I love shopping...

Natasha Mckim took a trip to Aberdeen Airport to learn about its inner workings

Heading out to the airport, you feel like you should be going on holiday, or at the very least boarding an aircraft. Usually when I travel, I head straight through check-in, grabbing a coffee first if there is time to kill. Then there is security to navigate before getting to the fun of the pubs, coffee shops, stores and restaurants. It is the time to catch up on some work before heading off on business, or to kick-start your holiday with a glass of wine.

But who decides what brand of coffee you will be drinking? Who is supplying your newspaper? What if you have forgotten to bring along your European adaptor and need to buy a new one for your laptop?

Behind the scenes at Aberdeen Airport there is a dedicated team who work there every day, without even going past check-in.

Yvonne Birch has worked there for 28 years and is the head of retail. It is her job to make the passenger experience as enjoyable as possible, offering them all the services a modern traveller needs.

Having worked in retail and travel for the majority of her career, Yvonne looks after the commercial and e-commerce side of the passenger experience, from the car park on landside right through to the shops on airside.

The 55-year-old has been a terminal manager and has worked in admin as well as retail and has seen a lot of changes in the aviation industry since her career began.

“I study the likes and dislikes of our customers,” said Yvonne. “People mainly prefer to get through security quickly and dwell airside. I also look at the passenger profile and the most common demographics to ensure that we are catering for the needs of our customers.

“I think it’s great the staff here know many frequent flyers, meaning passengers get a more personalised service.”

Yvonne loves shopping and freely admits it. She worked in travel after college, including several well-known travel agents we see on the high street.

“I always try to work to the best of my ability and provide the best service I can,” said Yvonne, who is originally from Glasgow and moved to Aberdeen with her husband.

Yvonne looks for what will make the experience more convenient for customers. Working with technology, drivers can now pre-book with systems which make it easier from the passenger perspective. The airport offers a

I think it’s great that the staff here know many frequent flyers, meaning passengers get a more personalised service

Yvonne Birch