In 1966, OCS entered the aviation sector. Today, more than 4,000 aviation professionals support over 60 airports and airlines across the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and India.
Between those two points sit thousands of careers.
Across the business are colleagues who have spent 20, 30 and more than 40 years working in aviation. They have seen aircraft change, airports expand, technology transform operations and expectations around safety; security and passenger experience continue to evolve.
Thirty-four years of engineering services at Heathrow
Ian Perrett joined the OCS operation supporting British Airways at Heathrow in June 1992, just four months after the contract began. Thirty-four years later, he is still there.
He is not even the longest-serving member of the team.
“I’ve been here 34 years, and I’ve got colleagues who have been supporting the operation for even longer. Over that time, you develop a deep understanding of the environment, the equipment, and the day-to-day challenges involved.”
Ian Perrett
Operations Manager, OCS
The team supports specialist engineering equipment and maintenance assets used within British Airways’ Heathrow operation. Over more than three decades, colleagues have worked through changes in equipment, technology, regulation, and the way the airline operates.
That continuity has created a depth of knowledge that is difficult to replicate.
“The experience we’ve got regarding their equipment and tooling is better than they’ve got themselves. They come to us with problems, and we can help them find solutions because we’ve worked with the equipment for so long.”
For Ian, however, retaining knowledge is only useful if the next person benefits from it.
“The knowledge within the team has been built up over many years. People take pride in passing that experience on and helping others develop. That’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to maintain such high standards over a long period of time.”
It is a simple example of what long service contributes to an operation. People encounter problems, solve them, remember what worked, and share that experience with the colleagues around them.
Over the years, the team has known more because of what its people have experienced together.
And Ian’s experience is part of a wider depth of knowledge across the operation. Oliver Garett, Operations Director at OCS, works with team members whose careers in the industry extend to more than four decades, including colleagues with decades of experience supporting British Airways.
For Oliver, that experience is one of the most valuable things 60 years in aviation has created.
“The real value of 60 years isn’t the number itself. It’s the accumulated knowledge in our people and our operating systems — knowing how airports work, knowing how airlines work, knowing what regulators expect and, importantly, knowing how to keep improving.”
Operations Director, OCS
Twenty-Seven years with OCS, seventeen shaping the aviation experience
Raffaella Mauro has spent much of her career with OCS. She joined the OCS aviation team in July 2009, following a further ten years working for OCS in facilities management, and has since worked across facilities management in aviation including assisted travel operations, contract management, change management and mobilisation projects.
Today, she is Business Director for Aviation and Gateways, overseeing a diverse portfolio of airport operations across the UK.
“Each role taught me something different, but the common thread has always been a focus on people, service excellence, and never being afraid to take on a challenge.”
Business Director for Aviation and Gateway, OCS
One of the biggest changes Raffaella has witnessed has been the shift in how the industry thinks about the people travelling through its airports.
“When I started, aviation was often viewed through an operational lens. Today, every part of the journey is measured by how the passenger feels. Accessibility, inclusivity, technology and customer service are now as important as operational performance.”
Raffaella has played a part in that change herself, contributing to the development of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard at Gatwick — an initiative that has since spread well beyond aviation.
Yet when she looks back over her career, it is not an individual project or contract that she identifies as her greatest source of pride.
“I’m proud of the people I’ve had the privilege to work with and develop throughout my career. Contracts come and go, but seeing individuals grow in confidence, take on new responsibilities and achieve things they never thought possible is incredibly rewarding.”
After more than two decades with OCS, including 17 years in aviation, the milestone of 60 years carries a particular meaning.
“It represents generations of colleagues who have built trusted relationships, delivered outstanding service and adapted to an industry that has changed beyond recognition. It’s a reminder that we’re part of something much bigger than ourselves.”
And despite everything that has changed during her career, Raffaella believes one thing remains fundamental to aviation: the people behind it.
