Ground handling involves servicing an aircraft while it is parked at an airport terminal. It includes tasks like cleaning the cabin, refueling, de-icing, catering, marshaling the plane into and out of the gate, and providing passenger services. Many airlines outsource some or all ground handling to airports, other airlines or third-party handling agents to reduce costs and resources needed at each location. Efficiency is important to minimize aircraft turnaround times between flights.

1. Aircraft ground handling
In aviation, aircraft ground handling defines the
servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and
(usually) parked at a terminal gate of an airport.

2. • Overview
• Icelandair plane being serviced by another
airline; SAS at Gardermoen 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.[1] 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).[2]
• A ground-handling tug pulls a British Airways Boeing 747-
400 at London Heathrow Airport, England

3. • 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.[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.[3] Airlines may also contract for ground
handling services under non-standard terms.

4. • 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.
• Cabin service[edit]
• These services ensure passenger comfort. The
cabin cleaning is the main job in the cabin
service. They include such tasks as cleaning the
passenger cabin and replenishment of on-board
consumables or washable items such as soap,
pillows, tissues and blankets.

5. • KLM's KLM Catering in Stages
• LSG Sky Chefs
• Q Catering
• Servair
• Thai Airways's Thai Catering Services
• United Airlines
Ramp service
Luggage downloading
• A British Airways aircraft being refueled

6. • Pushback tractor and a ground power unit
• Lavatory drainage
• 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
• Lavatory drainage
• Water cartage (to refill fresh water tanks)
• Air conditioning (more common for smaller aircraft)
• Airstart units (for starting engines)
• Luggage handling, usually by means
of beltloaders and baggage carts

7. • Gate checked luggage, often handled on the tarmac as
passengers disembark
• 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 refuelling 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

8. • Passenger service[edit]
• 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.
• Field operation service[edit]
• This service dispatches the aircraft, maintains communication with the
rest of the airline operation at the airport and with Air Traffic Control.
• List of notable handling agents[edit]
• Jetex Flight Support
• Aircraft Service International Group

9. • Aviance UK
• Aviapartner
• Baltic Ground Services
• DAL Global Services
• Dnata
• Envoy Air
• Executive Airlines
• Interlink Aviation Services, Ltd.
• Jardine Aviation Services
• Kion de Mexico
• Menzies Aviation
• Myanma Airways
• Regional Elite Airline Services
• SAS Ground Handling
• SATS Ltd
• Servisair
• Shaheen Airport Services (SAPS)
• Swissport
• Universal Aviation

10. • 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.
• 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)
• American Airlines
• Atlas Catering (Royal Air Maroc's catering service)
• Cara Operations
• Cathay Pacific's Cathay Pacific Catering Services
• Chelsea Food Services
• Gate Gourmet