In the demanding environment of airport operations, retaining skilled personnel is just as critical as attracting them. In their recent 2025 Airport Workforce Management Report, ACI World highlights how career development strategies can be a powerful tool for workforce retention and that airports that embed clear growth pathways into the employee experience significantly improve retention, engagement, and operational resilience. But what does this look like in practice?
Elevating Career Paths, Not Just Training
Forward-looking airports are moving beyond compliance-driven training. Instead, they’re building:
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Dedicated training academies offering continuous learning oriented to operational excellence and future readiness.
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Internal mobility frameworks that let staff progress laterally or climb leadership paths—clearly defining required competencies at every stage.
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Inclusive development opportunities, ensuring under-represented employees have equitable paths to growth.
These strategies shift training from a task to a transformational experience and keep employees engaged and invested in the organization's future.
Real Results: Houston Airport System’s Data-Driven Transformation
Houston Airport System (HAS) offers a compelling real-world example of these principles in action. With the public sector facing turnover rates as high as 20% in front-line roles like custodians and landside agents, it was critical for HAS to make career development transparent, structured, and proactive.
Here’s how they used Klayo to turn strategy into results:
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Defined clear ladders and lateral moves: HAS mapped well-defined up‑the‑ladder (e.g., Custodian → Custodian Leader → Operations Supervisor – Custodial) and lateral moves (e.g., Landside Agent → Airport Services Representative I), complete with required competencies and qualifications.
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Real‑time job matching: Employees build a competency profile in Klayo, which then shows how close they are to a target role—and what’s needed next. For example, a custodian might see they’re currently 20% qualified for a landside agent position, with clear steps to bridge the gap.
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Embedded learning resources: Through HAS’s intranet, career path pages will link directly to Klayo and external programs for employees to enroll and update their progress seamlessly.
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Ongoing engagement: The project is supported with weekly workshops that transition into monthly sessions for new hires, ensuring sustained communication and momentum.
The outcome? HAS is achieving reduced turnover, faster internal promotions, and more strategic workforce planning—spotting skill gaps before they become staffing crises klayo.com+8klayo.com+8klayo.com+8.
Why This Matters and How Klayo Powers It
The alignment between the ACI report's recommendations and HAS’s results illustrates a broader truth: career development is both a retention safeguard and a competitive advantage. When employees see a transparent path forward, they stay longer and contribute more.
Klayo empowers airports to:
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Define and manage role hierarchies and lateral career paths.
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Provide employees with live visibility into their progress—and what it takes to move forward.
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Link development with training and external certifications.
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Support ongoing engagement and workforce planning.
Turn Strategy into Reality
Airport workforce dynamics are evolving fast. Challenges like an ageing workforce, skill shortages, and rising expectations from younger generations require more than reactive training, they demand proactive career development.
With Klayo, you can transform career planning into a core retention strategy and ensure a resilient, engaged, and capability-rich workforce ready for whatever comes next.
Ready to make career development your airport’s strategic advantage? Start building transparent, growth-driven career paths with Klayo, contact us to see it in action.
