Most passengers are unaware that the pilots and flight attendants they encounter on a flight have a vast supporting cast working behind the scenes. Without these mostly invisible workers, flights would never get off the ground. Dozens of baggage handlers, operations managers, aircraft movers, station managers, aviation maintenance technicians, and other staff contribute to a process that they all hope works for passengers like a well-oiled machine.
On some days, a smooth flight will require as much creativity as it does by-the-book effort. When they see a kink forming in the line, airline employees have to use ingenuity to smooth it out, and that is why, these workers say, they love their jobs.
“When you see the magnitude of our team, you see it is all part of the orchestra,”…
