mbeats
LCC - Low Cost Carrier. FR EZY
The damands of ramp handling a LCC normally differ from a legacy carrier operating a similar size aircraft.
Legacy carriers (BA, LH, AF, KL etc.) traditionally, and I accept that many have changed and do not require full servicing on every rotation, received more services when on the ground than a LCC.
The differences are that LCC do not carry cargo; have no interline baggage so there is no separation at the aircraft side; rarely receive cleaning or catering othr than night stop and maybe 01 top up during the day. However, whereas the legacy carriers would allow 45-60 minutes on the ground the LCC seek 25-35. So 'time' becomes a bigger factor rather than the number of servicing vehicles.
One of the more realistic comparisons is between LCC and the charter market utilising similar aircraft. The charter market will clean and cater (in some form) on every rotation. Their ground time will be 45 - 60 minutes.
A LCC operating UK to Spanish destination e.g. APG will have a similar bag load as the charrter operator but want a turn in anything up to 50% of the time. hence, potentially, time pressure = mistakes = ground damage.
I've often wondered if the service companies' employees have as many accidents in their cars as they seem to have on the ramps of this world.
Airlines, themselves, must take a fair share of responsibility as whilst they will say that 'safety' is their 'Number 1 priority' they measure and penalise their service providers not on safety; but on their On Time Performance. Very few airlines do anything positive to promote safety above 'on time' on the ramp. They talk it, but rarely deliver a consistent and positive message to the teams of the service providers. I've actually witnessed senior airline managers asking 3rd party employees to cut corners to make up time to get the aircraft out on time. When challenged they had no concept of the underlying message that they were relaying i.e. that it is OK to break the rules to get the aircraft out on time.
No wonder we have an industry problem.
GH