I moved from running a small airline (18 aircraft) to ground handling as CEO of a medium sized company in Africa. My personal observation of the ground handling business today (I am now retired) is that there are too many inexperienced managers running too many new and ambitious handling companies. These are not restricted to the Uk either.
I guess, as an old fashioned manager, I feel that the top man should have at least loaded a pallet or a bin, maybe even driven a bus, worn gloves and safety shoes - and more importantly stood at a check in desk and taken the flack from angry pax!. Behind my office door was always my reflective jacket, and I always wore my safety boots to work (fancy ones of course!!).
Too many startups are trying to get into what they believe is an easy profit business. The facts are different and airlines see ground handling as a necessary evil and want to drive down that cost as low as they can get away with.