Is it a 24/7 role, or are you able to delegate to your ops team?

Yes and yes! It is an incredibly busy and demanding position and I am of course available 24 hours a day if necessary. However I do have a very good team in place that can handle the day-to-day business. It is important for me to stay in regular contact with all of the departments which I do on a daily basis. We also have an excellent 24-hour dispatch team that is always around to handle any customer requests.

What are the biggest challenges to overcome on a day-to-day basis?>/i>

One of the biggest day-to-day challenges is to satisfy everyone's needs, both externally and internally. It is essential that I set priorities in order to get the most pressing issues resolved first and then work my way through everything else! It is a given that the customer comes first so sometimes internal issues have to wait slightly longer but I try and balance this as much as I can. I am also a pilot so I try and juggle this along with the day-to-day running of the business. If a new aircraft is joining the fleet then this will often take priority over everything else, it is important for us to offer our customers an excellent service as they are choosing us to care for their aircraft. Every day is different though, which is what makes the job so interesting.

What is the most satisfying part of the job?

A happy customer is definitely the most satisfying part of the job. If I receive a letter of appreciation or a happy call from a customer then you know that all the hard work is worthwhile. We also hope that if we provide a good enough service then the customer may recommend us to a friend.

If we successfully close a project, like signing a new aircraft to the fleet, then this is also satisfying. Internally it is satisfying to see your team growing and working together. It is essential that we all work as a team in operations to deliver the best service to our clients, and when you see this happening you feel very proud to be part of it.

How did you come to be an operations manager?

I originally started off as a pilot for Swissair. I did this job for 10 years. During that time I was also working as deputy training manager for Swissair for the last five years. After Swissair I moved to the Federal Office of Civil Aviation as an inspector for certifications and supervision of AOCs, that's where I first got in touch with ExecuJet. I joined ExecuJet eight years ago as the flight ops and training manager before becoming the general manager for Switzerland. Two years ago I become the operations director for Europe as well as continuing as gm and as a pilot.

Is it a job you would recommend to a friend?

Of course! As I have said the job is very challenging and is very time consuming, but the return for me is worth it. I also get to work in aviation which, at the end of the day, is also a hobby for me. It takes time, energy and commitment but it is a fantastic job with fantastic people – so yes, I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

– Andreas Pfisterer, European aircraft operations director, ExecuJet