Who Keeps the Airport Running?
Before we dive into runway closures, construction chaos, snow plans, and wildlife calls, I want to take a step back.
Because the truth is, if you’re not already in the airport world, most of what I’m going to talk about won’t make any sense unless you know who’s who. This blog is going to turn into a daily look at what airport life is really like, and to understand that, you’ve got to know who keeps this place running.
Airports are basically cities. And like any city, it takes hundreds of people across dozens of departments, companies, and agencies to make it work. Operations sits in the middle of it all.
Airport Operations, Where I Work Now
This is my current department, and we cover a little bit of everything. If something affects safety of passengers or workers, airport security or the efficiency of the airport, we are involved.
Our job is to make sure everything meets FAA Part 139 standards. That means doing daily inspections of the airfield, checking pavement, lights, signs, friction, and wildlife. We close and open runways and taxiways, respond to incidents, escort contractors, coordinate with construction teams, monitor and issue NOTAMs, and handle all the strange and unpredictable things that show up on a daily basis. Some days it’s smooth. Some days it’s chaos. Most days it’s both.
Airfield Maintenance, Where I Started
Before I moved to Ops, I started in Airfield Maintenance, and let me just say: it’s one of the hardest-working teams in the entire airport.
They’re the ones out on the airfield during snowstorms, setting up barricades, replacing light fixtures, cutting thousands of acres of grass, fixing pavement, painting markings, towing disabled equipment, and operating heavy machinery.
Operations and Airfield Maintenance work hand-in-hand all the time. If something breaks or needs to move, they’re the ones we call.
Comm (Communications) Center, Our Dispatch Center
If Operations is the brain, Comm Center is the nervous system. They’re our internal 911, answering every emergency call at the airport and dispatching the right team instantly. They monitor security alarms, camera systems, radio traffic, door alerts, and access points. If something happens anywhere on the property, Comm Center is usually the first to know, and the first to notify the rest of us.
ARFF, Airport Fire Department
ARFF stands for Airport Rescue and Firefighting, and they’re not your average fire station. These teams are trained specifically for aircraft emergencies, fuel fires, crashes, medical calls, and alert-level responses. They also run drills, equipment checks, and daily inspections.
We work closely with ARFF any time there's an aircraft emergency, fuel spill, fire alarm, or medical incident on the airfield. They're the ones you hope you never need, but are so grateful to have when things go sideways.
Airport Police
From traffic stops to TSA issues, the Airport Police cover anything involving law enforcement on airport property. They deal with everything from lost items and theft to suspicious bags and public disturbances. We call them when someone breaches a secure door, needs an escort off property, or decides the rules don’t apply to them.
ID Office
If you work at the airport, you’ve been through the ID Office. They handle fingerprinting, background checks, security clearances, and badges for everyone who needs access to secure areas.
Operations works with them constantly, handling all kinds of badging issues. They’re one of the first departments any new employee interacts with, and one of the most important for compliance.
Planning & Engineering
Right now, with our new terminal project in full swing, Planning and Engineering is everywhere.
They handle long-term airport construction projects, infrastructure design, pavement upgrades, lighting systems, and all the permits and coordination needed to build anything on airport property. Every single day, we work together to coordinate taxiway closures, aircraft detours, contractor access, safety plans, and scheduling. They're the big-picture thinkers, and they rely on Ops to help those plans work in real time.
Other Departments That Make It All Work
I don’t work with all of these departments every day, but on most days, I end up crossing paths with at least a few of them. And even when I don’t, their work still impacts everything. Here’s a quick overview:
Custodial keeps the terminals clean, which is a massive job, especially during holiday travel rushes.
Building Maintenance handles HVAC, plumbing, electrical systems, and jet bridge and baggage belt repairs. If something breaks and it’s not airfield-related, they’re usually the ones fixing it.
Administration, Finance, and HR work more behind the scenes, but they’re critical. Admin sets the strategic direction, Finance makes the money move, and HR takes care of hiring, training, and compliance.
