Aircraft Ground Handling

Subash S Narayanan

• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9789948373704
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Aviation
• Index: Technology & Engineering

The book conveys in an easy-to-understand language the most complicated, critical knowledge and processes involved in aircraft ground handling. At the same time, the book gives an overview of the airport, the multitude of agencies operating or servicing the airport, basic or core aviation knowledge that is necessary for anyone interested in pursuing a career in this industry. The book also supports enthusiasts or professionals interested to gain collaborative understanding from related fields. This is due to the commonness of some processes and attitudes. It brings about the culmination of over 26 years of experience and qualification in various fields of the civil aviation industry. One of the most important and crucial of all airport functions is aircraft ground handling, which is performed by ground handling companies or agents (GHA). GHAs perform their functions under strict international/national regulations and requirements. The book brings out the most important sections of aircraft ground handling of the GHA, the functions and processes involved. It also entails the base knowledge and related factors required to perform the services to a customer airline. There are critical processes, highly skilled manpower requirements and specialised equipment that are involved within ground handling at an airport to ensure a safe, punctual, most efficient and economical operation. This book entails to cover as much as possible some of those critical functions. Although the technology/processes uses local rules and regulations, the airport structure may vary from one to another, region to another, but the basics remain an everlasting requirement. This book is bringing forth that knowledge and understanding to the reader, thus empowering him/her.

Chapter I

Ramp Staff

Introduction

It important to look at the most important ingredient for a quality ground handling service before we begin the actual study of the various sections of the ground operations department – staff. For any operation or work it is necessary to have the right person to do it. The right personnel are not just qualified but have the right attitude and positive outlook. Before examining and studying the different sections of ground operations services department, there are a few very crucial personal aspects and general ramp knowledge required by ramp staff, which will become apparent as we move along through various chapters. It will form the basis for good service to customer airlines, indirectly affecting passengers and directly affecting other departments’ functions also. As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of people from different organizations, capacities, and backgrounds working on the ramp, so this chapter is to introduce to you the frame of mind or attitude desirable for a true professional when interacting with other co-workers and organizational colleagues.

At an airport with 24 hours’ operations, in the ground handling organization, unlike most other organizations, work goes on 24 hours a day, 365 days an year, whatever the weather, with constant interaction between the medium level management to the lowest level of the organization during this time. No matter how much technology, latest equipment, or technical training is provided to staff, the important attributes mentioned in this chapter will make the difference and take the organization that extra mile in terms of quality ground handling at an airport. Although desirable behavior or attitude or habits cannot be taught, suggestions can be made and the individual should make an effort towards gaining them. Please note, just like you can draw indefinite lines through a dot, so are opinions of each individual concerning behavior/attitude of a person. What one feels appropriate may not be the case for another. The following lines of personnel behavior and attitudes are compiled from experiences gained and interpreted over many years, working on the ramp in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-religious workforce or environment. A “can do” and “will do” attitude is to be cultivated, always required, and desirable.

Chapter Contents

The ramp staff attitude and behavior

Personal grooming

Health

Performance feedback; managing conflicts and negotiations.

Performance review and promotions.

**********

Ramp Staff Attitude and Behavior

Nowadays it is more correct to say that the staff comes first for an organization. An ideal organization is not where a few at the top do all the thinking and decision making while those at the lower level follow the instructions. Employees are encouraged to stimulate their initiative, and self-reliance and accountability at all levels is cultivated. Everyone must contribute to the success of the organization; it is the fruit of their achievement and both will benefit mutually.

