Kuwait International Airport improve their employees’ proficiency levels through online training
Airport Overview
Terminal 4 at Kuwait International Airport was designed by American company AECOM and spans 55,000sqm, handling up to 4.5 million passengers yearly. The terminal is operated by Incheon International Airport Cooperation and was opened in August 2018 as a dedicated terminal for all Kuwait Airways flights. The terminal has five bus gates and nine boarding bridge gates with a capacity for up to 8 aircraft at the same time. It was expected to generate US$60 million in revenue yearly and provide approximately 2000 local jobs.
The Challenge
Many of the airport new hires had little to no experience in the airport environment, which posed a challenge for Abdulaziz Alfouzan, HRD, QM, and Training Head Supervisor at Terminal 4 for Incheon International Airport Cooperation, and his team.
“Our newly hired staff needed to be trained to provide them with essential airport operation and terminal knowledge, furthermore we wanted to update our existing employees’ proficiency levels” said Alfouzan.
The Solution
A total of 97 trainees from various departments within Terminal 4 began their online training journey in August 2020. This included 71 Incheon Korea For Airport Services (IKAS) employees and 26 DGCA employees who participated in online learning programs covering:
- Airport Operations Diploma
- Terminal and Landside Operations
- Airside Operations
- Business Leadership
- Airport Commercial Management
- Airport Security
- Airside Safety I & II
- Project Management
- Leadership Essentials Diploma
- Team Leadership
- Self-Leadership
- Airport Accessibility
The training courses provided beneficial industry insights and provided staff with the flexibility to complete their studies as they wished.
The team at Terminal 4 also used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to train staff who were working from home or unable to attend a face-to-face class due to social distancing rules. Rather than wait for the industry to bounce back, the team at Terminal 4 wanted to have a workforce ready for the industry to bounce back.
“Having trained employees is necessary for the progress and development of any company. We found that all the courses taken by our employees contributed to their skillset and allowed them to excel in their specific area of study” said Alfouzan.
The Benefits
The training provided by the Online Learning Centre enhanced the level of safety and operations, as well as management proficiencies. It was a beneficial tool to provide professional development and ensured that all personnel were trained at the same level of proficiency. In the latest customer satisfaction survey, Terminal 4 received an overall score of 94 points, which they attribute to their online training program.
Student Feedback
Razan Alnisf, Commercial Administrator, said, “It gave me new knowledge that I wasn’t aware of previously, and it gave me a better understanding of how airports operate.”
Bahaa Ibrahim, HR Deputy Supervisor, said, “The course was very detail-oriented and beneficial.’”
The OLC would like to thank the team at Terminal 4 Incheon Kuwait International Airport Abdulaziz Alfouzan, Raghad AlKhamees, Razan Alnisf and Bahaa Ibrahim, for their feedback and for taking the time to assist us in developing this article.