This document provides information about ground handling services at airports. It discusses the major categories of ground handling which include onboard servicing, ramp service, passenger service, and field services. It also describes the types of powered equipment used like tugs, tractors, refuelers, and belt loaders. Non-powered equipment such as chocks, dollies, and belts are also outlined. Finally, it provides a layout of typical ground handling operations when an aircraft arrives and departs.

1. Aircraft
Ground
Handling
- Akash Deep Nair
19 August 2016

2. Ground Handling Services
Equipments Used
Table of contents
Non Powered Equipments
Powered Equipments
Layout of Operations
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

3. 1. On Board servicing
1. Catering Service
2. Cabin Service
2. Ramp Service
3. Passenger Service
4. Field Services
Major categories of ground
handling services
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

4. 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.
Other services are
• Minor servicing of cabin fittings
• Alteration of seat configuration
• Cleaning of carpet area and
seats
Cabin Service
Onboard Servicing
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

5. 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.
Catering Service
Onboard Servicing
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

6. • Guiding the aircraft in 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)
• Air start units (for starting engines)
• Luggage handling, usually by means of belt loaders and baggage
carts
• Gate checked luggage, often handled on the tarmac
as passengers disembark
Ramp Service
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7. • 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 air stairs, some budget
airlines use both to improve turnaround speed)
• Wheelchair lifts, if required
• Hydraulic mules (units that provide hydraulic power to an aircraft
externally)
• De-icing
Ramp Service
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

8. Ramp Service
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9. 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.
Passenger Service
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

10. This service dispatches the aircraft, maintains communication with
the rest of the airline operation at the airport and with Air Traffic
Control.
Field Services
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11. Ground Handling Services
Equipments
Table of contents
Non Powered Equipments
Powered Equipments
Layout of Operations
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

12. Equipments
Equipments
Non - Powered
Equipments
Powered
Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

13. Ground Handling Services
Equipments
Table of contents
Powered Equipments
Non Powered Equipments
Layout of Operations
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

14. Forklifts: they are used to carry pallets especially when ground
handling operations deal with freight.
Powered Equipments
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15. 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.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

16. Tugs & 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.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

17. 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.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

18. GPU: 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.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

19. Buses: Buses are used to move people from the terminal to
either an aircraft or another terminal.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

20. 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.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

21. Potable Water Trucks: They 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.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

22. 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'.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

23. 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. This is done with the help of
the Catering vehicle. 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.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

24. 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
Powered Equipments
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25. 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.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

26. 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.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

27. Steps: Passenger boarding stairs, sometimes referred to as air-stairs,
boarding ramps, stair car or aircraft steps, provide a mobile means to
traverse between the aircraft doors and the ground. Because larger
aircraft have door sills 5 to 20 feet high, stairs facilitate safe boarding and
deplaning. Smaller units are generally moved by being towed or pushed,
while larger units are self-powered. Most models have adjustable height
to accommodate various aircraft. Optional features may include
canopies, heating, supplementary lighting, and a red carpet for VIP
passengers
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

28. Transporters: Transporters are cargo platforms constructed so
that, beside loading and unloading containers, they can also can
transport the cargo. These are used to carry ULD
(Unit Load Devices), Pallets etc.
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

29. Air Rescue & Firefighting (ARFF): Aircraft rescue and firefighting
(ARFF) is a special category of firefighting that involves the
response, hazard mitigation, evacuation and possible rescue of
passengers and crew of an aircraft involved in (typically) an
airport ground emergency
Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

30. Ground Handling Services
Equipments
Table of contents
Powered Equipments
Non Powered Equipments
Layout of Operations
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

31. Dollies: Dollies are used for the transportation of loose baggage(s), over-sized
baggage(s), mail bags, loose cargo carton boxes, etc. between the aircraft and the
terminal or sorting facility.
Non-Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

32. Belts: they are used mostly to carrying smaller loads and baggage when
they are not packed in containers.
Non-Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

33. Chocks: 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.
Non-Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

34. Airport 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.
Non-Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

35. 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.
Non-Powered Equipments
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

36. Ground Handling Services
Equipments Used
Table of contents
Non Powered Equipments
Powered Equipments
Layout of Operations
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

37. 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.
Layout Of Operations
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

38. Layout of Operations
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

39. Aircraft Lands
Marshalling
Aircraft Stops
Tripod Jack InChocks In
Aero-Bridge/Steps Belt Loaders
(Unloading)
Lavatory Vehicle GPU (if required)
De/Anti-icing
(if required)
Belt Loaders
(Loading)
Catering
Vehicle
Refuelers Buses
(if Steps are used)
Cargo
Loaders
Water
Trucks
ASU
(if required)
Chocks Out Tripod Jack Out
Aircraft Starts
Marshalling
Aircraft Takes-off
Process of Operations
ArrivalOperationsDepartureOperations
 AKASH DEEP NAIR

40. Thank You 