The Operations Team
The People Who Keep an Airport Running (That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of)
When people ask what I do at the airport, I always joke, “I don’t really know.”
It’s not true, but it gets a laugh—and it saves me from trying to explain a department that most people don’t even know exists.
The truth is this:
Airport Operations is a whole ecosystem.
Different roles, different responsibilities, different specialties… all moving in sync to keep one of the most complex environments in the world running safely.
And this is my department.
These are the people I get to work with every day.
These are the people who will show up again and again in the stories I tell.
I want people to understand the team behind the scenes.
This blog is part of my design cycle.
I’m learning, reflecting, adjusting, and sharing as I go.
So before I start writing about the day-to-day chaos, the airfield stories, the training moments, the emergencies, and everything we do out there, let me introduce you to the cast.
Director of Operations
Our Director of Operations is the high-level leader over all three airports in the Columbus Regional Airport Authority system:
CMH, LCK, and TZR.
He sets the tone.
He sets the expectations.
And he has this rare ability to dream unbelievably big while still being locked in on exactly where we are today.
It’s wild — one minute he’s imagining what our future operations could look like ten years down the road, and the next minute he’s diving into a meeting about one very specific, very immediate operational issue at CMH.
He carries the weight of three airports, but he never makes that weight feel heavy.
He gives clarity. He gives direction. He gives us permission to think bigger.
Airport Manager (CMH)
While the Director is managing all three airports, our Airport Manager is locked in on CMH specifically.
He’s the guy making sure everything on the airfield runs the way it should, from construction changes, to signage updates, to operational decisions about how we move aircraft safely.
He’s the one who sends us critical updates, communicates changes, and keeps the coordinators (people like me) looped in on what matters.
If something is happening at CMH, he knows about it, has a plan for it, or is already talking to the people who need to be involved.
And when things come up at LCK or TZR, he helps there too, because operations is a team sport, and he’s a key player.
Wildlife Biologist
Airports and wildlife do not mix.
But wildlife doesn’t know that.
We have coyotes, deer, hawks, geese, ducks, pigeons, groundhogs, foxes, you name it.
Wildlife is one of the biggest safety risks in aviation, and that’s why we have a full-time Wildlife Biologist.
She does more than most people realize:
Track migration patterns
Study behavior
Maintain habitat controls
Train the ops team
Monitor airfield activity
Keep the airport compliant with FAA wildlife standards
Respond in real time to wildlife hazards
It’s science, strategy, safety, and fieldwork all mixed into one.
Most passengers have no clue this job exists, but they benefit from it every single time their plane takes off.
Safety Manager
If you think the airport looks dangerous from the terminal side, imagine the side we work on.
We deal with:
Aircraft
Jet engines
Pressurized systems
Fuel trucks
Construction equipment
Hundreds of chemicals
Heavy machinery
Tight spaces
Noise
Weather
And yes… escalators, the biggest hazard to the traveling public
Our Safety Manager oversees every piece of that.
He investigates incidents, runs training, develops safety procedures, conducts audits, maintains compliance, and protects the people who work here every single day.
Operations is exciting, but it’s also risky.
The Safety Manager helps make sure the excitement never turns into something worse.
Emergency Preparedness Specialist
This is the role nobody knows about, until something goes wrong.
Our Emergency Preparedness Specialist plans for everything we hope will never happen:
Aircraft emergencies
Bomb threats
Medical events
Fires
Hazmat spills
Terminal evacuations
Security incidents
Natural disasters
Large-scale disruptions
She coordinates with police, fire, EMS, TSA, airlines, and internal departments so that when an emergency happens, we’re not scrambling; we already know the plan.
Her work is quiet, behind the scenes, detailed, and absolutely essential.
Operations Supervisors
These are the leaders who keep the operation moving hour by hour.
Supervisors:
Coordinate responses during weather events
Support coordinators in the field
Communicate with air traffic control
Serve as the point of contact during emergencies
Keep the whole department aligned and supported
When something goes wrong, they’re the ones answering the calls, giving direction, and making sure we don’t miss anything.
They're the glue between front-line coordinators and upper leadership.
Operations Coordinators (My Role)
This is where my boots hit the ground.
Coordinators are the trucks you see driving around the airfield.
We’re the ones doing:
Daily inspections
Wildlife responses
Airfield escorts
NOTAMs
Emergency responses
Construction checks
Ramp checks
Badge checks
FOD sweeps
Gate issues
Fuel spill responses
Customer assistance
Terminal support
Anything involving the movement of aircraft
Runway and Taxiway closures
We see everything.
We learn something new every day.
No two shifts are ever the same.
And stepping into leading the co-ops is going to add a whole new layer to my job, teaching, guiding, and building systems for the next generation of airport professionals.
Co-Ops (Our Interns)
I’m calling this out because this is about to become a major part of my learning.
Our co-ops are college students getting real, hands-on experience.
They’re not just shadowing, they’re contributing.
They learn:
How to inspect the airfield
How to identify hazards
How to operate safely
How to write reports
How to support operations
How an airport works behind the scenes
And now I’m stepping into helping lead this program.
So as I learn how to mentor them, train them, build structure, build culture, and help them grow, I’ll be writing about it here.
I told one of our co-ops today, “I don’t really know what you do, but I know that when y’all are not here, I have a lot more to do.”
I am excited to learn about what they really do, how I can make positive changes, and support them the best way I know how.
This is part of my design cycle.
This is how I get better.
How It All Works Together
Operations isn’t a bunch of people off doing their own thing.
We’re all tied together whether we want to be or not.
When it snows, everybody’s moving.
You’ve got plows, brooms, ops trucks, airfield maintenance, supervisors making calls, it’s all hands.
When wildlife starts acting up, we’re talking to each other nonstop.
“Where did you see it?”
“Which direction was it moving?”
“Is it near the runway?”
Everyone stays looped in because small things can become big things fast.
When there’s an emergency, nobody waits around.
Everyone knows their role and just snaps into it.
No drama, no confusion, just action.
When a runway or taxiway has to close, every department adjusts instantly.
Airlines adjust. ATC adjusts. Ops adjusts.
It’s like a big machine shifting gears.
And when passengers need help?
It doesn’t matter what your job title is, you help.
That’s just who we are.
This job pulls in everything: logistics, problem-solving, science, safety, communication, customer service, leadership, and a lot of “figure it out in real time.”
And honestly, that’s one of the reasons I love coming to work.
We really do depend on each other.
None of this works if we’re not working together.
Why I’m Sharing All This
I’m writing this blog because this is my department.
These are the people I get to learn from, laugh with, be challenged by, and grow alongside.
As I keep learning, keep growing, keep stepping into leadership roles, and keep trying to understand this crazy, complicated, amazing world of airport operations, I want to bring people with me.
It’s too big a world to keep to myself.
And too cool not to share.
So buckle up.
There are going to be stories.
There are going to be lessons.
There’s going to be a lot of learning.
And through all of it, this team will be right at the center.
See you out on the airfield.
Why I’m doing this
Partly because people keep asking me, “What do you do?” and I want to be able to point to something that actually shows it.
But mostly?
Because I don’t want to forget what I’m learning.
This job is crazy. It’s complicated. It’s full of nuance. You can work here for twenty years and still not know everything. And I don’t want the lessons to slip past me just because I didn’t take five minutes to write them down.
So this is my version of capturing it.
One post at a time. One story at a time. One lesson at a time.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the jet bridge, out past the taxiway lights, or behind those giant “AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY” doors… you’re in the right place.
Let’s get to work.