply with shift work regulations.

Employers might also look for:

previous experience of working in a customer service role
fluency in at least one foreign language (especially French and German)
candidates who live near the airport or have their own transport.

You could find work on a temporary or seasonal contract before deciding to apply for a permanent position.

You may be able to become an airport information assistant through an Apprenticeship. You will need to check which schemes are available in your area and what skills employers are looking for. To find out more, visit the Apprenticeships website.

Apprenticeships

Training and development

Your employer would usually put you through a structured induction and training programme. This would involve practical exercises, videos and presentations covering:

familiarisation with the airport
emergency and evacuation procedures
using the public address system
managing computerised flight information.

You may be encouraged to work towards the following work-based qualifications:

NVQ Level 2 in Providing Aviation Operations on the Ground
NVQ Level 3 in Co-ordinating Aviation Operations on the Ground.

Skills and knowledge

To become an airport information assistant, you will need to have:

excellent communication skills
the ability to respond quickly and efficiently to customer requests
tact and diplomacy to deal with difficult situations
the ability to work within a team
good computer skills
a smart appearance.

More information

Royal Aeronautical Society (Opens new window)
Hamilton Place
London
W1J 7BQ
Tel: 020 7670 4300
www.raes.org.uk

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

You could work directly for an airport, or for an airline operating within a particular airport. According to GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council for transport, there is a high concentration of such work in London and the south-east due to the presence of major airports in the area.

You may find the following useful for vacancies and general reading (links open in a new window):

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.