Staff soar at Halifax International Airport Authority

When processing Omar Naouf’s immigration work documents took longer than expected and his hiring was delayed, his future managers immediately eased his stress with their patience and kindness. He knew then that he had made the right decision to start his career at Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA).

“The team has been very supportive since day one,” says Naouf, junior airport planner, airport planning and development. “I am confident that this is a place where I can grow.”

After arriving in Canada in 2019 as a Palestinian international student, Naouf earned his industrial engineering degree from Dalhousie University. During his final year, he chose to do a project on improving congestion during peak times at Halifax’s airport. He loved working with HIAA, which manages Halifax Stanfield International Airport, so after graduation, he applied for a job and was hired last July.

Since then, he has been working on projects focused on enhancing the customer experience. “The problems are complex. It is dynamic and ever evolving,” Naouf says. “You always want to improve customer experience amid growing demand.”

Right now, Naouf is creating a simulation model to help HIAA find optimal ways to improve customers’ security screening process. To support him in that, he is taking simulation and data analysis courses and is thankful his employer is paying for his additional training.

Naouf also meets with a mentor once a week and works alongside an experienced manager on smaller infrastructure projects to give him exposure to the procurement process, working with external stakeholders and the intricacies of project management — something he wants to do more of in the future. “There is a lot of teamwork. It is very collaborative,” he says.

Having a small, dynamic team to work with is what attracted Mike Christie, vice president, people and chief people officer, to HIAA more than a decade ago.

“You can get to know virtually everybody at some level, and we can hold events and have everyone in the same room,” he says. “It is an environment where people are highly motivated. We want to be the very best airport we can be.”

With a team of about 230 employees, HIAA works hard to create a work culture that is supportive and cohesive. After listening to employee feedback, the leadership team responded by increasing the mental health practitioner benefit by $400 to $1,400 earlier this year and by providing employees with free access to Calm, a mindfulness app that helps listeners manage stress and lead healthy lives.

Outside of daily work projects, HIAA employees fundraise together and hold social events. Every year, the authority’s senior leaders show their appreciation for employees by hosting a barbecue where the leaders do all the organization and preparation.

Last year, HIAA’s annual golf tournament raised more than $10,000 for United Way, and its Uplifted program supported more than 70 organizations and initiatives and invested over $95,000 in local communities. A community outreach and sponsorship program, Uplifted is designed to foster positive change, make a lasting impact in the community, and expand employee giving and volunteer opportunities.

“We put people and community first,” Christie says. “We want to be clear that people, both internal and external, are a top priority.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing the winners of this year's Atlantic’s Top Employers competition, published March 25, 2025 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.