Business Development and Airline Business Development are out building relationships, negotiating new routes, and finding ways to make our airport more attractive to passengers and carriers. Sometimes that means working with Ops to figure out how new flights will affect gate space or ramp flow.
Real Estate handles leasing and property management across the airport. If a tenant wants to build something or expand a space, we often get involved to manage access or coordinate around airfield impacts.
Parking and Concessions teams make the airport experience work for passengers, from shuttle buses to shops and restaurants. We don’t work with them daily, but when there's an incident that affects customer flow, we get involved.
Communications
We work with Communications more often than you'd think.
Sometimes it's internal, helping with employee events, writing up operational updates, or celebrating team wins. Other times, we’re out on the runways and taxiways helping them get the perfect shot for social media. Whether it's capturing a snowstorm, showcasing a new piece of equipment, or explaining a taxiway closure to the public, we make sure they can get there safely and get the story right.
IT
If something tech-related breaks, IT is the first call.
We rely on them for our radios, airfield inspection systems, security cameras, software logins, gate access systems, and more. If the inspection tablet crashes, I’m calling IT. They keep the behind-the-scenes tech running so we can keep the airfield safe.
Legal is involved any time there's an incident with liability or construction contracts that need to be reviewed. I don’t call them directly often, but their fingerprints are on a lot of what we do.
Our External Partners. The Ones We Couldn’t Operate Without
Beyond CRAA departments, there are dozens of partner organizations we work with every day. Here are some of the biggest:
The Airlines — American, Delta, United, Southwest, Breeze, Frontier, Spirit, Alaskan, Air Canada, Sun Country, cargo carriers, you name it. Ops works with airline station managers daily on gate issues, delayed aircraft, diversions, tows, ramp coordination, and everything in between.
TSA — They run the security checkpoints. We coordinate when there are checkpoint closures, escalated incidents, or operational impacts that could affect passenger flow or staffing. They also have security guidelines on the airfield that we have to follow and notify them when there is an incident.
FAA Tower — Our closest daily partner. We’re in constant contact about runway and taxiway closures, wildlife activity, aircraft emergencies, and visibility conditions. They’re the ones who keep the sky side safe while we manage the ground.
Allied Security — These are the security guards posted at access points around the airport and who help guide traffic. We interact with them all the time, especially at night when TSA is gone, to make sure the airport stays secure.
Lane Aviation, Signature, and NetJets — These are our Fixed-Based Operators (FBOs) at CMH, supporting private and business aviation. We coordinate on fuel deliveries, apron operations, construction, and aircraft movements on the executive ramps.
Daifuku — They run our baggage handling system. When a belt breaks, jams, or needs manual rerouting, Ops often steps in to help coordinate.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — For international flights, diversions, and secure corridor procedures, we work with CBP to make sure everything meets federal entry requirements.
Construction Contractors — Every day, there’s a new project happening somewhere, especially with the new terminal project. We provide escorts, help coordinate staging areas, and ensure everything stays compliant and safe.
Rental Car Companies — We work with them during major traffic flow changes or winter weather when shuttle services are impacted.
City Agencies — Columbus Fire, Columbus Police, City Utilities — they all play a role when things escalate or require outside response.
So Why Does This Matter?
Because the next time I say,
“Sorry, I can’t talk, we’ve got a runway closure and a wildlife call and a NOTAM to file and a gate hold with ARFF standing by,”
you’ll know exactly what that means, and who’s involved.
This blog isn’t just me dumping airport trivia.
It’s a place to process what I’m learning, show the scope of what we do, and hopefully help others see the magic (and madness) that happens behind the scenes.
Most people never think about what goes on at an airport unless their flight gets delayed.
But behind every gate, every runway light, every fuel truck, every fire alarm, every badge swipe, and every plane that lands safely, there’s a team of people working hard to make it happen.
That’s who this blog is about.
I’ll be taking you inside the work, one day, one story at a time.
See you out in the office tomorrow.
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.