Seventeen years in aviation taught me that support has to be fast, precise, and human all at once. There's no room for vague answers when someone's stranded at an airport.
13Years leading Reservation & Ticketing at Ukraine International Airlines
30%AHT reduction delivered on a leading European airline account
85%Average agent utilisation maintained across a full seasonal cycle
Areas of expertise
Airline & Aviation Contact Center Operations
Crisis Response & Disruption Management
Seasonal Demand Forecasting & Workforce Planning
GDS Systems (Amadeus & Sabre)
AHT Optimisation & Performance Management
Emergency Contact Center Setup & Management
About
Tamara Maleta is an airline customer support operations expert with over 17 years of experience in the aviation industry, recognised as one of the field’s most knowledgeable practitioners in airline contact centre operations.
Her career was shaped by 13 years at Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), where she led the Reservation and Ticketing Department, managing large teams and navigating some of the industry’s most complex challenges, including standing up an Emergency Contact Centre in the immediate aftermath of the crash of flight PS752.
From December 2022 to May 2026, Tamara led Simply Contact’s Wizz Air customer support account. Under her leadership, the project reduced average handling time by 30% — bringing one high-volume line under 2 minutes 45 seconds — while maintaining a 95% first contact resolution rate and an 85% average agent utilisation rate across the full seasonal cycle. This work contributed to Simply Contact’s aviation award wins, including Highly Commended for Most Effective Improvement Initiative at the European Contact Centre & Customer Service Awards (2023) and further recognition at ECCCSA and UKCXA in 2025.
Tamara is a recognised expert voice on airline support operations and has been featured in AeroTime and Travel Daily News. Her insights informed Simply Contact’s whitepaper “Aviation’s Highs and Lows: Adapting Customer Support to Volume Spikes,” drawing on her practical experience scaling operations through crises and seasonal peaks.
Education
Hotel Management Specialist
Kyiv University of Tourism, Economics and Law
Certification
Negotiation Development Programme
Certification
Development Programme on Tough Negotiations
Certification
Crisis Management in the Event of Aircraft Accident and Other Emergencies
Certification
Fundamentals of Being a Care Team Member
Experience
Head of Aviation Project
Simply Contact · December 2022 – May 2026
Led the Wizz Air customer support account, Simply Contact's largest aviation partnership
Reduced AHT by 30%, bringing one high-volume line under 2:45 min
Maintained a 95% first contact resolution rate and 85% average agent utilisation year-round
Lifted call productivity from 8 to 12–13 calls/hour during quieter periods without added agent pressure
Head of Call Center
Toyota Kyiv Autosummit · December 2020 – December 2022 · Kyiv, Ukraine
Head of Reservation & Ticketing Department
Ukraine International Airlines · June 2007 – July 2020 · Kyiv, Ukraine
Built a GDS (Amadeus) training program, delivering 10+ trainings across Ukraine, Sweden, USA & Belgium
Launched UIA Helper, a new customer chatbot channel
Built and launched the Emergency Contact Centre following the crash of flight PS752
Managed outsourcing tender procurement and partner relationships
Led crisis response for flight cancellations, delays, and force majeure events
Awards & recognition
Highly Commended — Most Effective Improvement Initiative
European Contact Centre & Customer Service Awards (ECCCSA) · 2023 For the Wizz Air AHT reduction project she led
