IOC News
September 2014
The Aer Lingus Integrated Operations Centre Newsletter
Celebrating long service
I
t was while watching Reeling in the Years on RTÉ that I said to one of my kids: “1979, that was the year I joined Aer Lingus.” They were amazed and we started to talk about the changes to every aspect of life – and the airline business was no exception. I was in Ops when Pope John Paul II visited Ireland and landed in Dublin Airport, and he’s now a saint! Many of my colleagues have
been here through bust to boom to bust again. When I thought about my colleagues in the IOC, I realised the incredible years of experience that existed there: cumulatively, over 700 years’ experience! That’s something you can’t buy; its inestimable. The airline business, and particularly Operations, is full of seemingly “unique” events. However you’d be surprised at
how many of these events people have experienced before. What worked to fix these issues will often work again. This is where it’s great to have a data bank of experience to call upon. A wise person once said: “Organisations that remain vital never forget the value of their long-service employees.” It’s a great reassurance in Ops Logistics for new staff to have long-service, experienced staff to turn to for support when things get hectic. It’s what we do really well in Operations. One of the core values that Aer Lingus advocates is loyalty: it’s no surprise, therefore, that longservice employees are always quick to talk about their loyalty to the airline. Many of us we have spent all our working lives in Aer Lingus, many of us have met our spouses here; our external training, certificates, diplomas, degrees are all in the aviation field. Finally, as I told my sons recently, “It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years!”
Slán!
Tony O’ F lanagan Aer Lingus Ops Logistics
Calling all aviation lovers! Got any news or pictures that you think would be worth sharing with your colleagues? Then please email us at olsuggestionbox@aerlingus.com. We look forward to hearing from you!