AboutDottie Norkus Expertise I can address questions concerning: airline pilot employment & entry level airline careers in the Unites States, women pilots, flight training, pilot certification, flight scholarships (mostly for women), aviation & airline safety topics, aviation accident investigation, air carrier accidents and airline operations.
***Please note, I cannot address flight training or career queries from outside the United States. If you are not in the USA, please direct your question to the message boards at www.PPRUNE.org as you can surely find an answer there. For those in India try http://www.indianpilots.com
Also, I cannot address questions about aero engineering degree programs/careers or aviation management careers.
Experience U.S. Regional Airline Pilot. I have also had 15 years previous experience in airline ground operations, as well as a part 91 commercial skydive pilot and ferry pilot.
Organizations I belong to I am a charter member of Women In Aviation International as well as the International Organization of Women Pilots: the Ninety Nines. I keep a database of flight scholarships for women (mostly SW USA) and mentor student pilots.
Education/Credentials Embry Riddle Aeronautical University certificate in Aviation Safety/Accident investigation.
Question Hi Dottie,
My name is Kim and I am 28 I want to join Air line but I don't know where I can start?
I want some degree or certification from airline school but what certification will good for me? Give me some suggestions and tell me some jobs.
In addition I want job on airport not in airplane.
Please help me
I'll appreciate that
Thanks
Kim
Answer Kim
From the English and grammar of your post, I am not sure if you are in the United States or not. If you are an American, I can provide some insight into airline careers.
You do not need any "certification" or aviation degree to work for an airline. Every airline trains you after being hired. There are many schools that advertise a 'training' program or 'travel school' to get an airline job but they are not necessry to get hired.
The main jobs at the airport are:
Ticket agent, gate agent, customer service agent. (At many airlines, they are all one and the same.) These people deal with the passengers when they check in at either the ticket counter or gate.
Ramp agent: these people work outside loading and unloading cargo and service the aircraft.
Skycap: these people check in bags for customers at the curbside
Other may include load planners, manifesters, operations agents or freight agents depending on the airine.
Since I have no idea what you are interested in, go to this page about ticket agent careers for more info- http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos135.htm
Additionally, the Southwest Airlines careers page have some great descriptions of airline ground based careers. Go to http://www.southwest.com/careers
Hope this gives you a start to figure out what kinds of jobs are available and what interests you.
Once you have an idea of what you might like, go to the website of an airline you are interested in and see if they are hiring. (Not all may be recruiting.) Every airline has recruiting and hiring info on their websites. In addition to the major carriers, you should also check into the smaller regional airlines as well. (United Express, Northwest Airlink, Delta Connection ect are not the same as the maors they fly for and are separate airlines.) Often times they will be hiring even when their affiliated majors are not. Airlines such as:
Mesa Airlines
Skywest Airlines
American Eagle Airlines
Horizon Airlines
Trans States Airlines
Chautauqua Airlines
Mesaba Airlines
Pinnacle Airlines
Express Jet Airlines
