Line Operation

“Line Operation refers to the set of activities necessary to provide support to passengers, shippers, consignees and the flight so that the most convenient, the safest and most secured service could be extended to them” (Zapanta)

•support services provided by airline companies to meet the needs, wants and expectations of their customers in order to create customer loyalty

•Happens during Pre-Flight, In-Flight and Post-flight

•begins once the passenger or cargo is booked and the contract of carriage has been issued

•Line operators’ jobs begin as the passenger or cargo enters the terminal, continues as the passenger or cargo is being transferred from the point of origin to the final destination and ends when the passenger or cargo has left the premises of the terminal

•distinguishes airline companies from each other because they have and offer varying services, style of services and quality of services

AIRPORT

SERVICES

Airport Services

• for extrovert, outgoing and accommodating

Passenger Handling

• check-in:• for international passengers - 3 hours before• for domestic passengers - 2 hours before

• technology improved the check-in process

• ticketless travel

Baggage

• Free Baggage Allowance• International passengers - 30 kilograms• Domestic passengers - 20 kilograms

Hand-carried Items

• only one hand-carried item not exceeding seven kilograms is allowed

Denied Boarding

• Denied boarding is when a passenger is not allowed to board a flight due to insufficient or improper travel documents or problems on the list of passengers.

Amenities

• departure lounge

• VIP lounge

• special services• stretcher with oxygen tanks• wheel chair• ambulance• passenger lifters

Disembarkation

• Domestic• passengers are led to the arrival hall• retrieve baggage from the carousel• end of journey

• International• passengers are led to the arrival hall• Immigration for clearance• retrieve baggage from the carousel• Customs for clearance• end of journey

Transit

• passengers are led to the transit lounge

• revalidated for the subsequent flight

• same check-in routine

Ground Handling

What is Ground Handling?• Involves the activities that occur as the

aircraft is spotted at the assigned gate

*gassing up*loading

cargoes baggagecatering in-flight provisionsload manifest cargo manifest

other required documents, *boarding passengers

• spotted an hour before scheduled departure time

• Pre-departure activities:

fueling maintenance check

catering

loading cargo, baggage, corresponding documents

passenger check-in

weight and balance or load controlling.

Upon arrival is the other way around, mostly about unloading of what has been formerly loaded.

Ground Handling and Airline Company Image

• a test of the airline’s and its people’s competence

• one way of projecting a company image so it has to be very systematic and very desirably fully mechanized and automated.

• (Note that not all airports are apt to handle fully automated and mechanized ground handling services)

Aiming for Ground Handling Efficiency

• systematic blending of labor and equipment• a need for skilled, quality labor • can optimize the use of systems and hard wares

of fleet of ground service equipments (anything on the ramp that has no wings),

• effecting easy and quickly completing tasks• important that GSEs are properly and efficiently

used• Most ground-handlers band together for inter-

utilization and cost efficiency.

PERT/CPM

• PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) *is a networking system *developed in the 1950s*useful for planning and controlling projects

• While CPM (Critical Path Method) *is a networking method developed in 1957 *adds the concept of cost to PERT

PERT/CPM*a quantitative model*a diagram that ensures optimized delivery of quality service

at the shortest possible time*Trick: identify activities that should logically come first and

those that could be done simultaneously.

The PERT/CPM as a plan

needs supervisory skills

upon execution

because of human failures and oversights that may bring in problems.

Such skills are demonstrated

on the command of people,

systems and procedures.

LCC Ground handlingSYSTEM: simple and easy

saving up more in terms of ground handling

A 20 minute turnaround of LCC: an hour in legacy

Observance of commonality saves up on labor, employing the same skills of the same

staff (technical, industrial and commercial) throughout the operations

Narrow-body crafts easier to handle that big ones that need a number of

support equipments and systems

Refuses cargo and interline traffic incremental profit from these < incremental costs.

Issues and Other ConcernsBoarding passengers

• Various requests: the wheelchairs Legitimate: for the aged balikbayans Spurious: for saving from lugging heavy baggage

full of “pasalubong” US: supported by a law no airline can refuse a request of

wheelchairs

• Special cases:MEDICAL-eat up ground time -add up to airline costs

providing ambulatory, stretchers, oxygen tanks, and accessories.

there are usually six seats for stretchers

Issues and Other Concerns

• Missing passengers-the most annoying-have to be called and recalled over and over againnot found adjust the passenger manifest

redo the load manifest (if load distribution change)

offload his/her baggage from the bellyof the craft (it takes time)

If you leave ahead of published time, he/ she may sue you for breach of contract so better try calling him/her over and over again despite the annoyance and delay.

CARGO

• All freight, except baggage, carried by an airplane

• Electronic goods, machinery parts

• Mail, documents of banks & financial firms

• Flowers, fruits, vegetables

Small airports: handle cargo w/ passenger baggage

Large airports: one or more separate terminals for cargo processing

1. Cargo is sorted at the airport for various flights

2. Carts are towed by tugs to carry cargo to the apron

• Cargo relies on the “known shipper principle”

• Check and verify weight, contents, consignor, consignee

• Increased security requirements for checking hazardous elements

– Ex: Siemens Handling Systems» Devices for x-raying pre-packed ULDs» Low-pressure chambers for simulating flight

conditions

Security starts when cargo is delivered on the ground as bulk freight or pre-packed ULDs

1. Truck on-loading and off-loading

2. Bulk handling

3. Build-up and break-downo Cargo is picked and consolidated by destination,

time zone, flight number, etc

4. Internal transporto Fulfills specific flight requirements: cold rooms,

deep freeze chambers, transit zones for perishables

5. ULD storage

6. Transfer by air

CLASSIFICATION OF CARGO

1. General cargo without hazardous or dangerous properties

2. Express cargo those that need to reach the destination to meet a

certain time

3. Perishable goods items that will deteriorate over a given period of

time, or if exposed to adverse temperature, humidity or other environmental conditions

