jobfacts

Air transport operatives

SOC 2020 8233

Air transport operatives refuel, load and unload aircraft, direct the movement of aircraft at airports, and positions gangways or staircases to allow passengers to board and disembark aircraft.

Also calledTraffic dispatcherBaggage handlerAircraft refuellerApron handAirport handTug driverand 35 more titles
Typical full-time pay£34,7002025 Provisional
People in the job16,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month116↓ 13%on last year · 384th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time air transport operatives earn, 2025
£34,700 typical£26,800lowest 10%£29,60025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£26,800
Lowest 20% earn less than£29,400
25%£29,600
Median£34,700
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £34,700
London£40,200
South East!£37,600
North West!£29,400
East of England!£28,300
Yorkshire and The Humber!£26,800
West Midlands!£23,900
North EastNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £34,700
London£40,200
South East£37,600 (small sample)
North West£29,400 (small sample)
East of England£28,300 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£26,800 (small sample)
West Midlands£23,900 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £27,600
  • 2024 £32,600
  • 2025 Provisional£34,700
↑ 26% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 116 jobs for air transport operatives are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026114
Jul 2026132
Jun 2026114
May 2026107
Apr 2026107
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026125
Jan 2026133
Dec 202582
Nov 2025126
Oct 2025106
Sept 2025130
Aug 2025128
Jul 2025144
Jun 2025122
May 2025153
Apr 2025121
Mar 2025161
Feb 2025131
Jan 2025147
Dec 202499
Nov 2024157
Oct 2024121
Sept 2024150
Aug 2024121
Jul 2024153
Jun 2024211
May 2024206
Apr 2024215
Mar 2024228
Feb 2024169
Jan 2024233
Dec 2023130
Nov 2023108
Oct 202395
Sept 202385
Aug 2023121
Jul 2023133
Jun 2023183
May 2023169
Apr 2023170
Mar 2023223
Feb 2023203
Jan 2023237
Dec 2022225
Nov 2022226
Oct 2022338
Sept 2022161
Aug 2022201
Jul 2022233
Jun 2022244
May 2022280
Apr 2022204
Mar 2022307
Feb 2022286
Jan 2022224
Dec 2021142
Nov 2021165
Oct 2021167
Sept 2021140
Aug 2021128
Jul 2021138
Jun 202189
May 202190
Apr 202163
Mar 202182
Feb 202177
Jan 202188
Dec 202044
Nov 202061
Oct 202059
Sept 202062
Aug 202052
Jul 202038
Jun 202036
May 202043
Apr 202080
Mar 2020138
Feb 2020225
Jan 2020199
Dec 2019137
Nov 2019127
Oct 2019167
Sept 2019122
Aug 2019176
Jul 2019187
Jun 2019207
May 2019210
Apr 2019146
Mar 2019179
Feb 2019141
Jan 2019199
Dec 2018103
Nov 2018172
Oct 2018169
Sept 2018154
Aug 2018203
Jul 2018217
Jun 2018147
May 2018188
Apr 2018209
Mar 2018171
Feb 2018156
Jan 2018182
Dec 201772
Nov 2017143
Oct 2017130
Sept 2017162
Aug 2017145
Jul 2017228
Jun 2017237
May 2017214
Apr 2017251
Mar 2017212
Feb 2017158
Jan 2017219
Is there a shortage of air transport operatives?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
27%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives, which includes air transport operatives. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London66
Reigate and Banstead20
Manchester16
Luton11
Uttlesford9
Leeds8
North West Leicestershire8
City of Edinburgh7
Hart6
Birmingham6
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where air transport operatives are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of air transport operatives
56%!
n/p
n/p
n/p
33%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–2456% (small sample)
25–34Not published
35–44Not published
45–54Not published
55–6433% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!10%
Higher education below degree–
Not published
A levels or equivalent!26%
GCSEs or equivalent!39%
Other qualifications–
Not published
No qualifications!33%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent10% (small sample)
Higher education below degreeNot published
A levels or equivalent26% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent39% (small sample)
Other qualificationsNot published
No qualifications33% (small sample)

Main employers: service activities incidental to air transportation (59%), cargo handling (34%), defence activities (8.8%), passenger air transport (6.4%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
10%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
GCSEs or equivalent
held by 39%
Apprenticeships
5
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
1 to 18 months
typically

Apprenticeships

5 for this job
Level 2About 1 year

Aviation ground handler

You gain
Category 8 Certificate in Dangerous Goods awareness
Employers may ask for
Aviation ground handlers must be in possession of a valid driving licence.
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • refuels aircraft from mobile tankers
  • directs the ground movement of aircraft at airports
  • responds to emergencies or incidents on the airfield and completes runway inspections
  • loads and unloads conveyor belts to transport luggage between terminal buildings and aircraft, monitors conveyor belts and clears any blockages
  • loads aircraft with luggage, in-flight meals, refreshments and other items
  • operates retractable gangway or positions mobile staircases to enable passengers and crew to board and disembark aircraft
  • x-rays cargo and luggage

Skills

  • lift heavy weights
  • use different communication channels
  • apply techniques for stacking goods into containers
  • implement efficiency plans for logistics operations
  • operate forklift
  • dispatch order processing
  • stack goods
  • tolerate stress
  • accommodate cargo in freight transport vehicle
  • adapt to changing situations
  • analyse supply chain strategies
  • climb on railcars
  • ensure public safety and security
  • follow stock control instructions

Knowledge

  • freight transport methods
  • safety regulations for warehouses
  • health and safety measures in transportation
  • international regulations for cargo handling
  • national regulations on handling cargo
  • products coding system

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives, a group of 14 jobs that includes air transport operatives.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 6.7%about 80,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035748,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.