Airlines Procedures

Airlines and its functions

GMR Aviation Academy
October __, 2013
Ver. 2
Revised in May, 2015
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Airlines and its Functions

Prof K C Gandhi
Ex-Head, Centre for Aviation Studies, UPES
Ex- Dy. General Manager, Indian Airlines
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Airlines
Definition
As per Wikipedia
 An airline is a company that provides air transport
services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines
utilize aircraft to supply these services and may form
partnerships or alliances with other airlines for
codeshare agreements
4

Contd.
According to Merriam Webster: Airlines is a
 A company that owns and operates many airplanes which are
used for carrying passengers and cargo to different places.
Collins dictionary defines it:
 An airline is a company which provides regular services
carrying people or goods in aero planes.
5

Business and functions of an Airlines

 From the definitions, we can define the business of airlines is

1. To carry passenger and cargo from one point to another

point
2. Provide connectivity to the landlocked places
3. Contribute to the nation’s GDP

 There are Three modes of transport: {Land(road and

rail)/Water/Air}
 Airlines uses Air mode of transport. Airlines require an
equipment for this business
 The equipment is known as AEROPLANE
6

Activities of the Airlines

Prepare a SCHEDULE which is the Product of the
Airlines
Produced by Planning Department
 Marketing for demand and forecast
 Engineering-availability of Aircraft
 Operation-for trained manpower to fly
7

Aero plane and aircraft

 An aircraft is any vehicle that flies. Helicopters, balloons,

blimps, gyrocopters are all different types of aircraft.
 All aero planes are aircraft, not all aircraft are aero planes.
 An aero plane/an airplane, is a fixed wing aircraft that
generates lift by the airflow created by it's forward
motion. It's possible to say that an airplane planes on the
air, much as a hydroplane places on the water.
 https://www.google.co.in/search?q=blimps&oq=blimps&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.2480j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
 https://www.google.co.in/search?ei=vu0TW8CgN8LgvgS1-pVg&q=gyrocopters&oq=gyrocoptoners&gs_l=psy-
ab.1.0.0i13k1l10.9240.12203.0.14166.13.13.0.0.0.0.204.2128.0j11j2.13.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.13.2118...0j0i67k1j0i131i67k1j0i131k1j0i10k1.0.Xq5SX0nRFfw
8

Aero plane
 An airplane or aero plane (informally plane) is a
powered, fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward
by thrust from a jet engine, propeller or rocket engine
 Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing
configurations.
 The broad spectrum of uses for airplanes
Recreation,
Transportation of goods and people
Military,
Research
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Types of aero plane

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Type of commercial planes

 Narrow Body
Single aisle
Fuselage is less than16 feet
Boeing 737/airbus 319/320/321
 Wide body
More than one aisle
Fuselage is more than 16 feet
B777/787, Airbus 300/310/330/380
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Type of Airlines
 Mainly two types

 Passenger airlines
Full service: AI/Jet airways/Vistara
Low cost carrier: Indigo/Air India Express
Spice jet/Go Air
 Cargo Airlines: LH Cargo/Blue Dart /FedEx
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Airline type

 Airlines can also be classified

 As Regional airlines which operate within a region with generally
smaller a/c
 National airlines which operate in the entire country
 International airlines which operate to other countries
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Scheduled or non-scheduled

 Scheduled airlines: Which have a printed schedule

 Non schedule airlines: Do not have a printed schedules like
 Charter flight/Air ambulance etc
 Line & Staff in Airlines Industry

 All big airlines use line and staff system

 Line Personal: Whose orders and authority flow in a
straight line from the chief executive down to lower
levels in the organization
 Staff personnel: Are those whose orders and authority
do not flow in a straight line down from the top of the
organization
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Line /Operational departments

 These are the operational and also known as Line
departments
 These department are directly involved in producing and
selling air transportation
 Flight Operations
 Engineering and Maintenance
 Marketing and services(commercial)
 Ground Handling
 Advertising
 In-Flight serving passengers
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Flight Operations

