DORINA'S BLOG
DORINA'S BLOG
AVGEEK FROM THE BEGINNING !
This blog belongs to an Avgeek! Avgeek is someone who is obsessed with airplanes.
My name is Dorina and this is my story.
I am an ex-flight attendant and an aviation lover. I believe there is no other industry that can get into people's blood the way aviation does.
After COVID-19 pandemic, many crewmembers have been retrenched due to financial instability of the airlines. Unfortunately, I was one of them...
That is when I felt like the world has come to an end and there is nothing that could make happy ever again. But at some point, I decided to take a step towards better future and be positive. That is when I decided to move to Canada for further studies and now...
Now i'm back working at the airport again and I could not imagine a better ending to my story!
I'm currently working with GTA dnata and words can't describe my feelings for this amazing company...
Have a look at my sharings as this is just the beginning...
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About Us
Dnata is an UAE based company that provides different services in tourism industry. These services include ground handling, cargo, catering and travel related services. Below are some examples of each service provided by dnata:
Ground handling: Ramp, PSA, Security services, etc.
Cargo: Cargo handling, Road feeder, Freight forwarding, etc.
Catering: Inflight catering, Inflight retail, Airport food and beverage
Travel: Business to business, Consumer to business, Partnerships
They are currently operating in 37 countries and 136 different airports.
Employees could work with different airlines that dnata is partnering with, but eventually, they are considered an employee of dnata and not a part of the airline itself. They have a fun and friendly team working closely towards the same goal. Their goal is to satisfy customers by providing a professional service that satisfies their needs and wants. I feel pleasant to be part of such an amazing and professional team as I have learned a lot from each and every one of them.
Working With the Best customers and Partners
GTA Dnata works wiht different airlines and they are all one of the best in the world. We are very proud to be working with Emirates -Air Transat -EgyptAir -Lufthansa -Turkish Airlines -Korean Airlines -Eva Air -China Southern Airlines -Nolinor/OWG -Ethiopian Airlines -Etihad Airways -Ukraine International -Philippine Airlines -Air India -Biman Bangladesh Airlines -Westjet (cargo) and more to come...
Training
After spending 2 days of dangerous goods training at the office and completing online learning modules, I was assigned to work for Turkish Airlines. We had 1 week of shadowing to learn everything about the job, setting up and closing shifts. Although it was overwhelming at first just like starting any other new career, I fell in love with the position more and more over time! Watching aircrafts take off / land and being surrounded by aviators is just the lifestyle I have always dreamed of...
RAIC Collection
All I can tell you about the day that I collected my RAIC, is that I was so stressed and I studied a lot for the online security awareness training! I knew that they require a lot of documents specially if you were away from Canada for the past 5 years which I was; I wasn't wrong! they did ask for a lot of different documents and thanks god I had the whole file with me! Surprisingly, I really liked the picture they have taken.. How I wish I could have this for my purple pass which is a 5 year pass...
Now, I can consider myself as a real airport staff and it is a new beginning as I will start to go to the gate after collecting my RAIC.
Stay tuned....
I would like to share a little tips and tricks on working at the airport. The skills below are the most important things that an individual must learn in order to succeed in their aviation career. 1. Time Management 2. Multi-tasking 3. Situational awareness 4. Good communication 5. Teamwork 6. Problem solving 7. Leadership 8. Adaptability 9. Attention to details 10. Flexibility If you learn to have all the skills mentioned above, you will definitely be airlines' number one choice! I have learned that the 10 skills mentioned above are the most important things to learn as an airport employee and I could achieve these throughout my
Peaks & Valleys
There are ups and downs in every stage of our lives... There are times when we felt overwhelmed at work, stressed and overly tired. But that's not the end of the world! I truly enjoyed every moment of this career . Words can't describe how much I love this company and the airline that I am assigned to work for.. The tip is to never give up and make the best out of yourself. Enjoy the happy moments, and learn from your mistakes to make tomorrow a better day.
Time management is a real deal in airline industry and I can't stress enough how important it is for you to be punctual and learn to do things faster day by day...
Story Time!
I'm going to share a little story to tell you about the importance of situational awareness when you are working in the aviation industry.
As I was focused on checking-in my passenger, I heard the mother screaming and running towards her child. By the time I turned around to see what's going on, I saw a 3 years old kid jumping on the belt that was moving towards the cargo! I pressed the emergency stop button immediately and jumped on the belt to save the child.
It is forbidden for people to step on the belt as they can be dragged into the cargo area.
P.s. Always remember to stay vigilant and be aware of your surroundings while you're working at the airport.
Safety is everyone's responsibility...
BELT IS JAMMED!
Let me tell you about a situation we faced that was stressing everyone out!
There was a time when the belt was overwhelmed and it got jammed at some point due to high number of luggages being checked-in by 2 or more different airlines. This caused a long waiting time for passengers and stopped our check-in process for a long time. However, we could still manage to depart on-time as everyone started checking-in faster than usual and this is where i truly believed thst teamwork is the answer in aviation!
As we enter the month of December, everyone gets excited for Christmas pary and holidays. In GTA Dnata, we have had a party specifically for dnata employees only. This has been one of the greates experiences that I had in my entire life! We all had so much fun listening to the music and enjoying the foods and drinks provided. I am so glad to be part of this team. Even though I was new and I did not know many people at the party, but they all treat me as a member of their family and I am grateful for this!
Overall, it has been a pleasure to work for such an amazing company and a great airline which has always been one of my favourites.
I am so thankful for this and I hope you all get a chance to experience this at least once in yout life. Remember, once a lover of aviation, always a lover of aviation...