Like Bill Murray’s character in the movie Groundhog Day, some businesspeople find themselves experiencing the same workday, over and over again.

Then there’s Delta Global Services (DGS) station manager Jay Michaud, who leads the recently established Delta team at Wilmington International Airport. When it comes to all the details involved in his daily grind, he’ll tell you that he’s rarely handed the same day twice.

“There is really no typical day,” explained Michaud, who transferred with DGS from Burlington, Vermont, to ILM in late 2014. “My responsibility starts when our customers walk through the door – ticketing, screening, to the holding area, then onto the plane on time.”

But there’s more to Michaud’s duties than meets the eye. While customer service is key, it’s what flyers don’t see him do that’s as equally important in getting them – and their luggage – where they need to be.

“Below the wing I am responsible to make sure we handle the plane, from parking the incoming plane, off-loading the bags [and] getting [bags] to the [luggage] carousel,” he said.

Michaud added that he and his team are also tasked with cleaning the plane, plus they “upload the outgoing bags, load passengers and pushback the plane for departure.”

Michaud and his crew were brought to ILM late last fall, as part of Atlanta-based Delta’s efforts to strengthen its brand. Previously, the airline’s local business was managed in Charlotte, and Piedmont Airlines was the ground handler at ILM.

“Delta Air Lines corporate decided they wanted to promote a stronger brand,” Michaud said. “They wanted all Delta to look the same to our customers from east to west, so they brought us in to unify the brand.”

But adding Michaud to the ILM mix was about more than cohesive marketing measures. It’s also about growing Delta’s market share, officials said.

Michaud said that each station, including his, is run as a profit and performance center. Since adding the team at ILM, Delta has seen its number of passengers at the airport climb.

Due to Delta’s growth in passenger numbers in and out of the Port City, the airline has added more flights. Delta recently reinstated its non-stop flight to the Big Apple’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and added a non-stop flight to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

“Delta in ILM load factors were in the mid-70s [percent], and since February we have increased our capacity to the low 90s, which means our flights are pretty full,” Michaud said. “In June, we have added our New York flight and an additional Atlanta flight to handle the capacity.”

His responsibilities, however, extend beyond striving to keep his station in the black. From human resources tasks to ensuring that airport security regulations are met, it’s all in a day’s work for him as well.

“All safety, security and compliance falls at my door along with flight schedules and ground equipment, which supports my operation,” he said. “I am also the lead contact for the local airport authority and TSA.”

In an industry that never sleeps, it seems that dedication is a necessity to accomplish a “job well done.” Since air travel is a 24/7 business, there aren’t necessarily set hours in a given workday, making it difficult at times to get it all done.

For example, flight schedules and weather can pose a challenge for Michaud and his team. When flights are delayed or cancelled due to Mother Nature or mechanical issues, passengers may still need to be accommodated, regardless of what time the clock says.

“Our team goes above and beyond to rebook or reissue tickets from a nearby airport, to minimize the disruption to peoples travel plans,” Michaud said. “In a smaller airport like ILM travelers don’t have many options when weather presents itself, so we try to find options so we can keep our customers happy.”

One instance where Michaud demonstrated his philosophy came after a recently cancelled late afternoon flight. Since there were not enough seats available to get all passengers on their way for several days, Michaud took additional action.

“We made the decision to charter a bus and bussed everyone to Myrtle Beach and put them all in a hotel overnight and rebooked them on new flights the next day,” Michaud said. “A local bus company called in a driver on short notice, we provided snacks to the customers and got them and their bags on flights the next day.”

To that end, the former high school football coach finds that for him, the commitment to his customers is not without its rewards. One of the highlights of his work, he said, is playing a part in the travel experiences of his company’s passengers.

“The excitement people have when they are coming or going through ILM is simply rewarding,” said Michaud, who described himself as highly driven. “Excitement with the weather, beaches or meeting up with family or attending a special event in ILM, or when they are departing out of ILM for that special destination – it’s nice to know we had a little something to do with that.”

A self-proclaimed entrepreneur, Michaud has also been a restaurateur, coffee roaster and landscape contractor, and he once owned a FedEx Ground contract. While some of these ventures were successful, he’ll tell you that others were not, but he believes that it’s what you make of them that matters.

“Be true to yourself. You have to look yourself in the mirror, [and] if you can’t then you have an  issue,” he said. “If you did the best you could, everyone will have an opinion, but you can hold your head high.”