Airport Ground Handling Duties

The fact that today an airport works properly is to a large extent, having a good ground handling service or handling service.

The current demands of air traffic require it. Commercial airplanes are complex and expensive machines whose profitability is only possible while flying from one place to another transporting people or goods.

But for them to do so, an intricate organisation works at each airport constantly, sometimes at a frenetic pace, and for that reason, a large part of the airport's resources are used to assist airport operations.

The Aircraft Maintenance Service is a service that handles all the assistance and support of aircraft when they are on land, as well as the loading and unloading of passengers, baggage, and cargo.

On many occasions, the UAE ground handling service can be provided by the airport itself through staff under their charge, but currently, it is more common to deal with handling specialised companies in this type of task.

These companies, independent of the airport where they operate, are commonly referred to as handling agents and obtain a concession from the competent authority to provide their services at the airport or they are contracted for this purpose by the airlines, while the entities that Manage and manage airports can become almost completely detached from ground handling.

The Auto handling

Some airlines rely on their own ground handling services. In this way, they create their own infrastructure for such services, which is known as auto handling. These airlines, which have auto handling act as assistance agents for other companies.

The Handling Of Passengers.

The ground passenger assistance service is of great importance for the company's professional image since it is the first contact with the customer.

Keep in mind that part of the time spent on a plane trip is usually consumed in the airport itself, so good handling services that speed up and minimise this stay are essential.

In many cases, when the airline does not have personnel or billing facilities on land, or they are saturated, the handling agent begins its services with the reception of the passengers, an activity that is carried out in the corresponding counters, own or of the company.

Naturally, this contact and service are provided on behalf of the carrier company, even though it may be provided by a service agent or other company.

The ground handling agent must also have personnel and means to weigh, classify and inspect the luggage of the passengers, transporting it to the corresponding aircraft for boarding. This is a very complex task that today, fortunately, is largely automated.

Supervising Assistance

Ground support supervisors must verify that all ramp activities are carried out in a coordinated manner. They must also ensure that aircraft cycles are carried out in a timely, efficient and safe manner. Likewise, assistance to passengers both on arrival and departure must be carried out in such a way that they receive a good service and that the perceived image of the company is entirely professional. In particular, the supervision of the handling must verify that passengers have full support and services in the event of delays and cancellations.

It is also necessary to obtain the slots of airways and to take care of the assistance to the crews -including the sessions of previous information or briefings; to complete the flight plan and provide meteorological information; to coordinate catering and cargo services; of operational communications and administrative services. The latter includes the regular liaison between the client and the local authorities, the airport services, catering, tour operators and cargo handling, keeping all parties informed up to date. A very important function is the contracting of special rates with hotels and carriers for crews and passengers, especially in the case of delays and cancellations.

The management and checking of documentation and lost luggage should not be forgotten. Finally, the client — the airline — must receive from the handling agent the rates, information and regulations of the airports in which it is to operate.

Once the aircraft land and disembark the passenger, the staff of the ramp handling agent is responsible for returning the aircraft ready for the next flight. Its professionalism depends, to a great extent, on whether the aircraft is ready for its rotation in the time and conditions foreseen.

Ground assistance to aircraft is a vital service provided by the so-called "ramp handling agents". The modern commercial aircraft that sail the skies today, transporting millions of passengers and kilos of cargo, require permanent care, which is handled by highly qualified personnel, perfectly trained in the use of modern technology machinery.

Ramp Handling

This type of assistance on the ground is basically concerned with the maintenance and care of aircraft of all types, whether they are a passenger, cargo or general aviation.

For this reason, normally, together with the operators of ground handling services, specialised technicians and mechanics work in charge of the mechanical issues of the equipment, and that they solve possible faults or a malfunction of some component, in the case that such circumstances occur. These personnel carry out the pre-flight inspections and report the incidents to the crew during the preparations for the flight.

The ramp handling service starts once the aircraft has landed, and the first step is to park it in the place previously assigned by the airport authorities.

On many occasions, the aircraft will require a towing vehicle, especially when it is a position far from the terminal building, to tow it, and universal tow-bars will be used for this purpose.

Once the aircraft is secured, the specialised personnel is responsible for carrying out a complete verification so that it is ready to fly again as soon as possible. This cycle between a landing and the next take-off is called rotation.

Parking Positions

A parking position, which allows to fulfil its two basic functions - the permanence of the airplane and service- must have certain minimum dimensions, depending on the size of the aircraft, of a suitable resistance pavement and of facilities that allow realising the services and minor maintenance work.

These facilities and services are:

• Supply of fuel. The refuelling can be done through boxes, equipped with hose, spool, filter and air suppressor; by piping with a spout; or by mobile tanks.
• Supply of electric power. It can be done through connection points flush with the pavement and well away from the fuel lines.
• Road roads. They are necessary for the numerous service vehicles.
• Take of land. They are essential to avoid static electricity discharges that can cause fires.

Ramp Handling Equipment

In order to carry out its task effectively, operators of aircraft ground support services have equipment of very different types, as we have detailed previously. This auxiliary equipment can be classified into two groups: fixed and mobile equipment. The fixed machinery consists of equipment installed on the ground of the airport itself and have the advantage that they reduce considerably the always dangerous traffic of vehicles rolled, in addition to that they are usually in general installations of great power. In contrast, the equipment installed in vehicles, many of which have been designed specifically for this purpose, allows greater freedom and facilitates assistance in remote or distant positions; in this way, we proceed to recharge the electrical and hydraulic systems of the airplane.

Treatment Of Passengers

The passage must be taken to the corresponding terminal. Staff and specialised media are responsible for providing passengers with the transfer to their destination terminal.

The most frequently used means are the use of extensively glazed buses or the mobile telescopic runways -fingers-, with which the apparatus is linked to the airport terminal itself. On the other hand, the baggage and where appropriate, the cargo transported must also be properly landed.

Cargo Handling

Cargo handling refers to the one who deals with the treatment and handling of the goods. The discharge of these and, of course, also their load is done with the help of mechanical means of different types, which contribute to significantly speed up these operations. Thanks to the mechanical ramps, the use of cargo containers, electric elevators and other means, the personnel in charge can easily reduce loading and unloading times, allowing a rapid rotation and with it a good economical use of the company's resources.

The Catering Service

This service represents a peculiar type of handling since it does not constitute a service that is provided entirely on land.

In effect, the food served on the aircraft is enjoyed during the flight, but its loading and subsequent disembarkation are done during the ramp handling. The food of the catering is pre-cooked, and only requires a minimum preparation that takes place in the kitchens available to the aircraft, - this usually consists of its simple heating.