project on baggage handling and acceptance

STUDY OF BAGGAGE PROCEDURE AND HANDLING AT GMR

AIRPORT BY AISATS

A

Project Report

Submitted in the Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements

For the Award of the Degree of

BACHELOROF SCIENCE IN

AIRLINEANDAIRPORT MANAGEMENT

SUBMITTED BY

ANMOL JAKHMOLA ROLL NO: AAMO12

Department of Airline/Airport management

SNIST-VAUGHN INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS AND

TECHNOLOGY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

_{PAGE NO}

CERTIFICATE

₀₄

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

₀₅

ABSTRACT

₀₆

INTRODUCTION

₀₇

COMPANY PROFILE

₀₉

PRESENT SCENARIO

₁₀

DEFINATION OF BAGGAGE

₁₂

HOW BAGGAGE WORKS

₁₂

CONVEYORS

₁₅

PREVENTION OF DAMAGE

₁₇

CHECKED BAGGAGE

₁₉

WEIGHT CONCEPT

₁₉

PIECE CONCEPT

₁₉

CHECK- IN SEQUENCE

₂₁

UNCHECKED BAGGAGE

₂₅

HANDLING OF BULKY/ DUTY

FREE ITEMS

26

HANDLING OF GATE RETRIVELS

AT (AEROBRIDGE)

27

HANDLING OF OVERCARRIED

GATE RETRIVELS AT OPEN BAY

1. BAGGAGE DISCREPANCIES

28

2. BAGGAGE TAG

3.

SECURITY QUESTIONS

4. LIMITED RELEASE TAG

5. CABIN BAGGAGE.

30

33

35

36

OG GAUGE BAGGGAGE

MOVEMENT

37

SPECIAL RATE ITEMS

₃₈

HANDLING OF BAGGGAGE AT

BAGGAGE MAKE-UP AREA

39

HANDLING OF BAGGAGE ON

ARIIVAL

40

TRANSFER BAGGAGE

46

BAGGAGE CLAIM

₄₆

CONCLUSION

₄₉

REFERENCES

₅₁

ANMOL JAKHMOLA 0701AMM12

Department of Airline/Airport management

SNIST-VAUGHN INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS AND TECHNOLOGY

(Approved by AICTE, Affiliated to Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, New York))

2011

I convey my gratitude to the Director of our college Dr .P.G Shastri for his

guidance and support all these years. I want to thank all my teachers who had been

a constant inspiration for me. This project report could have taken this shape

without their kind and spontaneous help.

This project is about the fundamentals of baggage handling and acceptance of baggage at GMR

airport, Hyderabad by AI-SATS .This project deals with some of the basic handling functions

which are meant to be regulated for the smooth and hassle-free flight in airports. Through this

project in SATS, I have gained the most valuable knowledge in flight handling in which

AI-SATS is unmatchable in the country. I take pride in my association with AI-AI-SATS in connection

with my project report.

INTRODUCTIO

N

Airline Industry in India is one of the fastest growing aviation industries in the world. With the liberalization of the Indian aviation sector, airline industry in India has undergone a rapid transformation. From being primarily a government-owned industry, the Indian airline industry is now dominated by

privately owned full service airlines and low cost carriers. Private airlines account for around 75% share of the domestic aviation market. Earlier air travel was a privilege only a few of those who could afford, but today air travel has become much cheaper and can be afforded by a large number of people. The origin of Indian civil aviation industry can be traced back to 1912, when the first air flight between Karachi and Delhi was started by the Indian State Air Services in collaboration with the UK based Imperial Airways. In 1932, JRD Tata founded Tata Airline, the first Indian airline. AI- SATS provides the ground handling services to Air India and many other carriers like THAI and Emirates.AI-SATS covers the following aspects in delivering the world class services to its customer airlines.

