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Inaviation,aircraft ground handling or ground operations defines the servicing of anaircraft while it is on the ground and (usually) parked at aterminal gate of anairport.
Manyairlinessubcontract 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.[1] Ground handling addresses the many service requirements of anairliner 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).[2] Faster turnarounds for lower ground times are correlated to better profits.[3]
Airlines with less-frequent service or fewer resources at a particular location sometimes subcontract ground handling or on-callaircraft maintenance to another airline, as it is a short-term cheaper alternative to setting up its own ground handling or maintenance capabilities.[citation needed]
Airlines may participate in an industry-standard Mutual Assistance Ground Service Agreement (MAGSA). The MAGSA is published by theAir 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.[citation needed] 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.[4] 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.[citation needed]
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Services related to aircraft cleanliness and passenger comfort:
Catering includes the unloading of unused food and drink from the aircraft, and theloading of fresh food and drink for passengers and crew. In flightairline meals are delivered at the seats inairline 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 anddivested themselves of the companies, or haveoutsourced their catering to third-party companies. Airline catering sources include the following companies:
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This includes services on theramp or apron, such as:
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This includes services inside theairport terminal such as:
This service dispatches the aircraft, maintains communication with the rest of the airline operation at the airport and withAir Traffic Control.[citation needed]
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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 PacificHong 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 AirwaysJAL Ground ServiceJapan Airport Ground HandlingJapan Airport Service Co., Ltd.International Air Cargo Terminal Co., Ltd.
Nepal Airlines – Kathmandu
Pakistan International AirlinesShaheen Airport Services (Pvt) LtdGerry’s dnata (Pvt) LtdRoyal Airport Services (Pvt) Ltd
Airmach Aviation 1 Aviation dnata PhilippinesMacroAsia 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 ServiceTaiwan Sky Ground Service Co., Ltd.
Wingspan Services Co., Ltd.BAGS Ground Services Co., Ltd.Andaman Aviation ServicesAOTGA AOT Ground Aviation Services Co., Ltd.
LGS Handling SWISSPORT
AIRPRO Aviator
Groupe Europe Handling 3S AlyziaAviapartner Ladybird Ground ServicesSamsic Assistance[7]Servair Elyxan Aviation
Goldair Skyserv Swissport hellas
Sky Handling Partner
Airport HandlingAviapartner Aviation Services Ags Handling
HAVAS Ground Handling Co.and others. Usually each airport in Russia has it own ground handling company
Turkish Ground ServicesHAVAS Ground Handling Co.Celebi Ground Handling Inc.FUGO Ground Handling Inc.
Airline Services American Airlines Handling (subsidiary ofAmerican Airlines)[8] Aviator Nordic Azzurra / Premiere Handling Blue Handling (joint venture betweenRyanair andOmniServ[9])British Airways Cobalt Ground Solutions[10]DHLDnata Gatwick Ground Services (subsidiary ofBritish Airways)[11]Jet2 HandlingMenzies Aviation Signature Flight Support[12]Star HandlingSwissport 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 GroupNew Star Aviation Servicesdnata (Also active in other countries)Egypt Air Ground Services
Saudi Private Aviation-SPASaudia CargoSaudia Ground Services-SGSHAVAS Ground Handling Co.
Oman AirShaheen Airport ServicesRoyal Airport Services Gerry's dnataAirways Flight Support Services
BAS (Bahrain Airport Services)
QAS (Qatar Aviation Services)
El Al Laufer GHIQAS (Quality Airport Services) Aerohandling
Swissport Airport Terminal Services (ATS)Menzies AviationGTA DnataAir NorthStrategic AviationGlobal AviationIronman HoldingsAllied AviationAir Canada
Kion de Mexico Aeromexico Servicios
Alliance Ground International and subsidiariesDnataG2 Secure StaffGAT Airline Ground SupportMcGee Air ServicesMenzies AviationSwissportTrego/Dugan AviationUnifi AviationUnited Ground ExpressWorldwide Flight Services (WFS)
Candysur S.A.
Media related toAircraft ground handling at Wikimedia Commons
