The use of English among airport check-in staffs to assist English-speaking passengers in Indonesia apparently does not get enough attention, as to the researcher’s knowledge, there was no research investigating this topic. This present study was initiated by an ESP teacher’s pedagogical experience and insufficiency in an aviation training center reporting inconvenience about her teaching practice: she has no prior knowledge of how to teach English for airport ground jobs. Thus, this present research is a needs analysis that bridges skills needed in the airport to English class in a training center. Data are obtained by on-site observation and investigating five check-in staffs through interview, and are strengthened by airport data collection by interviews with a manager, a controller, and a supervisor. Data are collected in another research site, an aviation training center, to find out how English for special purpose prepares the students for workplace communication by class observation and interview with academic staff, teacher and students. The result of this study shows: ten target tasks which are commonly done by airport check-in staffs, how English class prepares students for job as check-in staffs, and the training gaps found between what is needed and what is taught. This study contributes ideas for curriculum and material development of English for occupational purpose especially airport ground handling jobs.

Keywords: airlines English, check-in, English skill