An aviation planner looks after the strategic planning of fleets, routes and staff for an airline or airport. Applicants with a background in airport facilities, infrastructure and air service planning are in a good position to be employed as an aviation planner.
As the range of operations at an airport is so wide, an aviation planner will usually specialise in a specific area. For example, a role might focus entirely on planning a fuel efficiency strategy for an airline. Another might organise the maintenance of a fleet of aircraft. This role might require the planner to formulate, organise and execute work plans relating to all technical aspects of aircraft maintenance. Their goal would be to ensure minimum aircraft downtime and optimum use of facilities and human resources.
What does an aviation planner do?
The responsibilities of each role will vary with each specific job description. The following points should give you a general idea of what you might do on a daily basis:
- Forecast and coordinate a schedule in your given area of planning. For example, you might produce a maintenance schedule or a fuel plan.
- Overseeing the execution of your plan or schedule.
- Evaluating proposals for the expansion or updating of your schedule.
- Monitoring any inconsistencies and making adjustments to improve efficiency.
- Reporting on progress and any issues that emerge.
What qualifications do you need to become an aviation planner?
As this role covers such a broad range of disciplines, the required qualifications will vary from job to job. For example, if you are working with staff schedules, experience in customer service roles may be more important than grades at school. For a maintenance planner role, the employer might want a degree in engineering. A good secondary education will act as a good foundation for applying for any of these roles.
Employers often stipulate that they’re looking for planners with experience of working in a competitive, dynamic and service driven environment. It might also be necessary to possess experience in planning, forecasting and rostering, and those who do well in aviation planning will be competent at processing large volumes of data and managing cross-functional relationships.
What skills do you need to become an aviation planner?
- You will need excellent communication skills to ensure that each element of your plan/schedule is understood by those who will implement it.
- A logical way of thinking will help organise each element into a feasible plan.
- You will need the ability to process large volumes of data.
- Close attention to detail is important when monitoring your plan/schedule.
- The ability to work well under pressure is essential in this fast-paced environment.
- You must be able to work on your own initiative and continually seek improvements.
- Good problem-solving skills and the ability to prioritise are essential.
- You will need good leadership skills to motivate your team and ensure they are performing efficiently.
What are you career prospects as an aviation planner?
With the growth of the aviation industry expected to continue for the foreseeable future due to increasing passenger demand, this is a good time to seek employment from airlines and airports. The prospects for consistent employment as a planner are therefore good.
As you progress as an aviation planner, you may take on more responsibility. This could be in the form of a larger number of staff to coordinate, or to specialise in a higher profile element of airport operations.
What is the average salary for an aviation planner?
According to our data, the average salary for an aviation planner in 2018 was £46,745.
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