Women in Leadership: Introducing Hay Kakada, AirAsia’s Phnom Penh Station Manager
After more than a decade working as a station manager in the Cambodian capital, Kakadah shares insights about her life on the job.
A commercial airline is a complex operation, and overseeing the ground operations at each station is a vital part of the business. The role of an airline station manager is broad-ranging: they are expected to see that the airline’s flights leave on time and that all passengers and luggage are on board, as well as lead and manage ground operations employees, station budgets and safety programs, all while working in close collaboration with the airport team.
For Hay Kakadah, who has worked the past 13 years as the station manager for AirAsia at the Phnom Penh International Airport, her strong leadership role has allowed her the opportunity to challenge herself, work alongside other talented professionals, and manage an environment where she can best put her many skills to use.
The job requires a wide base of knowledge about airport operations, government regulations, the handling of dangerous goods, aircraft loading, flight security procedures, safety incident reporting and prevention, and other key ground operations skills - all of which Kakadah has acquired.
“Here, I can use the knowledge which I have gained over the years and use it to make a major difference in my preferred field,” Kakadah explained. But more than these learned skills, Kakadah said that her experience cultivating relationships with airport authorities and regulatory bodies as well as her experience managing a diverse workforce are the most important qualities that allow her to execute her job flawlessly.
She added that, while she loves her job and is proud to do it, working at an airport does have its downsides: as a fast-paced environment, any airport job requires a significant amount of stamina.
“Because the air industry is one that lives and dies by customer satisfaction, we will be expected at all times to work quickly and efficiently under the pressure of a deadline,” she explained.
“But there are also a lot of great memories in life when you work in the airline industry,” she added. “The appeal of working for an airline is, of course, being able to travel when you want, and to see the world.”
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/cambodia.airports