Aircraft ground handling

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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.^[1] 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).^[2] Faster turnarounds for lower ground times are correlated to better profits.^[3]

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.^{[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.^[4] 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^[5]
• 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

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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^[6]

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

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 - SGH Ground handling

Finland

• AIRPRO

France

• Groupe Europe Handling
• 3S Alyzia
• AviaPartner
• Ladybird Ground Services
• Samsic Assistance^[7]
• Servair

Greece

• Goldair
• Skyserv
• Swissport hellas

Ireland

• Sky Handling Partner

Italy

• Airport 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)^[8]
• Aviator Nordic
• Azzurra / Premiere Handling
• Blue Handling (joint venture between Ryanair and OmniServ^[9])
• British Airways
• Cobalt Ground Solutions^[10]
• DHL
• Dnata
• Gatwick Ground Services (Subsidiary of British Airways)^[11]
• Jet2 Handling
• Menzies Aviation
• Signature Flight Support^[12]
• 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

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