Ground Handling Company Details

Many airlines subcontract ground handling to airports, handling agents or even to another airline. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), conservative estimates indicate airlines outsource more than 50 per cent of the ground handling that takes place at the world's airports. Ground handling addresses the many service requirements of an airliner between the time it arrives at a terminal gate and the time it departs on its next flight. Speed, efficiency, and accuracy are important in ground handling services in order to minimize the turnaround time (the time during which the aircraft must remain parked at the gate).

Airlines with less-frequent service or fewer resources at a particular location sometimes subcontract ground handling or on-callaircraft maintenance to another airline, as it is a short-term cheaper alternative to setting up its own ground handling or maintenance capabilities.

Airlines may participate in an industry-standard Mutual Assistance Ground Service Agreement (MAGSA). The MAGSA is published by the Air Transport Association (the current version is from 1981) and is used by airlines to assess prices for maintenance and support to aircraft at so-called MAGSA Rates, which are updated annually based on changes in the U.S. Producer Price Index.[citation needed]Airlines may choose to contract for ground handling services under the terms of a Standard Ground Handling Agreement (SGHA) published in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Airport Handling Manual.Airlines may also contract for ground handling services under non-standard terms.

Most ground services are not directly related to the actual flying of the aircraft, and instead involve other tasks. The major categories of ground handling services are described below.

Cabin service

The primary aim of this service offering is to ensure passenger comfort. While cabin cleaning comprises the bulk of the effort, it also includes tasks such as replenishing onboard consumables (soap, tissues, toilet paper, reading materials) and washable items like pillows and blankets.

Catering

Catering includes the unloading of unused food and drink from the aircraft, and the loading of fresh food and drink for passengers and crew. Airline meals are typically delivered in Airline service trolleys. Empty or trash-filled trolley from the previous flight are replaced with fresh ones. Meals are prepared mostly on the ground in order to minimize the amount of preparation (apart from chilling or reheating) required in the air.

While some airlines provide their own catering, others have either owned catering companies in the past and divested themselves of the companies, or have outsourced their catering to third-party companies. Airline catering sources include the following companies:
Airline Services & Logistics PLC(EPZE)
American Airlines
Atlas Catering (Royal Air Maroc's catering service)
Cara Operations
Cathay Pacific's Cathay Pacific Catering Services
Chelsea Food Services
Gate Gourmet
KLM's KLM Catering Services
LSG Sky Chefs
Q Catering (Qantas)
Servair
Thai Airways's Thai Catering Services
United Airlines

Ramp service

Luggage being unloaded from aNorthwest Airlines Boeing 757-200 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

A British Airways aircraft being refueled

Pushback tractor and a ground power

This includes services on the ramp or apron, such as:
Guiding the aircraft into and out of the parking position (by way of aircraft marshalling),
Towing with pushback tractors
Water cartage (typically non-potable for lavatory sink use)
Air conditioning (more common for smaller aircraft)
Airstart units (for starting engines)
Luggage handling, usually by means of beltloaders and baggage carts
Gate checked luggage, often handled on the tarmac as passengers disembark
Air cargo handling, usually by means of cargo dollies and cargo loaders
Catering trucks
Refueling, which may be done with a refueling tanker truck or refueling pumper
Ground power (so that engines need not be running to provide aircraft power on the ground)
Passenger stairs (used instead of an aerobridge or airstairs, some budget airlines use both to improve turnaround speed)
Wheelchair lifts, if required
Hydraulic mules (units that provide hydraulic power to an aircraft externally)
Deicing

Passenger service

This includes services inside the airport terminal such as:
Providing check-in counter services for the passengers departing on the customer airlines.
Providing gate arrival and departure services. The agents are required to meet a flight on arrival as well as provide departure services including boarding passengers and closing the flight.
Staffing the transfer counters, customer service counters and airline lounges.

Field operation service

This service dispatches the aircraft, maintains communication with the rest of the airline operation at the airport and with Air Traffic Control.

GROUND HANDLING STAFF :: BDS Aero Services (P) Ltd

GROUND HANDLING

COMMERCIAL DUTIES OF GROUND STAFF 

The job of ground staff is vast and varied. They have to perform various works from commercial to technical handling for safe and steady departure and arrival of an aircraft. The individuals working in ground duty branch are often known as ‘ground crew’ or Ground Staff. They work at airports to keep airplanes running efficiently. From welcoming passengers to an aircraft’s take-off, airport ground staff and air operations personnel play a crucial role in areas such as commercial activities, airline operations and the running of airports.

Ground staff also refers to people who work in the airport terminal itself. Some ground staff is responsible for inspecting, storing and transporting luggage, while others stock the aircraft with food and beverage items that are distributed during flight. Some ground staff members work directly with customers to answer questions and provide information regarding flight times, delays and any general queries the customer has before boarding. Ground staff work with the aircraft, crew and customers to ensure each flight is safe and enjoyable.

ROLE OF A GROUND CREW

The role of a ground crew demands for dynamism and professionalism. However, one cannot perform all the various duties in airport. Ground crew responsibilities are divided into 2 broad categories.
Commercial Role:

Inside the airport terminal:

– Checking passengers in for flights
– Re-routing or re-booking passengers whose flights have been cancelled or delayed
– Assisting disabled passengers or those travelling with young children
– Giving passengers up-to-date information on flights
– Assisting passengers with all enquiries, including lost or delayed baggage
– Assisting staff in carrying out security checks as and when the situation arises
– Delivering high levels of customer service to passengers and those travelling through the airport.

Outside the airport terminal:

– Handling all the loading and uploading of passenger bags from the aircraft
– Helping direct passengers on to and off the aircraft
– Directing landed aircraft to taxi spots
– Providing services such as steps from the aircraft for passengers and crew to disembark the aircraft

Technical Role:

-Coordinating and managing staff around the aircraft during its stopover
-Draft and hand over the necessary documents for the flight to the aircraft captain
-Preparation of the flight plan, fuel, weather condition and other important information
-Management of take-off slots with air traffic organizations
-Management of the airline network and fleet.

Major Ground handling agencies and future in Indian aviation:

Indian carriers currently self-handle the majority of their domestic and international operations. The primary customers of third party handlers in India are foreign airlines, who are not permitted to self-handle. This is supplemented by some under-the-wing activities for Indian carriers.

However, under the incoming policy Indian carriers will no longer be permitted to self-handle at the six metro airports or at Cochin, and will be required to appoint one of the licensed handlers at each airport for both terminal and ramp handling.

This would open up a significantly larger market opportunity for third party providers.