When asked to make a list of airline jobs, most people instantly think of pilots. While their jobs are definitely important, but they are only a small part of what keeps an airplane flying and flight schedules on track. Airlines rely on many individuals to perform their job in order to keep them in business. They include baggage handlers, ticket agents, and avionics technicians.
If a person has a scientific bent of mind, he can opt for a career as a pilot, aircraft maintenance engineer, etc. And if a person is good at communication and interpersonal skills, s/he can consider a career as an air hostess or a flight steward. Good managerial skills can land you a job in management of airports or airlines and good PR Skills can help you secure a job in customer relations department. Great organisational skills and ability to think on toes can make you an asset for a ground job.
With privatisation and foreign collaboration increasing every day, the future is very bright in the aviation sector. Most airline offices are looking to increase their fleet and this itself is opening avenues for the aspirants. Besides Indian Airlines, there are several private airlines like Jet Airways, Sahara, Air Asia and Air Vistara currently expanding their fleet and range of operations in India. There are several other international airlines that operate through India, like United Airlines, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Quantas, KLM, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Thai Airways, Malaysian Airlines and China Airlines to name a few. Many airline jobs are well paying and offer prestige as well as excitement and fantastic benefits.
Our civil aviation is currently targeting to privatise airports which further require thousands of skilled aviation professionals to handle the contemporary challenges. Good airport managers contribute significantly in effective management of the air transportation business.
Aerospace and telecom sectors being truly international in nature do not confine themselves to Indian borders. Hence, students pursuing these degrees will be able to enter the open global market and boost their career profiles.
Career opportunities in the aviation industry are extensive and promising. After the completion of the course, based on your skills and interests, you can choose to take up career in verticals like marketing, human resource management, operations, logistics and air traffic control. But as you progress in your career, you would be expected to wear different hats. So if you want to grow consistently in the aviation industry, you have to understand the functioning of various departments of the industry and pick up cross-functional skills.
Qualifications
Courses like a Master’s degree in Aviation Law and Airport Transport Management, Master’s in Space and Telecommunication Laws, Post Graduate Diploma in Aviation Law and Air Transport Management and Post Graduate Diploma in GIS (Geographical Information System) and Remote Sensing Laws conducted by Centre for Air and Space Law (CASL) at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad meet the requirement of a skilled workforce in this area (www.casl.nalsar.ac.in and www.nalsar.ac.in).
Other courses
National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata offers distant course in Post Graduate Diploma in Air and Space Law. Institute of Applied Aviation Management, Calicut, with regional offices is various cities offers Aviation Law and Air Transport Management. Jindal Global Law School has courses in Air and Space Law.
These courses cater to the needs of unprecedented aviation growth coupled with commercialisation of telecom and space technologies, which requires a large and highly skilled workforce to meet not just the managerial requirements of the rapidly growing aerospace industry but also the legal complications that arise from the high value transactions involving the market participants.
They meet the burgeoning demand of the industry from the supply-side by producing legal and managerial aerospace experts which India is facing an acute shortage of in the domain of air transport management, aviation, space, remote sensing, GIS and telecom laws.
(The author is Head, Centre for Air and Space Law, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad)