What Services Are Included in Ground Handling?

Above-Wing Services

Above-wing services are passenger-facing and take place inside the terminal. They begin before the aircraft arrives and continue until the last passenger has cleared arrivals.

• Check-in, baggage acceptance and excess baggage collection.
• Ticketing and reservation desk support at the station.
• Boarding, gate control and transfer passenger handling.
• Assistance for passengers with reduced mobility, unaccompanied minors and other special categories.
• Arrivals support, lost and found, and baggage tracing.
• Crew meet and assist, briefing support, transport and hotel accommodation.

Below-Wing Services

Below-wing services are performed airside around the aircraft and are the most safety-critical part of handling, because they involve moving vehicles and equipment close to the airframe.

• Marshalling, chocks and cones, ground power and air start.
• Loading and offloading of baggage, cargo and mail.
• Pushback and towing coordination with the flight crew and air traffic control.
• Cabin cleaning, potable water and lavatory servicing.
• Coordination of into-plane fuelling and catering uplift.
• Ramp safety supervision and aircraft damage reporting.

Operational and Administrative Services

• Load control: weight and balance, loading instruction and final load sheet.
• Station operations: movement messaging, delay coding and turnaround supervision.
• Security services such as passenger and baggage screening supervision, in line with the local security programme.
• Cargo documentation, acceptance and delivery.
• Visa, customs and immigration assistance for passengers and crew.
• Representation with the airport operator, civil aviation authority and other local authorities.
• Surface transportation for passengers, crew and equipment.

How the Scope Is Agreed

An airline rarely buys every service on the list. The scope is agreed station by station in a contract, typically an IATA Standard Ground Handling Agreement (SGHA): Annex A lists the full catalogue of services and Annex B records which of them apply, for which aircraft types, at which times and at what rates.

This is why two airlines at the same airport, handled by the same agent, can receive very different scopes. Anything not listed in Annex B is not included and is usually charged as an ad-hoc service.

Who Decides What Is Included?

• The airline or operator, based on its network model, aircraft type and passenger profile.
• The airport operator, which may reserve certain services such as fuelling infrastructure or security screening.
• The regulator, which sets licensing rules for handling, load control and security functions at the airport.
• The handling agent, which confirms what it is licensed and equipped to deliver at that station.

How It Relates to Link Aero

Link Aero's published ground handling scope spans both above-wing and below-wing services: supervision, passenger handling, crew handling, ramp handling, load control, ticketing, security, baggage handling and tracing, surface transportation, excess baggage collection, aircraft servicing and cleaning, visa, customs and immigration assistance, and authority representation.

Related scopes are published separately for flight support, aviation security, cargo services, fuel, catering, crew accommodation and VIP passenger services, so an operator can combine only the elements it needs at a given station.

Related Link Aero services

• ground handling services
• cargo services services
• aviation security services
• fuel supply services

Frequently asked questions

Is fuelling part of ground handling?

Into-plane fuelling is usually performed by a fuel supplier or airport fuel operator, while the handling agent coordinates the uplift, supervises the operation on the ramp and reconciles the fuel figures with the flight documentation.

Is catering included in ground handling?

Catering is produced by a licensed flight kitchen. The handling agent typically orders, coordinates and supervises the uplift so it fits the turnaround plan.

What does above-wing and below-wing mean?

Above-wing describes terminal and passenger services such as check-in and boarding. Below-wing describes ramp services performed around and under the aircraft, such as loading, marshalling and aircraft servicing.

Is aviation security part of ground handling?

Security functions such as screening supervision, aircraft guarding and access control are often delivered alongside handling, but they are governed by the national civil aviation security programme and are contracted as a distinct service.