 Operation department is responsible for providing

the qualified manpower for operating the flight.
 Crew must reach at the airport 35 mts before the
scheduled dep.
 Crew require met report and flight plan
 Also keep arrangement for standby crew
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Engineering
 Engineering department has to provide the appropriate
aircraft which is fit for the operation or salable aircraft.
 Inspect the aircraft for any snag and if so rectify it before
detailing for the flight.
 Engg also ensure that the aircraft is having sufficient
operating hours to complete entire routing before its next
inspection
 Has to position the manpower to ensure the start of the
engine and roll out from the apron
 Has certified the aircraft as fit for flight
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Commercial Activities
 Thus the activities which is associated with the
acceptance of the passenger & Cargo for transporting
them from the point A to B is known as “Commercial
activity”
Commercial or Marketing department
Three Main functions
Reservation
Cargo
Airport Handling
0Prof K C GANDHI

Activities of the Airlines

 Prepare a SCHEDULE which is the Product of the
Airlines
 Produced by Planning Department
. Marketing for demand and forecast .
Engineering-availability of Aircraft
. Operation-for trained manpower to fly
1Prof K C GANDHI

Commercial Activities

 The activities which is associated with the acceptance of the

passenger & Cargo for transporting them from the point A to
B is known as “Commercial activity”
2Prof K C GANDHI

Commercial Functions of airlines

 Mainly three functions

 Reservation
 Airport Handling
 Cargo Handling
3Prof K C GANDHI

Reservation functions
Reservation functions are
 Marketing the product
 Booking of seat: Online/agents & GSA/Interline
 Inventory control/Fare/Revenue Management through
CRS
 Selling the product
 Channels of distribution
 Direct/agent/web/interline/GDS
4Prof K C GANDHI

Reservation Functions
Service should be available when needed and near to the
customer Place
Channel of Reservations
 The carrier's own sales offices, including field ticket
offices (FTOs), city, ticket offices (CTOs), and
centralized reservations officer; (on line & Off line)
 Other carriers' sales offices
 Travel agencies,
 Portable ticket booth for multiple airlines
 On line reservation or web reservations
5Prof K C GANDHI

Reservation System

 CRS: Centralized Reservation System

 Main Reservation System of the airlines
 Inventory control
6Prof K C GANDHI

CRS
 The full form is Centralized Reservation System
 Host the schedule of airlines
 Maintain inventories of the schedules
 Fares
 Accessible to the agents
 Now through GDS the schedule is visible through out
the Globe
 A Potent market tool
7Prof K C GANDHI

Other carriers' sales offices;

 Through Interlines agreements

 IATA Carriers
8Prof K C GANDHI

Travel agencies
 Significant contributions
 In 1970, there were 6, 911 travel Agents
 Produced $2.3 billion of $9.3 billion in total
revenues, 25% of the share
 By 1985, the number had increased to 27,193--32.3
% share
 In 1991, approximately 42, 000 travel agents with 80
of passenger through Agents
 Today in India we have app 3700 travel agents
(TAAI=2300/TAFI-1400 )

and 1700 tour operators

Cargo Functions
 Airlines carry cargo Generally in the lower deck of
the aircraft
 Cargo consist of various type of Freight and
mail/Live Animal/Perishable/sensitive and high value
 Receive the cargo from agent , transport them in the
aircraft and deliver them to the consignees at the
destinations
 It is a filler traffic for the airlines
 Some are dedicated cargo airlines like LH/Blue Dart
Airport functions
Terminal building
 Terminal building is the main attraction of the airport
 It separate the operational and non operational area
 Passengers report at airport from land side
 Complete all check-in formalities
 Proceed to the security and wait for the departure
 Aircraft are parked in the airside which is the
operational area of airport
 Airport handling of the airlines are in both the sides
Airside picture of an airport
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Airside picture
Land side picture of an airport
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Air side
 Not open to public
 Restricted access
 It has apron
 Hanger
 Parking space for Ground Handling equipment
 Oil companies
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Land side
 Terminal building divides airside and landside
 It has parking place for the visitor car
 Taxi Stand
 Rail Terminals
 Bus service
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Terminal Building
 Commercial activities in the terminal buildings
 Building has Two areas (some time three)
1. Departure Hall
2. Arrival Hall
3. Transit Hall
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Commercial Activities
 Commercial activities are of two types
 Departure activities
 Arrival activities
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Departure Hall Activities

