Come fly with the team at Eday Airport!

An open day is being held at Eday London Airport on Wednesday 19 April for island residents to get a behind-the-scenes insight into the role of an airfield attendant.

The Council is looking to recruit relief staff to bolster the core airfield team.

You could take off with a new career while also playing an important community role and reducing the likelihood of flight cancellations due to a lack of available staff.

David Hamilton is the Council’s Airfield Officer who will be at the Eday airfield to show folk around on Wednesday from around 8.30am-2.30pm and give them an insight into what the role involves.

David gained 17 years’ experience in the Fire Service at Kirkwall Airport as a crew manager and breathing apparatus instructor before taking on the role of Airfield Officer dealing with the Fire Service side of operations – training, competencies, equipment etc.

He said: “The airfield attendant is a varied role that includes the day to day running of the airport, office duties, fire and rescue duties, general maintenance such as grass cutting, flight handling and dealing with the public. There is a fire appliance based at the airfield which staff will have to be familiar with as well.

“It’s a really varied and exciting role that offers up lots of opportunities to learn new skills, while playing a significant role within the community and keeping the flights moving – vital for residents, holidaymakers, businesses and visiting teachers to the school.

“There are currently four staff at the airfield on Eday and we need three to operate as per the flight schedule. These are not full-time roles and work well for residents looking to bolster their income while carrying out a really interesting job that allows you to meet plenty of the travelling public.

“It’s vital that we can add in some resilience to the team to cover during periods of sickness or holidays for example. Without the required number of staff, we have no option but to close the airfield, which has a massive impact for the entire island.

“A quick and reliable service is an important part of sustaining a healthy population on any of our islands.”

David visits monthly and is happy to meet with residents on Wednesday 19 April and give them an insight into the role, while answering any questions they may have. He can also be contacted via email David.Hamilton@orkney.gov.uk or by calling 01856 873535. For any more information you can also contact Laura Cromarty, the Council’s Transport Manager on laura.cromarty@orkney.gov.uk  01856 873535 Ext: 3638.