Organizations have corporate goals and aims and so department objectives, goals/aims are formulated to complement the corporate goal/aim. It is important to align individual professional goals/aims with the departmental objectives as well. The ability to shape our future lies in our hands at the present. There is a tendency for some to blame fate, internal policies, internal politics, organizational set up, etc. for their inadequacies or failures. This is professionally fatal or reduces the person to a vegetative state with no development or contribution or negative growth. It robs them of the power to reason, to have a dream, to choose a plan to realize that dream, and aggressively pursue that dream till it becomes a reality. Blaming superiors, policies, wrong perceptions, and internal politics for lack of progress up the organization ladder can be a common trend among some staff, and all new employees should also understand that just completing their job is not enough. They should ask a few questions, like,

1. What additional qualification/experience have I got/gained (or would like to gain going forward) during the time I have been in the job? Since there are new procedures, technologies, and curricula coming into the aviation industry, it is the necessity of the staff to keep themselves educated. As the organization may only train you for you to be in the job due to the costs involved and give options for developmental education, it is your responsibility to ameliorate your professional and academic qualifications continuously.
2. Have I shown more than the required level of sustained enthusiasm, innovation, and motivation in my current job? Here enthusiasm is other than doing the assigned job quickly and correctly, rather your willingness to take on additional work or responsibilities with fervor. Innovation is to find a new and better method of doing something or to find a better solution to a problem. Motivation is a person’s inner drive and desire to obtain the next higher satisfaction.
3. How well do I adapt to change? Change is constant in our environment, people must learn how to change as well if they hope to adapt successfully to an unpredictable future. Here change means in practical terms, your ability to accept and adapt to a new and better procedure or set of tasks to accomplish your job, whether the change is enforced or suggested by your superiors or junior staff.
4. Can I guarantee complete satisfaction to my superiors or customer airlines when it comes to my work or any assignment put forward? You must be able to take your responsibilities seriously and if required, at times put it above everything else.
5. Do I have the support of my colleagues / junior staff and is there mutual motivation?

The answers to all of the above will automatically tell you if you are capable, and for new employees it will provide the mindset for their way forward in the company. Today more and more organizations are taking a friendly and considerate approach towards their employees, but there is another common tendency to find fault and be critical of the policies of the company. As an employee, you should exercise positive thinking and acting. This will increase your contribution and the feedback from your surroundings will also be positive. You will receive positive or negative feedback in direct proportion to how well you satisfy the departmental objectives/goals. What you must understand is that it is in your best interest, for both the present and long term, to perform appropriately and create an edge over others to offer the best service. Another important action required is to empower yourself with additional knowledge and experience, which will enable your superiors to move you to higher responsibilities. Thus, our thoughts and actions shape our future, and the interesting point is that we can fully control both. Now you must understand that the only limiting factor in your life is your present thinking, which involves purposeful use of your imagination and accepting responsibility for everything that happens to you. A classic example of positive thinking is that of the half-filled glass. There are two answers to it, one person may say the glass is only half full and another might say that it is half empty. Here the person saying the first statement is thinking positively.

Interactions

To be successful in any field, it is important to have the appropriate knowledge, behavior, its skillful application, together with success in human relations. At an airport operations service, there is always someone working over you and below you and the ideal working environment is where people mutually motivate one another. Here our direct customer is the airline and the indirect customers are the passengers. So as a staff you will have to interact with your superiors, the airline managers, airline staff, passengers, your junior staff, and other departments or organization employees. In some airports each will be from various backgrounds, cultures, follow other traditions, languages, etc. So the frame of mind to approach them and interacting with each will be different, but you must portray a true professional attitude at all time. You should not expect to get a favorable or professional response always from any of the people mentioned. It will be in the best interest of your organization and above all yourself that you do not reciprocate with a negative response.

For example, due to a shortfall in the service provided, you are faced with a shouting or angry customer, with only minutes to complete your job strictly as per the manuals and instructions, the weather being humid and several people calling for an update on the status of your on-ground flight, the pressure inside your head maybe a thousand times more than what you can handle. It is easy to lose control, but very difficult to remain calm and objective-oriented. In this case you have to attentively listen to him, calm the customer, make him feel that you fully understand the situation, you are genuinely eager to do whatever is possible to control the damage caused and complete your job satisfactorily. Inform him of the facts and the steps being taken for service recovery and steps that will be taken to make sure to avoid recurrence. This form of calm and professional approach will foster good relations and will be suitable in the long run, as you may have to work closely in the future.

