Commercial airline flight operations departments are overseen by managers who coordinate the company's aircraft flow and scheduling with in-flight departments such as crew scheduling, air traffic control and ground operations flow control. The flight operations manager also manages the background checks, health reports and training requirements of all system wide company pilots in cooperation with the airline's chief pilot.
Flight operations manager positions can be found in commercial aviation, military aviation and shipping companies. Aerospace and defense contractors, as well as air charter companies, hire qualified flight operations managers.
Flight operations managers provide support to their company's aircraft division by overseeing the flight operations department and assisting the chief pilot in hiring processes, department reporting and company flight operations scheduling tasks. Managers also oversee revision maintenance and make sure that all flights are in compliance with FAA standards and regulations.
A flight operations manager receives company-specific flight planning training once hired. Most commercial airlines require a flight operations managerial candidate to have a bachelor's of science in aeronautical science with an airline operations concentration before employment consideration, preferring candidates with previous multi-engine commercial airplane operation experience.
Flight operations managers must have a valid flight dispatcher's license and be computer literate. The prospective candidate must have previous experience with crew planning, and many flight dispatchers have previously been flight dispatchers, flight operations analysts or flight operations officers.
According to PayScale, the average annual flight operations manager salary ranges from $57,959 to $89,131. Airline discount and complimentary travel benefits are part of the compensation package.
