One of Teesside Airport’s newest recruits is getting back to her northern roots after leaving London’s Heathrow Airport in favour of a new role in our region.
Chloe Hanlon, 27, joined Teesside Airport in early September as its Service Delivery Manager, overseeing terminal operations and making sure that the entire customer experience – from entering the car park to boarding the plane – is as smooth, stress-free and enjoyable as possible.
It was a position she previously held at the UK’s biggest airport, where she was responsible for 50 duty managers across four terminals, seeing to it that unusual issues such as IT failures, long queues and waiting times at immigration and outages to baggage conveyors impacted people’s journeys as little as possible.
On top of that, she had to contend with implementing the changes necessary for passenger safety in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as helping the airport navigate the changes as international travel opened up once again.
It was down to the pandemic that Chloe decided to leave Heathrow to be nearer family, and a job at Teesside Airport was just too good an opportunity to pass up.
Chloe said: “During coronavirus, everyone re-evaluated what was most important to them and, for me, that was being close to my family so I knew it was time for a move back home.
“I really feel at home here. I was very nervous about making the move, but everyone has been fantastic in helping me fit right in. It’s an exciting time for Teesside, and that’s part of the reason that I’ve been kept just as busy here as I was at Heathrow!”
Chloe had “been obsessed” with the idea of becoming cabin crew since she was a child and followed her dream, studying the subject at college before realising her ambition by flying with the likes of British Airways for three years. Unfortunately, losing hearing in her left ear meant Chloe would have to be grounded, but she has channelled her passion for customer service into the smooth running of the airport itself.
In the busy few weeks since joining Teesside, Chloe has put her vast experience into practice once again, working with all of the airport’s teams, from food, beverage and retail to security and facilities, to ensure excellence.
Chloe said: “We’re doing a lot in terms of staff development – which I love being a part of – to make sure everyone here can and does give a top-quality service. Now that we’ve overhauled the terminal building, we’re also spending a lot of time refining the customer experience.
“I have joined the airport at the most exciting time, with its incredible growth and great opportunities ahead of it. We’re still at the start of our journey but as we continue to look at securing new routes and airlines for people living in the Tees Valley and even further afield, there’s no stopping us!”
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “Chloe is a great example of how our airport has been attracting the best and brightest as we’ve been creating dozens of good-quality jobs over the past few months. Our fantastic staff are central to making our airport as easy, quick and relaxing to use as possible so that everyone who uses our airport leaves with a smile on their face.
“Her enthusiasm for the job is clear to see and, after working at Heathrow, she brings the knowledge and skills that will be invaluable to our airport as it continues to bring in more flights and routes and welcome more passengers through its doors.”
Teesside International Airport serves a range of domestic and international destinations including Aberdeen, Amsterdam Schiphol, Belfast City and London Heathrow. It also has seasonal routes to Alicante, Antalya in Turkey, Bulgaria, Corfu, Dublin, Faro, Jersey, Lake Garda, Majorca, Newquay and Southampton.