Catering: (Inflight food and beverage, although this sector is having to adapt to the

changing airline business models where a meal is either no longer offered or is Available for purchase);

Cabin service: (cleaning, replenishment etc., sometimes carried out by local Companies);

Ramp service :( aircraft guidance, towing, low grade maintenance and visual aircraft

Inspection, water and lavatory drainage, ground power, air conditioning, engine Start, baggage handling, gate baggage, refueling/de‐fuelling, passenger stairs, staff Transport, wheelchair lifts and handling, de‐icing)

Passenger service: (check‐in counters for departing airlines, gate arrival and

Departure services, transfer, customer service, lost baggage, airline lounges

RAJIV GANDHI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

COMPANY PROFILE

Air India SATS Airport Services is a Joint Venture Company formed with Air India (National Aviation Company of India Limited, NACIL) and Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) as a partner.

Air India, apart from being the National Flag Carrier, has a well-established infrastructure for ground handling services and is the largest ground handling service provider in India. With well-trained and skilled personnel, and state- of- the art equipment, Air India has a market share of approximately 65% of the 3rd party ground handling businesses at International Airports within India.

SATS is a leading integrated ground handling company in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region with 60 years of operating experience. SATS has 18 overseas joint ventures in 40 airports across 9 countries. Its ground-handling network alone extends to 24 airports in 7 countries. SATS is renowned for providing quality service and the use of latest technology.

With the rich background of both the organizations, AI-SATS with their wealth of ground handling experience plans to provide professional ground handling services at the airports in India and to set a benchmark in providing services.

PRESENT SCENARIO

Revolutionized by privatization along with active participation of the foreign investors, the Indian airline industry has experienced phenomenal transformation over the last couple of years. From being a service catering to the needs of the privileged group only it is now well within the reach of middle class population. This has been the result of increased competition in the Indian aviation industry due to the presence of a wide variety of private and public airlines with their low price tags. It was further helped by the entry of Air Deccan, the first budget airline in India, offering unbelievable tariffs to the customers. In the financial year 2006-07 there has been a significant 22.3 percent growth in passenger traffic in the domestic airports while the aircraft movement recorded a growth by 14.2 percent.

In terms of the number of flights Jet Airways secures the top position with 8,168 flights operating till June 2007. Indian Airlines is in second position with 7,562 flights. Sahara Spice Jet (483 flights) and Kingfisher Airlines (367 flights) come thereafter in the list of domestic and national carrier operators. Now with the increase in traffic more flight from the airports are leading to the baggage issues, in recent cases the leading SITA published a report that in 2010, despite the 300,000 flights were canceled while the global number of air travelers is still a new high of 24.4 million passengers. At the same time the number of mishandled baggage overall downward trend. Out of the declared overall profit of some $16 billion in 2010, the report said, compensation for lost and mishandled luggage and getting it back to its owners when found cost the IATA carriers an estimated $2.94 billion.

Baggage handling is a complicated system and any slight error can lead to lost baggage or mishandled baggage there can be many reasons for mishandled baggage or damage baggage few of them are:

• Tight Connections – one should give himself at least an hour for both him and his bag to reach

a connecting flight. Even then, things happen.

• Bag Jams - Sometimes a bag will get stuck somewhere on a conveyor belt, causing a blockage.

• Bag Switches - Someone doesn't pay attention and runs off with your bag by mistake.

• Late Check-Ins - Because the bag was checked in late, the airline didn't have time to get it to the

airplane.

• Full Flight - If a lot of people are flying and everyone checks in one or two big bags, there may

not be room for all of them.

• Weight and Balance Issues - This is a complicated yet very important issue that sometimes leads

to bags being left off the plane. This comes up a lot with smaller planes. Too much weight could mean that the plane burns too much fuel or is unable to take off safely.

• Missing Tags - Sometimes the bag tag gets torn off when it goes through the conveyor belt

system. Without the tag, airline employees can't determine where your bag needs to go.

• Misread Tags - Baggage handlers who are distracted or in a hurry sometimes just plain misread a

tag and load a bag onto the wrong plane.

Airline operators or agent efficiency can be determined by how can they can minimize the mishandled baggage according to the survey for every 1000 bags the typical airline mishandled 6 bags.

DEFINITION OF BAGGAGE

'Baggage' means such articles, effects and other personal property of

a passenger, as are necessary or appropriate for wear, use, comfort or

Convenience in connection with his trip.

The baggage handling system system at an airport plays a crucial role in keeping travelers

happy. It also can make the difference in an airport's ability to attract or keep a major airline hub

("an airport that serves as a central connecting point through which many flights of a particular

airline are routed.

• A baggage-handling system has three main jobs:

o Move bags from the check-in area to the departure gate

o Move bags from one gate to another during transfers

o Move bags from the arrival gate to the baggage-claim area

The measure of a successful baggage-handling system is simple: Can the bags move from point to point as fast as the travelers can? If the bags move slower, you'll have frustrated travelers waiting

for bags, or bags failing to make connecting flights on time. If the bags move too fast, you might have bags making connecting flights that passengers miss.

Each airport has its own requirements. For instance, the time allotted for a bag to make it from the check-in area to the gate is determined by how fast a passenger can make the same trip. In some airports, it might only be a short walk to the passenger terminal, while in others, passengers might have to take a train.

Baggage-handling Basics

• A baggage-handling system is kind of like a road system in a city: The conveyors are like the local roads, the DCV tracks are like the highway and your bag is like the car. Baggage-handling and road systems share these properties:

o If a conveyor or DCV track is blocked (a traffic jam, of sorts), baggage can be routed

around the blockage.

o Baggage starts and ends its journey on conveyors (just as you start your drive to work on local roads), moving to the DCV track to make longer journeys, such as from terminal to terminal or gate to gate.

The DCV highway goes through a tunnel from the check-in area to the passenger terminals.

• Unlike a road system, however, a baggage-handling system makes all of the decisions about where a bag is going. Hundreds of computers keep track of the location of every bag, every traveler's itinerary and the schedules of all the planes. Computers control the conveyor junctions and switches in the DCV tracks to make sure each bag ends up exactly where it needs to go.

• The process begins when a customer check in and hand the bag to the agent.

• After check in, the agent pulls up customer itinerary on the computer and prints out one or more tags to attach to each of customer pieces of luggage. The tag has all flight information on it, including destination and any stopover cities, as well as a bar code that contains a ten-digit number.

Conveyors

The conveyors in the main terminal of the GMR airport connecting in huge network. There are hundreds of different conveyors with junctions connecting all of them. The conveyor system has to sort all of the bags from all of the different airlines.

Once the passenger bag has been scanned, the baggage-handling system tracks its movement. At any time, it knows exactly where pax bag is on the conveyor system. When pax bag comes to a junction, a machine called a pusher either lets it pass or pushes it onto another conveyor.

A BAE pusher slides bags onto another branch of the conveyor system.

Through this network of conveyors and junctions, pax bag can be sent to nearly any destination automatically.

The last step in the main-terminal conveyor system is a conveyor that loads your bag into a passing DCV. This step is the equivalent of a highway on-ramp.

PREVENTION OF DAMAGE

In AISATS it is ensured that damaged of the baggage while loading and unloading is minimized to zero .GSO and Supervisors plays very important role in monitoring the baggage loading .The duty manager has to give the briefing to the GSO regarding proper care and handling of the baggage and it is the responsibilities of the GSO to ensure that

a. Baggage handling systems, equipment and vehicles are adequately Maintained to prevent damage to baggage.

b. The baggage is:

• loaded on trolleys in such a way as to avoid it falling or being crushed; • suitably protected from the weather;

• Handled in such a way as to prevent damage, e.g. not thrown or dragged.



GSO must check the physical condition of baggage at the time of acceptance of the baggage at the counters, any damages shall be intimidated to the pax at the counters only.

For Hard top Luggage

•

The GSO needs to Check for damage on handles, locks & corners of luggage.

For Soft top Luggage:

•

Check Zippers & External pockets with extra care because most of people are unaware and take it lightly.

Such examination should be carried out discretely and in such a manner so as the passenger is unable to make out.

If the baggage is not locked, GSO has to seal it with the Security Seal which is provided by the Customer Airlines. If the seals have not been provided by any of the customer Airlines, as per their Company Policy, accept the baggage.

CHECKED BAGGAGE

At the counters the passenger comes in with the check in luggage, the staff should be aware of the rules and schemes like maharaja, golden card and different schemes for the different class of passengers. Free excess baggage allowances and their limits like premium class 30% mileage point and for golden card member the staff must be ware that 15 kg excess baggage allowance should be given .The GSO sitting at the counters must ensure following :

 Free baggage allowance given (shown on ticket) - Weight concept / piece concept

Weight concept:

On flights not serving the United States or Canada (or other locations specified by the airline where the Piece Concept does not apply), passenger baggage is controlled by the so-called

Weight Concept. Under the Weight Concept, each passenger is permitted to check a total bag

weight in however many bags they have. Typically, Economy Class is permitted to check in up to 44 pounds (20 kilograms), Business Class is permitted to check in 66 pounds (30 kilograms), and First Class is permitted 88 pounds (40 kilograms)

Piece concept

On flights over Atlantic ocean (and on selected flights which vary by airline), passenger baggage is controlled by the so-called Piece Concept. Under the Piece Concept, passengers are permitted to check two bags with a per-bag weight of up to 50 pounds (23 kilograms) for Economy Class and up to 70 pounds (32 kilograms) for Business or First Class. Certain airlines operating under the Piece Concept may add additional checked baggage allowance for their Elite Level fliers

 The bags are accepted at check-in counters

 They must be weighed & recorded (ticket & manifest) Baggage claim tags are issued.

The staff are properly trained and given proper product knowledge to ensure the smooth and easy movement of passenger across the counters. The supervisors are

present

at the counters to monitor every thing is going smoothly.

PASSENGER BAGGAGE TICKET NO

This number is unique to pax luggage. All of the computers in the baggage-handling system can use this number to look up your itinerary.

pax bag's first stop (after check-in) is at an automated bar-code scanner. This station is actually an array of bar-code scanners arranged 360 degrees around the conveyor, including underneath. This device is able to scan the bar codes on about 90 percent of the bags that pass by. The rest of the bags are routed to another conveyor to be manually scanned.

Once the baggage-handling system has read the 10-digit bar-code number, it knows where pax bag is at all times.

CHECK IN SEQUENCE

The customers are very important to the airlines, they are the revenue source, so the staff at the check in counters should ensure that a relationship is build between the customer and the airlines .The staff are trained to make feel customers that they are important to us and our priorities are to make them satisfied. The GSO at the counters must ensure the following as the passengers approaches him.

• Greetings

• Confirm Flight & Destination with Passenger

• Travel Document Check

• Acceptance of Baggage

• Check-in

• Baggage Tag & Boarding Pass Print

• Confirm Baggage Details & Destination

• Advise Boarding Information

UNCHECKED BAGGAGE

Bags carried into aircraft cabin are also known as cabin bag(s)

Customers do not have baggage claim tags

First & Business Class customers may be allowed 2 cabin baggages

Cabin baggage rule is a must as it is a important aspect for the safety of the flight and the passengers. • For the safety & comfort of the customers & crew

•

Exits less likely to be blocked, allowing swift & safe evacuation in an emergency

•

Safely stowed in the overhead compartments.

• Sufficient baggage space in the overhead compartments or under the seats

•

Clutter-free cabin for easier movement by customers & crew

•

Faster boarding for on-time departure & smoother disembarkation on arrival.

Gate Retrievals:

Gate retrievals may be done for the following reason



Due insufficient space in cabins / overhead bins.



To ensure quick turnaround.

Handling of bulky duty free item .

Duty free items shall be sold under proper cash receipt incorporating the name of the passenger and his Flight No / Passport no.

The items will be handed over to the passenger at the Duty Free Shop.

The guest service officer (gso) has to ensure the following functions are performed :

 Identify bulky duty free item

 Advise passenger that item - Inadmissible at cabin (Due size / weight etc)



The staff has to Obtain weight of item if unusual at SHA

 Print a system generated LR tag (If facility of system generated LR tag is not available, use a manual LR tag.

