Aviation Operations Manager

On an aviation operations manager apprenticeship course, you’ll oversee the environment, facilities and services at airports, military bases, heliports and other airfields.

You’ll learn how to plan and manage resources effectively, as well as ensure process and procedure compliance.

This apprenticeship focuses on managing aircraft arrival, turnaround, departure, and the atmosphere and facilities. You’ll learn to manage people and perform complex aviation tasks to achieve regulatory compliance via a safe, secure, and successful aviation company.

You’ll also have the option of specialising in one of six functions: aircraft handling, aircraft movement, fire service watch, flight operations (air traffic control or operations), or passenger operations.

What you’ll learn

On an aviation operations manager apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Manage safety within your scope of duty, ensuring that your staff follow aviation safety requirements.
• Manage aviation security in one’s area of operations, ensuring that team members follow organisational norms and that information is reported and documented appropriately.
• Within one’s duty area, manage laws, aviation procedures, and regulations.
• Manage communication with users, staff, and other agencies in aviation operations by using authorised methods and language.
• Manage resources effectively to ensure that the department operates smoothly and complies with organisational standards.
• Manage your area of responsibility to meet the broader organisation’s expectations, ensuring that the site’s needs, customers, visitors, and service users are met in line with business operational procedures and standards.
• Manage the team and the facilities to ensure that outputs meet agreed-upon performance criteria while sticking to standard operating procedures.
• Manage personnel and resources to ensure that systems are followed and that efforts are made to minimise the impact of an interruption, incident, or emergency on aviation operations.
• Manage your own staff’s performance in all areas, including hiring, performance assessments, learning and development, discipline, complaints, and labour relations.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Depending on the employer, but likely A-levels or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment consists of three distinct assessment methods: 

• Written exam
• Reflective essay and log of professional competence
• Professional discussion

Duration and level

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 4 Aviation Operations Manager Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.