The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has introduced a groundbreaking proposal for the first EU-wide regulation on ground handling at airports. The aim is to enhance safety, cybersecurity, and consistency in ground operations before and after flights, benefiting passengers and airlines. This proposal covers approximately 300,000 workers in the ground handling industry and ensures compliance with the existing cybersecurity regulation.
Ground handling involves various activities such as loading and unloading cargo, passenger boarding, de-icing, refuelling, and securing aircraft during turnaround. Previously, this sector operated with limited regulation, relying on bilateral service agreements between ground handling providers and aircraft operators.
The proposal emphasises the oversight of ground handling organisations by competent authorities, streamlining audits to avoid redundancy and reducing the workload for aircraft operators. The new regulation requires organisations to self-declare compliance with EU requirements, either through their operational procedures or industry standards. They must demonstrate the implementation of a management system aligned with the complexity of their operations, including safety management, staff training, ground support equipment maintenance, and operational procedures fostering a robust safety culture.
EASA Acting Executive Director Luc Tytgat highlighted the importance of this proposal in ensuring end-to-end aviation safety, addressing a significant regulatory gap. The regulation is anticipated to be published in late 2024 or early 2025, with a proposed three-year transition period for implementation after publication.