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SUMMER 2018 www.ags-airlinegroundservices.com IATA GROUND HANDLING CABIN REPAIR: REGIONAL REPORTS: DIGITALISATION: CONFERENCE 2018 ARE YOU SITTING AFRICA AND EUROPE CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY HEADS TO DOHA COMFORTABLY? IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND SHADOW IT 00 Cover AGS-SUM18.indd 1 28/03/2018 11:59 Delivering excellence worldwide Discover an award-winning, premier ground handling organisation based out of Hamad International Airport (HIA), the hub of Qatar Airways. From passenger services to baggage operations and ground handling, QAS is at the forefront of innovation, quality and operational excellence. Visit qataraviation.com email [email protected] EDITOR’S LETTER | SUMMER 2018 LETTER FROM SUMMER 2018 THE EDITOR www.ags-airlinegroundservices.com IATA GROUND HANDLING CABIN REPAIR: REGIONAL REPORTS: DIGITALISATION: CONFERENCE 2018 ARE YOU SITTING AFRICA AND EUROPE CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY HEADS TO DOHA COMFORTABLY? IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND SHADOW IT ello and welcome to the Summer 2018 edition of Airline JAMES SHERIDAN Ground Services. Chairman [email protected] This issue went to press in the run-up to the 31st IATA Ground Handling Conference, taking place in PARVEEN RAJA Publisher Doha on 22-25 April. The association’s Ground Ops [email protected] Hteam gives us a flavour of what to expect from the gathering – and we JUSTIN BURNS bring you interviews from co-hosts Qatar Airways and Qatar Aviation Associate Editor Services. [email protected] We also cover the impending entry into force of IATA’s Resolution TOM WILLIS 753 on baggage tracking. Will the industry be ready in time? News Editor Our regional round-ups for Summer focus on Africa, a market [email protected] with huge potential that continues to be plagued with considerable HARLEY KHAN challenges, and Europe, where ground handlers face tight margins Head of Commercial [email protected] and are investing heavily to survive. German handler AeroGround gives a particular insight into SOHAIL AHMAD Conference Sales that market while, many miles away, Malaysia’s Pos Aviation has [email protected] ambitious plans. GEMMA KEEN Another topic in this issue is centralised load control, which we Events Coordinator consider alongside IATA’s initiative to develop a common Weight & [email protected] Balance Information Centre. SHOBHANA PATEL Readers will also find articles on the importance of ensuring Head of Finance a pleasing aircraft cabin environment; developments in line [email protected] maintenance; the demands of first-class travellers when it comes to SHELDON PINK luxury lounges; and how to handle misconnected passengers – as well Creative Director [email protected] as disruptive ones. Finally, we take a look at the place of digital collaboration and Address changes and subscription orders to: consumer technology in today’s ground handling sector. [email protected] ISSN 2040-476X Happy reading! Q EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Chris Lewis, David Smith and Martin Courtney PUBLISHED TWICE A YEAR BY EVA International Media Ltd Boswell Cottage, 19 South End Croydon, London CR0 1BE Tel: + 44 (0) 20 8253 4000 Fax: + 44 (0)20 8603 7369 Website: www.evaint.com PRINTED BY The MANSON Group Limited Reynolds House, 8 Porters Wood Valley Road Industrial Estate St Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 6PZ DISTRIBUTED BY Air Business EVA INTERNATIONAL MEDIA LTD PUBLISHERS & EVENTS SPECIALISTS MEGAN RAMSAY Issue 25 © 2018 | www.evaint.com Content may not be reproduced in any Editor format without written permission from [email protected] EVA International Media Ltd www.ags-airlinegroundservices.com SUMMER 2018 Airline Ground Services 1 01 Eds Letter.indd 1 03/04/2018 10:32 CONTENTS | SUMMER 2018 4 CONTENTS 4 Setting the pace QAS’s dynamic approach 8 Seamless connections The importance of customer service at Qatar Airways 10 Forward thinking IGHC 2018 considers the future of interconnected aviation 12 Under pressure European handlers invest to survive 16 A long way to go Africa has potential, but faces a toxic mix of challenges, says David Smith 20 Finding a balance AeroGround and the German ground handling market 22 Pushing the boundaries An interview with Woo Kam Weng, CEO of Pos Aviation 24 First impressions count Chris Lewis discovers just how much 30 Complex calculations The benefi ts of centralised load control 20 32 Great expectations How lounges cater for today’s fi rst-class travellers 46 38 Ready or not IATA Resolution 753 is almost here 40 Better interaction Martin Courtney considers digital collaboration and consumer technology 46 Blazing a trail How to handle disruptive passengers 48 Broadening horizons Demand for outsourced line maintenance on the rise 52 Satisfaction