Introduction
For reasons relevant to the status of the international airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” of Heraklion Crete, Greece, this report will focus on a major ground service provider (Ground Handler or GH). It will endeavour to appraise the inter-dependability of the gate, check-in and dispatch departments of the GH which is the showcase of the airport. However, a few introductory remarks are necessary as an explanation of the airport status.
The airport of Heraklion is currently run by the government, and comes under the umbrella of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks. Following a Skype interview with airport official Mr. Nikos Parasyris the departments are labelled as follows: a) Airport Authority (or Airport Ops), b) Technical, c) Electronics, d) Air Traffic Control, e) Telecommunications, f) Administration, g) Environment. It is common knowledge that government run enterprises, corporations and services are of a monopolistic nature and less concerned with competition in relation to private enterprises, etc. …show more content…
Nevertheless, safety and security issues are major concerns for both private and state run enterprises. However, such concerns relate to image of the country as a holiday destination. Also, it is true that such concerns increase costs and raise issues of operations efficiency and customer satisfaction. Despite its sizeable annual income (in tens of millions of Euros), the airport of Heraklion receives a meagre National Budget allocation which barely covers operating costs. Key departments are understaffed (e.g. the CAA Information Desk) and others are overstaffed but mobility of personnel is frowned upon. Underbudgeted and unwisely staffed, airport department inter-dependability is weak to limping and more concerned with safety, security and bureaucratic issues than customer satisfaction per se. Airport Services generating income and customer satisfaction are delivered mainly by the Ground Handlers, the Airport Ops and the Air Traffic Control. Acting as a front of the airport in terms of contact with passengers, this report will focus on a major Ground Handler and discuss its department structure and inter-dependability, the latter also in relation to key departments of the airport. For example, a key department of the airport is the Airport Ops which is responsible for airport safety, security, and the billing of airlines with due charges . The same department oversees compliance of airport operations and of service providers to current legislation. Air Traffic Control is responsible for the safety and optimal flow of air traffic, etc. However, backbone operations which draw customer comments are offered by the ground handlers. The latter, plus the airport infrastructure, are the factors which shape customer satisfaction. To make better and more efficient use of the airport infrastructure and resources, Airport Ops and the GH must stretch their abilities and skills. This is required for them to cope with new trends for seamless operations and customer satisfaction. The ground handler discussed below is a major operator which provides both airside and landside services. Shifting the discussion to the departments of the Ground Handler (a private entity) is best suited for the airport of Heraklion and for any state-run airport in Greece. The following are the departments of a major GH in the airport of Heraklion. Check-in The check-in department is the first point of contact between passengers and the airline at an airport. Check-in agents are responsible for checking that passengers have valid travel documents, checking their bags in and ensuring that assistance is provided to those who need it. Gate One of the most important departments of a GH. During the boarding process, gate staff are expected to make final checks on all passengers’ travel documents, make boarding calls, resolve any issues that had not been addressed by the check-in agents, confirm that all ‘Delivery at Aircraft’ (DA) items have been tagged and …show more content…
Supervisors are usually staff members that have been with the company for a significant amount of time. They monitor all processes relevant to their departments, make important decisions, assist colleagues when necessary and report to their superiors. In addition, GH operators may choose to perform internal audits. These audits are typically performed by the Station Manager and the managers of the departments that are being assessed. The above methods also help GH operators to stay ahead of the competition and mediate any security and safety concerns that might
For reasons relevant to the status of the international airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” of Heraklion Crete, Greece, this report will focus on a major ground service provider (Ground Handler or GH). It will endeavour to appraise the inter-dependability of the gate, check-in and dispatch departments of the GH which is the showcase of the airport. However, a few introductory remarks are necessary as an explanation of the airport status.
The airport of Heraklion is currently run by the government, and comes under the umbrella of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks. Following a Skype interview with airport official Mr. Nikos Parasyris the departments are labelled as follows: a) Airport Authority (or Airport Ops), b) Technical, c) Electronics, d) Air Traffic Control, e) Telecommunications, f) Administration, g) Environment. It is common knowledge that government run enterprises, corporations and services are of a monopolistic nature and less concerned with competition in relation to private enterprises, etc. …show more content…
Nevertheless, safety and security issues are major concerns for both private and state run enterprises. However, such concerns relate to image of the country as a holiday destination. Also, it is true that such concerns increase costs and raise issues of operations efficiency and customer satisfaction. Despite its sizeable annual income (in tens of millions of Euros), the airport of Heraklion receives a meagre National Budget allocation which barely covers operating costs. Key departments are understaffed (e.g. the CAA Information Desk) and others are overstaffed but mobility of personnel is frowned upon. Underbudgeted and unwisely staffed, airport department inter-dependability is weak to limping and more concerned with safety, security and bureaucratic issues than customer satisfaction per se. Airport Services generating income and customer satisfaction are delivered mainly by the Ground Handlers, the Airport Ops and the Air Traffic Control. Acting as a front of the airport in terms of contact with passengers, this report will focus on a major Ground Handler and discuss its department structure and inter-dependability, the latter also in relation to key departments of the airport. For example, a key department of the airport is the Airport Ops which is responsible for airport safety, security, and the billing of airlines with due charges . The same department oversees compliance of airport operations and of service providers to current legislation. Air Traffic Control is responsible for the safety and optimal flow of air traffic, etc. However, backbone operations which draw customer comments are offered by the ground handlers. The latter, plus the airport infrastructure, are the factors which shape customer satisfaction. To make better and more efficient use of the airport infrastructure and resources, Airport Ops and the GH must stretch their abilities and skills. This is required for them to cope with new trends for seamless operations and customer satisfaction. The ground handler discussed below is a major operator which provides both airside and landside services. Shifting the discussion to the departments of the Ground Handler (a private entity) is best suited for the airport of Heraklion and for any state-run airport in Greece. The following are the departments of a major GH in the airport of Heraklion. Check-in The check-in department is the first point of contact between passengers and the airline at an airport. Check-in agents are responsible for checking that passengers have valid travel documents, checking their bags in and ensuring that assistance is provided to those who need it. Gate One of the most important departments of a GH. During the boarding process, gate staff are expected to make final checks on all passengers’ travel documents, make boarding calls, resolve any issues that had not been addressed by the check-in agents, confirm that all ‘Delivery at Aircraft’ (DA) items have been tagged and …show more content…
Supervisors are usually staff members that have been with the company for a significant amount of time. They monitor all processes relevant to their departments, make important decisions, assist colleagues when necessary and report to their superiors. In addition, GH operators may choose to perform internal audits. These audits are typically performed by the Station Manager and the managers of the departments that are being assessed. The above methods also help GH operators to stay ahead of the competition and mediate any security and safety concerns that might