Contact

Post:

AERONAUTICAL INFORMATION SERVICES
CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY OF MALAYSIA
NO. 27, PERSIARAN PERDANA
LEVEL 1-4, PODIUM BLOCK, PRECINCT 4,
62618 PUTRAJAYA
MALAYSIA

Tel: 6-03-8871 4000

Fax: 6-03-8881 0530

AFS: WMKKYAYS

Email: ais@dca.gov.my

URL: aip.dca.gov.my

AIC for Malaysia

AIC

31/2005

Effective from 07 NOV 2005

to PERM

Published on 07 NOV 2005

  GROUND HANDLING

1  Introduction

1.1 This AIC is issued in the exercise of powers conferred under Section 24o of the Civil Aviation Act 1969.
1.2 This AIC set forth a means that would be acceptable to DCA for all Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC ) holders to comply with such requirements.

2  Definition

2.1  Ground handling.

Services necessary for an aircraft’s arrival at, and departure from, an airport, other than air traffic services. Ground handling services includes services provided by personnel of an AOC or non AOC holders or agents who are contracted by the AOC holders.

2.2  Ground Handling is also known as Ground Operations.

3  Nominated Post Holders

The operator must have nominated post holders, acceptable to the DCA, who are responsible for the management and supervision of Ground Handling.

3.1 Nominated Post Holder for Ground handling should possess the appropriate experience and qualification requirements which are listed in paragraphs 4 to 8 below. The DCA may accept a nomination which does not meet the requirements in full which the DCA will accept as being comparable and also the ability to perform effectively the functions associated with the post and with the scale of the operations.
3.2 The name of each nominated post holder responsible for ground operations, must include their functions and responsibilities.

4  Ground Staff

4.1 The number of ground staff is dependent upon the nature and the scale of operations. Operations and ground handling departments, in particular, must be staffed by trained personnel who have a thorough understanding of their responsibilities within the organisation.
4.2 An operator contracting other organisations to provide certain services, retains responsibility for the maintenance of proper standards. In such circumstances, a nominated post holder must be given the task of ensuring that any contractor employed meets the required standards.

5  Supervision

5.1 The number of supervisors to be appointed is dependent upon the structure of the operator and the number of staff employed.
5.2 The duties and responsibilities of these supervisors must be defined, and any other commitments arranged so that they can discharge their supervisory responsibilities.
5.3 The supervision of ground staff must be exercised by individuals possessing experience and personal qualities sufficient to ensure the attainment of the standards specified in the Operations Manual.

6  Accommodation facilities

6.1 An operator must ensure that working space available at each operating base is sufficient for personnel pertaining to the safety of flight operations. Consideration must be given to the needs of ground staff, those concerned with operational control, the storage and display of essential records, and flight planning by crews.
6.2 Office services must be capable, without delay, of distributing operational instructions and other information to all concerned.

7  Documentation.

7.1 The operator must make arrangements for the production of flight safety documents according to criteria which ensure easy access to information required for flight and ground operations contained in the various operational documents comprising system which facilitate management of the distribution and revision of operational documents.

8  Ground Handling Instructions

8.1 Fuelling procedures.

A description of fuelling procedures, including:

  1. Safety precautions during refuelling and de-fuelling including when an APU is in operation or when a turbine engine is running and the prop-brakes are on;

  2. Refuelling and de-fuelling when passengers are embarking, on board or disembarking; and

  3. Precautions to be taken to avoid mixing fuels.

8.2 Aeroplane, passengers and cargo handling procedures related to safety.

A description of the handling procedures to be used when allocating seats and embarking and disembarking passengers and when loading and unloading the aeroplane. Further procedures, aimed at achieving safety whilst the aeroplane is on the ramp, must also be given. Handling procedures must include:

  1. Children/infants, sick passengers and Persons with Reduced Mobility;

  2. Transportation of inadmissible passengers, deportees or persons in custody;

  3. Permissible size and weight of hand baggage;

  4. Loading and securing of items in the aeroplane;

  5. Special loads and classification of load compartments;

  6. Positioning of ground equipment;

  7. Operation of aeroplane doors;

  8. Safety on the ramp, including fire prevention, blast and suction areas;

  9. Start-up, ramp departure and arrival procedures including push-back and towing operations;

  10. Servicing of aeroplanes;

  11. Documents and forms for aeroplane handling; and

  12. Multiple occupancy of aeroplane seats.

8.3 Procedures for the refusal of embarkation.

Procedures to ensure that persons who appear to be intoxicated or who demonstrate by manner or physical indications that they are under the influence of drugs, are refused embarkation. This does not apply to medical patients under proper care.

8.4 De-icing and Anti-icing on the ground.

A description of the de-icing and anti-icing policy and procedures for aeroplanes on the ground. These shall include descriptions of the types and effects of icing and other contaminants on aeroplanes whilst stationary, during ground movements and during take-off. In addition, a description of the fluid types used must be given including:

  1. Proprietary or commercial names;

  2. Characteristics;

  3. Effects on aeroplane performance;

  4. Hold-over times; and

  5. Precautions during usage.

8.5 Dangerous goods

Staffs who are engaged in ground handling, storage and loading of dangerous goods have received training to enable them to carry out their duties in respect of dangerous goods. As a minimum this training must cover the areas identified at Appendix A and be to a depth sufficient to ensure that an awareness is gained of the hazards associated with dangerous goods, how to identify such goods and how to handle and load them;

8.6 General cargo and baggage handling.
8.6.1 Staff who are engaged in general cargo and baggage handling have received training to enable them to carry out their duties in respect of dangerous goods. As a minimum this training must cover the areas identified at Appendix A and be to a depth sufficient to ensure that awareness is gained of the hazards associated with dangerous goods, how to identify such goods, how to handle and load them and what requirements apply to the carriage of such goods by passengers and the following personnel

  1. Passenger handling staff; and

  2. Security staff employed by the operator who deal with screening of passengers and their baggage, have received training which, as a minimum, must cover the areas as identified at Appendix A and be to a depth sufficient to ensure that an awareness is gained of the hazards associated with dangerous goods, how to identify them and what requirements apply to the carriage of such goods by passengers.

8.6.2 An operator shall ensure that his handling agent’s staffs are trained in accordance with the applicable column in Appendix A
An operator shall ensure that all ground staff have received appropriate initial and recurrency training in order to enable them to carry out their duties. The training should undertake a test to verify understanding of their responsibilities.

DATO’IR KOK SOO CHON

Director General

Department of Civil Aviation

Malaysia