In 2010, the world learned a word they had never before heard: Eyjafjallajökull. A volcano under an Icelandic glacier erupted and the volcanic ash shut down air traffic to Europe. Several people were stranded in eastern seaboard airports, their tickets home cancelled. One such vacationing family befriended a young airline worker. The family was waiting to hear from their consulate, and they were becoming desperate. Claudia Fernandez shared her food with them and invited the family to stay with her.

Going above and beyond for her customer comes naturally to Claudia. “When it comes to service, I’m not afraid to provide it. If I’m already there and I can do something, I’m going to do it.” Sales Representative Claudia embodies the core values of Aereos; she will do whatever it takes to take care of her clients.

As their needs or desires change, Claudia changes with them, always striving to provide the highest level of service. Her work exemplifies well the Aereos value of Adaptable, seeking out opportunities to better serve her customers using all available resources. Hurricane Irma recently blew by the Atlas Aerospace offices and Claudia’s home. Carrying on was challenging, of course – sometimes without power or a reliable phone connection. But Claudia had seen adversity before. For her it was business as usual.

Hailing from Queens, New York, Claudia Fernandez began working in the industry at a young age. “I started in ticketing and check-in for passenger, and then moved into other positions. Eventually, I became an operations supervisor, verifying flight plans, gates – all sorts of charts. It was very strict. But I enjoyed the structure of it. Aviation is a very disciplined industry. There is a right and a wrong for everything; it’s all black and white. There are no gray areas.”

She began with Atlas as a customer service representative, a perfect fit. Always a problem solver, she learned the ins and outs of best serving her customers. Becoming a sales representative was a natural progression, always striving to serve her clients in a better, more immediate manner.

“Customers call the shots; what I do is always for the customer, by and to the customer. If the customer has any needs that need to be met, I will make it happen. Doing anything to fulfill their needs or concerns shows my customer how valued they are to us. They are the top priority.”

This mindset shows how Atlas and Aereos are committed to their customer. It also represents a significant shift in the industry. In the same way that Claudia is adaptable in her day-to-day activities supporting her customer, the Aereos companies have been adapting as well. Claudia learned about this shift at the recent Air Carriers Purchasing Conference (ACPC) in San Diego this year. “The good thing about interacting the ACPC and I was talking to individuals who had been selling for years. “The way that they see sales in aviation is different from the way I do. There was a time when there were the only a handful of manufacturers. Now, it’s changed.”

Whatever changes lie ahead, you can be certain that Aereos, Atlas Aerospace and Claudia will adapt and press forward. Volcanoes, hurricanes – Claudia takes care of her customers no matter what Mother Nature throws at her.