Good Evening

I would be interested to know ways of boarding from a gate using no air bridge.... 2 x sets of steps...... How many staff would you use?? Whom is responsible for pax welfare on the ramp.

Boarding using an air bridge and 1 x steps on rear door..... How would you board this from the gate..... How do you decipher whom boards on airbridege and who uses the rear steps..... Who is responsible for pax welfare on the ramp? How many staff members used for this option?

Thanks very much
G-DUDE

All depends on the airport but there's the info for the station I work at.

I've never seen steps AND an airbridge used at the same time. The steps on the rear door are there to be used by the cleaners and also to aid in the event of an evacuation if something happened during refuelling. When boarding via an airbridge (or two airbridges if the stand has this) then the only staff you need is the passenger service agents.

As for steps, it really varies from airport to airport and between the different handling agents. The handling agent I work for puts the responsibility down to the dispatcher, who must oversee passengers on the ramp when using one or two sets of steps (While trying to manage the turnaround / print paperwork from the office that is half a mile away / complete a loadsheet in the wind and rain :rolleyes: but that's another discussion :}). Depending on the airline and the amount of cabin crew onboard, I'll sometimes ask the crew if they'll stand at the bottom of the steps for me so I can do my job without worrying about people going walkabouts. You'd be amazed how willing they'll be to stand outside when it's 25c and sunny, but as soon as it clouds over or rains then they can't due to health and safety :\

Refer to CAP 642

Who is responsible for pax welfare on the ramp? How many staff members used for this option?The person who opens the door and walks the passengers to the aircraft is responsible, if anything was to happen then the company that employs them are liable (as far as i can remember?) As for how many staff, depends on the layout of an airport.. generally 1 person should be at the road crossing (if there is one) and one at the wing, although this can be reduced to 1 at the road if there is a guiding system at the wingtip to stop people walking under the wing

We used to call the device that stops pax from going under the wing a PIG. All it consists of is a wheeled drum with a tape which conects to both sets of steps and should???prevent pax crossing over or under the tape to go under the wing. Like the previous guy on the forum says the Dispatcher is in control of diembarkation/embarkation on the turnaround. The job is easier if you have an airbridge

I use an airbridge and steps on practically every turn, weather permitting, for both offload and onload.

The gates have two doors at them, one to the airbridge and one to stairs onto the ramp. We use 3 members of staff. Two ageents for boarding and one agent on the ramp.

Quite a good system. Can board an A321 in less than 15 minutes.

Obviously it depends on the layout of the gate area and stand as to whether this could be applied at your station.

Just out of interest, why shouldn't passengers walk under the wing?

PM

Just out of interest, why shouldn't passengers walk under the wing?

Hot exhausts with or without turning props (windmilling not under power!) and there are fuel vents on the under side of the wing which can drip. Possibility that there is an inspection of the flaps required on the turn and flaps deployed.

I can't think of any others at the minute

GA

Dripping fuel, is a good one........

Flap inspection, would not happen, unless all the area had been checked clear, and remained so.

Hot exhausts, not realy possible, assuming that there is no hotel mode, on Port side... Stb yes.

Some aircraft refuel from bulk underground pipes, unrestricted access is needed, sometimes on both sides.

Walk under my wing, and rsk eye poked out.....

glf

Just out of interest, why shouldn't passengers walk under the wing?

I don't buy a flap inspection because if the flaps are being inspected whilst passengers are being boarded, somebody is asking for trouble - for a whole variety of reasons. And given that the doors are on the left but fuelling panels and points are on the right the nearest 'excuse' (the words "valid reason" aren't applicable) I can get to is that possibly fuel may vent during refuelling operations - and therefore ground the plane as serviceable aircraft don't leak fuel. So the answer appears to be "because" or "we've always done that way". Unless of course, someone can come up with something better?

PM

I was told once that a fuel leak up to few drops a minute is ok but now it sees it is wrong. However here in PPRuNe I read that airlines / handling agents don't want people under the wing for fear of them messing up with the aircraft structure.

Mabe tThat's why airlines tend to put a tape/ light chain on the port side of the aircraft to prevent people from walking under the wing.


Rwy in Sight

And given that the doors are on the left but fuelling panels and points are on the right

What about aircraft which are refuelled on the left :p?

Most widebodies are capable of being fuelled on either wing AFAIK, and some smaller Airbus' can have the option fitted (Some TCX A32*s can be fuelled on either side)

..and if that fuel gets warm, or the stop valve doesn't, when refuelling is taking place, where does the fuel go? It vents under the wing, and believe me if you've ever seen a full fuel vent, you would not want to be walking anywhere near the wing, particularly since there is no advance warning of the event.

Mabe that's why airlines tend to put a tape/ light chain on the port side of the aircraft to prevent people from walking under the wing.

As previously mentioned, systems known as PIGS (Passenger Guidance Systems) are used where there is a need to use the rear door of the aircraft during arrival or departure. The specific idea of this is to prevent passengers from walking under the wing.

I was dispatching an Easyjet 737 that was serviceable but transferring fuel from one tank to another. It then started to piss out fuel from the left wing all over the tarmac. That was a good time to have a PIG out.
I think keeping pax away from the wing and externals of the aircraft is good practice. All sorts of things could drop from the wing allowing pax to put in a claim. Fuel, Hydraulic fluid, loose screw and De-icing fluid are the first to pop to my head. All of these could stain cloths or worst case drop in someone’s eye. De-icing fluid is also very slippery, many times I have nearly landed on my arse collecting a pig.
Shifty

PIGS should stop them from walking where they're not supposed to be but it doesn't always work. I've had a PIG from port wingtip and chained to rear steps and another from same wingtip to fwd steps. Walking freight come down rear steps, jump over tape, under port wing near hot engine exhaust and jump back over tape at fwd steps!! Utterly incredulous and when you're shouting at the top of your voice to them, they give you that blank stare and giggle. It's true what they say that passengers leave their brains on the pavement when they enter an airport!! Good to shout at them though to be heard over the noise of APU's and other vehicles moving around.

:ok:

Haha...Yup, Pax love jumping over the PIG's. I have had one bloke Jump over the tape and start spinning the engine on a Ryanair. He had one to many me thinks.
He was offloaded :=

There's also a big risk of falling ice etc during the winter, which can be in fairly large chunks at time. I've seen it happen a few times where big chunks of snow or ice have melted with the sun in the morning and fell off the wing onto the apron.

Best thing I saw was a bloke jump over the rope at the rear of the aircraft (he clearly heard me asking/shouting at him not too), stroll under the wing and then trip over the rope at the front of the aircraft. Flat on his face, bleeding nose... Couldn't stop laughing.

I was always told PIG stood for Passenger Intelligence Guidance... quite.

Answering main question:

2 stairs = 3 PAX personnel - 2 at boarding gate 1 at the ramp standing at the servise road (of course PIG installed - if not, that person goes near wing)

No airbridge experience :( None at my airport.

i was told PIGs were Passenger Inert Guidance System:confused:

Other amusing happenings as a dispatcher is watching people trying to find the back steps even though you have told them to use the front as the back steps have been taken away! :ugh: