- Source: Aircraft ground handling
In aviation, aircraft ground handling or ground operations defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and (usually) parked at a terminal gate of an airport.
Overview
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). Faster turnarounds for lower ground times are correlated to better profits.
Airlines with less-frequent service or fewer resources at a particular location sometimes subcontract ground handling or on-call aircraft 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. 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.
= Aircraft Appearance and Provisioning
=Services related to aircraft cleanliness and passenger comfort:
Cabin cleaning – cleaning seats, galleys, and lavatories. Resetting the cabin (folding seatbelts, uniform seat and window shade position) to appear untouched.
Lavatory service – exterior service of lavatory by draining and filling of waste tanks.
Provisioning – replacing literature, blankets, pillows, and consumable supplies.
Security search – searching aircraft for prohibited items as required by airline policy or regulatory requirement.
Water service – exterior service of aircraft water system by filling tank with potable water for use inflight.
= 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. In flight airline meals are delivered at the seats 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 flight.
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)
Atlas Catering (Royal Air Maroc)
Cara Operations
Cathay Pacific Catering Services (Cathay Pacific)
DHL Supply Chain
Gate Gourmet
KLM Catering Services (KLM)
LSG Sky Chefs
Sky Cafe’
Q Catering (Qantas)
SATS Food
Servair
Thai Catering Services (Thai Airways)
= Ramp service
=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
Pre-Conditioned Air and Heating
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.
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)
PIGS (Passenger Integrated Guidance System), a retractable barrier, is used to ensure passengers do not walk underneath the wings
Wheelchair lifts, if required
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.
List of notable handling agents
= Asia
=Bangladesh
Biman Bangladesh Airlines
India
Air India Airport Services Limited – all Indian airports – presently providing services at 74 airports in India
Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited – Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Mangalore, Cochin
LAS Ground Force Handling – Goa, Udaipur, Bagdogra
Bhadra International India Pvt Ltd – Chennai
Bird Worldwide Flight Services Pvt Ltd – Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi
Livewel Aviation – Mumbai, Delhi
Globe Ground India – Ahmadabad, Bangalore
Indo Thai Airport Management Services Pvt Ltd – Amritsar, Lucknow, Mohali
Agile Airport Services Pvt Ltd – presently providing services at 8 airports in India
Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific
Hong Kong Airport Services (parent company: Cathay Pacific)
Jardine Aviation Services (parent company: Jardine Matheson)
SATS HK (parent company: Hong Kong Airlines)
United Airlines
Japan
All Nippon Airways
JAL Ground Service
Japan Airport Ground Handling
Japan Airport Service Co., Ltd.
International Air Cargo Terminal Co., Ltd.
Korea
Korea Airport Service
Asiana Airport Service
DongBo Airport Service
Laos
Andaman Aviation Services
Nepal
Nepal Airlines – Kathmandu
Pakistan
Pakistan International Airlines
Shaheen Airport Services (Pvt) Ltd
Gerry’s dnata (Pvt) Ltd
Royal Airport Services (Pvt) Ltd
Singapore
SATS Ltd
dnata Singapore
Universal Aviation
Philippines
Airmach Aviation
1 Aviation
dnata Philippines
MacroAsia Airport Services Corporation
MDFS PHILIPPINES
Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions
Taiwan
China Airlines Co., Ltd.
Taoyuan International Airport Services Co., Ltd.
Taiwan Airport Service Co., Ltd.
Evergreen Airlines Service
Taiwan Sky Ground Service Co., Ltd.
Thailand
Wingspan Services Co., Ltd.
BAGS Ground Services Co., Ltd.
Andaman Aviation Services
AOTGA AOT Ground Aviation Services Co., Ltd.
= The Caribbean
=Bahamas
Earco Elite FBO
Barbados
Caribbean Aircraft Handling Co., Ltd.
