Rising out and away in the sky... Flapping wings to the eternity... The climax of the matter is to flap by the words after the flight. 

Beyond the tip of the iceberg, usually, there is a big operation going on day and night. While enjoying the comfort and several possibilities served at altitudes above the clouds, we almost never think about the process that allows us to cover these distances. In short, behind this unique experience, which the people of the modern world have, there is great self-sacrifice of those who have their eyes on the horizon meanwhile.

In our column of women’s stories, we had a pleasant conversation with Iclal Kayaoglu, TAV Milas-Bodrum Operation Coordinator Iclal Kayaoglu, focusing on success and aviation. 

She had found herself in the sector by chance. Iclal Kayaoglu has burned the candle at both ends to make the best of her position, by the thought that “success is not an outcome of coincidence, but rather a choice”. She has worked at all levels in the sector and had considerable experience. Let us listen to her for further information…

After graduating from Gazi University, Department of Industrial Engineering, I worked as the Public Relations Manager at Yukselis High School for a short term. I decided to go to the U.K. in order to learn English as I had to do it for my career. I improved my English while working there. Frankly, I had wanted to take a step forward to the world of production and work at a factory. I applied to Havas in 1996 with the reference of a friend. The most important feature demanded in the field of aviation was speaking a foreign language then. In the international environment they could find an applicant to employ speaking English but without a university degree.  As I had the diploma, English, and working experience at the same time, they told me to get to work right away. 

I worked at the head office for four years. Later, I wanted to learn aviation from A to Z and it would not be exaggerated if I said “I was around Z” then. I requested that I wanted to work in the operation department and that was where the struggle started. Aviation is a really tough industry. You are controlled by several national and international institutions, whose rules are strictly defined and enforced. I worked in the operation department from 2000 to 2014.  I made active operations inside the terminals at the aprons where the planes land. You have to sit at the counter and check at least 300-400 passengers a day in order to understand the operation that every passenger has different expectations. They said I would coordinate planes. The loading of the plane, the demands of the pilot and the passengers… Those were struggling but enjoyable years. I became the assistant manager in the following years and had the radio in my hand again. When Milas Bodrum Airport was bought by TAV Airports Holding, I was assigned to act as the Operation Coordinator. 

Are there other women working in the field of aviation like you? 

Unfortunately, there are serious struggles for women in this industry. The duration of an airplane on the ground is 40 minutes. If someone makes a mistake at the check-in counter or one of the luggages is loaded incorrectly, the plane will be delayed.

In this process, you work with a large number of personnel. You manage an operation in which there are numerous details from the loading of the luggage to the boarding of the passengers on the plane. The passengers, the captain, and the technical units of the aircraft may have separate demands. There are several regulations and demands of the Turkish Civil Aviation and the Airline Company. You have to manage them at the same time and in sync with each other. 

While providing this coordination, our first priority is safety.

For this, you need knowledge of many techniques. For example, there is equipment that needs to be brought under the plane before the flight such as the vehicle called push back which pushes the plane back. It is quite dangerous. While pushing the plane back, the bar in between might get broken and damage the plane at any time.

Could you tell us what the secret behind the success is to you? 

If you want to be successful in business life, first of all, you need to know how to respect the people. Besides, business life is not possible without setting goals. You must have goals. To be successful, you first need to keep the human side of the business very well. The second is the technical side. The third factor is, to be honest, and hardworking. 

While talking about the success I would like to share another issue which is also important to me. TAV is a leading international brand of Turkey in the field of airport management. TAV is running 14 airports in 7 countries. Besides, its service companies are serving in 86 airports. Above all, people are valued. I find I am very compatible with the company. It is a corporation that supports employees in every field. Its impact on my success is absolutely great.

What has changed in our lives due to the Pandemic? 

I have been working in the field of aviation since 1996 and I must have seen so many crises since then. I saw the Sars, Mers, bird flu, and swine flu crises but none of them had been called a pandemic. 

With the pandemic, came some permanent changes. We have taken every precaution for the pandemic certificate requirements published by civil aviation. As you enter, your fever is measured by the thermal cameras. If it is above 38 degrees, we immediately take you to an isolated place to make you rest. Then we call the expert healthcare professionals. If the fever does not decrease, we call and inform 112. After passing the thermal cameras, there are distinctively disinfected security trays for you to put luggage and social distancing signs behind the X-ray.  Numbers of hygienic dispensers with sensors are placed in every area. We put shields above the check-in counters. Boarding passes are no longer given by hands. The optic readers for ID cards are now in front of the shields. Without getting involved with the personnel you are to able pass there. Besides, the tag number of your luggage is printed on the boarding pass. You just drop off your luggage; the officer in charge labels it and sends it. When you come to the last security point, you pass through the x-ray. If necessary, you enter the body scanner. 

Could you tell us an unforgettable memory in your life? 

I would like to tell a memory dating back to my operation years. Then, Bodrum Airport is a seasonal terminal working in the summer season. We have seasonal personnel depending on the need. We train them in several ways and then call them to the field. The easiest task to do in the operation is to tear off the tabs on the boarding pass cards. We told the newbies to tear off the tabs of the boarding pass cards of the coming passengers and answer the calls on the radio. There is also someone experienced with them. While the experienced one is dealing with a passenger, the coordinator on the plane says, “Inflight procedures are finished, kindly start the operation”, to those at the gate. An announcement is made to ask if there are passengers with special needs on the plane. Those passengers with special needs are babies called infants. In this case, the number of infants and also the number of disabled people must be given. As they are subject to special service they are seated in special seats on the plane. Of course, the question requires being answered using typical terminology. That staff answers, “There are two infants and one young passenger.” Young passengers are also considered special passengers flying unaccompanied. The minimum age is 12. The answer comes, “He has not taken on the plane.” They repeat the question, “Young passenger?” (However, it sounds like the word “Yankesici” - bag-snatcher) The answer is “I cannot understand.” After the boarding, she says to the pilot, “There are two babies and a bag-snatcher on the plane!” The regulations are so strict in aviation. Suddenly, the plane stops working and the police come, there is total chaos. It finally becomes clear that she means “young passenger” and so the plane takes off.