 Obtain Signature of Passenger

 Register weight & Update remarks on System

 Handover claim stub to passenger and advise him the final destination.



Note details in Gate Retrievals form and notify concerned Airline Supervisor  Advise Load Control Office / Loading Supervisor / BMA Supervisor.

& OCC over walkie / phone

 Send item through aerobridge to bay for loading.

Handling of Gate Retrievals (At Aerobridge)

Over size / over weight cabin baggage may be retrieved by airlines which are not admissible in cabin. The procedure for such retrievals is enumerated below and staff has to ensure these are followed..



Identify the cabin baggage which needs to be recovered.

 Advise passenger that item - Inadmissible at cabin (due size / weight etc)  Obtain weight of item otherwise use standard weight of the concerned Airline  Affix “Limited Release Tag” & Obtain Signature from passenger

 Handover claim stub to passenger.

 Note details in Gate Retrievals form and notify concerned Airline Supervisor  Advise Load Control Office / Loading Supervisor / BMA Supervisor & OCC over Walkie –Talkie / phone

 Position a trolley in advance near the aerobridge and load such baggage into the trolley.  Obtain signature & handover Gate Retrievals Form to Load Controller.



Gate Retrievals for TCI passengers will be up to final destination of the passenger  Please check with the passenger if he has any valuable item in the bag. If so, please ask the passenger to remove it.



Immediately after departure , update the details of L/R on the system i.e.  Name of Passenger

 Tag number  Destination.

Handling of Gate Retrievals (At Open Bay):

Over size / over weight cabin baggage may be retrieved by airlines which are not admissible in cabin. The procedure for such retrievals is enumerated below.



Identify the cabin baggage which needs to be recovered.  Advise passenger that item - Inadmissible at cabin (Due size / weight etc)

 Obtain weight of item otherwise use standard weight of the concerned Airline.

 Affix “Limited Release Tag” & Obtain Signature from passenger  Handover claim stub to passenger.

 Note details in Gate Retrievals form and notify concerned Airline Supervisor

 Advise Load Control Office / Loading Supervisor / BMA Supervisor. & OCC over Walkie –Talkie / phone.



Position a trolley in advance at the gate and load such baggage into it.  Co-ordinate with ramp office for tractor to dispatch trolley to aircraft Under advise to Load Controller, Ramp & BMA Supervisor and OCC

BAGGAGE MISHANDLING

•

Mishandled baggage - loss / damage.

• Baggage Services

• Legal liability - USD20.00 for every kg

• Pieces/Weight - mandatory element on PIR

• Insurance.

Baggage Tag

Specimens

To be used on checked baggage such as boxes/cartons.

This is to prevent these items from being delivered to the cargo complex

For baggage that

w

eigh m

ore than 30

kgs

For baggage that

w

eigh m

ore than 30

kgs

SECURITY QUESTIONS:

The staff at the check in counter should ask the passenger’s security related questions that

should cover the following points.

 Direct passengers' attention to the Notice on the DGR displayed at the Counters  Check with passenger if the baggage contains any of the DGR, any prohibitive

Article and / or the Arms and Ammunition etc

In case answer to any of this question is yes, take necessary action

in accordance with the conditions governing the acceptance of such Baggage keeping the customer airline informed.

If all ok then the staff need to:  Remove all old tags/Labels



Check the final destination as per itinerary and if there no restriction for through check-in then accepts the baggage & tag accordingly.



Use special handling labels accordingly like F/ J class, Heavy tags, fragile stickers etc as per customer airline requirement.

 Draw the attention of the passenger to the claim portion and the destination Printed on it and advise him/her of the final destination of the baggage.

EXCESS BAGGAGE:

Weight Concept

The staffs have to weight the baggage and record the baggage details in DCS.

In case the baggage weights exceed the Free Baggage Allowance compute the excess Weight and advise the passenger to pay the Excess Baggage Charges.

