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.

          

Step-by-Step First Time Traveler Guide - Why and What really happens at Airport Check-In ?

• Airport Check-in - Why do we need a Check-in service and what happens during the process.

Check-in Counters at an Airport Terminal

• The very word Airport and Aeroplane rings a bell in the minds of a first time traveller. He is apprehensive of all the facts including all he has to do at an airport before he gets on to the Aircraft and finally to his destination. There is a saying that goes as " The First impression is the Last impression". As rightly said it is indeed True. The very process starts when a Flight Ticket is bought of Airline, preferably that of airline whose name is taken in high esteem for its overall customer service. It is important for a first time traveller to read through the rules and regulation on the Ticket, besides it is also important that he looks up the airlines website and go through the many need to know information that is mentioned therein.

• At the airport on the check-in you will get to see a smartly dressed check-in staff, he /she will greet you with a smile. He/She then takes you ticket but before the check-in process is initiated there will be a few questions asked. It is important to Listen and understand the questions. As a passenger you need to know your entitlements. You need to be very observant of the activities that the check-in agent. The ticket is checked for details such as Name of passenger, Flt No, Sector of travel, Class of travel and the Fare calculated. Once this formality is done you are check-in and your baggage is added to your name. The bags are then tagged, during the tagging of the bags you need to ensure that the right baggage is being tagged. At the end of this the check-in agent hands over the boarding pass with your baggage tags pasted to it. The bags are then released to the BMA (Baggage Make-up Area). The bags are then reconciled and transported to be loaded into the aircraft. He/she then circles the certain elements on the boarding pass, they are the Boarding time, Seat no and the Gate No. You are briefed about the carriage of permissible and non permissible articles in your hand baggage. In the event of a First time traveller you are guided to the passenger boarding area by a CSA (Customer Service Agent). While you are being escorted there are many instructions given and that needs to be understood well. It is at this place you observe many a behavioral activity of the airline staff while you wait for the boarding of the flight.             

  

Aviation Word Of The Day - Ramp

The ramp of an airport can also be refered to as apron or in some very rare cases;aerobridge area.

The ramp is the part of the airside area intended for

•Loading and offloading passengers and cargo

•Refuelling the aircraft

•Servicing and maintenance of aircraft

•Parking of the aircraft

The ramp side has also been divided into bays Which could be alloted to aircrafts carrying out specific types of flight. For instance,parking bays for international,domestic,passenger or freight carriers.

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