Streamlined ground handling support needed

Coimbatore: Delayed operations of flights and aircraft not being able to land or take off at Coimbatore Airport owing to “technical snags” have necessitated a streamlined uniform ground handling support and logistical assistance by a single agency rather than allowing private airliners to have their own outsourcing arrangements.
Airport Authority officials on conditions of anonymity said private airliners were being allowed to have their own ground handling logistics. They largely outsource services and logistics on a contract basis leading to inconsistency owing to viability factors. This led to lack of streamlined systems and pilots getting to know about the availability of landing facility or lack of it only after coming under the air traffic control jurisdiction of the landing station. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) should take a policy decision - it could either have its own logistics to be provided to the private airliners which will bring revenue to the AAI or entrust the work to a single agency to provide ground handling logistics which could even be an airliner. AAI sources also recalled an earlier idea i.e. Air India, the national career, providing the ground handling support and logistics to all airliners.
Ground handling includes baggage trolleys for taking passenger luggage from the terminal to the aircraft and from the aircraft to the conveyor belt. It also includes movable ladders for passengers to embark and disembark from the aircraft.
17/06/08 V.S. Palaniappan/The Hindu

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Categories: Airports Jun 2008