Piece Concept



In case of baggage accepted under piece concept,



The staff need to check weight and dimensions as permissible and



If there is excess weight or the number of pieces follow the above directions, i.e., advice passenger for the payment of Excess Baggage Charges.

LIMITED RELEASE TAG

Limited Release as by the name itself specify, the carriers liability on carriage of such baggage tagged by a limited release tag is “Limited”.

In other words the carriers restrict itself from claim arising of baggage unsuitably packed, Damaged (like handle broken, strap broken, torn, dents, scratches etc) or not permitted as Cabin Baggage, Fragile items, Perishable etc may be tagged with limited release and thereby signed by the passenger.

Limited Release Tag must be used under these conditions. Carriers may refuse to accept liability

of the damage

/ Pilferage of the baggage moving under LRT.

Signature of Passenger on Limited Release declaration.

(The staff at boarding gate should always keep in mind that without signature of passenger the Limited release tag, the conditions are invalid and void thereby a passenger can put a claim with the carrier.)

The staff should not forget to mark L/R on passenger claim stubs.

CABIN BAGGAGE

As per IATA recommended practice, the term carryon baggage means unchecked baggage, hand baggage or cabin baggage.

The cabin baggage is carried, subject to the condition that:  the passenger retains charge of the article;



it is stowed so as not to cause an obstruction or impede passenger Flow in the event of an emergency;

 it is restricted to a size which can be stowed either under the seat, in The overhead locker or any authorized stowage area.

Most of the airlines have their own policy for acceptance of Cabin baggage. ( Some carriers do allow two pieces to First/ Business class passenger while few others allow a Laptop in addition to one piece ) Its prudent to refer to the Customer Airlines policy.

In case of no policy from the Airlines, provisions of IATA Resolutions 749 will be applicable i.e. the sum of the three dimensions (length plus width plus height ) should not exceed 45 inches or 115 cms.

Out of Gauge Baggage Movement

Baggage for OOG must be identified as to why it cannot pass through the general procedures by GSO/GSS. It could be because of its size (big or small), type (i.e soft, delicate) or special handling instructions attached to the baggage (Fragile, Handle with Care etc).

Once this is ascertained then the baggage shall move through the following procedures laid out by GMR

 OOG Slips has to be made for such baggage. (The slip has 3 perforated portions) Baggage should be loaded on a push trolley and taken through S4 elevator to

BMA (Baggage Make Up Area)

 On receipt GMR security official shall make entries into the security log book with tag details etc

SPECIAL RATED ITEMS (Golf kits)

Discounted excess baggage rates are offered on Golf clubs, Snow skis, Water Skis, Surfboards and snowboards. The rates Offered are as follows

Golf Clubs

Up to 15Kgs the charge is for 6 kg, then the at the normal applicable rate . One set per passenger.

If the Passenger has more than one set of golf clubs, then always offer the special rate on the heaviest set to give maximum benefit to the passenger.

Weight of Golf clubs Charge in Kg 15kgs 06 16kgs 07 17kgs 08 18kgs 09

The rates offered are as follows

The charge is 3kgs regardless of the weight. One set of skis per Passenger or One surf / snowboard.

If the Passenger has more than one set of skis/ surf board/snowboard then always offer the special rate on the heaviest set to give Maximum benefit to the passenger.

Handling of Baggage at Break up Area

:

On receipt of the checked in baggage at the Baggage break up area the following step as followed.

 The baggage should be offloaded from the ULD’s and put on the belt



Care should be taken to check the following

 Special Instructions Tag on the baggage. i.e Fragile etc (to be handled carefully through OOG procedure) .



Type of baggage (in case of soft top same needs to be placed on trays/tubs provided by GMR)

Handling (OOG) OUT OF GAUGE Baggage. (Arrivals)

Baggage for OOG must be identified as to why it cannot pass through the general procedures by

GSO/GSS. It could be because of its size (big or small), type (i.e soft, delicate) or special handling instructions attached to the baggage (Fragile, Handle with Care etc).