“It’s a people-first culture. Aviation is ultimately a ‘people’ business. Technology, equipment and processes will continue to evolve, but our success has always been built on great people delivering great service.”
Business Director for Aviation and Gateway, OCS
Thirty-seven years of seeing facilities management in aviation change
Sunil brings 37 years of aviation experience across project management, engineering services, airport systems and airfield lighting in India. During that time, he has watched airports grow in scale and complexity, technology transform the way they operate, and expectations of the teams supporting them continue to increase.
But experience has also taught him something that goes beyond systems and infrastructure.
“Over 37 years in aviation, I’ve learned that airports are more than infrastructure; they’re living ecosystems that never stop moving. Experience matters because it teaches you how to anticipate challenges before they become disruptions. At airports like Mumbai, where scale, complexity and passenger expectations are constantly increasing, that depth of understanding is invaluable.”
Senior Vice President, Aviation, OCS India
That ability to anticipate what might happen next is difficult to capture in a process or procedure. It comes from years spent working within an environment and understanding how one part of an airport affects another.
Aviation rarely operates exactly as planned. Aircraft arrive late. Equipment fails. Passenger demand changes. Weather intervenes. Regulations evolve and customers introduce new ways of working.
Processes and technology provide structure, but experienced people bring context. They recognise situations they have encountered before, understand the knock-on effects of decisions and know who needs to be involved when something changes.
Across OCS, Sunil is far from alone. Bikram Singh Bhadauria brings 32 years in aviation, while colleagues across Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the UK have spent significant parts of their working lives in airports and aviation environments.
The roles may be different, but every career adds something to the collective experience of the business.
Thirty-six years at Heathrow, from watching aircraft to maintaining them
Kerry Sargood’s aviation career began in January 1990, when he joined British Airways directly at Heathrow. His interest in aircraft, however, came long before the job did.
“I was always interested in aircraft as a child. I used to visit the airport with my father to watch aircraft take off and land, and I also enjoyed building model aircraft. Working at the airport therefore felt like a natural choice.”
Kerry Sargood, Maintenance Engineer, British Airways contract – OCS
Today Kerry is a Maintenance Engineer responsible for the non-motorised ground support equipment used every day by British Airways engineers. It is work that rarely makes headlines, but nothing on the stand happens without it.
Over 36 years, he has watched Heathrow itself change almost beyond recognition.
“Passenger numbers and flight movements have increased, Terminal 5 and the airside tunnel have been built, and the old Terminal 2 was demolished and replaced with a new terminal.”
The way the work is done has changed just as much. Health and safety has moved to the centre of the operation, with far greater emphasis on safe working practices. Aircraft have become quieter and more fuel-efficient. Paper records have given way to digital systems, tablets and apps.
Ask Kerry what he is proudest of, and the answer is not a single project but a long record of doing the work well.
“I am most proud of helping to maintain, modify and repair a wide range of aircraft ground support equipment over many years while contributing to a strong record of safety and reliability.”
For Kerry, OCS’s 60-year milestone in the aviation sector reflects something beyond longevity.
“60 years in aviation is a remarkable achievement. It is a testament to the people, management and working practices that have kept the company successful in an industry where many others have come and gone.”
Kerry Sargood
Maintenance Engineer, British Airways contract – OCS
And when he looks forward rather than back, his thoughts turn to the people who will follow him.
“I would love to see this industry remain an attractive proposition for the younger generation looking to join the workforce and achieve great things, so the next generation can share great experiences in the future.”
Ultimately, 60 years in aviation is not simply a measure of how long OCS has provided engineering and facilities management in aviation.
It represents decades of knowledge accumulated by people: challenges encountered, problems solved, relationships built and experience passed from one colleague to another.
From someone beginning their aviation career today to colleagues who have spent more than four decades within it, each becomes part of what OCS knows, what it delivers and what it can pass on to the people who come next.
Because every journey matters.
