Ground Operations

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Article Information
Category:	Ground Operations
Content source:	SKYbrary
Content control:	EUROCONTROL

Definition

Aircraft Operational Safety depends upon Ground Operations which support the avoidance of accidents both during ground operations and which arise subsequently as a result of ground operations. It therefore involves all aspects of aircraft handling at the airport as well as aircraft movement around the aerodrome except when on active runways. Runway Incursion is covered by a separate Category.

Safety Challenges

The safety challenges of ground operations are partly to do directly with those operations, for example:

• ensuring that aircraft are not involved in collisions with other aicraft when moving and that the jet efflux from large aircraft does not hazard small ones.
• ensuring that aircraft are not damaged by debris left on the aircraft manoeuvring areas.
• ensuring safe parking and docking of aircraft.
• minimising impact damage to parked aircraft and ensuring that any such impact, however apparently minor, is reported and subject to maintenance inspection as appropriate prior to any further flight operation
• maintaining adequate surface friction on maoeuvring areas
• provision of adequate signage, markings and lighting so that aircraft are able to follow their taxi clearances properly.
• providing ATM capability which matches the complexity of ground operational movements.

However, even more importantly, ground operations are about preparing aircraft for departure in such a way that the subsequent flight will be safe too, for example:

• correct loading of the aircaft, and esecially of its cargo and baggage,including any Dangerous Goods
• correct commnication of aircraft loading information to the aircaft commander
• sufficient and verified fuel of adequate quantity and quality and
• the correct use of ground de/anti icing facilities where appropriate.

Much of the activity required in connection with aircraft handling or ground service provision, a lot of which can have a direct bearing on the safety of flight, is often dealt with by a collection of contractors and sub contractors rather than people employed directly by the Aircraft Operator. Such arrangements require that effective Quality Assurance systems are used by both the Aircraft Operator and the various service providers. Many of the issues associated with human factors for highly trained professionals also apply to the various unlicensed operatives who both carry out and operationally supervise the various aircraft ground handling tasks when the aircraft is on or in the vicinity of its parking stand or gate.

Safety Improvement Initiatives

• IATA has recently begun to promote their ‘IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations’ ISAGO which aims to extend the IOSA concept to aircraft ground service provision in the belief that it will help raise overall safety standards amongst the large numbers of service providers involved.

• The Flight Safety Foundation launched its Ground Accident Prevention programme (GAP) in 2003 to develop information and products, "e-tools", to eliminate accidents and incidents that occur on airport ramps (aprons) and adjacent taxiways, and during the movement of aircraft into and out of hangars, and that directly affect airport operations and/or result in personnel injuries or damage to serviceable aircraft, facilities or ground-support equipment.

Return to Ground Operations Article Index