Also in those days the airport authority controlled all the apron handling, there were no handling agents operating on a shoestring. The authority had a very large pool of unionised staff who would pull together to get things done (albeit for a small bonus for every extra aircraft they handled). I worked as a temp in 1979 and 1987 there were times when baggage staff would sit around for hours waiting for something to do, I bet that most ground crews are now occupied down to the last minute !