Jamaica
AJAS Aviation Services
Eulen America
GCG Ground Services Jamaica
Jamaica Dispatch Services Ltd.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Caribbean Aviation Management, Inc.
= Europe
=Belgium
Aviapartner
Cyprus
LGS Handling
CTT Aviation Ltd.
SWISSPORT
Denmark
SAS Ground Handling
Finland
AIRPRO
Aviator
France
Groupe Europe Handling
3S Alyzia
Aviapartner
Ladybird Ground Services
Samsic Assistance
Servair
Greece
Goldair
Skyserv
Swissport hellas
Ireland
Sky Handling Partner
Italy
Airport Handling
Aviapartner
Aviation Services
Ags Handling
Latvia
HAVAS Ground Handling Co.
Lithuania
Baltic Ground Services
Litcargus
Netherlands
KLM groundhandling
Norway
Menzies Aviation
SAS Ground Handling
Poland
Baltic Ground Services
LS Airport Services
Welcome Airport Services
Portugal
Groundforce Portugal
Portway
Sweden
SAS Ground Handling
AVIATOR Ground Handling
Menzies Aviation
Switzerland
Swissport
dnata
AAS
Turkey
Turkish Ground Services
HAVAS Ground Handling Co.
Celebi Ground Handling Inc.
FUGO Ground Handling Inc.
United Kingdom
Airline Services
American Airlines Handling (subsidiary of American Airlines)
Aviator Nordic
Azzurra / Premiere Handling
Blue Handling (joint venture between Ryanair and OmniServ)
British Airways
Cobalt Ground Solutions
DHL
Dnata
Gatwick Ground Services (subsidiary of British Airways)
Jet2 Handling
Menzies Aviation
Signature Flight Support
Star Handling
Swissport GB
World Flight Services (WFS)
Premiere Executive Handling Ltd
ASC Handling Services
= Middle East
=ASE – Egypt Member ASE Group
ASE – UAE Member Of ASE Group
SE – Morocco Member Of ASE Group
New Star Aviation Services
dnata (Also active in other countries)
Egypt Air Ground Services
Saudi Private Aviation-SPA
Saudia Cargo
Saudia Ground Services-SGS
HAVAS Ground Handling Co.
Oman Air
Shaheen Airport Services
Royal Airport Services
Gerry's dnata
Airways Flight Support Services
BAS (Bahrain Airport Services)
QAS (Qatar Aviation Services)
El Al
Laufer GHI
QAS (Quality Airport Services)
Aerohandling
= North and Central America
=Canada
Swissport
Airport Terminal Services (ATS)
Menzies Aviation
GTA Dnata
Air North
Strategic Aviation
Global Aviation
Ironman Holdings
Allied Aviation
Air Canada
Cuba
ECASA
Mexico
Kion de Mexico
Aeromexico Servicios
United States
Alliance Ground International and subsidiaries
Airport Terminal Services (ATS)
Total Airport Services (TAS)
Dnata
G2 Secure Staff
GAT Airline Ground Support
McGee Air Services
Menzies Aviation
Swissport
Trego/Dugan Aviation
Unifi Aviation
United Ground Express
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS)
WFS Express
= South America
=Peru
Swissport
Talma Servicios Aeroportuarios
Uruguay
Candysur S.A.
= Oceania
=Australia
Swissport
Oceania Aviation
Dnata
Menzies Ground Handling
See also
Flight kitchen
Ground support equipment
References
Further reading
ISO 9001:2008—Quality management systems
External links
Media related to Aircraft ground handling at Wikimedia Commons
International Air Transport Association, IATA Ground Handling Council, International Air Transport Association, archived from the original on 2013-09-27, retrieved 2013-09-25
Ground Handling International, archived from the original on 2013-10-29
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- Aircraft ground handling
- Ground support equipment
- SAS Ground Handling
- IATA delay codes
- Pushback (aviation)
- Aircraft marshalling
- Dnata
- Remove before flight
- Recipe Unlimited
- Unifi Aviation
