This is the first story of the '#We are Eindhoven Airport' campaign. Every month we publish a story on this page featuring an airport staff member, followed a week later by a podcast created by Summa Aviation Services.

Upcoming severe weather, a malfunctioning baggage carousel, a first aid incident or an aircraft that is diverted; Frédérique Portheine, Airport Operations Manager at Eindhoven Airport, is the first to know. She assesses the consequences for the airport operation, decides the best course of action and links up with all the right divisions, such as the control tower, handling agent, security, customs and/or the military police. Together with her immediate colleagues in Airport Operations, Frédérique is responsible for the daily operations at the airport. “You could say we're the director. The people working on the set are there directly for the passengers and the baggage handling.” She keeps a sharp eye on whether the processes are running smoothly and whether the safety and security rules are observed on the apron at all times. In cases of emergency, she is the one who takes charge. But she also oversees the gates and/or baggage belts at busy moments, reviews camera images when a suspicious situation occurs, and gives employees an official warning if safety or security rules are violated. When everything is running as it should, the traveller doesn't see all the work that Frédérique and her colleagues do. She enjoys the dynamics at the airport. “Because no two days are the same.” One day she's looking for a solution when a box of live lobsters in the baggage hall isn't allowed on board, the next day she's asking the military police to examine a suspicious bag, and on the next day she's drafting a plan for the airport procedures due to expected extreme weather with a lot of snow or fog. “We do everything for a happy passenger and we're there for each other. That's Eindhoven Airport in a nutshell.”      

Listen here to the ‘Ready for Take-Off’ podcast of Summa Aviation Services onSpotifyor Apple Podcasts.   #weareeindhovenairport