Are You Prepared For An Increase In Air Travel?

May 27, 2014
An unplanned for increase in traffic could clearly disrupt operations and cause untold headaches for everyone.

Recent air travel forecasts indicate that the slow growth in air travel experienced over the last couple of years is about to pick up steam. Many in the aviation industry – including many working in various ground support functions – may find themselves in a difficult position when the forecast increases hit their operations. After years of downsizing, rightsizing or whatever term was applied to denote the decrease in workers and equipment, along with the decrease at many organizations in preventative maintenance, an unplanned for increase in traffic could clearly disrupt operations and cause untold headaches for everyone. And, of course, it always seems that things tend to break down and go to pieces at the worst possible times.

I know asking your bosses for more people, more equipment or more money to maintain that equipment continues to be a very tough sell these days. But if anything tends to work, in my experience, it is having the facts and figures to back up your requests. Which means preparing now to make the case for those increases. I know it’s tough enough to keep an operation going and that the last thing you want to be doing is tracking data.

But that’s what the suits want to see. One of the most important things managers and supervisors can do is keep close track of activity data affecting their operations, so that if they need to request additional staffing or equipment or more money for maintenance on their equipment they have the data handy to justify their requests.