Airports and airlines can teach you much about #leadership and #communications , especially if you are a keen observer and frequent traveller. The ground operations crew of Qatar Airways‘ Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, Nepal, is one squad that constantly shines out.

TIA is a difficult airport to operate in. It’s a small, busy city with strained infrastructure. Despite these limitations, Qatar Airways (QR) ground personnel consistently outperforms its world-renowned in-flight performance on the Kathmandu-Doha and Doha-Kathmandu routes.

This is remarkable given that the cabin service is a controlled atmosphere that allows for customized attention and the creation of memorable interactions between passengers and the airline. Ground operations, on the other hand, include a variety of responsibilities such as check-in, baggage handling, security, and coordination with other service providers. Because these operations rely on airport authorities, security agencies, and ground-handling businesses, so they are vulnerable to variables outside the airline’s direct control.

Similarly, except for Doha, Kathmandu airport is the world’s twelfth busiest for QR flights, surpassing Istanbul, Dubai, JFK, and Frankfurt. With four inbound and four outbound flights a day out of TIA, QR has the highest frequency and passenger traffic of any foreign airline operating out of Tribhuvan International Airport. Furthermore, they mainly operate wide-body aircraft on this route, which increases passenger and operational complexity, but their service stays continuously reliable and hence great.

What makes Qatar Airways’ Kathmandu ground operation so unique? I believe it comes down to three things:

• Vision: The Kathmandu team understands the vision of their CEO and what it takes to give excellent service. They go above and beyond to ensure passengers have a great experience from check-in to aircraft departure. This suggests that leadership and internal organizational communication are consistently excellent and engaging.
• Expertise: The team is highly knowledgeable and experienced. They know the airport like the back of their hands and are always up to date on the current regulations. This enables them to identify and resolve issues swiftly and give passengers essential information. Each team member seems a multi-tasker and equally competent at ticketing and passenger service. This means that the operation is not person dependent and suggests frequent, regular and practical training of its ground staff.
• Empathy: The team is concerned about the requirements of passengers. They understand that flying can be a stressful experience, especially for the large number of first-time travellers of Nepal. They know the needs of migrant workers, who frequently travel on short notice and with low resources. When such a trait is strongly present in a team, it suggests well-thought-out recruitment processes.

In addition to these three factors, I believe another significant factor contributing to Qatar Airways‘ ground team’s success at TIA is its high #organizationalawareness. This means they clearly understand what their #brand stands for and how they fit into the organization. They are also aware of the values their CEO Mr Akbar Al Baker, promotes in the company and, when asked, modestly attribute their achievements to their CEO’s #leadership approach.

Mr Baker is credited with setting the standard for customer service in the #aviation industry. He is known for his hands-on approach to management, and all the staff I have spoken to over the last ten years on different routes all highlight how he proactively interacts with the staff. Kathmandu’s Qatar Airways ground team reflects Mr Al Baker’s leadership style. They fiercely protect their brand and always look for ways to improve the #customerexperience .

I believe that #organizationalawareness is essential for creating a high-achieving organization. When employees understand what their #brand stands for and how they fit into the organization, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their work. They are also more likely to decide in the organization’s best interests.

I recommend that Qatar Airways swap the Kathmandu staff with the Geneva Airport staff for two months and evaluate the difference. I believe that the Kathmandu staff would excel in Geneva, and the Geneva staff would learn a lot from the Kathmandu staff. This would be a win-win for both teams and help Qatar Airways improve its customer service. Most importantly this would mean I get outstanding ground service at my most frequent QR destinations, Kathmandu and Geneva!

Dr Sunoor Verma is a leadership and strategy expert who draws much inspiration from airports and airlines. He spends significant time in transit, he is an ‘antvasin’!

#aviation #airports

Thomas Windmuller Qatar Airways Ravin Lama Abhishek Saxena Sarik Bogati, MBA Bennet Stephens Qatar Aviation Services International Air Transport Association (IATA) IATA Training