2. SEATWORK (1/2 crosswise)
1. What do you mean by Ground handling?
2. Why do you think it is necessary to study this
subject?
3. Cite some importance of ground handling in the
airline operation.
4. The major categories of
ground handling services
are described below.
1. Cabin Service
2. Catering
3. Ramp Service
4. Passenger Service
5. Field Operation
5. Cabin Service
The primary aim of this service offering is to ensure
passenger comfort. While cabin cleaning
comprises the bulk of the effort, it also includes
tasks such as replenishing onboard consumables
(soap, tissues, toilet paper, reading materials) and
washable items like pillows and blankets.
6. 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.
Airline meals are typically delivered 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 the air.
7. Ramp Service
• Guiding the aircraft into and out of the parking position (by
way of aircraft marshalling),
• Towing with pushback tractors
• Lavatory drainage
• Water cartage (typically non-potable for lavatory sink use)
• Air conditioning (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
8. • Air cargo handling, usually by means of cargo dollies and
cargo loaders
• Catering trucks
• Refueling, which may be done with a refueling tanker
truck or refueling 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)
• Deicing
9. 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.
10. Field Operation
This service dispatches the aircraft, maintains communication
with the rest of the airline operation at the airport and with Air
Traffic Control.
11. Air traffic control
Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by
ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the
ground and through controlled airspace, and can
provide advisory services to aircraft in non-
controlled airspace.
The primary purpose of ATC worldwide is to prevent
collisions, organize and expedite the flow of traffic,
and provide information and other support
for pilots. In some countries, ATC plays a security or
defensive role, or is operated by the military.
12. Ground handling
operations
1. Overview
We can distinguish two major types of ground
handling procedures which are designated as
either terminal or airside operations.
13. First, we should define the whole range of
operations that ground handlers deal with. The
following list is an exhaustive for common
commercial flights:
16. On-ramp aircraft services
Repair of faults, fueling, wheel and tire check
Ground power supply
Deicing, cooling/heating
Toilet servicing, Potable water, demineralized water
Routine maintenance
Non-routine maintenance
Cleaning of cockpit windows, wings, nacelles and cabin
windows
17. Onboard servicing
Cleaning
Catering
In-flight entertainment
Minor servicing of cabin fittings
Alteration of seat configuration
18. External ramp equipment
Passenger steps
Catering loaders
Cargo loaders, mail and equipment loading
19. Obviously, ground handling management has to deal with
very diverse tasks. Preferably, these operations are performed
simultaneously to decrease ground time and thus to increase
aircraft productivity. Airlines pay at the most part for the
delays that their aircrafts experience.
20. Therefore, they strongly emphasizes the time-
efficiency of ground operations provided either
by themselves, or the airport authority or
independent companies. It makes the task even
tougher for ground handlers whose efficiency
relies on technology-advanced equipment,
coordination of staff and information support
systems.
21. 2. Equipment
In terms of ground handling equipment, we found out that
available products are numerous. It would not be very
relevant to analyze thoroughly every company with all their
products.
22. The list below summarizes what equipment is
basically required:
23. Tow-bars: they make it possible to tow a given aircraft by a
tractor which is clipped to the bar. The main advantage is
that you need only one type of tractor to tow all types of
aircrafts. The main disadvantage is the high number of staff
required to fix the bar to the aircraft.
24. Push-back tractors: it is a good alternative to tow aircrafts as
tow-bars are not always required. On the other hand, these
devices are much more expensive than universal tractors
coupled with tow-bars.
25. Forklifts: they are used to carry pallets especially when ground
handling operations deal with freight.
27. GPU: these units provide aircrafts with electric energy. They
can be either mobile or static. Therefore, GPU are used more
and more often. The energy source of mobile units is mostly
diesel.
28. Loader: They are used to carrying heavy loads between 3.5
and 14 tons. This can include baggage containers.
29. Dollies: Are used for the transportation of loose baggages,
over-sized baggages, mail bags, loose cargo carton boxes,
etc. between the aircraft and the terminal or sorting facility.
30. Belts: they are used mostly to carrying smaller loads and
baggage when they are not packed in containers.
33. 3. Operational analysis
a. Layout of operations
As we can see on figure 7, ground handling is a
multi-task procedure. Since managers want to
save some money for the airlines they work for,
they endeavor to perform simultaneously as
many operations as they can.
34.
35. Legend: 1) Taxiway 2) Aircraft stand 3) Aircraft stand marking
4) Aircraft stand clearance line 5) Aircraft clearance line 6)
Movement area jetway 7) Fuel hydrant pit 8) Parking space
ground handling equipment with height restriction 9) Parking
space ground handling equipment 10) Access/exit 11)
Jetway
37. Non-powered equipment:
Dollies
are used for the transportation of loose baggages, over-sized
baggages, mail bags, loose cargo carton boxes, etc.
between the aircraft and the terminal or sorting facility.
