Life at MAN - Ethan Ferguson (Customer Experience Duty Manager)

As a Backfill Customer Experience Duty Manager, Ethan Ferguson has an interesting and varied role. He explains his day to day responsibilities and shares what it was like meeting a celebrity he admires during a VIP meet and greet...

How long have you been working at Manchester Airport?

I’m still relatively new to the airport, joining in September 2023. I started with MAG as a Customer Experience Ambassador before taking on the additional responsibility of a Backfill Customer Experience Duty Manager (CEDM) in January.

What does your job involve on a typical day?

My role means I can manage either Terminals 1, 2, or 3, so each day can vary. Based on this I will receive a handover from the previous Duty Manager outlining any key events or information I need for my shift. Next I like to take some time to walk around the terminal and touch base with my team and our airlines/handling agents. My day is then influenced by planned events such as facilitating VIP meet and greets, responding to emergencies within the terminal and overseeing our arriving and departing flights. Each shift I will report to our Airport Duty Manager and other stakeholders, informing them of how the operation is running and any anticipated issues or anything to note across the remainder of the shift.

My priority is ensuring our passengers have the very best experience when travelling/arriving through the airport. This means you can often find me at crucial passenger touch points such as check-in, the departure lounge and immigration, ensuring everything runs smoothly and helping our passengers with any issues. 

What skills are needed for the role?

As a CEDM you can very quickly become busy with the management of the operation, so being organised is essential to staying on top of the workload. Furthermore, remaining calm and measured is vital when dealing with disruption or attending incidents. Finally, being a good communicator is valuable, whether within the team we manage, with passengers or with the wider airport community.

Most importantly, being resilient is critical; sometimes the role can be demanding with many people looking to you for answers, so remaining resilient and positive makes a real difference.

What do you enjoy the most about working at the airport?

I love how dynamic working at the airport is. I can come to work and each day will be different. Working at the UK's third busiest airport means something is always going on; for example, in November, I took part in a runway run, running down one of our runways whilst raising money for our brilliant charities was quite the experience!

The people you encounter also make the airport a unique place to work, not only within my team or MAG but also among the many people you encounter daily. There’s a rewarding sense that everyone works together to provide the best possible passenger experience through Manchester Airport.

Who’s the most famous person you’ve met whilst doing VIP meet and greets and what was that like?

I’ve been fortunate enough to facilitate and arrange meet and greets with a few well-known individuals. One of these was Alex Ferguson, which was a real privilege. I've also met Freddie Flintoff when he was doing some filming in check in before flying, he was brilliant and somebody I have always admired. I think the majority of well-known faces we see through the airport are down to earth, our role is just to make sure they have a positive and seamless experience through the airport.

Would you recommend working at the airport?

Definitely! I had never planned to work within the airport, however I saw the opportunity to work at the airport and thought, let's give this a try. I can honestly say I look forward to coming to work each day!

Usually after a long, tiring twelve-hour shift when walking back to my car near runway 23R, an aircraft will come soaring overhead as it arrives back from some exotic location and I catch myself stopping and watching it land, that's why I love working here, it never gets boring!

What do you like to do when you're not at work?

Working in an airport has caused me to catch the travel bug, so I love going away when possible. I have a scratch-off map, so I aim to visit as many countries as possible. I am also a self-confessed foodie (which compliments travelling very well!), so one of my favourite things is trying new foods. Currently I’m a fan of trying different types of ramen!

I'm also a qualified paddle boarding instructor, so to burn off all that ramen I enjoy spending my summers getting out on my paddle board.

Which destination that we fly to from Manchester do you most want to visit?

Manchester offers direct flights to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific - this is a country I am keen to visit. I'm a big fan of modern cities with towering skyscrapers, good food and culture – so Hong Kong is definitely on the list.

Do you have any tips for passengers on how to get the most from their airport experience?

My main advice once you are through security and in the departure lounge is to always keep an eye on flight information screens throughout the lounge. This means once the screens display 'Go to the gate', You know you will arrive at the gate in plenty of time to board. Secondly, once you arrive at the gate, wait to hear your row number being called out before joining the queue. This way, you can remain seated at the gate and not have to stand in a queue before your row has started boarding.