Air Transportation

What does the Air Transportation career field do?

Performs and manages air transportation activities. Plans, schedules and processes eligible passengers and cargo for air movement. Loads and unloads passengers, cargo, and baggage moved on military and commercial-contract aircraft. Prepares and maintains air movement records and reports. Performs aircraft cleaning services and delivers meals and comfort item supplies to aircraft. Operates forklifts and aircraft loading equipment. Uses computer systems to provide in-transit visibility over passenger and cargo movement operations. Related DoD Occupational Subgroup: 155300.

Duties and responsibilities

• Supports the Department of Defense’s capability to move passengers and air cargo worldwide. Plans, organizes, directs, coordinates, and controls air transportation activities. Determines and justify personnel, equipment, and facilities required to accomplish air transportation functions. Supplements policies, directs personnel, and establishes procedures to process, load, document, and report passengers and cargo transported by air. Inspects airlift activities for compliance and recommends corrective action. Conducts personnel and equipment management surveys, and provides technical assistance as required. Enforces safety, quality control, and security measures.
• Offers customer information on flight schedules, routes, air movement requirements, baggage limitations, and specifics on local facilities. Performs procedures to check in, process, schedule, transport, and escort passengers to and from aircraft. Ensures all passenger border clearance requirements have been met. Operates terminal security equipment and conducts passenger and baggage security inspections. Reviews passenger travel authorizations for validity and accuracy. Applies tariff rates, collects fares, and accounts for documents and monies. Use automated systems to provide in-transit visibility and to document passenger movement operations. Develops procedures for handling special category passengers.
• Verifies eligibility of cargo offered for airlift. Ensures all cargo documentation, packaging, labeling, and marking requirements, and border clearance requirements have been met. Determines quantity and type of cargo to be loaded according to aircraft allowable cabin load. Selects, assembles, palletizes, and transports cargo loads to and from aircraft and storage areas. Checks cargo against manifests and annotates shipment overages, shortages, or damages. Secures cargo with appropriate restraint equipment. Uses automated systems to provide in-transit visibility and to document cargo movement operations. Determines and implements necessary safety and security precautions for handling and storing hazardous materials, special cargo, mail, and baggage.
• Performs air terminal operations and fleet service functions. Prepares, completes, and maintains air movement records, documents, and reports. Selects load, prepares load plans, and computes aircraft center of balance. Plans and manages fleet service activities to provide cleaning, lavatory servicing, and meal delivery on aircraft. Completes actions to requisition, store, and issue expendable and nonexpendable items for use on aircraft.

Specialty qualifications

Knowledge. Passengers and cargo movement functions to include transport aircraft types, capabilities, and configurations; weight and balance factors; airlift transportation directives and documentation; cargo securing techniques; border clearance requirements; operation of material handling and other types of loading equipment or devices, fleet service functions; automated data processing equipment and its application in airlift activities; passenger service functions, and customer relations principles.

Education. For entry into this specialty, completion of high school or a general educational development equivalency with courses in English, Computer Operation, and Mathematics is desirable.

Training. For award of 2T231 AFSC, completion of the basic air transportation course is mandatory. Note: ARC personnel with prior service may complete TPC Basic Transportation Course. In addition, these personnel must complete knowledge training on all tasks taught in the initial skills course combined with additional mandatory requirements identified by the ARC MFM and approved by the 2T2 CFM. Only after completing mandated OJT are prior service personnel awarded a 3-skill level.

Experience. The following experience is mandatory for award of the AFSC indicated:

• 2T251. Qualification in and possession of 2T231 AFSC. In addition, experience in functions such as loading and unloading aircraft; operating automated or manual materials handling and other loading equipment and processing, scheduling, and maintaining records related to passenger and cargo movement.
• 2T271. Qualification in and possession of 2T251 AFSC. In addition, experience supervising functions such as preparing aircraft load plans; loading and unloading aircraft; operating automated and manual materials handling equipment, processing, scheduling, and maintaining records on passenger movement by airlift.
• 2T291. Qualification in and possession of 2T271 AFSC. Also, experience and general knowledge of air transportation systems and mobility operations to include: hub and spoke dynamics, air transportation organizational constructs, and passenger and cargo movement procedures through the defense transportation system. Note: ARC personnel must have a minimum of two years as a 2T271, proficient in all seven-level tasks (as outlined in CFETP2T2X1), and capable of performing shift supervision roles conducive to assigned rank before award of the 9-skill level.

Other. The following are mandatory as indicated:

• See attachment 4 for entry requirements.
• For entry, award, and retention of AFSCs 2T211/31/51, must possess a valid state driver’s license to operate government motor vehicles (GMV) in accordance with AFI 24-301, Ground Transportation, as well as the ability to speak distinctly and communicate well with others.
• Specialty requires routine access to Secret material or similar environment.
• For award and retention of 2T2X1,
• Completion of a current National Agency Check, Local Agency Checks and Credit (NACLC) according to AFMAN 16-1405, Air Force Personnel Security Program Management, and maintain local network access IAW AFI 17-130, Cybersecurity Program Management and AFMAN 17-1301, Computer Security (COMPUSEC). Note: Award of the 3-skill level without a completed NACLC is authorized provided an interim Secret security clearance has been granted according to AFMAN 16-1405.
• Retraining into the 2T2XX career field within the Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard is restricted to the grades of E-6 and below with less than 12 years of Total Federal Military Service.

Civilian career paths

Comparable civilian careers for this field pay roughly $27,640–$98,890 per year (median salaries; varies by role and location):

• Administrative Services Managers: $98,890
• Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors: $53,610
• Aircraft Service Attendants: $37,790
• Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks: $42,410
• Budget Analysts: $78,970
• Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity: $45,900
• Cargo and Freight Agents: $43,770
• Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment: $27,640
• Facilities Managers: $98,890
• First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand: $54,870
• First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators: $54,870
• First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants: $54,870
• Freight Forwarders: $43,770
• Hazardous Materials Removal Workers: $45,270
• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers: $47,130
• Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators: $37,560
• Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand: $31,120
• Passenger Attendants: $28,770
• Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators: $53,140
• Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks: $49,640
• Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks: $39,430
• Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks: $35,260
• Stockers and Order Fillers: $29,190
• Transportation Inspectors: $78,400
• Transportation Security Screeners: $44,300
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers: $96,390