Aviation

The Aviation industry underpins Australian business and tourism, and includes domestic and international commercial and general aviation for both passengers and freight.

The international aviation sector is expected to grow over the next 10 years due to economic growth, higher disposable incomes and increased air travel in developing countries. Domestic travel through Australia’s capitals is expected to double.

Did you know? The Aviation sector alone carried over 60 million domestic passengers in 2016!

What does this industry cover?

When you talk about the Aviation industry most people immediately think about flight operations such as pilots and cabin crew, but there are other opportunities for employment.

Aircraft maintenance is one sector that is facing a skills shortage. There are roles in ground services such as customer service and check-in, or baggage handling or an airside refuelling.

You could become an air traffic controller, or work in aviation safety and security such as airside security and passenger screening personnel.

Regulation and licensing is an important part of this industry. Airline operators and employees may need to meet both local and international licencing rules. Different rules apply to different occupations.

You will need to research to understand what is needed, for example how far a vocational training certificate goes toward meeting relevant Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) licencing requirements.

Job hunting preparation

The aviation industry is specialised so you will need to be on the ball when looking for employment. No matter what part of the sector you want to work in you should find out who all the major employers are and set yourself up job alerts. In addition to the airline companies themselves, there are a few recruitment companies that list only aviation vacancies.

Most applications regardless of what you are applying for require you to undertake a security or background check, including Federal Police Check and a pre-employment drug and alcohol screening. You will need to be an Australian or New Zealand Citizen, or an Australian Permanent Resident.

Read the job application carefully and make sure you address all the criteria. An Air Traffic Controller trainee recruitment process can take some months to complete.

Looking for work, these companies might be able to assist: Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Airservices Australia, Menzies Aviation, Swissport, MSS Security and Aviation Job Search.

Information for further research

Industry information is published by peak level associations, government and major employers. Accessing industry association sites, including member lists, is a good way of building up an understanding of an industry. Visiting employer websites and looking for careers or employment menus helps identify how employers recruit and the skills they are recruiting.