Life at MAN – Clinton Smith (Coach Driver - Airfield)

When you depart or arrive into Manchester Airport, you might find yourself travelling across the airfield on a coach to reach your aircraft or return to the terminal. It’s perhaps not a part of your journey that you’ve given much thought to, but it’s a job that requires a great deal of training, meticulous concentration, and no shortage of skill, as Clinton – an airfield coach driver of more than 20 years – explains in this month’s edition of Life at MAN. 

How long have you been working at Manchester Airport? 

I have been working at the airport since August 2003. 

What does your job involve on a typical day? 

It begins with going through security to reach our base, which is out on the airfield. We work out of the CTAC [Customer Transport Airside Centre] hub, where I am allocated a bus at the start of my day and then complete my safety check before signing on to say I’m available for a job. 

What skills and training are needed for the role? 

So, first you will need a PSV [Public Service Vehicle] licence along with completing CPC [Certificate of Professional Competence] modules which enables you to gain a CPC licence. This allows drivers like me to carry passengers. Beyond the driving skills, you also need good people skills as you are working directly with passengers for much of the day, many of whom have just got off a long flight and are tired, so offering a bit of extra help where needed and greeting them with a smile can make a big difference to their experience here. 

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

I love it all, my job, the airfield, the aircraft, everything. I especially love talking to our passengers. 

What are the differences between driving a bus on the airfield vs out on the road network 

The main difference is that on the airfield you drive a left-hand drive vehicle, as opposed to being on the road in a right-hand vehicle. There’s so much happening at once on the airfield that you must be alert at all times as you could be driving across the taxiway, where aircraft will be moving to and from the runway. 

Whereabouts on the airfield are you allowed to take the buses? 

There is a designated road system on the airfield for buses and other vehicles, and generally we are required to stick to those routes – but it has been designed to take us with ease between the aircraft and the terminal so it is helpful to have that system in place. We can take the buses onto the runway and live taxiways for events, but only when necessary and when escorted by the airfield team. 

What one piece of advice would you give to someone considering a career at the airport? 

Be prepared to not want to leave! The airport does something to you that makes you not want to leave. I can’t explain it. 

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

I enjoy driving and I enjoy travel, so I love to jump in the car and go to explore different parts of the country but I also enjoy travelling internationally. 

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

I would love to travel to Orlando with Virgin Atlantic.