Once this is ascertained then the baggage shall move through the following procedures laid out by GMR



Baggage should be loaded on a push trolley and taken to the elevator S2 designated . For OOG handling located at the BBA (Baggage Break Up Area).



The GSO and GSA shall move up through S2 elevator to arrival hall and handover the Baggage to counter part at the specified area for OOG at the arrival hall

The passenger collects the baggage and goes through Customs check.

Handling of Baggage at Arrival Hall

All baggage must be offloaded from the arrival belt after the baggage has completed one round and kept aside on air marked area.

As per the customer airlines requirement

1. The GSO’s shall match the number of the main tag affixed on the Baggage to the number of the claim portion for all passengers leaving the arrival hall.

2. If the passenger has any query or compliant they must be directed to at the Lost and Found counter who shall address the query / Complaint promptly.

HANDLING OF UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE

All unclaimed baggage must be kept in a secure area and the following steps should be followed.

1. All baggage must be weighed.

2. All baggage must be tagged with AOC (Authority Of Customs) card

3. All details must be recorded on this card

4. The bags can be kept in AISATS bond for 48 hrs

5. After expiry of 48 hrs, Customs must be updated with all records of the Unclaimed / Rush baggage and permission

may be sought for clearance of baggage (for Rush baggage only) upon proper documentation.

6. On Hand Reports must be raised with maximum details available for Airlines availing World Tracer. After the requisite information given to customs the bags must be shifted the Customs bond with an entry into the register available with Customs. In case the customs bond is full then upon customs instructions the baggage may be kept in AISATS bond with an entry into the register available with AISATS. Lost & Found department. All pre-cleared bags for delivery must be kept separately to be handed over to delivery agent. Care needs to be taken to ensure OHD bag.

HANDLING OF DEPARTURE

1. Obtain request letter from airlines for Customs (Converting MHDR to DPDR)

2. Upon approval the subject baggage must be X-Ray scanned by Customs and released under escort to Departure Hall with an entry into the DPDR register available with custom. (Please note the X-ray scanning here is done as a preventive measure to check if any contraband / restricted items are present in the bag or not. THIS IS NOT A SECURITY CLEARANCE CHECK.)

3. The baggage is handed over with all customs approval to the GSS who acknowledges receipt and accepts the baggage after checking its condition then Customer airlines is informed.

4. The baggage is now tagged with a Rush Tag and the details are passed on to BMA.

5. The baggage is put on the belt or moved into BMA through OOG procedure. However in both cases the baggage has to clear security checks to be uplifted. In case if baggage fails to clear security check the concerned airline take a decision whether to accept or return the baggage.

ARRIVAL HANDLING

1. Once the flight arrives and it is parked on the bay, the incoming baggage’s are offloaded from the aircraft by the loaders and are sent to the baggage claim area assigned by AOCC (GMR).

2. The baggage staff at arrival should feed the inbound flight information ( like airline code, flight number, origin station) on the given belt number by AOCC through FIDS ( Flight Information Display System).

3. Odd size baggages should be taken by OOG (out of gauge) elevator to baggage claim area.

4. The arrival baggage should be placed on the in feed belt as per priority (i.e. First class, Business class, Economy class).

5. Fragile bags should be placed with care in the OOG elevator.

6. When the passenger does not receive his baggage at the destination, the baggage staff should raise a report called ‘PIR’ (Property Irregularity Report). 7. In this report he needs to take the information about passenger’s origin point,

baggage description, items which are inside the baggage, weight of the bag as written on the ticket coupon (mandatory), contact number, address and instructions of baggage delivery if any.

8. Incase of any damage to the bag, baggage staff should raise DPR (Damage Pilferage Report) and take the details of damage or any lost items from the baggage.

TRANSFER BAGGAGE

1. The baggage staff at arrival should take the transfer baggage information from the concerned airline staff.

2. As soon as he gets transfer bags at baggage claim area, he should instruct the loader to collect the transfer bags and handover them to the transfer baggage staff.

3. Baggage staff should make a note of the number of bags handed over to the transfer baggage staff.

Bags coming off a plane that are staying in Denver are loaded into carts and pulled by tug to the baggage-claim area. Since the bags are already sorted when they come off the plane, it is easy to keep the transferring bags separate from the terminating bags.

