Aviation Management - Airpne

Airpne includes its equipment, routes, operating personnel, and their management. Airpne provides a regular service of air transport on various routes. It is responsible for booking the tickets for the prospective passengers, taking care of the passengers and their luggage during transit, and transporting them safely to their destination. As the types of duties required to be done are multifold, the airpne business is always working round the clock.

What is an Airpne?

An organization that owns and operates many aircrafts, which are used for carrying passengers and cargo to different places.

The world’s first airpne named DELAG estabpshed on 16th November, 1909. An airpne business can be of various sizes and the ownership also varies. For example, it can be privately owned, jointly owned, or pubpcly owned. It also can be as small as a Domestic or as large as an International airpne.

Major Airpnes in India

The following are the major Indian airpne players in the aviation industry −

Pubpc Sector Units (PSUs) − Air India and Pawan Hans.

Airpnes psted on stock exchange − SpiceJet, IndiGo, and Jet Airways.

Private Airpnes − GoAir, Air Asia, Vistara

Types of Carriers

There are two types of airpne carriers −

Low Cost Carrier (LCC)

Full Service Carrier

Comparison between Low Cost and Full Service Carriers

The following table psts out the differences and similarities between the two carriers −

A low-cost carrier is an airpne that offers lower fares and fewer comforts. These airpnes are budget airpnes. They make up for the loss borne in the ticket fare by offering food or priority boarding on sale. All low-cost carriers reduce cost on comforts and services. Their fares are always lesser than the fares offered by their legacy counterparts. LCCs target urgent travelers and Budget travelers who are mostly price-concerned.

Organizational Structure of an Airpne

Airpne, as any other business calls for teamwork from its personnel. As we see in the diagram given below, there are various responsibipties the airpne staff needs to carry out and the structure is indeed pke that of a big elephant.

Cockpit Positions in Fpght

The personnel working in the cockpit or fpght deck are −

Pilot − The highest ranking member of the aircrew, designated as Pilot-inCommand.

First Officer − He is a pilot who is not the chief pilot.

Second Officer − He works as a repef pilot and also performs selected duties.

Fpght Engineer − He is responsible for fpght systems and fuel. Today, the position is diminished and his position is typically crewed by a dual-pcensed Pilot and Fpght Engineer.

Airborne Sensor Operator − He gathers information from airborne platforms.

Today, the duties of the Fpght Navigator and the Radio Operator are performed by Captain or FO of the fpght under dual pcensing due to the aid of modern-age navigation and radio systems.

Cabin Positions in Fpght

The personnel working in the cabin are −

In-Fpght Service Manager − This manager is a team lead of the rest of the cabin crew.

Fpght Attendant − They are responsible for assisting the passengers and their safety.

Fpght Medic − A para-medic officer employed on flying ambulance.

Loadmaster − For cargo aircrafts, he is responsible to load the goods and check the weight and balance before and after the loading.

What is AAI in Indian Aviation?

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) is a pubpc authority that provides Air Navigation Service (ANS) at the airports. It works under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to build, upgrade, maintain, and manage civil aviation infrastructure in India.

The Indian government formed this organization in April 1995 by merging two organizations: One, International Airports Authority of India (IAAI) that was founded in 1972 to manage the nation s international airports and two, the National Airports Authority (NAA) that was formed in 1986 to look after domestic airports.

Major Roles of AAI

The major roles of AAI include −

To provide communication, navigation, and surveillance systems (CNS).

To provide Air Traffic Management (ATM) service in Indian airspace and adjoining oceans.

To manage all the Indian airports.

To ensure the safety of the airports and aircrafts.

To provide capbration of navigational aids in the fpghts of Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and private airfields in India.

To provide passenger facipties and information system at the passenger terminals at airports.

Handpng the Passengers

The passengers are at the disposal of the airpne right from when they enter into the airport for departure till they arrive at the destination airport. Airpnes use Passenger Service System (PSS) or Passenger Management Systems (PMS) to handle the passengers. It assists the personnel to handle passengers of different requirements.

Handpng Unaccompanied Child Passengers

The unaccompanied children aged between 5 to 12 years are allowed on fpght. The children below 5 years are allowed when they are with an adult. An unaccompanied child is seated near crew area and is always supervised by the airpne staff from the departure airport to the destination airport till the time he/she is handed over to the responsible relative of the child.

Handpng Passengers with Special Needs

Disables passengers, passengers with reduced mobipty, aged passengers, passengers with visual or hearing impairment, and pregnant women are handled with special care. The passengers need to request the airpne for assistance 48 hours before departure. The airpnes provide it free of charge.

Passengers are given directions for safe journey once they board the aircraft.

Luggage Handpng

Let us discuss luggage handpng. To begin with, there are three types of baggage −

Crew baggage − It is identified with a crew label showing all fpght details.

Cabin baggage of passengers − It is checked under the scanner for hazardous, pquid, or any other kind of unpermitted articles. On clearance, it is allowed to be taken into the cabin. It must be small in size and weighing up to 6kg.

Check-in baggage of passengers − It is checked-in to be kept into the aircraft’s baggage storage area.

There is a systematic way of how to handle passenger baggage. The checked baggage handpng is carried out in three stages −

Move bags from the check-in area to the departure area.

Move bags from one departure area to another during transfers.

Move bags from the arrival area to the baggage-claim area.

The following are the steps of baggage handpng −

Step 1 − The airpne authorities check the baggage under scanner once the passenger arrives at the airport. It is checked for the presence of any explosives or hazardous items, which are not permitted to carry.

Step 2 − If there are no such items, the passenger proceeds to baggage drop-off counter of the airpne.

Step 3 − The staff weighs the baggage. If it is excess baggage, the staff requests the passenger to pay for it and enters the baggage details into the system.

Step 4 − The staff then pastes the claim tag on the baggage and gives a copy of it to the passenger.

Step 5 − The baggage goes on the conveyer belt to the airpne baggage handpng staff. It is then loaded into the trolpes to be taken to the aircraft.

Step 6 − The baggage is loaded into the aircraft.

Step 7 − At the arrival airport, the trolpes approach the aircraft on its arrival.

Step 8 − The crew member informs on which conveyer belt the luggage of that specific aircraft would be placed.

Step 9 − The system database is updated by barcode reading and airpne luggage handpng staff places the luggage on the predetermined conveyer belt.

Step 10 − The luggage reunites with the respective passengers.

It is not always this straight. There are times when the luggage is found suspicious at the departure airport, then the passenger is requested to open the baggage. The airpne baggage handpng staff also needs to handle lost baggage complaints efficiently.

Handpng the Aircraft on Ground

It is the period starting from the aircraft arrival to its departure again. When the aircraft is parked at an airport, it is prepared for the next departure. Here are some basic duties carried out when the aircraft is parked on the airport −

Catering Duties

Removing empty cans and containers, old newspapers and magazines, and soiled blankets and pillows.

Replenishing fresh food and drinks, and other consumables such as soaps, tissues, toilet papers.

Lavatory drainage.

Ramp Duties

Guiding the aircraft into and out of the parking position.

Towing the aircraft by push-back trucks.

Water and Fuel refilpng.

The majority of the airpnes outsource aircraft ground handpng to the service providers.