High language skills and good manners are required as you will be exchanging words with people from various countries. People who like to interact with people of all ages, from the elderly to children. They also need to be able to make decisions and take action in a resourceful manner, and to pay attention.

Ground staff serve passengers who fly at airports. There are four main types of work.
(1) Counter operations to check the date, name, and flight number on airline tickets and passports, and issue boarding passes.
(2) Ticketing services for those purchasing tickets at the airport.
(iii) Gate operations to guide and direct passengers from the gate to boarding.
Transit operations to guide passengers on connecting flights to their destinations so that they can smoothly transfer to the next flight.
In addition, the company handles complaints in the event of flight cancellations or delayed departures, and also makes announcements at the gate.

The fastest way to become a ground staff member is to pass the employment examination of each airline company. However, in recent years, an increasing number of airlines have been outsourcing ground staff operations to affiliated companies or specialized companies (passenger handling companies), so there is another way to find employment with such companies. In addition, an increasing number of people are registering with airport service staffing agencies and being dispatched to airports.

Most airline companies require that applicants have graduated from a graduate school, university, junior college, or vocational school, so you should aim to go on to higher education after graduating from high school. In addition to a written test and general interview, language skills are also considered important. In particular, English skills are a must, with a minimum of level 2 of the English Language Proficiency Test or a TOEIC score of 550 or higher being required. In order to provide courteous service to customers from various countries, it is advisable to study English thoroughly.

IT is becoming more and more prevalent in various fields, and this trend is also seen in airport operations. Ground staff will be able to book airline tickets on their smartphones and board through automatic check-in machines, and some roles will be delegated to machines, with ground staff performing more selective duties. The number of ground staff themselves will likely decrease. However, the number of passengers using airplanes is expected to increase, and competition for service among airlines is expected to intensify. Ground staff who can distinguish themselves from their rivals will likely see their work reduced to clerical tasks and their job description changed to one that requires a higher level of customer service skills.

Annual income is around 3.7 to 4.4 million yen, although it varies depending on the airline or affiliated company to which you belong and the nature of your work.

Work hours begin around 6:00 a.m., when counter operations begin, and end around midnight, when the last flight arrives. Shifts are in the form of early, middle, and late shifts, with an average workday of 7 to 8 hours. Since there are no holidays at the airport, most employees work in shifts on their days off.

Airports across the country.

It's a chart that shows at a glance the main routes to get a job as a ground staff member!

Here are some qualifications that will help you get a job as a ground staff member.