"I’m an Air Canada Operational Control Manager in System Operational Control. I’m the main contact for day-of operations for an assigned fleet. I manage their real-time schedules, coming up with solutions to get our customers to their final destinations on time, putting safety and customer service first.

Every day is unique, and those differences are what I enjoy most about my job. Every problem has a different solution, so when they come up, I work to find the best solution as quickly as possible.

Aviation was an interest of mine from a very young age. My father is an avionics technician for Air Canada, and I remember him taking me to the hangars to see planes up close. When I started at Air Canada, I was as an aircraft routing manager and I loved it. I got promoted to the Operational Control Manager two years later, and I’ve been in this role for three years.

We fly to six continents and Toronto Pearson is our biggest connection hub. We’re in constant communication with all the stations globally but any global event can impact our operation here. On any given day I might get a call from Haneda Airport about a baggage belt breakdown, and next get a phone call from Dubai Airport with completely different issues.

Seeing the fruits of your labour is one of the best parts of this job. I make a decision about a flight at 6:00 am and by the time I leave for home, our customers are home too, safe and on time. It’s fantastic."

Najib, Operational Control Manager, Air Canada

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