 X-Raying of Baggage
 Check in activities
 Mini Reservation Office
 Excess Baggage Counter
 Facilitation counter
 Information Desk
 Gate control activities
 Holding area after security
 Departure Gate
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Departure Hall Activities continued

 Transportation of the Pax to aircraft
 Accepting of registered baggage and sending to the
baggage make up area
 Boarding the passenger from the terminal building
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Arrival Hall
 Receiving the fight
 Assisting the passengers in disembarking
 Delivering the registered baggage
 Information desk
 Transfer desk
 Mishandle Baggage unit
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Transit Hall
 Meet ands assist the passenger in transit
 Assist in providing connection
 Assist them for rules and regulation of transit
passengers
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Commercial Function
Back up office
 Each airlines has a back up office
 Not visible to the passenger
 Back Bone of the commercial activities
 Two Major components
 Control Room
 Staff duty allocation room
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Control Room(now as AOCC)

 Monitor the movement of aircraft
 Monitors the activities of the departure and arrival
 Keep track of the clearance of the aircraft
 Weather clearance
 Crew availability
 Information to the passenger
 Respond the emergency and eliminate delay
 Maintain records of the activities and fix responsibility in
case of delay
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Staff duty allocation duty

 Ensure availability of the staff at various counter and
other duty point
 Arranges extra staff required to meet emergency. due
weather or other mechanical reason
 Relocation the staff ton ensure the maximum output
 Ensure manning all the critical point at all times
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Back up office
 Prepare all documents for the flight
 Passenger list, VIP List, Ex/First class Pax list
 Liaise with Cargo and advise the load and space
available for the flight
 Prepare weight and balance sheet
 Through control room liaise with other operating dept
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Back up office
Disseminate the information

 Arrival
 Departure of the aircraft or flight
 Delay

Inform other destination and enroute station

status of the flights
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Departure activities
This can be further sub divided into
two
Pre Departure
Post Departure
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Pre Departure
 A major area for airlines
 Allocation of staff for various counter for
 Check in
 Issuance of ticket and Excess Baggage Ticket
 Pax facilitation &, VIP handling
 Enquiry counter
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Departure Activities-continued
 Control room, announcement of flight, security
check &, sterile areas,
 Preparation of Flight document (Trim sheet, Pax list,
VIP list etc
 Embarking of pax
 Movement of Cargo and Baggage
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Screening of Baggage

 As per security regulation

 All baggage of the passenger are screened through X
Ray by the security personal
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Check in Counter
 First point of contact for passenger :
 Pax report for taking at flight at check-in counter which
is in the departure area
 Hand over their flight coupons and baggage for check in
and obtain boarding cards
 Proceed for security check and wait into sterile area for
boarding
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Boarding of the flight

 Flight is announced after its inspection by
engineering and other tech depts.
 Pax are taken to the aircraft for boarding in a
transport or through aerobridges
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Post Departure functions

 Counting and accounting of traffic documents with
the number of passenger
 Accounting of cash with the number of document
issued
 Sending of message to the en-route and destination
station
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Commercial Activities
Arrival Hall
 Receiving of the passenger
 Delivering their registered baggage
 Handling complaint in case of mishandling of
baggage (damage and non –receipt)
 Assisting transit passengers
 Looking after physically challenged persons
 Attending all queries
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Transit Hall
 Generally at the airport where international operation
 Passenger arriving from one country and going via a
third country to next destination
 Pax are received, looked after and guide for the next
flight
 Normally by the receiving carrier
 Passenger don't go through passport control and
custom
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Non technical activity

Security
 Very vital in aviation
 Particular after the hijacking
 More so after 9/11
 Security starts from the entry point in the terminal
building to the step ladder frisking at the aircraft
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Security
 Two types of security personal
 State personal man the gate control, waiting areas,
boarding gates and other vital installation
 Internal– X-raying of the baggage and stepladder
frisking
 All jobs to de done without annoying the passengers
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Arrival picture a terminal building