4. Valuable cargo gold, platinum, legal banknotes, share coupons,

traveler’s cheques, precious stones, jewelry, and any other article having a declared value for carriage of $1,000 or more per gross kilogram

CLASSIFICATION OF CARGO

5. Dangerous goods commodities that, when transported, pose some

form of danger to people, animals, the environment, or the carrier

6. Live animals Pets, animals for study and other purposes

7. Outsized cargo items that exceeds the dimensions of oversized

cargo and requires the use of a C-5 or C-17 aircraft or surface transportation

8. Mini-shipment loads consisting of three pieces or fewer, and less

than 75 kilograms in total

REGULATIONS FOR CARGO

1. Dangerous goods

IATA’s Dangerous Goods Program: to ensure that undeclared dangerous goods do not get on board

Standards for documentation, handling & training, promoting the adoption of the use of these standards

REGULATIONS FOR CARGO2. Live Animals

IATA Live Animals Regulations: to ensure that all animals are transported safely and humanely by air

pets: dogs, cats exotic pets animals for zoological

& agri purposes health certificate for any animal to be

transported

Different requirements

REGULATIONS FOR CARGO

3. Interline ULD

IATA ULD Control Centre: to ensure that a unit is speedily returned to its owner

Also an accounting systemo whenever a unit is interchanged, a control

receipt is made out

o carriers concerned will be charged demurrage

•The shipper either brings the shipment to a city or airport cargo office of the closest freight forwarder or the airline.

•The cargo is weighed, airway bill is cut and charges are paid.

• The shipment is x-rayed but not all airport cargo offices have the device; otherwise visually inspected, reweighed, first upon acceptance and second after the air cargo is built with some other shipments in a unit loading device (ULD).

•The airlines automated cargo system, Cargonauts in the case of PAL, would automatically include the shipment in cargo manifest of the outgoing flight indicated.

• The serial number of the particular ULD in which it was built is also indicated. Later upon uploading, the exact location of the ULD in the belly of the aircraft is also captured in the DCS, which makes the search for the cargo easy in case it has to be off-loaded at the last minute for whatever reason.

• The first stop of the flight would be the destination for many and just a transit point for some of the shipments carried in the flight.

• Terminating air shipments are then properly stowed in designated storage bins and duly indicated in the cargo system for quick retrieval at time of release.

• Only after an international shipment is cleared by Customs that it is released to the consignee or his agent, and only after payment of storage charges in case the shipment stayed in the warehouse beyond the free period of storage, normally three days within arrival.

PAL, particularly in its domestic cargo PAL, particularly in its domestic cargo

operation, offers other special cargo operation, offers other special cargo

services.services.

● ● v-cargo servicev-cargo service

- allows the sending of - allows the sending of

valuables valuables like cash, jewelries, like cash, jewelries,

payroll, and payroll, and documents documents

- the traffic of cash shipments - the traffic of cash shipments

and and payroll payroll

PAL also offers the Shipper's COD

service where shippers can ship

commercial goods to a consignee from

whom the airline would collect the COD

charges and remit to the shippers. Then,

there is the RHUSH or Rapid Handling

of Urgent Shipments, which is a money-

back guarantee on airport-to-airport

basis within 48 hours.

RAMP HANDLING

Starts when…

• everything is all set in both the passenger and cargo terminals and flight has been closed and the computer has downloaded the load manifest

Ramp Agent

• responsible for ramp handling• ensures the safe operation of the flight

• half of the major chores is the arrival of aircraft

Duties/Responsibilities:

• A. Pre-flight Preparations

• B. Ground Handling

• C. Prior to Flight/Aircraft Operations

• D. Ramp Activities

• E. Aircraft Arrival

A. Pre-flight Preparations

• Monitors expected passenger, baggage and cargo load of the flight

• Carries out tentative weight distributions that may have to be done

B. Ground Handling

• Prepares ground handling equipment which includes FMD loading truck, the jeep conveyors- in case of remote parking, tow tractors, towing tags, pallet and container dollies

• Makes sure that he has duly trained and licensed equipment operators

*** In provincial stations, they have to prepare umbrellas, boots and raincoats particularly during the rainy season.

C. Prior to Flight/Aircraft Operations

• Check if the aircraft is loaded only with passengers, baggage and cargo

• Ensures that the aircraft is manned by pilots and cabin attendants duly designated for the flight at hand

• See to it that weights of passenger, baggage and cargo are properly distributed within the cabin and belly compartments of the aircraft.

• Makes sure that baggage and cargo are properly built up in their ULDs

• Check if the ULDs are securely stowed and bolted in the belly compartments.

D. Ramp Activities

• Ensures that the maintenance men and the pilots do the maintenance inspections.

• Check if the aircraft is sufficiently fueled by the fuel and lubricants people

• See to it that all the provisions needed in the flight from catering, in-flight sales are loaded

• Makes sure that he has the proper load signed and accepted by the pilot, passengers manifested by the cabin crew and all flight documents are all on board

*** Unmanifested items and unregistered weights must never be allowed.

E. Aircraft Arrival

• Park the aircraft, disembark passengers, unload the baggage and cargo, tow the ULDs to the baggage and cargo terminal

• Execute predetermined activities for the turn around of the aircraft

Note…

• Unloading phase is critical.• Important: Pre-flight planning and briefing of

his ramp crew before departure and arrival of an assigned flight

• In case of missing passenger, time has to be expanded looking for and unloading the ULD containing the passenger’s baggage.

• Offloading and reweighing of certain shipments occasionally happen. (suspected to be dangerous or underweighed)