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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". 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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Aircraft appearance and provisioning
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- 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
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 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
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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
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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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
List of notable handling agents
Asia
Bangladesh
India
- Template:Flagicon Air India Airport Services Limited – all Indian airports – presently providing services at 74 airports in India
- Template:Flagicon Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited – Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Mangalore, Cochin
- Template:Flagicon LAS Ground Force Handling – Goa, Udaipur, Bagdogra
- Template:Flagicon Bhadra International India Pvt Ltd – Chennai
- Template:Flagicon Bird Worldwide Flight Services Pvt Ltd – Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi
- Template:Flagicon Livewel Aviation – Mumbai, Delhi
- Template:Flagicon Globe Ground India – Ahmadabad, Bangalore
- Template:Flagicon Indo Thai Airport Management Services Pvt Ltd – Amritsar, Lucknow, Mohali
- Template:Flagicon Agile Airport Services Pvt Ltd – presently providing services at 8 airports in India
Hong Kong
- Template:Flagicon Cathay Pacific
- Template:Flagicon Hong Kong Airport Services (parent company: Cathay Pacific)
- Template:Flagicon Jardine Aviation Services (parent company: Jardine Matheson)
- Template:Flagicon SATS HK (parent company: Hong Kong Airlines)
- Template:Flagicon United Airlines
Japan
- Template:Flagicon All Nippon Airways
- Template:Flagicon JAL Ground Service
- Template:Flagicon Japan Airport Ground Handling
- Template:Flagicon Japan Airport Service Co., Ltd.
- Template:Flagicon International Air Cargo Terminal Co., Ltd.
Korea
- Template:Flagicon Korea Airport Service
- Template:Flagicon Asiana Airport Service
- Template:Flagicon DongBo Airport Service
Laos
Nepal
- Template:Flagicon Nepal Airlines – Kathmandu
Pakistan
- Template:Flagicon Pakistan International Airlines
- Template:Flagicon Shaheen Airport Services (Pvt) Ltd
- Template:Flagicon Gerry’s dnata (Pvt) Ltd
- Template:Flagicon Royal Airport Services (Pvt) Ltd
Singapore
- Template:Flagicon SATS Ltd
- Template:Flagicon dnata Singapore
- Template:Flagicon Universal Aviation[6]
Philippines
- Template:Flagicon Airmach Aviation
- Template:Flagicon 1 Aviation
- Template:Flagicon dnata Philippines
- Template:Flagicon MacroAsia Airport Services Corporation
- Template:Flagicon MDFS PHILIPPINES
- Template:Flagicon Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions
Taiwan
- Template:Flagicon China Airlines Co., Ltd.
- Template:Flagicon Taoyuan International Airport Services Co., Ltd.
- Template:Flagicon Taiwan Airport Service Co., Ltd.
- Template:Flagicon Evergreen Airlines Service
- Template:Flagicon Taiwan Sky Ground Service Co., Ltd.
Thailand
- Template:Flagicon Wingspan Services Co., Ltd.
- Template:Flagicon BAGS Ground Services Co., Ltd.
- Template:Flagicon Andaman Aviation Services
- Template:Flagicon AOTGA AOT Ground Aviation Services Co., Ltd.
The Caribbean
Bahamas
Barbados
Jamaica
- Template:Flagicon AJAS Aviation Services
- Template:Flagicon Eulen America
- Template:Flagicon GCG Ground Services Jamaica
- Template:Flagicon Jamaica Dispatch Services Ltd.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Europe
Belgium
Cyprus
- Template:Flagicon LGS Handling
- CTT Aviation Ltd.
- Template:Flagicon SWISSPORT
Denmark
Finland
- Template:Flagicon AIRPRO
- Template:Flagicon Aviator
France
- Template:Flagicon Groupe Europe Handling
- Template:Flagicon 3S Alyzia
- Template:Flagicon Aviapartner
- Template:Flagicon Ladybird Ground Services
- Template:Flagicon Samsic Assistance[7]
- Template:Flagicon Servair
- Template:Flagicon Elyxan Aviation
Greece
- Template:Flagicon Goldair
- Template:Flagicon Skyserv
- Template:Flagicon Swissport hellas
Ireland
- Template:Flagicon Sky Handling Partner
Italy
- Template:Flagicon Airport Handling
- Template:Flagicon Aviapartner
- Template:Flagicon Aviation Services
- Template:Flagicon Ags Handling
Latvia
- Template:Flagicon HAVAS Ground Handling Co.
