Aircraft ground handling
Encyclopedia
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
, aircraft ground handling defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and (usually) parked at a terminal gate of an airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
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Overview
Many airlines outside the United States subcontract ground handling to an airportAirport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
or a handling agent, or even to another airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
. Ground handling addresses the many service requirements of a passenger aircraft 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-call aircraft maintenance
Aircraft maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is the overhaul, repair, inspection or modification of an aircraft or aircraft component.Maintenance includes the installation or removal of a component from an aircraft or aircraft subassembly, but does not include:...
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
Air Transport Association
Airlines for America , formerly known as Air Transport Association of America, Inc. , is America's oldest and largest airline trade association. A4A member airlines and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. Based in Washington, D.C., the...
(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 also contract for ground handling services under the terms of a Standard Ground Handling Agreement (SGHA) that is updated and re-published from time to time by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the current version is from January 2008. 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
These services ensure passenger comfort. The cabin cleaning is the main job in the cabin service. They include such tasks as cleaning the passenger cabin and replenishment of on-board consumables or washable items such as soap, pillows, tissues, blankets, etc.Catering
CateringCatering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
includes the unloading of unused food and drink from the aircraft, and the loading
Provisioning (cruise ship)
Cruise ships consume vast amounts of food every day; as an example, the following is a list of supplies provisioned on board the Celebrity cruise ship Constellation for an average 7 day cruise.*24,236 pounds of beef*5,040 pounds of lamb*7,216 pounds of pork...
of fresh food and drink for passengers and crew. Airline meal
Airline meal
An airline meal or in-flight meal is a meal served to passengers on board a commercial airliner. These meals are prepared by airline catering services.The first kitchens preparing meals in-flight were established by United Airlines in 1936....
s are typically delivered in trolley
Cart
A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
s. 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) home page₪
- Atlas Catering (Royal Air Maroc's catering service)
- Cara OperationsCara OperationsCara Operations Limited is a Canadian company that provides catering services to airlines and operates several restaurant chains including: Harvey's, Swiss Chalet, Kelsey's, Milestones and Montana's. Its headquarters are in Vaughan, Ontario. It was previously headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario...
- Cathay PacificCathay PacificCathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport, although the airline's registered office is on the 33rd floor of One Pacific Place...
's Cathay Pacific Catering Services - Gate GourmetGate GourmetGate Gourmet is an airline catering firm with headquarters on the grounds of Zürich Airport, Switzerland, near Zürich.Gate Gourmet was founded in 1992, and is the world's largest independent airline catering, hospitality and logistics company...
- LSG Sky ChefsLSG Sky ChefsLSG Sky Chefs is the brand name of LSG Lufthansa Service Holding AG, which is the world's largest provider of airline catering and in-flight services. It is a subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. A part of the company was formerly owned by AMR Corporation, parent company of American Airlines...
- ServairServairServair is a subsidiary of the French airline Air France, specialised in airline catering. Servair has its head office in the Continental Square complex in Roissypôle, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and in Tremblay-en-France....
- American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
- United AirlinesUnited AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
- Chelsea Food ServicesChelsea Food ServicesChelsea Food Services is an airline catering company based at Continental Center I in Downtown Houston, Texas. The company is a subsidiary of Continental Airlines, Inc., making it currently the only airline catering company to be operated in-house by a United States-based airline Chelsea Food...
Ramp service
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Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
or apron, such as:
- Guiding the aircraft into and out of the parking position (by way of aircraft marshallingAircraft marshallingAircraft marshalling is visual signalling between ground personnel and pilots on an airport, aircraft carrier or helipad. [Image:Marshalling Signals.gif] Marshalling is one-on-one visual communication and a part of aircraft ground handling...
), - Towing with pushbackPushbackIn aviation, pushback is an airport procedure during which an aircraft is pushed backwards away from an airport gate by external power. Pushbacks are carried out by special, low-profile vehicles called pushback tractors or tugs....
tractors - LavatoryAircraft lavatoryAn aircraft lavatory is a small room on an aircraft with a toilet and sink.-Minimum standards:Lavatories per passenger provided aboard aircraft vary considerably from airline to airline and aircraft to aircraft...
drainage - Water cartage (to refill fresh water tanks)
- Air conditioningAir conditioningAn air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
(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
- CateringCateringCatering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
trucks - Refueling, which may be done with a refueling tanker truck or refuelling 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)
- DeicingDeicingFor snow and ice control on roadways and similar facilities, see Snow removalDe-icing is defined as removal of snow, ice or frost from a surface...
Passenger service
This includes services inside the airport terminalAirport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
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, closing the flight, etc.
- Staffing the Transfer Counters, Customer Service Counters, Airline Lounges, etc.
Field operation service
This service dispatches the aircraft, maintains communication with the rest of the airline operation at the airport and with Air Traffic ControlAir traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
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See also
- Aircraft maintenanceAircraft maintenanceAircraft maintenance is the overhaul, repair, inspection or modification of an aircraft or aircraft component.Maintenance includes the installation or removal of a component from an aircraft or aircraft subassembly, but does not include:...
- Ground support equipmentGround Support EquipmentGround support equipment is the support equipment found at an airport, usually on the ramp, the servicing area by the terminal. This equipment is used to service the aircraft between flights. As its name implies, GSE is there to support the operations of aircraft on the ground...
- PushbackPushbackIn aviation, pushback is an airport procedure during which an aircraft is pushed backwards away from an airport gate by external power. Pushbacks are carried out by special, low-profile vehicles called pushback tractors or tugs....
- Visual Guidance Docking System