Aviation

Aviation is a major sector of the UK economy and contributes over £4 billion to the nation’s balance of payments. Each year, over 90 million passengers fly on UK airlines, with a total of 2 million flights a year in UK-regulated airspace. It is a complex and diverse industry that includes:

- 200 aeroplane and helicopter operators

- 16,600 aircraft

- 51,000 pilots

- 12,000 maintenance engineers

- 2,400 air traffic controllers

- 145 aerodromes

- 1,800 tour operators selling holidays to 28 million people.

The UK aviation safety record is almost three times better than the world average – the best in the European Union – and 400 per cent better than in the mid-1970s. Over the same period, fatalities have fallen by 98 per cent.

There are over 50 passenger-carrying airlines operating in the UK, with 180,000 people employed in air transport jobs, and a further 370,000 in aviation-related employment. This figure is set to rise as more and more people and freight move by air, despite reaction to 9/11 and fears of terrorism. Indeed, while some large carriers have experienced difficulties, budget airline operations have increased with aggressive marketing and effective route strategies. The best part of 2 million tonnes of cargo and £100 billion worth of trade passes through Britain’s airports every year.

Such a huge industry requires a vast number of people with a wide variety of skills. Skills specific to aviation include:

- pilots and cabin crew

- passenger services staff

- aviation engineers

- airport operations

- ticketing and tourism

- cargo managers and handlers

- air traffic controllers.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reports to the Department of Transport, and is the industry’s regulator. It is charged with ensuring that civil aviation thrives and that the public is properly served by the industry, including adequate safety measures.

Aircraft movement is controlled by National Air Traffic Services Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the CAA. It operates mainly at three centres – West Drayton, Manchester and Prestwick – but also provides air traffic control at 14 UK airports and employs over 5,000 people (it has a training college in Hampshire).

The British Airports Authority (BAA) owns seven UK airports and operates at 13 others around the world (including Heathrow); it has 230 million passengers travelling through these each year.

Heathrow Airport alone handles about 63 million passengers, with more than 90 airlines serving 170 worldwide destinations on 1,000-plus flights each day; and more than 1.3 million tonnes of cargo a year. Terminal 5 (due to open in 2008) will increase its capacity by 50 per cent.

Aviation in the Services

Clearly, the Royal Air Force specialises in aviation with passenger and cargo operations; it manages airspace, maintains aircraft fleets and runs air stations like any other large aviation organisation. The Royal Navy and the Army also have smaller aviation branches that carry out similar activities.

The routes from Armed Forces into civil aviation are well established and many Service leavers have found successful second careers through following them. Holding the required licences is absolutely essential for civilian employment and can be expensive to obtain, so all pilots and engineers should ensure that they use the Service opportunities available to gain them.

However, in view of the enormous number of non-aviation-specific jobs in the industry, it is entirely possible for many people in the Services to consider this as an area of potential employment. Indeed, many of the personal qualities and skills possessed by Service people are valued by major aviation employers.

Employment, training and qualifications

Airlines

Each individual airline employs its own flight crew (pilots and cabin crew), and will be able to advise anybody interested in such jobs about the qualifications they will need. Airlines run special training courses for candidates with the right aptitude for some of these positions, and have subcontracted other training to external suppliers. The personnel department of the airline will provide the criteria for each job and details of what each individual will need to be a candidate for it. Some general requirements are shown below.

Someone starting pilot training (as opposed to converting Service pilot experience) would:

- be aged between 18 and 26, fluent in English with a clear speaking voice

- have five GCSEs at Grade C or above, including English language, maths and a science subject; and a minimum of two A-levels at Grade C, or a second-class honours degree

- be physically fit and between 5’2’ and 6’3’ tall with normal vision

- attend an 18-month course at a CAA-approved flying school anywhere in the world.

Cabin crew should:

- be physically fit and a minimum of 5’2’ tall and 19 years old

- have a minimum of GCSE Grade C in English and maths

- be fluent in English and a second language, or possess a relevant qualification

- have customer service experience

- complete a 30-hour distance learning programme

- take a five-week training course

- be confirmed as a fully qualified cabin crew member after six months’ flying.

Passenger service staff issue and process tickets, check in passengers and baggage, and man information points. They need to:

- be aged at least 18

- have a year’s customer service experience

- have a minimum of GCSE Grade C in English and maths

- complete a six-week training course.

Aircraft operations staff ensure that the right aircraft is at the right place at the right time, with the right crew ready to go. Aircraft services clean and prepare the aircraft, load the right meals, load the baggage and ensure the aircraft is ready to go. Terminal operations coordinate flight and airline information, make operational decisions about flights and deal with the inevitable changes to schedules that so infuriate passengers. Despatchers coordinate all the preparations from weight, fuel, maintenance and cargo to boarding, cleanliness and food before an aircraft departs.

Airline contact details can be found through the CAA website, and recruitment opportunities and procedures should be obtained from the CAA.

Airports

Thousands of different government agencies and businesses work at airports, ranging from huge airlines to local taxi drivers. As well as carrying out its own business functions, airport management has to look after its ‘lodger organisations’. Some employment areas are:

- security, including general guarding, baggage inspection and personal search

- police, immigration and HM Customs & Excise

- medical, information, customer services and escorting

- driving and parking

- cleaning and maintenance

- restaurants, bars and cafes

- shops and duty-free facilities.

Behind these functions is a business operation that may be multinational or perhaps just managing one relatively small airport. People will require the appropriate qualifications for their employment; the qualifications required by, say, a security guard at an airport are the same as those required by any other security guard. (Up to one-third of all airport jobs are security-related.)

Air traffic control

Air traffic controllers provide instructions, advice and information to pilots by radio to keep air traffic flying safely, efficiently and quickly. They deal with things like weather changes, unscheduled traffic, near misses and emergencies. Area controllers look after aircraft transitting an area along routes. Approach controllers take over as pilots get close to airports and guide them into landing patterns. Aerodrome controllers cover take-off, landing and movement on the ground.

Air traffic controllers should:

- be between 18 and 30 years old (experienced ex-military applicants may be older)

- have five GCSEs at a minimum of Grade C, including English and maths; and should have completed post-GCSE study to two A-levels/three Highers/a Vocational A-level or be in the final year of study

- attend an initial selection day, two further interviews, a computer assessment, and medical and security checks

- attend an 18-month course.

Others

The aviation industry is huge, and links with many other sectors. Chief among these are travel and tourism, hospitality, catering, retailing and security. Aircraft design, manufacture and maintenance are also enormous businesses that offer employment possibilities for the right person. Many functions are outsourced by airline and airport managers to companies that specialise in them, and they can also provide opportunities to work in aviation.

Useful contacts

Civil Aviation Authority, CAA House, 45–59 Kingsway, London WC2B 6TE Tel: 020 7379 7311 Website: www.caa.co.uk

CAA Safety Regulation Group, Aviation House, Gatwick Airport South, Gatwick, West Sussex RH6 0YR Tel: 01293 567171 Fax: 01293 573999 Website: www.srg.caa.co.uk

Airlines recruit individually and the CAA website has useful links

British Airport Authority plc recruits by airport with no central department Website: www.baa.co.uk

National Air Traffic Services Ltd, Human Resources, London Control Centre, Corporate and Technical Centre, 4000 Parkway, Whiteley, Fareham, Hants PO15 7FL 01489 616001 Website: www.nats.co.uk