The Airport Staff Member You Should Thank When Your Flight Takes Off on Time

While airports can feel chaotic and confusing, there is meticulous coordination happening behind the scenes.

The challenge of launching numerous large aircraft into the sky—with hundreds of passengers and their drinks and snacks—is truly astonishing. Yet this incredible operation occurs daily at airports worldwide. It’s a collective effort, but one key player on the ground bears significant responsibility: the airport station manager.

You might overlook them in the hustle, but their contribution is critical. Without their leadership, ground operations would come to a standstill, leaving you with a schedule full of delayed flights. Let’s delve into the role of an airport manager.

What does an airport station manager do?

Nearly every airline has staff members at each of its airports, and they seem to handle everything. They manage teams of employees, maintain facilities like gate areas, lounges, and back offices, engage with thousands of customers, act as the airline's primary representative at the airport, and, most importantly, ensure that your flight departs as smoothly and swiftly as possible. They are the on-ground leaders for all airline operations.

What are the duties associated with the role?

The responsibilities of station managers can vary significantly depending on the airport and airline. For instance, a Delta station manager in Detroit (a Delta hub) may oversee hundreds of flights daily, while one in Charlotte (an American hub) might only manage a few dozen. Nonetheless, they all share a common objective: to ensure that the flights they supervise operate on time and safely.

Some station managers focus more on behind-the-scenes tasks, monitoring irregular flight operations or delays that require new gate assignments—ideally preventing those frustrating last-minute changes that make you sprint through the airport. Others prefer to stay in the spotlight, interacting with agents and customers in the terminal.

According to Vanna Oak, the former station manager for Air France–KLM at Washington Dulles, there’s no such thing as a standard day. At times, up to 800 passengers would check in almost simultaneously for her afternoon flights to Amsterdam and Paris, and she often found herself assisting at the ticket counter and gates, which requires a lot of movement in a large airport like Dulles.

However, Oak’s day would start much earlier in an office located beneath the concourse, where she frequently made calls to the operations centers at the airline hubs in Amsterdam and Paris to obtain critical information for her flights, such as significant cargo or VIP passengers. (Washington, D.C., is known for hosting diplomats and high-profile executives who receive private escorts to the gate.)

Oak's budget encompassed everything from crew accommodations to airport signage and ground support equipment. In the event of a delay, she would decide how to accommodate affected customers—whether through hotel vouchers, rebooking on another airline, or determining what food (and when) to provide at the gate while they wait.

Upon an aircraft's arrival, Oak would oversee the cleaning process and the unloading of baggage and cargo. Air France and KLM, like many airlines, send clean blankets, pillows, menus, and amenity kits from the incoming flight to be used for the return trip, ensuring there are enough for all returning passengers.

How they maintain timely departures

Each aircraft has a designated turnaround time that can differ based on the plane, city, flight type, and airline. Carriers like Ryanair and Southwest are famous for their rapid turnarounds, sometimes as brief as 30 minutes. Since airlines profit only when planes are airborne, low-cost carriers must streamline this process to keep ticket prices low and ensure their planes stay busy throughout the day.

The countdown begins as soon as a plane's doors open upon arrival and continues until they close for departure. Exceeding this designated time can disrupt flight schedules throughout the day and can incur significant costs for the airline.

The race against time encompasses everything from refueling the plane to conducting security and customs inspections. For instance, Air France reports having nearly 100 procedures and checks in place for international departures. Every detail must align perfectly for a timely takeoff.

While practices may vary by airline, Oak aimed to close the aircraft doors three minutes prior to the scheduled departure to ensure the plane could push back on time. Other airlines might aim to close even earlier, as it still takes time to retract the jet bridge or aircraft stairs, secure the cargo doors, and await confirmation from the control tower that the plane is clear to leave.

For example, American Airlines emphasizes a protocol they call “D-10,” which dictates that the aircraft doors should be closed 10 minutes before the scheduled departure (D-0) to maintain punctuality. This is particularly vital for the first flight of the day, as delays can have a cascading effect on subsequent flights.

The technology utilized by airport station managers

In recent years, airlines have adopted technology that utilizes instant messaging systems, enabling gate agents, flight crews, and operations teams to communicate in real-time through airline-provided smartphones. No, flight attendants aren’t texting friends; they’re likely discussing issues like missing catering items, seat overlaps where multiple passengers are assigned to the same seat, or the frustrating announcement that “overhead bins are full,” which indicates it’s time to start checking carry-on luggage.

Many airlines now employ software that leverages historical data to assess how many bags need to be gate-checked, taking into account factors like passenger count and time of day. This is why you might hear gate agents state that they need to check a specific number of bags at no extra charge. However, occasionally, passengers may board only to find ample space in the overhead bins. This occurs because the system instructed the gate agent to begin checking bags after a particular number of passengers have boarded. While this can be a frustrating and sometimes flawed system, it helps keep flights on schedule. Without this program, any carry-on bags left in the aisle could delay the flight as the crew arranges for luggage to be placed in the cargo hold.

Despite everything, ensuring that planes depart on time remains a top priority. Delays can negatively impact the airport’s on-time performance metrics. If these metrics fall below a certain threshold, the station manager must account for the situation to the airline’s operations departments, which closely monitor airport performance to maintain the smooth operation of the global flight network. A single delay can trigger a domino effect on many other flights—and we all know the implications of that.

You may not notice the airport station manager amidst the bustle of locating your flight, but they are one of the most vital components in the extensive airport system.

This article originally appeared online in 2018; it was last updated on March 13, 2024.