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Airport operations manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

Karen Kus,

Nina Woodard

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical airport operations manager skills. We ranked the top skills for airport operations managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 19.3% of airport operations manager resumes contained safety procedures as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an airport operations manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 airport operations manager skills for your resume and career

1. Safety Procedures

Safety procedures are a set of standardized procedures, that ensures minimal to no risk to people, resources, and the work environment. A company follows the step-by-step safety procedures as it they not only keep the customers and the employees safe, but also help in avoiding legal claims.

Here's how airport operations managers use safety procedures:

Manage staff in the implementation of airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
Developed and maintained specific Preventative Maintenance and safety procedures for the facility operations of the 13 Data Centers.

2. Federal Aviation Administration

Here's how airport operations managers use federal aviation administration:

Communicated daily with Federal Aviation Administration, airport tenants and staff.
Coordinated snow removal operations with maintenance staff, contract haulers, Federal Aviation Administration, airline and non-airline tenants.

3. Operational Performance

Here's how airport operations managers use operational performance:

Led organization in year-over-year improvement in customer service ratings and operational performance goals for seven years.

4. Transportation Security Administration

Here's how airport operations managers use transportation security administration:

Implement current Security Directives issued by the Transportation Security Administration.
Prepare chronological data to assist Department of Aviation, Transportation Security Administration, Police, Fire and EMS with their reports.

5. Facility Maintenance

Here's how airport operations managers use facility maintenance:

Managed all operations, including production, facility maintenance, sales and administration.

6. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how airport operations managers use payroll:

Performed administrative duties including tracking payroll, training, and manpower needs, and addressed budgetary concerns.
Handle payroll, as well as profit and loss reports.

7. Oversight

Having oversight of someone means to monitor a process or a situation. If someone has oversight of something, they are responsible for the completion of the project. Oversight is usually given to experts as they monitor their juniors or newbies as they go through a project.

Here's how airport operations managers use oversight:

Provided management oversight for daily relationships with label and artist management and site promotions via content management and asset deployment.
Provided technical oversight during the development of key training plans for mobilization and ensured compliance with established policies and procedures.

8. Collective Bargaining

Here's how airport operations managers use collective bargaining:

Participated in collective bargaining contract negotiations and ensured agreed criteria was adhered to.
Negotiated contracts with collective bargaining units and managed grievances with union.

9. DOT

Here's how airport operations managers use dot:

Implemented/Enforced FAA, ATA, DOT and corporate policies and procedures.

10. Airfield Management

Here's how airport operations managers use airfield management:

Rated and evaluated employee performance in airfield management and base operations.

11. NOTAMs

Here's how airport operations managers use notams:

Responded to incidents and accidents occurring on or near the airport, issued and canceled NOTAMS.
Performed daily runway and airfield inspections, Issue NOTAMS under FAR Part 77.

12. HR

HR stands for human resources and is used to describe the set of people who work for a company or an organization. HR responsibilities revolve around updating employee records and carrying out management processes like planning, recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes. HR is a key contributor to any company or organization's growth as they are in charge of hiring the right employees, processing payrolls, conducting disciplinary actions, etc.

Here's how airport operations managers use hr:

Mentor and develop 3 salary shift supervisors in a 24 hr operation who were responsible for processing 1500 orders daily.
Led staff of up to eight exempt managers/supervisors and 100 employees, providing coaching and development including HR coordination and interface.

13. EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a US-based organization established to sustain and improve the environmental and human health standards across the United States. EPA was established by US President Richard Nixon by executive order in December 1970. The EPA formulates laws and releases guidelines to promote the health of individuals and the ecosystem.

Here's how airport operations managers use epa:

Doubled the concentrate volume through process improvements and a capital expansion while reducing EPA emissions by 40 percent.

14. Government Agencies

Here's how airport operations managers use government agencies:

Develop security and screening procedures in accordance with FAA, and Government agencies.
Headed liaison as point of contact for local and national government agencies.

15. Performance Appraisals

Here's how airport operations managers use performance appraisals:

Recruited and completed annual performance appraisals; fulfilled a broad range of operational duties to include contract administration.
Author employee performance appraisals as well as disciplinary documentation.

What skills help Airport Operations Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on airport operations manager resumes?

Karen Kus

Assistant Director of Career Services, SUNY Potsdam

Employers hiring candidates with a history degree are seeking transferable skills that can be applied in various roles and settings. These skills include writing, communication, research, organization, computer-based skills, and problem-solving. The best thing a candidate can do to increase marketability is to elaborate on how they obtained or utilized those skills, rather than simply listing them. Employers need to have an understanding of how you made use of your skill and what results came from your actions. Make these skills shine on your resume by giving them substance.

What airport operations manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Nina Woodard

Senior Career Development Specialist, Belmont University

For entertainment, digital marketing and content creation skills are critical. Even if a role isn't specifically connected to digital marketing, social media is almost always involved in most entry-level roles. We strongly encourage students and recent graduates to learn basic graphic design platforms, video editing and audio editing. Learning how to maximize impact on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram or TikTok is also a worthy investment of time. There's a wide range of self-paced training resources online, many available for free or at reduced costs for students.

What type of skills will young airport operations managers need?

Craig Nathanson Ph.D.

Adjunct Lecturer, Sonoma State University

I see the essential human skills gaining importance to build a new post-covid work life. These include creativity, leading and working in teams, writing, speaking, being self-aware, and lowering bias and networking; career branding as critical areas for graduates to focus on now.

What technical skills for an airport operations manager stand out to employers?

Dr. Mary Kern Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College - City University of New York

- Clearly, the ability to use different forms of communication technology has become key, and as these forms evolve rapidly, employers are look for an ability to adapt, adopt, and teach them to their colleagues.

- Evidence-based management and decision-making are playing a much larger role in organizations, and thus the ability to work with quantitative data to understand situations and to help make decisions is crucial.

What soft skills should all airport operations managers possess?

Steven Bauer

Visiting Professor of Marketing, Pepperdine University, Seaver College

The new hybrid world will make leading teams more challenging. This reality will put a premium on interpersonal skills. When the NASA astronaut, Richard Arnold, spoke at Pepperdine in 2019, he mentioned that team building was the single most important ability undergraduates could develop to become a good astronaut. The same holds for graduates wanting to go into business, particularly in the post coronavirus era. As part of their skills in this area, graduates will also need to be able and committed to addressing issues in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Do you want to know more?

List of airport operations manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an airport operations manager resume and required skills for an airport operations manager to have include:

Safety Procedures
Federal Aviation Administration
Operational Performance
Transportation Security Administration
Facility Maintenance
Payroll
Oversight

Collective Bargaining
DOT
Airfield Management
NOTAMs
HR
EPA
Government Agencies

Performance Appraisals
Arff
Customer Complaints
Background Checks
Flight Operations
Security Regulations

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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