Indian Aviation News
AAI assigns ground handling to private agencies
by Bipin Shah Self Employed
Bipin Shah 
Self Employed
Following continuing reports of pilferage, mishandling of luggage, collision and accidents of ground handling at various airports, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has entrusted the tasks of ground clearance, cargo facilities and fuelling the aircraft to private agencies selected by the AAI.
At present, ground handling operations at airports are being carried out by Air India, Indian Airlines and Cambatta Aviation. Some foreign airlines also do selfhandling at airports or the work is entrusted to certain private agencies approved by the AAI. AAI sources said the ground clearance at Chennai, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Mangalore airports will be handled by Bhadra International India Ltd. The present operations at these airports will cease on December 31, 2010, and the new agency will carry out the operations next year.
It is pointed out that, at present, numerous manpower suppliers resort to availing ill-trained casual ad hoc workforce without valid antecedent checks and have access to terminals, especially the apron area. Now, the entry will be regulated and restricted to a few legitimate agencies of the AAI in addition to the national carrier.
The Union Government has taken a firm stand that even the bona fide selected operators would not allow personnel other than the full-time employees of the authorised agencies access to airports as is the current practice in the rest of the world. It is pointed out that Air India flights, while visiting airports outside the country, are never permitted to do ground handling themselves and this practice will be followed here also.
Sources said that once the practice comes into force, the major airports will be more secure and will also provide excellent ground handling services. The National Aviation Company of India is also providing ground handling services at the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
The airline companies can choose which agency should be entrusted with the ground clearance services. When more authorised companies come forward, there will be competition and the best serviceproviders will be selected, AAI officials said.
The agencies will provide more weightage to a ground handler and induct state-of-the-art equipment and create world class infrastructure and deploy trained manpower while meeting the special needs of the airlines in terms of the service.
Nov 2nd 2010 05:23
Self EmployedFollowing continuing reports of pilferage, mishandling of luggage, collision and accidents of ground handling at various airports, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has entrusted the tasks of ground clearance, cargo facilities and fuelling the aircraft to private agencies selected by the AAI.
At present, ground handling operations at airports are being carried out by Air India, Indian Airlines and Cambatta Aviation. Some foreign airlines also do selfhandling at airports or the work is entrusted to certain private agencies approved by the AAI. AAI sources said the ground clearance at Chennai, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Mangalore airports will be handled by Bhadra International India Ltd. The present operations at these airports will cease on December 31, 2010, and the new agency will carry out the operations next year.
It is pointed out that, at present, numerous manpower suppliers resort to availing ill-trained casual ad hoc workforce without valid antecedent checks and have access to terminals, especially the apron area. Now, the entry will be regulated and restricted to a few legitimate agencies of the AAI in addition to the national carrier.
The Union Government has taken a firm stand that even the bona fide selected operators would not allow personnel other than the full-time employees of the authorised agencies access to airports as is the current practice in the rest of the world. It is pointed out that Air India flights, while visiting airports outside the country, are never permitted to do ground handling themselves and this practice will be followed here also.
Sources said that once the practice comes into force, the major airports will be more secure and will also provide excellent ground handling services. The National Aviation Company of India is also providing ground handling services at the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
The airline companies can choose which agency should be entrusted with the ground clearance services. When more authorised companies come forward, there will be competition and the best serviceproviders will be selected, AAI officials said.
The agencies will provide more weightage to a ground handler and induct state-of-the-art equipment and create world class infrastructure and deploy trained manpower while meeting the special needs of the airlines in terms of the service.
Nov 2nd 2010 05:23
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