Aircraft ground handling

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.

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. 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). Faster turnarounds for lower ground times are correlated to better profits.

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. 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. 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.

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 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)

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
• Wheelchair lifts, if required
• Deicing

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.

This service dispatches the aircraft, maintains communication with the rest of the airline operation at the airport and with Air Traffic Control.

Turkey

• Jetmate Aviation

• Biman Bangladesh Airlines

• 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

• 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

• All Nippon Airways
• JAL Ground Service
• Japan Airport Ground Handling
• Japan Airport Service Co., Ltd.
• International Air Cargo Terminal Co., Ltd.

• Korea Airport Service
• Asiana Airport Service
• DongBo Airport Service

• Andaman Aviation Services

• Nepal Airlines – Kathmandu

• Pakistan International Airlines
• Shaheen Airport Services (Pvt) Ltd
• Gerry’s dnata (Pvt) Ltd
• Royal Airport Services (Pvt) Ltd

• SATS Ltd
• dnata Singapore
• Universal Aviation

• Airmach Aviation
• 1 Aviation
• dnata Philippines
• MacroAsia Airport Services Corporation
• MDFS PHILIPPINES
• Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions

• China Airlines Co., Ltd.
• Taoyuan International Airport Services Co., Ltd.
• Taiwan Airport Service Co., Ltd.
• Evergreen Airlines Service
• Taiwan Sky Ground Service Co., Ltd.

• Wingspan Services Co., Ltd.
• BAGS Ground Services Co., Ltd.
• Andaman Aviation Services
• AOTGA AOT Ground Aviation Services Co., Ltd.

• Earco Elite FBO

• Caribbean Aircraft Handling Co., Ltd.

• AJAS Aviation Services
• Eulen America
• GCG Ground Services Jamaica
• Jamaica Dispatch Services Ltd.

• Caribbean Aviation Management, Inc.

• Aviapartner

• LGS Handling
• CTT Aviation Ltd.
• SWISSPORT

• SAS Ground Handling

• AIRPRO
• Aviator

• Groupe Europe Handling
• 3S Alyzia
• Aviapartner
• Ladybird Ground Services
• Samsic Assistance
• Servair
• Elyxan Aviation

• Goldair
• Skyserv
• Swissport hellas

• Sky Handling Partner

• Airport Handling
• Aviapartner
• Aviation Services
• Ags Handling

• HAVAS Ground Handling Co.

• Baltic Ground Services
• Litcargus

• KLM groundhandling

• Menzies Aviation
• SAS Ground Handling

• Baltic Ground Services
• LS Airport Services
• Welcome Airport Services

• Groundforce Portugal
• Portway

• Sheremetyevo Handling
• Domodedovo Airport Handling

and others. Usually each airport in Russia has it own ground handling company

• SAS Ground Handling
• AVIATOR Ground Handling
• Menzies Aviation

• Swissport
• dnata
• AAS

• Turkish Ground Services
• HAVAS Ground Handling Co.
• Celebi Ground Handling Inc.
• FUGO Ground Handling Inc.

• Airline Services
• American Airlines Handling (subsidiary of American Airlines)
• Aviator Nordic
• Azzurra / Premiere Handling
• Blue Handling (joint venture between Ryanair and OmniServ)
• British Airways
• Cobalt Ground Solutions
• DHL
• Dnata
• Gatwick Ground Services (subsidiary of British Airways)
• Jet2 Handling
• Menzies Aviation
• Signature Flight Support
• Star Handling
• Swissport GB
• World Flight Services (WFS)
• Premiere Executive Handling Ltd
• ASC Handling Services

• 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

• Swissport
• Airport Terminal Services (ATS)
• Menzies Aviation
• GTA Dnata
• Air North
• Strategic Aviation
• Global Aviation
• Ironman Holdings
• Allied Aviation
• Air Canada

• ECASA

• Kion de Mexico
• Aeromexico Servicios

• 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

• Swissport
• Talma Servicios Aeroportuarios

• Candysur S.A.

• Swissport
• Oceania Aviation
• Dnata
• Menzies Ground Handling

• Flight kitchen
• Ground support equipment

• ISO 9001:2008—Quality management systems

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