A Snapshot of Airside Operations

The Airside Operations Unit at LBA has an incredibly busy day-to-day schedule, with team members always on site ensuring that the runway and everything airside is operational 24 hours a day. Richard Duncan, Head of Airfield Services, said: “Our remit within Airside Operations is incredibly wide-ranging; from runway inspections, wildlife control, aircraft stand allocation, apron monitoring to repairs on airside surfaces. No two days are the same for everyone working airside.”

It’s a technical, demanding yet rewarding job role as things evolve very quickly. Ultimately, their role enables people to travel worldwide; an exciting element of their roles. Members of the team have to adapt throughout a shift and constantly liaise with the terminal team and Air Traffic Control; ultimately all of these operations working coherently results in to quick, safe and smooth journeys for our passengers.

Runway inspections are a crucial part to a day in the life of an airside operations team member and each day the team inspect it many times – covering hundreds of miles in their vehicles each week.  

LBA’s runway is divided up into zones. George Graham, Airside Operations Supervisor, explains why the team have to have in-depth knowledge of this key component of the airfield:  “The runway is our absolute priority here in Airside Operations. We split the runway into three areas: the touchdown zone (TDZ), the midpoint and the stop end. We use these zones when making reports to ATC, which are then distributed to pilots. We are responsible for updating the Runway ‘Surface state’ which relates to the condition of the runway.”

George adds: “At LBA you get to quickly put a face to whoever you are talking to over the radio. It’s a friendly co-operative environment where staff really pull together to solve problems. It’s one of the best things about working here.”

There are many different interesting roles within LBA, all of which help to develop skills and knowledge. In the New Year, we will be hosting an open day about upcoming opportunities. Keep an eye out for our updates online if this sounds like something you may like to attend.