The factors on the ramp that have a negative influence on the performance and attitude of a ramp staff, in increasing order of importance, are,

1. Climatic conditions. Hot, humid, rain etc…
2. Lack of proper infrastructure or tools to do his work.
3. Customers lacking professional knowledge but questioning that of the staff and getting no support from superiors.
4. Lack of understanding (personal, empathy, sympathy) from superiors.
5. Lack of proper intervals/rest between flights and not being able to leave on time for home after the shift due multiple flights or busy ramp conditions.
6. Reduced ground times, when a flight comes delayed and staff are pressured to do the normal amount of work in less time. This is done by some airlines to gain some time to offset the effect of the delay to its schedule.
7. Duty call-up at short notice and compulsion to work extra hours.

So, before leaving home for work, you must program your mind to expect some of the above factors and build immunity to any negative effects these might have on your performance, work, and attitude. It should not affect your relationship or interaction with your superiors, colleagues, and customer airlines. Above all, it must not have any negative effect on your work as it has a direct impact on the safety of others working on the ramp and the safety of the passengers and aircraft crew. Hence, at any time if you feel any of the factors mentioned above are overwhelming and will affect your performance or work, stop and talk to your superiors. Escalate the matter if necessary. But do not get pressurized. The risk you take is not worth it because remember, you are responsible for what you do. Although your work is part of a long chain of planning and actions of many people, safety is the paramount consideration here. So, if an error is committed by someone along the line, ultimately, it may be possible for you to detect it in time. Take corrective steps while performing your functions correctly and take actions that will make the difference, ensuring the flight departs and reaches its destination safely, profitably, and punctually. The final responsibility is yours. Some ways to prepare a mental blockade or fighting off these de-motivating factors can be,

1. By taking it as a challenge to perform even better. Sometimes, over time, when you are faced with the same problem day after day or flight after flight, your mental resolve might be worn out. If this happens, you can draw inspiration from past successful experiences, where your efforts had made a difference. It does not matter whether you received appreciation for it or not, but above everything, the personal high feeling, the mental happiness and satisfaction you had felt is more than enough. Take it as an opportunity to give a plus point to yourself in your mental score board.
2. Imagine all the days when you went home after work with a feeling of complete satisfaction and the smile you had on your face for facing up to the challenges faced during the shift and performing your job better than anybody else.
3. The understanding between you and your superiors, that he can count on you to do the job, no matter what, and if required, go that extra mile is also a motivator.
4. Personal gains or recognition such as rewards, promotions, recognition from colleagues, letters of appreciation etc.
5. Job satisfaction and love for it should be sufficient.
6. Finally, never take work worries or tensions home. You must exercise, especially through outdoor activities, and spent quality time with friends and family.

When you are assigned a task by your superior, ask as many questions as possible, don’t be put off if he is unapproachable, because you might get some information which is important and can help you in completing the task. If he gets irritated, talk to him calmly, making him understand that it would be mutually beneficial if the task is completed quickly and perfectly. As per the procedures, if you think you are right, you have all the right to put your foot down. Always avoid escalating a disagreement or argument into becoming a confrontation. You as a professional in the field can fully control and steer any conversation or argument to a mutually agreeable settlement. For this avoid the stumbling blocks in any professional talks such as personal remarks, pre-conceived liking or disliking of the person or his background, lack of knowledge or information on the situation/matter and of course, wrong ...

Table of contents

• Aircraft Ground Handling
• About the Author
• About the Cover
• Dedication
• Copyright Information ©
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Chapter I
• Chapter II
• Chapter III
• Chapter IV
• Chapter V
• Chapter VI
• Chapter VII
• Chapter VIII
• Chapter IX
• Chapter X
• References
• Disclaimer