Airport Duty Manager - Cape Town

Location:  On-site, Cape Town International Airport – Cape Town (South Africa)

Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week, 4 shifts a week (includes days and nights)

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Competitive

Closing Date:  9^th September 2026

We review applications on a rolling basis and may close the advert early if we receive a high volume of applications.

At Virgin Atlantic Airways, we believe that everyone can take on the world, and it's our vision to become the most loved travel company. As we embark on this next exciting stage of our journey, we’re harnessing our spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation to challenge the status quo.

In a nutshell

No two days are the same in this role. As Airport Duty Manager in Cape Town, you'll be the person keeping our airport operation running safely, smoothly and on time while creating the exceptional Virgin Atlantic experience our customers know and love.

From leading our airport teams and working alongside suppliers and airport partners, to responding to operational challenges and making real-time decisions, you'll be at the heart of everything that happens on the ground. It's a role where you'll balance customer experience, operational performance and safety - bringing people together to keep our operation moving, whatever the day brings.

If you enjoy leading from the front, thrive in a fast-paced environment and love solving problems as part of a team, you'll feel right at home.

Day to day

• Leading the day-to-day airport operation, ensuring every flight departs safely, securely and as close to schedule as possible


• Inspiring and supporting airport teams and supplier partners to deliver the warm, distinctive service our customers expect from Virgin Atlantic


• Making confident operational decisions during disruption, balancing customer experience, safety, compliance and commercial priorities


• Building strong relationships with airport authorities, government agencies, ground handling partners and other operational stakeholders


• Managing operational budgets and resources responsibly, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency while maintaining excellent service


• Supporting the wider business during the non-flying season, working flexibly across departments where required 

About You

You're an experienced operational leader who enjoys bringing people together, making sound decisions under pressure and creating great experiences for both customers and colleagues.

• Experience leading airport operations within an airline environment, with a strong understanding of both above and below wing activities


• A calm, decisive and people-focused leadership style, with the ability to coach, develop and motivate high-performing teams


• Strong operational judgement, balancing safety, security, customer experience and commercial performance when making decisions


• Excellent relationship-building skills, with confidence working alongside airport authorities, government agencies and supplier partners


• Strong analytical and communication skills, comfortable using operational data to make informed decisions and communicate clearly with a wide range of stakeholders


• Good knowledge of airline operational systems, regulations and airport processes, alongside the flexibility to work shifts, including nights, weekends and public holidays


• The right to live and work in South Africa

If you're ready to lead from the front, make a real impact on our operation and help create brilliant journeys for our customers every day, we'd love to hear from you.

Be yourself – Our differences make us stronger

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference and everything that makes our colleagues unique by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive. So that everyone at Virgin Atlantic can be themselves and know they belong.

To make your journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you’d like a little extra help with your application, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage along your recruitment journey. We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team, ([email protected]) feeling confident that we’ve got your individual considerations covered.