ASA Calls for Urgent Action to Put an End to the 'Race to the Bottom' in Ground Aviation Services
The Aviation Service Providers Association (ASA) is calling for an immediate change in the working relationships between airlines, airports and aviation service providers and for the adoption of global regulatory requirements in the wake of the EASA opinion released earlier in January.
Fabio Gamba, ASA director general, underlines the critical challenges faced by aviation service providers: "Service providers are the backbone of air operations, yet they continue to grapple with high staff turnover and unsustainable profit margins. In parallel, demand for staff training and for state-of-the-art and costly new equipment is on the rise."
The ASA news release states: "This isn’t new, but the sudden post-pandemic rebound has exacerbated the situation. Unreasonable, and at times even damaging, requirements that are imposed on an already battered ground sector despite the existence of decade-old template agreements, should be definitively banned.
"This must quickly come to an end. In this context, the adoption of minimum standards for ground operations becomes ever more central. This is why ASA applauded the bold approach taken by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after the release of its ground handling opinion earlier this year, trusting that it will act as a first step towards a long-overdue global regulation. In the meantime, ASA will shortly release a document that will lay out what it believes will constitute an ensemble of acceptable standards for the promotion of safe, fair, and efficient ground handling operations throughout the world."
“It won’t only represent the views of the ground handlers though,” said Gamba, who insists airlines and airports alike will be invited to join. “Because eventually what’s bad for the ground handlers is bad for the whole air transport eco-system. It may sound obvious but promoting a robust supply chain characterized by fair labour practices, and safe and sustainable operations, cannot be a zero-sum game. This document isn’t intended to replace or compete against such industry pillars as the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM), but rather to complement them at a different, higher level.”
It is expected that this “ASA Minimum Operating Standards” document will be presented at the association’s annual event, the ASA Leadership Forum (ALF) in Istanbul, Turkey, Oct. 29-31.
