Occupation 8233 · Process, plant and machine operatives
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.
There are no formal academic entry requirements, though employers may require entrants to possess GCSEs/S grades for some posts. Training is provided Off and on-the-job. Vocational qualifications in Aviation Operations on the Ground at level 2 and 3 and apprenticeships are available.
Aircraft dispatcher · Baggage handler · Cargo handler (airport) · Controller, airfield · Ground staff (airport) · Ramp agent · Refueller (airport)
| Measure | Hours | Basis | Period | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 14,500.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
| 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 15,400.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
| 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 15,600.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
| 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | — | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) Not published: Estimate and confidence interval not available since the group sample size is zero or disclosive (0-2) |
| 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | — | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) Not published: Estimate is less than 500 |
| 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 15,600.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
| 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | None | 2026-03 | 1,000.00 | ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020) |
ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.
| Region | Measure | Hours | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | 1,400.00 | 2026-03 |
| East Midlands | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | 1,200.00 | 2026-03 |
| London | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | 2,300.00 | 2026-03 |
| North East | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | withheld | 2026-03 |
| North West | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | 1,000.00 | 2026-03 |
| Northern Ireland | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | withheld | 2026-03 |
| Scotland | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | withheld | 2026-03 |
| South East | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | 5,000.00 | 2026-03 |
| South West | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | 1,400.00 | 2026-03 |
| Wales | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | 1,000.00 | 2026-03 |
| West Midlands | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | 1,300.00 | 2026-03 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 8233 : Air transport operatives | None | 1,000.00 | 2026-03 |
ONS publishes regional pay for this occupation where the survey sample supports it — 9 of 12 cells on this page. The rest are withheld by ONS, and are shown as withheld with the reason, rather than left out.
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, published by the Office for National Statistics. Figures are shown exactly as ONS publishes them — we do not adjust, model or fill them in, and every number on this page carries the series and period it came from.
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