Airport ramp attendants are also referred to as ramp agents. They work at the airport to help passengers move their loads, and baggage from one place to another and also perform other ground duties in the airport. Aviation companies are looking for ramp agents who are ready to perform in these roles and have outstanding skills and abilities. Ramp agents are everywhere in the airport. They assist passengers with moving their loads into the airplane and arranging the loads before taking off from the airport. This article will provide you with all the requirements and information you need to apply for this role.
The Basic Eligibility Criteria and Requirements of an Airport Ramp Attendant Job in Canada
Here are the eligibility criteria and requirements for airport ramp attendant jobs in Canada:
- Language requirements: If you want to work as an airport ramp attendant in Canada, you must understand English or French Language to communicate with your colleagues and passengers.
- Academic requirements: Airport ramp attendant is expected to have at least a secondary school certificate or any post-secondary certificate.
- Age: You must be at least 18 years and above to work as an air ramp attendant in Canada.
- Criminal record: When you work in the airport, you will be representing not only yourself but also the aviation company. You must have no crimes recorded in your name or be involved in any judicial matters.
- Licensing and certification: There are some major and minor licenses and certificates to be possessed before working as an airport ramp attendant in Canada. These include: a valid driver’s license, Airside vehicle operator’s permit (AVOP), Transport Canada Restricted Area Identification Card (RAIC), etc.
- Physical fitness: As an airport ramp attendant, your job is labor intensive than other jobs in the airport. You must have strong stamina, and strength, and be physically fit to handle difficult tasks.
- Communication skills: You must possess good communication skills to create a good rapport between you and the passengers. This will create a calm and enabling environment for passengers.
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The Skills of an Airport Ramp Attendant in Canada
To work in Canada in a top aviation company, you must be better and extraordinary than other applicants. The possession of these skills listed below will set you apart from other ram attendants in Canada. These include:
- Customer service skills: In some situations, you may work in the customer service units. You will receive all the complaints, inquiries, and reviews of your customers and respond in the best tone, giving recommendations and answers to every question. To perform well in this role, you must have strong interpersonal skills and tolerance to accommodate all the insults and aggressions from the customers.
- Driving skill: As an airport ramp attendant. You must be able to drive any type of vehicle because one of your roles in the airport is to drive vehicle luggage carriers, cars, forklift trucks, etc.
- Safety Procedures: Every airport ramp attendant must be a master of safety tips and procedures to provide maximum safety to the passengers and yourself. You will provide proper operation of the cargo, and heavy equipment and know how to perform these tasks very safely.
- Aircraft services: It is compulsory that air ramp attendants can also do major aircraft tasks like the preparation of the airplane for taking off, cleaning the interiors, and ensuring that all the systems are working.
- Ramp services: You must be able to handle ramp tasks like moving of loads, baggage, and cargo from one place to another. The possession of these skills to perform these tasks is very important and can not be taken lightly.
- Organization skills: You must have good organization skills to know how to arrange bags, loads, and cargo of the passengers and move them very appropriately to secure the contents.
The Duties and Responsibilities of an Airport Ramp Attendant
Below are the responsibilities of an airport ramp attendant in Canada:
- To load, unload, and move passenger baggage and loads from the entrance of the airport.
- To move passenger loads and cargo between aircraft terminals.
- They also provide customer service like giving recommendations and replying to every inquiry of the passenger.
- They perform other roles like cleaning the airplanes, and the types of equipment used in the airport, etc.
- They prepare the airplane for takeoff by restocking, cleaning the interiors, de-icing airplanes, and removing snow and ice from walkways during the cold weather. ‘
- They perform minor repairs and report equipment deficiency.
- They conduct routine checks of all the ground equipment.
- They assist with towing and pushback.
- They are responsible for the operation of heavy equipment like trucks, push-back tugs, belt loaders, carts, etc.
- They assist with the conduction of fuel quality tests.
- They prepare a safe landing or departure from the ramp area.
- They handle the documentation and record keeping of the passenger’s loads
- They protect the passenger’s loads and baggage from thefts, loss, or damage.
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Benefits of Airport Ramp Attendant Job in Canada
Below are the benefits of an airport ramp attendant job in Canada:
- Job opportunities: There are numerous job opportunities in Canada for airport ramp attendants. This is due to the increase in demands of aviation companies to take people around the world and also many people coming down to Canada for many other purposes.
- Quality working experience: When you work in Canada, you will gain valuable experience working in a well-developed system where ramp agents are trained to provide the best services to the customer.
- High-paying Job: The airport ramp attendant job is not an average job where pennies are paid to the workers. Rather it is a professional job that has a promising future and pays very highly to every airport ramp attendant.
- Flexible working hours: In some aviation companies, Airport ramp attendant jobs are based on morning and night shifts while in others aviation workers are on a three-hour shift i.e. morning, afternoon, and night shifts.
- Balanced lifestyle: You can only for a couple of hours in Canada which means you have other times of the day to do other things. This gives workers the chance to balance their work and other life purposes.
- Compensation: There are many other benefits to earn from an airport ramp attendant in Canada which include: overtime payment, health insurance, holiday and off days payment, etc.
- Travel benefits: When you work in an airport, you will have the chance to travel around the world and visit many places around the world with your family for free or at a discount. This depends on the aviation company you are working with but many give free tickets to their employees and family members.
- Job security: Airport ramp attendant jobs will always be in high demand as there will always be an increase in the service of aviation companies to take people to Canada or from Canada.
- Skills development: Ramp attendants have the highest chance of developing their skills i.e. communication, and problem-solving skills because of the high demands of their services in the airport. When you handle more jobs, you will get better and better at your job.
- Professional development: There will be more chances for on-the-job training to update your skills and earn some more certificates to your name. With many years of working experience, you can easily rise to any managerial role or executive position.
Frequently Asked Questions about Airport Ramp Attendant Job in Canada
1. How much does an airport ramp attendant make in Canada?
The salary structure of a ramp agent depends on many factors like the location, their credentials, and level of experience. But on average, an airport ramp attendant will receive around $16.15 per hour.
2. What are the conditions of working as an airport ramp attendant?
As an airport ramp attendant, you will work more outdoors in different weather conditions and you may have to deal with annoying clients who are in haste to meet up with their flight time. It is recommended that you adjust to every weather condition and be extremely patient with your clients.
3. How many hours of work is required for an airport ramp attendant in Canada?
The number of hours you will be working depends on the location of the aviation company and the type of work shifts practiced in the company. But on average, you will get to work for at least 35-40 hours per week.
4. Will I receive any type of training while working or before working?
Yes, training for an airport ramp attendant is very important but some aviation companies only offer a fully paid training program of 5-7 weeks before they start working or while they are working. Others may ask their employees to pay a discount for the on-the-job training to update their skills and earn more certificates.
5. How to become an Airport ramp attendant?
To become an airport ramp attendant in Canada, you must be ready to learn the basics and acquire certain certificates which include:
- Obtain a basic academic certificate i.e. a high school diploma or secondary school certificate.
- Get a driver’s license; this can be achieved through some theory classes and practical sessions.
- You must also have a clear criminal record and no judicial issues recorded in your name.
- You can easily apply for airport ramp attendant on various online job platforms like Indeed, Glassdoor, etc.