Lithuania
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
- Template:Flagicon Baltic Ground Services
- Template:Flagicon LS Airport Services
- Template:Flagicon Welcome Airport Services
Portugal
Russia
and others. Usually each airport in Russia has it own ground handling company
Sweden
- Template:Flagicon SAS Ground Handling
- Template:Flagicon AVIATOR Ground Handling
- Template:Flagicon Menzies Aviation
Switzerland
Turkey
- Template:Flagicon Turkish Ground Services
- Template:Flagicon HAVAS Ground Handling Co.
- Template:Flagicon Celebi Ground Handling Inc.
- Template:Flagicon FUGO Ground Handling Inc.
United Kingdom
- Template:Flagicon Airline Services
- Template:Flagicon American Airlines Handling (subsidiary of American Airlines)[8]
- Template:Flagicon Aviator Nordic
- Template:Flagicon Azzurra / Premiere Handling
- Template:Flagicon Blue Handling (joint venture between Ryanair and OmniServ[9])
- Template:Flagicon British Airways
- Template:Flagicon Cobalt Ground Solutions[10]
- Template:Flagicon DHL
- Template:Flagicon Dnata
- Template:Flagicon Gatwick Ground Services (subsidiary of British Airways)[11]
- Template:Flagicon Jet2 Handling
- Template:Flagicon Menzies Aviation
- Template:Flagicon Signature Flight Support[12]
- Template:Flagicon Star Handling
- Template:Flagicon Swissport GB
- Template:Flagicon World Flight Services (WFS)
- Template:Flagicon Premiere Executive Handling Ltd
- Template:Flagicon ASC Handling Services
Middle East
- Template:Flagicon ASE – Egypt Member ASE Group
- Template:Flagicon ASE – UAE Member Of ASE Group
- Template:Flagicon SE – Morocco Member Of ASE Group
- Template:Flagicon New Star Aviation Services
- Template:Flagicon dnata (Also active in other countries)
- Template:Flagicon Egypt Air Ground Services
- Template:Flagicon Saudi Private Aviation-SPA
- Template:Flagicon Saudia Cargo
- Template:Flagicon Saudia Ground Services-SGS
- Template:Flagicon HAVAS Ground Handling Co.
- Template:Flagicon Oman Air
- Template:Flagicon Shaheen Airport Services
- Template:Flagicon Royal Airport Services
- Template:Flagicon Gerry's dnata
- Template:Flagicon Airways Flight Support Services
- Template:Flagicon BAS (Bahrain Airport Services)
- Template:Flagicon QAS (Qatar Aviation Services)
- Template:Flagicon El Al
- Template:Flagicon Laufer GHI
- Template:Flagicon QAS (Quality Airport Services)
- Template:Flagicon Aerohandling
North and Central America
Canada
- Template:Flagicon Swissport
- Template:Flagicon Airport Terminal Services (ATS)
- Template:Flagicon Menzies Aviation
- Template:Flagicon GTA Dnata
- Template:Flagicon Air North
- Template:Flagicon Strategic Aviation
- Template:Flagicon Global Aviation
- Template:Flagicon Ironman Holdings
- Template:Flagicon Allied Aviation
- Template:Flagicon Air Canada
Cuba
Mexico
- Template:Flagicon Kion de Mexico
- Template:Flagicon Aeromexico Servicios
United States
- Template:Flagicon Alliance Ground International and subsidiaries
- Airport Terminal Services (ATS)
- Total Airport Services (TAS)
- Template:Flagicon Dnata
- Template:Flagicon G2 Secure Staff
- Template:Flagicon GAT Airline Ground Support
- Template:Flagicon McGee Air Services
- Template:Flagicon Menzies Aviation
- Template:Flagicon Swissport
- Template:Flagicon Trego/Dugan Aviation
- Template:Flagicon Unifi Aviation
- Template:Flagicon United Ground Express
- Template:Flagicon Worldwide Flight Services (WFS)
- WFS Express
South America
Peru
Uruguay
- Template:Flagicon Candysur S.A.
Oceania
Australia
- Template:Flagicon Swissport
- Template:Flagicon Oceania Aviation
- Template:Flagicon Dnata
- Template:Flagicon Menzies Ground Handling
See also
References
Further reading
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External links
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