38. Chocks are used to prevent an aircraft from moving while parked at
the gate or in a hangar. Chocks are placed in the front and
back of the wheels of landing gear. They are made out of
hard wood or hard rubber.
39. Aircraft Tripod Jack
They are used to support a parked aircraft to prevent their tail
from drooping or even falling to the ground. When the
passengers in the front get off an aircraft, the aircraft
becomes tail heavy and the tail will droop. Using the jack is
optional and not every aircraft need it.
40.
41. Powered equipment:
Refuelers
Aircraft refuelers can be either a self-contained fuel truck, or a
hydrant truck or cart. Fuel trucks are self-contained, typically
containing up to 10,000 US gallons of fuel and have their own
pumps, filters, hoses, and other equipment.
42.
43. Tugs and tractors
The tugs and tractors at an airport have several purposes and
represent the essential part of ground support services. They
are used to move all equipment that can not move itself. This
includes bag carts, mobile air conditioning units, air starters,
and lavatory carts.
44. Ground power units
A ground power unit (GPU) is a vehicle capable of supplying
power to aircraft parked on the ground. Ground power units
may also be built into the jetway, making it even easier to
supply electrical power to aircraft.
45. Buses
are used to move people from the terminal to
either an aircraft or another terminal.
46. Container loader
Container loaders, also known as cargo loaders or "K loaders",
are used for the loading and unloading of containers and
pallets into and out of aircraft.
47. Potable water trucks
Potable water trucks are special vehicles that
provide reliability and consistency in the delivery
of quality water to an aircraft. The water is filtered
and protected from the elements while being
stored on the vehicle. A pump in the vehicle
assists in moving the water from the truck to the
aircraft.
48.
49. Lavatory service vehicles
Lavatory service vehicles empty and refill lavatories onboard
aircraft. Waste is stored in tanks on the aircraft until these
vehicles can empty them and remove the waste. After the
tank is emptied, it is refilled with a mixture of water and a
disinfecting concentrate, commonly called 'blue juice'.
50.
51. Catering vehicle
Catering includes the unloading of unused food
and drink from the aircraft, and the loading of
fresh food and drinks for passengers and crew.
The meals are typically delivered in standardized
carts. Meals are prepared mostly on the ground in
order to minimize the amount of preparation
(apart from chilling or reheating) required in the
air.
52.
53. Air Start Unit (ASU)
An air start unit is a vehicle with a built-in gas
turbine engine which gives the necessary
quantity of high-pressure air to start the engine
54. Belt loaders
Belt loaders are vehicles with conveyor belts for
unloading and loading of baggage and cargo
onto aircraft. A belt loader is positioned at the
door sill of an aircraft hold (baggage
compartment) during operation.
55.
56. De/anti-icing vehicles
The procedure of de/anti-icing, protection from
fluids freezing up on aircraft, is done from special
vehicles. A hose sprays a special mixture that
melts current ice on the aircraft and also prevents
some ice from building up while waiting on the
ground.
57.
58. Ramp service
This includes services on the ramp or apron, such as:
1. Guiding the aircraft into and out of the parking position (by
way of aircraft marshalling),
2. Towing with pushback tractors
3. Lavatory drainage
4. Water cartage (typically non-potable for lavatory sink use)
5. Air conditioning (more common for smaller aircraft)
59. 6. Airstart units (for starting engines)
7. Luggage handling, usually by means
of beltloaders and baggage carts
8. Gate checked luggage
9. Air cargo handling, usually by means of cargo dollies and
cargo loaders
10. Catering trucks
11. Refueling, which may be done with a refueling tanker truck
or refueling pumper
60. 12. Ground power (so that engines need not be running to
provide aircraft power on the ground)
13. Passenger stairs (used instead of an aerobridge or airstairs,
some budget airlines use both to improve turnaround speed)
14. Wheelchair lifts, if required
15. Hydraulic mules (units that provide hydraulic power to an
aircraft externally)
16. Deicing
61. List of notable handling
agents worldwide:
ASIA
Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Airport Services
- Jardine Aviation Services
Japan
- All Nippon Airways
- Japan Airport Ground Handling
- Japan Airport Service Co.,Ltd.
62. Korea
- Korea Airport Service
Singapore
- SATS Ltd
Taiwan
- Evergreen Airlines Service
- Taiwan Airport Service Co., Ltd.
Turkey
- Çelebi
-Turkish Ground Services
63. EUROPE
United Kingdom
- Aviance UK
- Aircraft Service International Group
- Menzies Aviation
Belgium
- Aviapartner
Lietuva/Lithuania
- Baltic Ground Services
64. Sweden
- SAS Ground Handling
Switzerland
- Swissport
- Servisair
65. MIDDLE EAST
Dnata
Egypt Air Ground Services
Oman Air
Shaheen Airport Services
66. NORTH AMERICA
Mexico
- Kion de Mexico
United States
- DAL Global Services
- Envoy Air
- Regional Elite Airline Services
- Universal Aviation
- Worldwide Flight Services
