Aviation employees soar above and beyond

Miami International Airport (MIA) handled 52.3 million passengers in 2023. That makes the experience of each customer important. It’s something employees at the Aviation Department take seriously.

In May 2023, Lien Jobst was outside the departure terminal getting ready to start his day when he spotted something on the ground and walked over to pick it up.

“It was a brown wallet and I quickly looked around to see if there was someone nearby looking for it who could have dropped it,” Jobst said. “There was no one around, so I went inside to lost and found with hopes of learning someone had reported it lost with no success. When I explained what was going on to my supervisor, Cesar Ledesma, he looked through the wallet to identify the owner.”

“The wallet contained around $3,000 and had the resident card and identification card from someone from Lima, Peru,” Ledesma explained. “We started by checking with American Airlines to track down the passenger. Then I went to Sky Airlines Peru where I explained the situation and they were able to confirm the passenger was checked in. We called him and found him desperately looking for his wallet and trying to retrace his steps. He was debating staying behind and not boarding the plane.”

“Needless to say, returning his wallet and documents changed the trajectory of his day,” Ledesma said. “We are about our customers and making sure their travels are handled properly and their experience is a good one.”

Jobst is an airport operations specialist. He has been at MIA for a year and half, but has had a role in the aviation industry since the mid 1980’s when he started in St. Louis.

“It’s very rewarding work. I enjoy helping passengers and meeting people from all over the world,” Jobst said. “I enjoy traveling myself, so it’s easy for me to understand our customers and their expectations.”

Ledesma has been with MIA for eight years and in the Aviation industry for 15 years. He is the special events manager and works directly with the airlines and business partners to coordinate all types of events at MIA and other airport properties.

“We are MIA. I’m so proud of that,” Ledesma said. “The work is challenging, and every day provides a new experience, just like helping to get that wallet back to the owner. We set his day right and really made a difference.”

Jobst and Ledesma were recognized as Employees of the Month for June 2024.