Handling operations are often a 24-hour service that requires skilled workers, time management, industrial equipment and constant negotiation. Its importance lies in its contribution to the on-time performance of the airline.
Depending on the time of the day different types of aircraft handling operations are undertaken at the airport. Fig 1 below shows the three main types of operations: 1) Depart Only; 2) Arrival and Departure; and 3) Arrival only.

Fig.1 Turn Around processes at different times of the day (by author)
DEPART ONLY (i.e. first wave of flights): Generally, for aircraft departing between 6am to 8am. The last arriving flights from the previous night that remained (“slept”) at the airport will be the first to depart the following morning. Ground handling staff must be there two hours before departure (including check-in, passenger boarding, bags/cargo, aircraft refuelling and aircraft inspection.
ARRIVE and DEPART: After 8am to 9pm (approximately) aircraft both arrive and depart. This is when the process known as turnaround takes place. Depending on the company, it takes from 25 to 35 minutes for short haul flights and up to several hours for long haul flights. Ground staff must be ready two hours before at the land side and 30 minutes at the airside before the arrival of each flight.
ARRIVE ONLY (i.e. Sleeping aircraft): From 9 PM until the last arrival, the ground force team has to make sure that everything is out of the aircraft after crew and passengers disembark (e.g. bags and cargo). Because the aircraft is being served for arrival only, it only requires the airside workforce. They must be ready 30 minutes before arrival. These aircraft must then be made ready for next morning.
Quicker operations lead to lower costs, a strategy well understood by Low Cost Carriers who have the shortest turnaround times in the aviation sector. Efficient Aircraft handling is crucial in achieving high levels of On Time Performance (OTP) as well as other Key Performance Indicators (e.g. passenger service quality) that contribute to airline profitability.
To conclude, ground handling addresses the many service requirements of an airliner between the time it arrives at a terminal gate (on blocks) and the time it departs on its next flight (off blocks). Speed, efficiency, and accuracy are important in ground handling services in order to minimize the turnaround time. Along with safety and security, faster turnarounds which translate to less time a plane spends on the ground are correlated to better profits.
Related Topics
References
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