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Apron
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Other Flight Documents

Other required documents may include:
1. Final Passenger manifest;
2. Bag tag list for double destination flights;
3. General declarations if required;
4. Other special information (i.e. INAD documents,
etc.).
63

Post Flight Departure Activities Messages

 Ensure all relevant messages are dispatched to the
appropriate addresses, as per the operating airline
specifications.
 Messages may include:
(a) Teletype Passenger Manifest (TPM)
(b) Passenger Transfer Message (PTM)
(c) Passenger Service Message (PSM)
(d) Passenger Protection Message (PPM)
(e) Seat Occupied Message (SOM)
(f) Industry Discount Message (IDM)
(g) Advance Passenger Information (API)
(h) Electronic Ticket List (ETL)
4

Control Room(now as AOCC)

 Monitor the movement of aircraft
 Monitors the activities of the departure and arrival
 Keep track of the clearance of the aircraft
 Weather clearance
 Crew availability
 Information to the passenger
 Respond the emergency and eliminate delay
 Maintain records of the activities and fix responsibility in
case of delay
65

Commercial activities—contd.

Passenger Arrival, Transfer and Transit

Videos of arrival of an aircrfat

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnXBwIdQJ-k

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAxprXOcieA
67

Pre-Arrival
 Review the pre-arrival information from DCS and/or
messages.
 Prepare for short connections if applicable.
 Arrange facilitation for passengers requiring
assistance, e.g. UMNR, PRMs.
 Check requirements for any gate delivery mobility
aids.
 In case of delay of arrival, check onward connections
and make new reservations if required and as per
operating airlines policy
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Arrival
 Prepare jet bridge, ensuring it is free of debris and
position as per the standard height for the aircraft
type.
 Secure the disembarkation route for passengers.
 Disembark passengers in accordance with operating
airline policy.
 Provide assistance to passengers requiring it.
Communicate any delays in providing assistance
services.
69

Transfer
 Passenger Handling at Connecting Airport
 If applicable, and as per operating airline policy:
 Check the inbound/outbound connections and the number of
passengers affected.
 Check time-critical connections, and inform gate staff of
onward transfer.
 Prepare for handling of passengers requiring assistance.
Meet the transferring passengers upon arrival of the
incoming aircraft.
Direct passengers:
 1. Through-checked passengers to the appropriate departure gate(s);
 2. Non-through checked passengers to the transfer desk or gate for
check-in, whichever is applicable.
70

Transit
 Transit passengers may be allowed to disembark
when scheduled ground time and local circumstances
/facilities permit, in accordance with operating airline
policy.
 Certain categories of passenger should be escorted
during the transit time.
 Local government requirements must be applied
regarding security of transit passengers up to and
including screening requirements.
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Disembarkation of transit passengers

Disembarkation Procedure
 Provide each passenger with a transit boarding pass
or instruct passengers to retain their original boarding
pass.
 Inform passengers about boarding time and gate and
available facilities.
 Transit passengers must be re-secured when re-
boarding the flight. (i.e. travel document checked,
boarding status verified, transit card collected)
72

Contd.

 Some Transit Passengers remain on Board

 As per operating airline policy, there may be
categories of passengers that stay on board if locally
permitted.
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Boarding Transit Passengers

Procedure
 Board transit passengers before local passengers.
 Re-secure the flight by checking travel documents
and validating boarding status by collection of the
transit card or review of the original boarding card.
Validation may also be done using the flight manifest
or DCS
Missing Transit Passengers
The flight must be re-secured before door closure. If
passengers are missing, apply the procedure for missing
passengers
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Programme Aircraft Change En Route

 Advise cabin crew that all transit passengers must
disembark with their carry on baggage.
 Distribute transit boarding passes (or instruct
passengers to retain their original boarding pass) and
inform passengers about boarding time and gate and
available facilities.
 Provide passenger assistance as required.
 In case of a change of configuration, assign
passengers new seat numbers if applicable, or apply
free/open seating
THANK YOU