Customer service boost for East Midlands Airport passengers
- New customer service ambassadors, cadets and former colleagues give passengers a great start to their summer trips
- Passenger numbers expected to increase further during school summer holiday weeks
East Midlands Airport (EMA) is ensuring passengers have a great start to their summer trips by boosting its customer service teams ahead of the busiest weeks of the year.
The airport has introduced a brand-new team of Customer Service Ambassadors - uniformed staff who are on hand to provide help and assistance throughout all stages of the airport journey.
If needed, the team will help passengers prepare for security by advising what is and isn’t permitted in hand luggage while also playing a key role in keeping queues to a minimum and answering any queries that customers may have.
As part of its commitment to inspire the next generation of aviation workers, EMA is also giving college students an opportunity to gain valuable experience of paid work in an airport thanks to its new Customer Cadet initiative. Students have been recruited from the International Air and Space Training Institute in Newark which is an evolving relationship with the specialist education provider. The cadets, who take up their role on 1 July, will work at the airport throughout the summer months before their courses resume in September. It is also hoped that this will provide a pipeline of future talent for the airport.
Retired colleagues are also helping thanks to the support of the Friends of EMA, a network of former colleagues. Such is the affection held for EMA by many ex-employees, some are keen to offer their services on a voluntary basis. Included within this group are retired air traffic controllers and police officers. The Friends will support at particularly busy periods.
Michael Grimes, EMA’s Director of Customer Services and Security, said: “We want our passengers to have the best possible start to their trips and holidays. I know, for some people, that airports can be daunting places, especially for those who haven’t travelled for a while or are not regular flyers. We are doing everything we can to help passengers relax and enjoy what is an exciting part of the holiday.
“As part of our commitment to educating and upskilling people of all ages to give them the best opportunity of securing work with us, it’s great to extend an offer to young people who have a passion for aviation. I very much look forward to mentoring and supporting our new team of eight cadets. I’m delighted, too, that former colleagues want to help and support. It’s great to welcome them back.”
East Midlands Airport is expecting a further increase in passenger numbers during the main school summer holiday weeks. From late July through to early September, it estimates that an additional 5000 passengers will use the airport each day as people from across the region head off for summer sun. Currently, on average, 14/15k passengers are flying through EMA each day. This time last year, the airport was welcoming 600-700 daily passengers.