Ground_Support_August_2020 - 42

EDITOR'S NOTE

Take a Coordinated Approach
Stakeholders in aviation prop up one another, so
working together is a must to stabilize and strengthen
the industry.

s the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, all of us at Ground
Support Worldwide hope that you and your families have
been healthy and well.

Editor - Josh Smith
jsmith@aviationpros.com
920-563-1644

Of course, we are all eager for this health crisis to
end so that we may return to our usual routines and
resurrect our industry.
In an open letter recently shared by Fabio Gamba,
director general of the Airport Services Association
(ASA), he notes air traffic predictions indicate we may
not resume pre-pandemic levels until mid-2022.
While airlines have received financial support from
governments around the world, independent ground
handlers - which provide approximately two-thirds
of all ground services worldwide - are not currently
receiving the same levels of support.
As a result, Gamba explains, a "chicken and egg"
scenario could unfold once travelers take to the skies
again because airlines, airports and ground service
providers rely on one another to succeed.
"With the majority of our personnel currently
unemployed, it can take up to three months to (re-)
hire, train and badge them. Given the financial distress the sector is in, we will not take the initiative of
resuming activities without a number of guarantees,
and will require that any demand from the airlines be
substantiated and contractually sound," Gambia says
in his letter. "Airlines in turn find it difficult to commit. These uncertainties prompt ground handlers
to be cautious and to only start effective re-hiring
when they are certain their contract will be honored."

Gamba suggests the bottlenecks created by these
negotiations could slow recovery further and could
"become a pretext for newcomers pretending to do
the job at costs more in line with the expectations
of cash-stripped airlines focusing on the restart,"
prompting concerns of safety and financial viability.
To discourage ground handlers from considering
extreme cost-cutting measures and potentially making concessions in the quality of their services, the
ASA is requesting that governments and authorities
provide support to the ground handling industry.
Among these requests are an extension of ground
handling licenses, support for ground handler
employment costs and specific safety requirements.
The letter highlights its final request, which is an
open dialogue between ground handlers and authorities, so the industry's needs can be met.
As with most challenges, coming together to
address a common problem can yield a successful result.
You can read Gamba's letter in its entirety at www.
AviationPros.com/21145526.

Advertiser's Index
A.T. Juniper................................................ 27
Aeroservicios............................................. 41
Air Ocean Pros........................................... 39
Alberth Aviation......................................... 39
David Clark Company Inc............................ 5
DAVIN Inc................................................... 41
Engine Distributors Inc.............................. 44
Fortbrand Services Inc............................... 40

42 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE

Global Ground Support.............................. 10
GSE Expo .............................................. 32-33
Harlan......................................................... 17
Hydraulics International Inc...................... 26
JBT AeroTech............................................... 2
LAS-USA.................................................... 43
Mercury GSE.............................................. 38
Par-Kan....................................................... 27

AUGUST 2020

Phoenix Metal Products Inc...................... 16
Powertrain Control Systems....................... 7
Schweiss Doors......................................... 40
Stinar Ground Support Equipment............ 23
Timsan GSE.................................................. 9
U.S. Airmotive GSE.................................... 11
Wilcox Ground Services............................ 19

http://www.AviationPros.com/21145526 http://www.AviationPros.com/21145526

Ground_Support_August_2020

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