BA TRC role becoming extinct
 

It seems BA are trialing dispatching flights without a TRC. The TRC role being split between the ramp , gate staff and operations controller. Currently being trialed in GLA, but will likely be rolled out world wide.

Thoughts on this, just another money saving idea ?

Safety implications ?

Will it improve RTG/OTP?

Is it really a BA idea or a Menzies idea ?

There's a document I have here in Glasgow. ....on eurafsam ba headed paper...shows tasks which are now done by gate/ramp

So this is from BA

Safety/on-time performance are purely academic. If it's cheaper, then it will happen, The whole concept of a Turn-around co-ordinator is on borrowed time in Europe.

Flybe were the same at lgw, when it was swissport. The ramp team leader would be in charge of the turnaround. The gate staff printed out all the paperwork. At the end of boarding the team leader collects paperwork and doors closed.

Menzies tried the same at BHX with the Flybe contract and subsequently lost it due poor performance. I'm not sure how Swissport BHX run it now though.

Ryanair at Stansted have not had TRC's for many years.

So does the ramp team leader sign off the AAA and make the LMCs then?

This has been in place in NCL since the 1st Oct when Aviator took over the BA handling. Gate Co-ordinator takes care of everything above wing and the Ramp Co-ordination takes care of everything below wing. I believe the Gate Coordinator is the 'appointed person' for AAA.

who does the jetty ?

how does the provisional ls get to the captain, flight plans?

The gate coordinator takes care of Jetty / Prov LS / flight plans.

So if you've got to employ a 'Gate Coordinator' to do exactly the same job as the TRC now - where's the benefit ? other than having to retrain a lot more staff.

Maybe you don't have to employ, BA pay for 2 staff at the gate, there's little for them to do until boarding, when you get down to the last 10-20 people then one person could continue boarding while the other does AAA ect.

In NCL with aviator how many gate staff are normally present ?

Ive heard the BA contract at EDI may go to them, current GHA is on third 30 day notice.

Will be interesting to see how that works given that the only way to make RTG on a high load flight is to board on the back steps, thus needing more staff.

MAN had 2 consecutive 30 day improvement notices (since lifted), although I suspect at EDI, like MAN, most of the issues are of BA's own making (Poor inbound punctuality, Unrealistic Turnaround times, failure to address their own baggage policy etc...) and are just looking for a scapegoat by blaming the handling agent.

At STN the ramp team leader is responsible for the AAA and the weight and balance on Ryanairs