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Airfield Operations Officer

Aviation

Ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. Duties include coordination between air-traffic control and maintenance personnel, dispatching, using airfield landing and navigational aids, implementing airfield safety procedures, monitoring and maintaining flight records, and applying knowledge of weather information.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Aviation

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
  2. 2Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
  3. 3Conduct inspections of the airport property and perimeter to maintain controlled access to airfields.
  4. 4Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
  5. 5Initiate or conduct airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
  6. 6Manage wildlife on and around airport grounds.
  7. 7Coordinate communications between air traffic control and maintenance personnel.
  8. 8Coordinate with agencies to meet aircrew requirements for billeting, messing, refueling, ground transportation, and transient aircraft maintenance.
  9. 9Perform and supervise airfield management activities, including mobile airfield management functions.
  10. 10Plan and coordinate airfield construction.
  11. 11Monitor the arrival, parking, refueling, loading, and departure of all aircraft.
  12. 12Use airfield landing and navigational aids and digital data terminal communications equipment to perform duties.
  13. 13Train operations staff.
  14. 14Coordinate with agencies, such as air traffic control, civil engineers, or command posts, to ensure support of airfield management activities.
  15. 15Receive, transmit, and control message traffic.
  16. 16Maintain air-to-ground and point-to-point radio contact with aircraft commanders.
  17. 17Procure, produce, and provide information on the safe operation of aircraft, such as flight planning publications, operations publications, charts and maps, or weather information.
  18. 18Relay departure, arrival, delay, aircraft and airfield status, and other pertinent information to upline controlling agencies.
  19. 19Anticipate aircraft equipment needs for air evacuation and cargo flights.
  20. 20Provide aircrews with information and services needed for airfield management and flight planning.
  21. 21Receive and post weather information and flight plan data, such as air routes or arrival and departure times.
  22. 22Post visual display boards and status boards.
  23. 23Conduct departure and arrival briefings.
  24. 24Collaborate with others to plan flight schedules and air crew assignments.
  25. 25Maintain flight and event logs, air crew flying records, and flight operations records of incoming and outgoing flights.
  26. 26Coordinate changes to flight itineraries with appropriate Air Traffic Control (ATC) agencies.
  27. 27Check military flight plans with civilian agencies.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Ramp Agent
  • Airline Agent
  • Airport Agent
  • Flight Follower
  • Operations Agent
  • Airline Dispatcher
  • Airport Ramp Agent
  • Airport Supervisor
  • Operations Officer
  • Operations Specialist

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesDraws directly on Telecommunications — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Telecommunications — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Public Safety and Security89%
  • Transportation85%
  • English Language84%

    English

  • Customer and Personal Service81%
  • Education and Training75%
  • Telecommunications73%

    Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesComputer Science / ICT

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Inspect airfield conditions to ensure safety and compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
  • Issue notices to advise flight crews of airfield status.
  • Monitor and manage the operation of drones within the airport airspace to ensure safe aircraft operations.
  • Train operations staff on topics such as driving on airfields and security identification display area (SIDA) procedures.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Commercial Pilot

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Airfield Operations Specialists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org