ISS is excited to welcome Chris Simons as our new Director of Sales, Aviation. With more than 16 years in aviation and facility management, from ramp operations to strategic sales leadership, Chris brings deep operational knowledge, a passion for the passenger experience and a vision for how ISS can continue to elevate aviation services for our clients.
How did you get your start in the aviation industry?
I started in aviation about 16 years ago while living in Fort Myers, Florida. It’s a funny story — a girl I was talking to at the time had a dad who worked with JetBlue. He told me, “If you start doing seasonal work in this industry, you’ll get jet fuel in your veins and never want to leave.” Sure enough, I worked one season and loved it. I applied at Delta and started on the ramp throwing bags. Aviation grew from a side job into a career I’m absolutely passionate about.
In your view, what are some of the biggest opportunities in modern aviation?
Airports are complex ecosystems, yet most U.S. airports still operate under fragmented service models, where janitorial, maintenance and other facility services are handled by separate contractors. This creates inefficiencies, higher costs and missed opportunities for innovation.
Modernizing facility management could unlock major benefits. Deploying IoT sensors and AI-driven analytics can optimize cleaning schedules, monitor restroom usage and predict maintenance needs, reducing downtime and ensuring resources are allocated where they’re needed most. Advanced robotics like autonomous floor scrubbers and vacuums can handle repetitive tasks, freeing human staff for higher-value work and improving consistency. Allowing a single provider to manage all facility services, from janitorial to maintenance, would streamline operations, reduce administrative burden on airport authorities and enable better data-driven decision-making. Cleaner, well-maintained facilities also improve traveler satisfaction, while smart systems reduce water, energy and chemical usage, supporting sustainability goals.
The big miss today is that airports rarely embrace this integrated approach. If they modernized and consolidated facility management under one accountable partner, they could operate more like world-class hubs — efficient, tech-enabled and passenger-focused.
Aviation and hospitality are increasingly connected. How do you view the role of hospitality in the work you do?
Hospitality is the leading trend in aviation. For example, janitorial programs are increasingly managed by customer experience teams, not maintenance. More airports are adopting this model because customer satisfaction directly influences passenger traffic and ratings.
People don’t always realize how intertwined cleaning is with customer experience. In an airport, our placemakers are who travelers see most often. They’re frequently the first point of contact when someone needs directions or help. That means our people need to be trained not only to clean, but to observe travelers, anticipate needs and offer assistance proactively.
Our clients want to be among the premier facilities in the world, and they’re looking for partners who can elevate the passenger journey, not just provide a traditional janitorial or maintenance service. Many competitors talk about customer experience, but it’s often just talk. ISS actually weaves hospitality into how we operate; having a Chief Hospitality Officer is a major differentiator, as well.
What are some of your goals for helping ISS enhance how we work in the aviation sector?
I’d love to better align all of aviation at ISS — international and North America — so clients reap the benefits of shared data, insights and best practices. I’ve already been connecting with colleagues overseas, and the more we integrate globally, the more powerful our offering becomes.
If we can continue to build a comprehensive aviation knowledge base that pulls in everything from customer experience to security, cleaning and maintenance, we can show clients that ISS is not just a U.S. provider, but a global leader with decades of expertise. That’s what will help us win and deliver consistently at the highest levels.
Ready to Fly
We’re thrilled to welcome Chris to the team and excited for his experience and passion to create excellent outcomes for our aviation clients. Discover more about our work in the aviation sector here.
