29 August 2023: The 12 months since Jamie Milsom joined the Smart Team have flown by. Jamie joined as a trainee broker a year ago, following a successful seven-week work experience placement, where we were all really impressed by his potential. 

Fast forward to today and Jamie is now soaring in his new role as an ACMI and Operations Support Officer and we are pleased to report that August has been his best month to date for ACMI bookings.

We check in with Jamie to look back on his first year at Smart:

How have things changed for you at Smart compared to where you were a year ago?

I have really grown here at Smart, and I wouldn’t have thought a year ago that I would be here saying that August has been a record month for me, with some considerable ACMI bookings confirmed. Over the last few months, I have started to do a lot more bookings independently and working directly with Daniel Parker has given me great confidence in my abilities and skills I have learnt here. I always get a buzz when I get a booking, so I am feeling very satisfied at the moment. I even had an ACMI lease extended this week, which is very rewarding as you know you are doing a job and providing a great service to the client. Dan (Head of Airline Leasing and Charter Flight Operations) has been a great mentor to me since the start of my aviation career, and I have learnt so much from him, which has been instrumental to where I am today.

Explain a bit more about what you have been working on this last year.

Currently, I work mainly on on-the-day AOGs (aircraft on the ground) providing our clients, mainly leading European airlines, with solutions for the tech aircraft or crew issues they are facing on the day. I am very confident in running with these requests by myself now. I also look after charter flights our brokers have booked, watching them and sending movement messages to clients to keep them updated on their flights. This allows me to enhance my multitasking skills and work across departments with our charter team. 

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

There’s so much to learn and for me the most challenging part of the job is learning all the aircraft configurations and keeping my finger on the pulse with who has an aircraft when and where. I have also been focusing on better understanding the rules regarding crew rest times and successfully working these into my bookings. ACMI bookings can come in at the very last minute, so we have to ensure we are always mindful of the regulations regarding crew working hours.  

What have been some of the highlights of the past year at Smart?

I flew to Dublin with James Gregory (Head of VIP Charters) to see off some of 3,500 Irish rugby fans who were traveling to Rome to watch Ireland play Italy in the Six Nations tournament. It was a fantastic opportunity to understand the private charter side of the business more and to learn from James. 

I also went to my first WTM (World Travel Marketing) last November with Dan and Mark. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting suppliers and clients and building rapport with them. I feel like the team has really pushed me to get out there. I am working on building my own contacts and I enjoy reaching out and making new ones.

What the Smart Team have to say:

Smart’s Head of Airline Leasing and Charter Flight Operations, Daniel Parker, said: “Jamie has really learnt to work under pressure and has mastered the art of multitasking, which is an essential skill for his role. In this industry you must move fast and be adaptable to ever changing situations. Jamie has become well respected and built-up good relationships not just with clients and suppliers, but with everyone in the Smart Team. This month has been a big turning point for Jamie. There are usually ACMI availability issues in August, but he continues to find the best solutions for our clients. I have an exciting progression plan for Jamie for his second year here, which will lead him to eventually managing long term leases alongside myself”. 

Mark Hawkins, Managing Director of Smart Aviation, said: “It has been a pleasure to see Jamie grow in confidence so much in a relatively short amount of time. He really has come on leaps and bounds. From day one he has shown so much promise and we are delighted to witness him advance through the early stages of his career so rapidly”.

Smart Aviation was founded in 2005 by Managing Director Mark Hawkins, an established sports charter specialist with over 30 years’ experience in senior operational roles within the travel and aviation industry, including managing sports charters at Excel Airways. Over the last 18 years, Mark has led Smart Aviation to become the leaders in global sports chartering. Mark is still very active in sports chartering, frequently providing air travel for global sports teams to key sporting fixtures including Champions League and Premier League football matches, as well as to ice-hockey, boxing, basketball, golf, motorsport and cricket tournaments.

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