As airline flight activity continues to increase, it’s hard not to notice the increased activity on the ramp, especially during peak hours. Unfortunately, I have also noticed some risky behaviors – such as speeding – that are likely due to the pressures to meet the demands of the increased activity, usually without a commensurate increase in staffing.
Even companies that are trying to staff up to meet the increased demands, run up against the difficulty of hiring and training people quickly enough. This results in managers and supervisors trying to do more with the same number of people. If you find yourself in this situation as a manager or supervisor, I suggest the only way to insure the safety of your operation is to directly oversee how the increased activity is being handled by your employees, especially during peak times.
If they are able to handle the increased activity within proper procedures and safety parameters, then that’s great. But if you observe shortcuts being taken or risky behaviors, especially speeding which is often a leading cause of ground damage, then the only safe thing to do is slow the operation down. I know no one wants to explain to their bosses or their customers why they’ve slowed down the operation, especially if it results in an airline taking a delay, but it’s really much better to explain a delay than hundreds of thousands – or millions – of dollars in damages. Or worse, injury or death of an employee.