CONCULUSION

With a growth rate of 18 per cent per annum, the Indian aviation industry is one of the fastest growing aviation industries in the world. Investment in airport infrastructure is over US$ 5 billion in 2008 and will increase to US$ 9 billion by 2013, of which close to US$ 6.8 billion is expected to come through public private partnerships (PPP).

• By 2020, Indian airports will have the increased capacity to handle 280 million passengers, 60 million of which will be travelling domestically.

• Investment of US$ 110 billion is planned up to 2020, with US$ 30 billion earmarked specifically for airport infrastructure.

• Work on 12 new Greenfield airports is likely to start soon as approvals have been granted to airports in different parts of the country, including West Bengal and Punjab.

Baggage handling will be opening new job prospect in coming future ,in coming days airports will be handling the double the passengers ,the government has plans to renovate the airports ,hence ground handling agencies will be playing a vital role in coming future.

The airlines expect the ground handling agency to offer cost effective, high quality, safe and efficient ground handling services at international level of airports.

AI SATS as a ground handler full fill the needs of its customer airlines by offering its efficient services and reduces the turn around time with increased utilization time for each aircraft.

The ground handler has to monitor the check in to the departure of the flight and baggage plays a important role in this aspect because if the baggage reach the desired destination. Baggage handling is a complicated issue and ground handler as a whole has to monitor it very carefully even a slight error can delay a flight and can cost to the carrier a loss.

In AISATS it is ensured that damage and mishandled of baggage is minimizes to zero .the staff are trained to ensure the proper baggage handling and delivering the baggage at the stipulated time.

As far as the airline concern the selection of the good ground handling agent is a must as it forms the one of the key service to be rendered at the airport in terms of the overall quality and safety of the passengers. In GMR airport there is a two ground handler agency to ensure competition that will work as a driver for maintaining global standards in GMR airport .and AISATS meets the global standards as it have the right combination of expertise and experience to deliver it exceptional services to its customers.

REFFRENCES:

[1] RFID Journal (2002-2011). “The Basics of RFID Technology.” RFID Journal. [Online], Available: http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/1337/1

[2] M. Bannon. (2003, May 4). "Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) and Their Implications for the Future." Illumin. University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering. [Online], Available: http://illumin.usc.edu/article.php?articleID=101

[3] U.S. Department of Transportation. (2011, February). Air Travel Consumer Report. [Online], Available: http://airconsumer.dot.gov/reports/2011/February/2011FebruaryATCR.PDF

[4] Nice, Karim. (2001, June 13). "How Baggage Handling Works." HowStuffWorks.com. [Online], Available: http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/baggage-handling.htm

[5] K. Finkenzeller. (2010). RFID Handbook: Fundamentals and Applications in Contactless Smart Cards, Radio Frequency Identification and Near-Field Communication. Chichester, West Sussex; Hoboken, NJ : Wiley. pp. 6-28, 213-228

[6] Association for Automation Identification and Mobility. (2011). “What is RFID?” Technologies: RFID website. [Online], Available: http://www.aim.lobal.org/technologies/rfid/what_is_rfid.asp [7] Motorola. (2008, updated: 2011, January, 4). “Industry Brief: Baggage Tracking RFID Solutions.”

Motorola Solutions. [Online], Available: http://www.motorola.com/web/Business/_Documents/static %20files/Baggage_Tracking_RFID_Solutions%209-08.pdf

[8] M. Mecham. (2009, June 15). “RFID In Dollars and Sense.” Aviation Week & Space Technology, Vol. 170 Issue 24, p. 150-151. [Online].

[9] M. C. O'Connor. (2005, October 25). “McCarran Airport RFID System Takes Off.” RFID Journal [Online], Available: http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/1949

[10] International Air Transportation Association. (2007). RFID Business Case For Baggage Tagging. [Online], Available: http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/stb/Documents/RFID%20for%20baggage %20business%20case%202%201.