Ground handling processes

The main GH procedures for a complete turnaround layout are:

 Passengers: deboarding/boarding.

 Potable water service

 Push back.

 Ground power.

 Ground air preconditioning.

 Pre-flight inspections.

 De-/anti-icing.

GH activities are carried out in the following way:

After landing and the subsequent taxiing to the parking position, the personnel sets the parking brakes of the aircraft on.

Since the aircraft is on blocks, the operators connect the Ground Power Unit (GPU) to supply power while the aircraft is on ground and the engines are shut off. All aircraft require 28V of direct current and 200V 400 Hz of alternating current. The Ground Air Preconditioning Unit is connected if necessary.

In case the apron is close to the passenger terminal a passenger bridge links the aircraft cabin with the terminal and it is placed in the correct position. When the aircraft is parked further away from the terminal, in a remote apron, the boarding stairs, also called air stairs, need to be situated. Once the air stairs/bridge is positioned the passengers deboarding starts. In case of remote apron, the passengers are taken by busses or directly walk from the aircraft to the terminal.

At the same time, a belt or ground loader is driven up to the compartment in the bottom of the aircraft, to help in unloading/loading process. If the baggage is stored into containers the ground loader is used, a special loader described in the Chapter 2.4. Otherwise, if the luggage is stored without containers - known as bulk - a belt loader is used. Baggage carts, moved by a tractor, are used to transport the luggage from the aircraft to the terminal. The unloading/loading process is independent to the rest of processes, whenever the equipment

does not disturb the other tasks. Stowage of baggage and cargo is regulated by JAR-OPS 1.270: “Stowage of baggage and cargo“, within the JAA region. (JAR-OPS 2007)

Once the passengers are deboarded, cleaning and catering activities begins, as they are usually performed simultaneously in the aircraft cabin.

The catering takes place by substituting the trolleys.

The cleaning service performs the emptying, brushing and vacuum cleaning of the interiors of the aircraft. This type of cleaning is characterised by a high concentration of physical activities in time and space in a confined workspace (due to maximisation of carrying capacities and comfort of passengers). (Stavenhagen 2002)

LCA performs a simple cleaning, which consist in a quickly check of the seats and toilets carried out by the cabin crew.

For an intensive cleaning, the conventional airlines prefer to contract expertise companies in cabin cleaning. Each team member of the service is assigned to each section of the plane and with a specific duty, such us vacuuming, exchanging pillows, removing trash, cleaning lavatories or galleys, etc. (Stavenhagen 2002)

Although cleaning and catering crews very often have the possibility to enter the aircraft through the after (AFT) service door, working while deboarding is still going on in forward (FWD) service door, it is considered by most airlines as unacceptable due to customer service reasons, as the GH activities inside the aircraft might disturb the passengers. Due to the same reasons cleaning and catering processes obviously need to be finished before passenger boarding can start.

At similar time, when the passengers deboarding is finished, the water tanks are loaded or vacuumed, case of potable water or waste water respectively. The valves of both tanks are very close situated at the tail cone of the aircraft. Because of this, the potable water and lavatory vehicle cannot operate at the same time.

The potable water vehicle is the first renewing the tank, following by the lavatory vehicle. For hygienic reasons, the order must be this and not the opposite. (IATA 2009)

Lavatory service vehicles empty and refill lavatories onboard aircraft. Waste is stored in tanks on the aircraft until these vehicles can empty them and get rid of the waste. Instead of a self-powered vehicle, some airports have lavatory carts, which are smaller and must be pulled by tractor.

Remove and refill potable water is performed within the same procedure.

Aircraft refuel servicing is the transfer of a flammable or combustible liquid fuel between a bulk storage system and the fuel tanks of the aircraft. The transfer is usually accomplished by using a tank truck or a hydrant vehicle, latter hooks into a central pipeline network and provides fuel to the aircraft.

Where large volumes of fuel are being regularly transferred into aircraft the fixed hydrant system should be strongly considered. A fixed hydrant system provides a safer refuelling of the aircraft and the large refuelling trucks could cause interference of the air traffic side. Fixed hydrant systems are typically found at larger international airports.

Under certain conditions and additional safety regulations, refuelling can be performed while passengers are on board of, deboarding or boarding the aircraft. Within the JAA region is regulated by JAR-OPS 1.305: “Refuelling/defuelling with passengers embarking, on board or disembarking” (JAR-OPS 2007), which can locally be supplemented by national regulations in JAA member countries. These regulations require airlines to apply additional safety measures, which increases the workload of the cabin crew and complicates simultaneous performance of other ground handling processes. Due to these reasons, airlines typically prefer not to refuel during the passenger boarding or deboarding process.

After the cleaning, the new passengers are boarded into the aircraft. At the same time, the ground staff performs the rest of activities: pre-flight inspection, push-back preparation, disconnecting and reallocating equipment and trucks.

Finally the passenger bridge/stairs can be removal. Also the ground power can be disconnected at this time point, if the crew uses the APU. In case a de-/anti-icing process needs to be performed at the gate, it is the last GH activity to take place before the removal of the blocks and the end of the turnaround.

The aircraft is removed from blocks with the pushback operation. The pushback is carried out by special, low-profile vehicles called pushback tugs. Within the JAA region is regulated by JAR-OPS 1.308: “Push back and Towing”. (JAR-OPS 2007)

More details and information about the GH processes are described in Chapter 5.

The following figure is an illustrative example of a typical ramp layout.

Figure 2.1 Turnaround chart of the B737 – 700 (Boeing 2005)