Tyler Maheu
Age: 29
Aviation Superintendent – Ground Transportation
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- Alma Mater: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Prescott for BS and Worldwide for MAS.
- Fun fact about yourself: I’m a huge music fan, most of the trips I’ve taken over the last decade have been to go see a band perform.
- Favorite book: Sick Puppy
- Favorite TV show: 30 Rock
- Favorite movie: Mystery, Alaska
- Favorite hobby(s): Playing hockey, playing guitar, crafting (yeah, I craft)
Tyler Maheu says he has wanted to work in aviation as far back as he can remember. “I grew up in a small town and the [Air Force] Thunderbirds flew the pattern where I lived. So, I wanted to be a commercial pilot,” he said.
He ended up going to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, but in the wake of the Colgan Air crash, the number of training hours pilots needed rose to 1,500. “So instead, I got my master’s in business management. While I was working on my degree, Sky Harbor asked me to join their management internship program,” said Maheu. “It’s a great program for people who want to get into airport leadership.”
Maheu enjoys the variety he sees on his job. “I oversee ground transportation, where I work hard to ensure that passengers are getting great customer service from the modes that operate here,” he said.
Aviation is not an industry that will ever be a victim of complacency, said Maheu. “We’re able to adapt to magnificent changes. I like that we are responsible for pushing aviation and working with technology that can also be used for non-aviation purposes,” he said. “Aviation can get you to the other side of world to visit loved ones or get business deals done. That’s the best part.”
If Maheu could fix one thing about the industry, it would be educating communities on the benefits of their airports. “We need to a better job of telling communities we serve what we do. When you tell your friends and family members you work for airport, they usually ask what airline do you work for?,” he said. “They don’t understand that an airport is separate from an airline, and that they rely on the support of the community to grow and prosper.”
Most people don’t understand that dynamic, said Maheu. “I want airports to do a better job of educating the community so we can all get the best facilities and service.”