Managing misconnected passengers 55 Industry update 2 Airline Ground Services Summer 2018 www.ags-airlinegroundservices.com 02-03 Contents.indd 2 03/04/2018 10:35 /AeroGround Your experts in ground handling at Munich, Berlin-Tegel and Berlin-Schönefeld Airports. Living ideas – Connecting lives 02-03 Contents.indd 3 03/04/2018 10:35 QATAR AVIATION SERVICES INTERVIEW SETTING THE PACE Mehmet Murat Nursel, senior vice president of QAS, took some time to talk to AGS about the company’s dynamic approach to the ground handling business stablished in 2000, Qatar of its target-recruited QAS team. We Aviation Services (QAS) is identify character and expertise and an award-winning ground recruit on both these factors. The re- handling organisation whose sult is a very ‘human’, ‘high-touch’ and global headquarters is at customer-focused service delivery. EHamad International Airport (HIA), the hub airport of Qatar Airways. There, 8IBUBCPVUTQFDJlDUFDIOPMPHZ it provides the full spectrum of ground BOEPUIFSTPMVUJPOTnIPXIBT handling services, above and below the 2"4JOOPWBUJPODPOUSJCVUFEUPUIF wing, to all airlines using the airport. HSPVOEIBOEMJOHJOEVTUSZ QAS holds ISAGO, ISO 9000 and QAS has a strong customer focus Regulated Agent 3 certifi cations. It is a ensuring that the incorporation of tech- member of the IATA Ground Handling nology into operations has led to great- Partnership, and is active in several er effi ciency and saving money and time IATA Technical Groups: IATA Ground for our airline and airport customers. Operations Manual; Load Control and QAS is a change-leader, either as an Messaging; Ground Service Equipment early adopter or as innovator. and Environment; and the Airside tar, since HIA is one of the newest, We have developed our own pro- Safety Group. The company’s manage- busiest and fastest-growing hub air- prietary technology, which has led to ment team holds key positions in these ports in the world. QAS has to keep other GHAs copying us to remain com- technical groups, proposing and imple- pace with that growth. petitive. A few examples are: menting developments that improve Being the only GHA at HIA not only 1. QAS Ramp Clearance Module standards across the aviation industry. gives QAS a monopoly position in the provides excellence in turnaround Nursel joined QAS in March 2014 business, but also requires us to pro- functionality and performance as vice president operations, with over vide every possible service that a GHA monitoring through QMobile. This 19 years’ experience in ground han- could be asked for. There is no option ensures complete transparency of dling operations (he was previously for us. This is important because it has operational performance, leading COO of Celebi Ground Handling in stretched and strengthened QAS to be to optimal turnaround and ramp Turkey). He is now senior vice presi- the best in a high-tech, high-traffic and clearance. dent of Doha-based QAS. high-growth hub airport environment. 2. QAS Care mobility solutions It is important to understand that provide our PRM customers with )PXDPNQFUJUJWFJTUIFIBOEMJOH an ideal ground handling partner for connectivity assistance and comfort. FOWJSPONFOUJO2BUBSUIFTFEBZT an airport or airline has to always pos- More than 2,000 passengers per BOEXIBUNBLFT2"4TUBOEPVUJO sess greater service capacity than the day from all over the world utilise UIFNBSLFUJOUFSNTPGUIFTFSWJDFT airport or airline requires at any time. this technology-enabled and highly JUQSPWJEFT Otherwise the GHA holds back its cus- personalised service. The ground handling environment tomer’s growth, rather than empower- 3. Bag View, the result of globally has never been busier or more ing it. That is the great competitive collaboration with Amadeus and challenging. This is equally so for Qa- advantage that QAS provides because Qatar Airways’ IT department, "JSMJOF(SPVOE4FSWJDFT4VNNFS XXXBHTBJSMJOFHSPVOETFSWJDFTDPN 04-07 QAS AGS-SUM18.indd 4 03/04/2018 09:54 Aviation The ISS Way From landing to take-off ISS Aviation takes you to new heights + Aircraft Exterior Cleaning + Aircraft Interior Cleaning + Aircraft Disinfection / Disinsection Services + Security Services + Integrated Facility & Aviation Services www.at.issworld.com/aviation 04-07 QAS AGS-SUM18.indd 5 03/04/2018 09:54 QATAR AVIATION SERVICES INTERVIEW ensures that passengers and their bags stay together. By electronically monitoring passenger boarding data, the system can automatically enable Ætheir baggage for loading or offloading. This industry-leading innovation contributes to enhanced security and turnaround performance. 4. IATA RP 1800 is QAS’s answer to implementing the requirements for automated baggage handling for IATA Resolution 753. Further to this, and together with HIA, QAS is taking a lead role to initiate IATA to trial the implementation for electronic bag tags (EBT). QAS will be soon able to handle EBT technology. 5.