Which three areas must an airport executive immediately investigate to determine their level of authority?

• A. Agreements, Purchasing, and Personnel
• B. Finance, Marketing, and Operations
• C. Safety, Security, and Compliance
• D. Training, Maintenance, and Logistics

Answer: (A)

Authority for an airport executive is demonstrated by the areas where they can commit the organization: negotiating and signing agreements, authorizing purchases, and making personnel decisions. These three domains show the formal boundaries of what they can bind the airport to, what funds they can commit, and who represents and leads the team. By immediately examining agreements, purchasing authority, and personnel decisions, you can quickly map the executive’s true level of authority and identify any gaps or required approvals.

Finance, Marketing, and Operations are important for overall performance, but they don’t by themselves establish who can authorize contracts, approve expenditures, or hire staff—these are the levers that reveal actual authority in practice. Safety, Security, and Compliance, and Training, Maintenance, and Logistics relate to essential functions, but again they don’t directly define the authority to bind the organization or deploy resources.