Glasgow Airport jobs drive includes Celtic and Rangers stores

Glasgow Airport will deal with more than 8.5 million passengers this year and requires hundreds of new staff to ensure the smooth running of operations.

A role at Glasgow Airport was only ever supposed to be a stopgap until Jennifer Mulligan found a job in her preferred field of sport therapy.

But, nearly 10 years later, the 28-year-old is still at the airport - and works in a role that saw her save two lives in one day.

Ms Mulligan is a trained sports therapist and took up seasonal work at the airport in 2015 while looking for a job in her field.

However, like many of her colleague, she got caught up in the airport bubble and has been there ever since.

Ms Mulligan started her airport career as a security ambassador during the busy summer season and then moved on to a security officer role.

She was also one of the airport’s Duty Safety Officers (DSO).

One of the key roles of a DSO is as a first responder at the airport and on many occasions, she has stepped in to support passengers who have become unwell while travelling.

She is currently working in a development role as an Airport Duty Manager and last year her DSO skills were called upon when she performed CPR on two stricken passengers during one shift. Incredibly, both had positive outcomes. for Ronald Leitch it was an unfortunate stint of work experience that put him on the unexpected path towards Glasgow Airport.

Some 23 years later he is now in the top job as Interim Chief Operating Officer with AGS Airports, owner of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton.

The 41-year-old joined the airport in October 2000 on a Modern Apprentice management trainee programme after spotting an advert in the The Herald’s Friday Jobs supplement.

Mr Leitch, who had never even been on an aircraft before, was intrigued by the post as he remembered his father taking he and his younger brother to the airport as boys to watch the planes. It was quite a pivot for the then-teenager, however, as he had planned a career in retail and hospitality.

However, when he was asked to litter pick on the street around the hotel during a work experience placement at the old Albany Hotel in Glasgow city centre, he decided the sector was not for him.

As part of a three-year management trainee programme, Mr Leitch spent nine months learning the ropes of areas of the airport’s functions such as business support and airfield operations.

His first nine-month role was in security, with three months as a security officer.

Mr Leitch said: "No two days are the same and so much goes on at an airport, so it is never dull.

"No matter what your role is at the airport, the part you play really makes a difference.

"Whether it’s getting a family away on a holiday, ensuring someone makes that important business meeting or connecting people with their family and friends, I’m proud to have played my part in making that happen.

"The airport’s a unique place to work.

"Sometimes you might have to work unsociable hours and you will often deal with challenges, but what you do matters to people and that makes it all worthwhile.

"Everyone who works at the airport makes a difference and we are all proud of what we do."

In his current role as Interim Chief Operating Officer, Ronald is the corporate lead for all operational requirements and functions of AGS Airports’ three airports in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton.

During 23 years at Glasgow Airport he has held 14 separate posts and was Operations Director at Aberdeen International Airport before returning to Glasgow in 2015 to lead the capital and engineering functions.

Before his current post, Mr Leitch, from Renfrewshire, was the Operations Director at Glasgow Airport between 2020 to 2023, nursing the transport hub through the difficult pandemic period.

He added: "It is irrelevant where you start, whether that’s in operations, ground handling, security, retail or catering, if you want to progress within the aviation industry just get your foot in the door.

"There are so many success stories across the wider airport community.

"It’s certainly the case that where you start most definitely won’t be where you end up if you’re prepared to work." Mr Leitch's colleague Craig Norton joined the airport in April 2003, also working his way through a slew of different roles.

The 43-year-old started his career at the airport as a security officer but he is now the retail manager for Glasgow Airport, overseeing the vital duty free and other retail areas designed for passengers transiting through Glasgow Airport.

Mr Norton has held a number of positions including Security Team Manager, a buyer for the Procurement Team, Airport Duty Manager and Terminal Operations Manager.

He followed his father into the job - even working in the same role as his dad at one point.

Mr Norton said: "My dad worked in many roles, with the exception of Southampton, at all the UK Airports operated by BAA in the 90s and noughties before retiring as Glasgow Airport Duty Manager in 2018.

"We were both Airport Duty Managers for a period of time, which was interesting."

He loves the job, he said, because it gives the opportunity to "make positive memories" for the millions of passengers each year who move through the airport.

Mr Norton said: "The airport is here to enable millions of people each year make trips to enrich their lives and well-being.

"There is always something new and exciting on the horizon, with the team pulling together to plan the best outcomes.

"The month before the central security search hall opened in October 2008 we organised a fun-fair to take place in the area for the evening.

"Instead of x-ray machines, queue barriers and metal detectors there were inflatables, candy floss, and segways.

"It was quite an event."

Working at the airport also runs in Ms Mulligan’s family.

At one stage or another, half of her wider family has worked across the airport.

Her grandfather was an electrician and her two uncles work in the engineering team.

Her dad worked in the airport’s transportation unit and retired in 2021 after 37 years.

Two of her aunts worked in the finance department, one in security and another in airfield operations alongside a cousin.

Her sister Cheryl still works in security.

So it's no surprise that when Ms Mulligan first joined Glasgow Airport a colleague was overheard saying, "Not another Mulligan."

Apart from saving lives, she has also been responsible for managing the film productions at the airport including a major Bollywood movie and the Netflix movie Eurovision, starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams.

She also played a key role in managing other major logistical events such as the 2020 Euros and COP26, which saw more than 75 world leaders travel through the airport. Ms Mulligan said: "I like that I never know what each day will bring when I report for shift and that no two days are the same.

"The airport is like a small town – everyone knows each other, supports each other and the sense that everyone loves the buzz and working for the airport – it is like having one big family."

Air traffic control operators NATS, ground handlers Swissport and Menzies, security specialists ICTS and catering specialists Select Service Partners (SSP) will be on hand to discuss full-time, part-time and seasonal employment opportunities.

Airlines Loganair and Jet2 will also be in attendance to recruit for a range of positions as well as special assistance providers OCS and facilities management company ABM.

Transport operators First, McGill’s and Stagecoach will also be recruiting for a large number of trainee and Public Service Vehicle (PSV) driver positions across their networks.

Several of the airport’s retailers including World Duty Free and both the Celtic and Rangers stores are also taking part.

Travel agent partners Barrhead Travel and Hays Travel will also be in attendance offering a range of opportunities.

Jobseekers with sensory issues can visit the event during the planned quiet hour between 3pm and 4pm.

Representatives from Invest in Renfrewshire and Jobcentre Plus staff will also be present to offer support and advice, while translators will also be on hand to support Polish, Romanian and Ukrainian jobseekers.

Natalie Don, MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, encouraged local residents to sign up for the day.

She said: "This is an excellent opportunity for anyone seeking a new job or a change in career path."

For further details on some of the current vacancies visit the jobs section of the Glasgow Airport website.