How Do Airlines Choose a Ground Handling Provider?

What Do Airlines Assess?

• Safety record and independent audit evidence such as ISAGO registration.
• Licences and permissions to operate at the specific airport.
• Experience with the airline's aircraft types and turnaround profile.
• Staffing levels and training at the times the airline actually operates.
• Ground support equipment availability, condition and back-up.
• IT capability: departure control systems, messaging and reporting.
• Station coverage across the network and consistency between stations.
• 24/7 operational contactability for disruption, diversion and ad-hoc flights.
• Insurance, liability terms and financial stability.

How the Selection Process Usually Runs

1. 01Requirement definition. The airline defines stations, schedule, aircraft types, expected volumes and required services.
2. 02Request for proposal. Providers receive the requirement and respond with scope, resources and rates per turnaround or per service.
3. 03Safety and compliance review. Audit evidence, licences, training records and insurance are checked before commercial evaluation.
4. 04Station assessment. The airline visits or remotely reviews the station, its equipment and its staffing plan.
5. 05Commercial evaluation. Rates are compared on a like-for-like basis, including what is excluded and charged ad-hoc.
6. 06Contracting. An SGHA is concluded with Annex B defining services, aircraft types, timings, rates and service levels.
7. 07Implementation and review. Start-up is monitored against agreed measures, with periodic performance reviews.

How Is Ground Handling Priced?

Pricing is normally a per-turnaround rate that varies by aircraft type, plus separate charges for services outside the agreed scope. Some services are charged per unit — for example per passenger, per tonne of cargo or per hour of equipment use.

Published market rates do not exist in a meaningful way, because price depends on the airport, the aircraft type, the season, the volume committed and the exact scope in Annex B. For that reason airlines compare total cost per turnaround under identical assumptions rather than headline rates.

Common Mistakes in Selection

• Comparing rates without comparing scope, so exclusions appear later as ad-hoc charges.
• Assessing a provider at its strongest station and assuming the same at every station.
• Overlooking peak-hour staffing, which is where turnaround performance is actually decided.
• Ignoring escalation paths for disruption, diversions and technical stops.
• Treating audit registration as the whole assessment rather than the entry criterion.

What to Ask a Provider

• Which stations are covered, and under which licences?
• What audit evidence is current, and which stations does it cover?
• What is the staffing and equipment plan at our peak operating times?
• Which services are inside the rate and which are ad-hoc?
• How is the operation contacted outside office hours?
• How are delays coded, reported and reviewed?

How It Relates to Link Aero

Link Aero Trading Agency has operated as an aviation services provider since 1992 and is an IATA ISAGO certified ground handling provider, with a 24/7 operations desk for handling requests, schedule changes and ad-hoc flights.

Station coverage spans Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Morocco, supported by an office in Belgium, and the published catalogue covers ground handling, flight support, aviation security, cargo, fuel, catering, crew and VIP services so a single scope can be agreed per station.

Related Link Aero services

• ground handling services
• flight support services
• cargo services services
• aviation security services

Frequently asked questions

How long does a ground handling contract usually run?

Contract length varies with the airline's network plan and the station. Seasonal programmes are often agreed for a single traffic season, while base stations are typically contracted for longer periods with periodic performance reviews.

Can an airline use more than one handler at the same airport?

Yes. Airlines sometimes split ramp and passenger handling between providers, or contract a separate specialist for cargo or security, subject to airport rules on how many licensed handlers may operate.

What information does a handler need to quote?

Typically the station, aircraft types, schedule and frequency, expected passenger and cargo volumes, required services, and any special requirements such as VIP handling, security or medical assistance.