Apron or Ramp - The Most Intriguing Place to work On for a New Entrant in an Airport

Aircraft Turnaround - A very well Orchestrated, Planned and Time bound activity And very interesting

As a child my I wanted to be a fighter pilot if not then a doctor. But it was not to be as the saying goes " Destiny is Etched ". It is very rare where you get to do the what you chose to do. For me it was way back in December,1994 after I was recruited at Jet Airways that a certain part of dream was realised and since it has always been a very intriguing and fascinating journey.

The aviation industry especially the Airline has always been a dream place for a young new entrant to start his/her career. As it has been for me over the years since the year 1994. Having joined the Airline absolutely with no education on the subject Aviation, it was like Latin and Greek to me in the beginning. Have come across many an individual and have asked why he/she wants to join the airline, the response is, it is very " Glamorous ". The word glamour is associated with an airline is because the very moment you enter into an airport you see Smartly groomed and Coloured Attired of the Airline. The grooming of the airline agents are such that they are No Less than Glamorous models. You are taught every procedure and process of work before you are allowed to handle specific work allocations. 

The Apron in other words the Ramp the procedure and process of work is very demanding but very satisfying. Every activity that happens during the Turnaround of an Aircraft there's a lot planning that goes into it. From the moment you are allocated as a Ramp agent or Turnaround Coordinator. First you acquire the information of the Arrival & Turnaround flight details such as Flt No, A/c Registration No, Name of the Captain, ETA / ETD, Incoming Passenger, Baggage, Cargo and P.O. Mail, Special loads, Passengers with special needs, MAAS, Wheel Chair (WCHR) passengers etc. Once all details are available you have to prioritise your activity. You then brief the respective departments/agencies about the plan of action.

This needs to be done before you come on the Ramp. On the ramp, as a Ramp agent you are to check every equipment for it serviceability/Un-serviceability. At no point there should be any equipment that is Not Ramp Worthy. All these checks are carried out at least 60Mins prior to the landing of the Aircraft. You also have to ensure all equipment's are positioned before the arrival of the aircraft. The positioning of Catering high lifts, Water cart, Toilet cart, The LDL's/UDL's (Lower Deck loader), Tow Truck & Tow bar, Electric Baggage Tractors, Fire Extinguisher bottle, Wheel Chairs, Baggage Loader, Passenger Step Ladders, Passenger Coaches, Baggage Trolleys, Outbound Cargo / Baggage and the Manpower to handle the Turnaround of an aircraft.

Every activity that happens in and around needs a lot of communication and coordination, without which the purpose to Turnaround an Aircraft is defeated. Every work process inside the aircraft and on Ramp is done as per the clock, It is also known as Precision Time Schedule (PTS). To have a perfect Turnaround an immense amount Briefing, Coordination, Communication, Calculation and Meticulous planning is involved. But I would never rule out the factor of Alertness and Time Management, on the ramp if you are Not Alert you will loose sight and control of the situation. This could lead to an accident, injury, delay, grounding of an aircraft due to negligence. Safety and Security is of the utmost Priority for the Red Cap (Supervisor) while he orchestrates the activity in and around the aircraft.  It is one such activity that needs proper coordination, communication and planning and decisions need to be made in split seconds.

The most satisfying feeling you get when an aircraft depart or rather pushed back on the dot (STD - Schedule Time of Departure) or Before the Schedule Time. 

Abbreviations:

a)   LDL - Lower Deck Loader
b)   UDL - Upper Deck Loader
c)   PTS - Precision Time Schedule
d)   BFL - Baggage Freight Loader
e)   TC - Toilet Cart
f)   WC - Water Cart
g)  ToC - Turnaround Coordinator
h)  EBT - Electric Baggage Tractor
i)   PBT - Push Back Tractor
j)   WCH - Wheel Chair
k)  PSL - Passenger Step Ladder
l)   PC - Passenger Coach
m) BT - Baggage Trolley
n)  ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival
o)  STA - Schedule Time of Arrival
p)  ETD - Estimated Time of Departure
q)  STD - Schedule Time of Departure.