Behind The Voice - The Memoirs of an Irrepressible Optimist (Part 2)

“May I please have your attention? Tap Portugal flight TP 1526 from Lisbon with a stop in Sao Tome To Accra has just arrived. May all passengers awaiting Tap Portugal flight TP1526 from Lisbon please proceed to boarding gate two.”

   I quickly stretched my neck on tenterhooks. I just couldn't get enough. The sudden stare from the announcers on duty swept me back to reality in reflex. I glanced away as though nothing had happened, only to channel all the attention elsewhere. Aside how I felt and my entire experience that day, one thing that seemed to have captured my attention is, how biased we've been against aviation careers other than pilots and cabin crew.The public’s perception (particularly from my part of the world) about the best careers in which individuals are more likely to thrive in, or the only available career paths which exist in aviation is disturbingly erroneous .

   Talk of airport or careers in aviation. The most common names to hear are pilots and cabin crew. And there, it ends. Well aeronautical engineers pop up once a while but how often?Pilots and Cabin crew, pilots and cabin crew, pilots and cabin crew. It doesn't come to me as a surprise, as this beautiful continent is still in the process of assimilating and embracing change in the fullness of all its capacities. More so, Aviation in Ghana is a burgeoning industry which can be justification of the fact that we as individuals and institutions are gradually coming to terms with and unraveling all the intricacies the world of Aviation has to provide. Well that’s one of the reasons why CharlieBay101 is here-To clear up wrong perceptions and bring about change.Make no mistake;it’s great to know a ton about these two careers. My point is, there are a million other career options in the industry that do not make it on the list –the mental list of possible aviation careers that people would develop an interest  to pursue. The airport announcer is one example.

  You would agree with me that flying can be irritating, frustrating and disappointing nowadays. What used to be a simple monotonous trip from point to point has now become a huge hassle for the traveling public. Although largely so,flying now is becoming increasingly less stressful. Thanks to the airport announcer. From issues of damaged and missing baggage to high penalty charges for itinerary alterations to canceled flights and what have you. All these complications stir up a lot of anxiety. Certainly, somebody to provide some form of soothing can come in very handy. A friendly voice can go a long way in soothing nerves and clearing up misconceptions or any form of miscommunication. This is where the airport announcer comes in.

  Despite the fact that they are hidden away from plain sight and that they are hardly spoken of, the roles of airport announcers are extremely vital to the efficient running of an airport. I can even go a step further to liken their importance to an aircraft engineer. They need to keep their ears on the ground in order to relay important information to distressed passengers.

Their roles include but are not limited to announcing the arrivals and departure of aircraft, announcing changes in gates and delays, making calls for missing passengers and the list is endless.

In spite of the fact that the announcers office at the Kotoka International Airport was very much like every other office,tools such as walkie-talkies,telephones, an enclosed booth, flight schedules and charts made the difference. And of course, a great view of the ramp. Now that’s an addition you don’t get to see anywhere else. Much goes into announcing than just describing situations with a fancy voice.

  The job requires an unflinching attention to detail to announce touch down times for the sake of record keeping and accountability. Some eloquence and a good command of the English Language are also crucial since most of the work requires communicating to passengers. Behind the scenes was also an enclosed booth where the announcers entered whenever they had to announce ...regarding flights they were assigned to. The purpose of the booth is not only to ensure that sound doesn't reach passengers thinned out but also to keep the announcer undistracted.

Watch this space for a continuation of the series and don’t forget to share and comment!

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