Leading an Airport’s Operations – From the Ground Up

East Midlands Airport is the UK’s leading dedicated cargo hub by night and a busy passenger airport by day – and Lauren Turner is responsible for making the operations at the airport work smoothly; from the runway to the fire service, from air traffic control to resilience and risk. But her story isn’t just about leadership. It’s about working her way through almost every job an airport has to offer, and discovering that the best leaders are the ones who truly understand what it feels like on the ground.

A job where no day is ever typical

Lauren laughs when asked what a ‘typical day’ looks like. In her world, the plan can change in seconds. Her mornings start with a 9:30 briefing – scanning the weather, looking ahead for risks and understanding what the day might throw at them. After that, her diary becomes almost meaningless.

She might be dealing with an aircraft landing with flap issues, hydraulic problems or burst tyres. She might be coordinating the response to a suspected package on board, or a major snow event that shuts the airfield and keeps her in Silver Command until 4am. Medical emergencies are far more common than people realise. ‘A lot happens that the public never see,’ she says – and she thrives on that variety, pace and pressure.

Why she loves it

Lauren is not someone who wants to sit behind a desk. What drives her is the adrenaline of a rapidly changing environment and the chance to think on her feet. One minute she can be discussing fire service readiness, the next the pavement strength of the runway or the financial impact of global events on cargo aircraft stuck overseas.

Yet the part she speaks about most passionately is people. ‘I’m a people leader,’ she explains. She loves developing others, spotting strengths, helping them grow in confidence and progress into roles they never believed they could do.

The strength of someone who has done every role

Lauren believes one of her biggest strengths as Operations Director is that she has lived the jobs she now leads. She didn’t enter the industry through a graduate scheme – she started at the very beginning, in aviation security, learning customer service and airport processes from scratch.

From there she moved into airfield security, where she first became fascinated by life on the airfield – driving around aircraft, understanding safety zones and protecting the perimeter. Then she deliberately chose to understand the airport’s ‘central nervous system’ by joining the control room, dispatching the fire service, allocating stands, supporting aircraft movements and handling everything from car parks to information desks.

Next she became an Airfield Operations Supervisor, responsible for runway safety, marshalling aircraft and even dispersing birds by hand. She loved this hands‑on work and took on projects to link security and airfield operations more closely.

Her turning point came when she was asked to become an Airport Duty Manager – a frontline leadership role requiring split‑second decision‑making. It was here she dealt with bomb threats, aircraft accidents and life‑or‑death medical emergencies. ‘Everything fell on my shift,’ she says, ‘but it built my experience fast.’

After that she became Head of Airfield Operations, leading a team she transformed, improving culture and bringing more women into roles that had traditionally been male‑dominated. Standing at her office window overlooking the runway was, she says, ‘the best office in the house’.

Now, as Operations Director, she oversees every part of the aerodrome licence, responsible for the entire operation. But it’s those earlier years – clapping at birds on the runway, taking a concrete course to understand pavement strengths, sitting beside colleagues on long shifts – that make her the leader she is. ‘When someone tells me they’ve been out on the airfield for 12 hours, I can say “I’ve done it,” and they know I understand.’

What’s hard about it

There’s only one thing Lauren dislikes: the 3am phone call. Because if the phone rings then, it means something serious is happening and she has to make decisions immediately. Her phone is never turned off. Aviation never sleeps.

What you need to succeed

Aviation demands a lot. Lauren highlights the most important qualities:

• Fast decision‑making – sometimes in 0.0 seconds.
• Resilience – things won’t always go as planned, and you need to stay steady.
• Constant learning – every week brings something new.
• Communication – adapting your style for the fire service, air traffic, engineers, or regulators.
• Confidence – to lead, challenge and take responsibility.
• People skills – because airports run on teamwork.

How young people can follow a similar path

Lauren is clear: you don’t need top grades or a specific academic background to start in aviation.

Useful foundations include:

• GCSEs and possibly a college course like travel and tourism.
• Customer‑service experience – many people start in roles like security or passenger support.
• Apprenticeships in areas such as fire service, air traffic control or airport operations, which are becoming increasingly common.

Once you’re in, the key is to be bold, take opportunities, ask for development and step out of your comfort zone. ‘Everything I’ve achieved came from putting myself forward, even when I wasn’t sure I could do it,’ she says. Lauren knows from experience that airports are full of opportunity for young people. Her advice ‘Step out of your comfort zone. Be yourself. Don’t be afraid to try something new.’