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Newsletter - July 2018
Published on: 27 July 2018An Update from the ASA
It may be summertime in the city, but that hasn't stopped the Airport Services Association from keeping busy. Read on to discover the latest in news from the ground & air cargo handling industry.
We are also excited to announce that our newsletter has a brand new format and from now on you will be receiving the most important and interesting news from us on a regular basis.
Hello from the Director General
Safety is always a huge priority for ASA. Back in May, I attended the Ground Damage Stakeholders Conference in Rome, where a wide range of topics was addressed. This included safety and how to improve safety performance.
Whilst there is still a long way to go, there were some valuable takeaways from the conference including:
The importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration on safety initiatives to drive change and employee engagement. Airports, airlines, fuel companies, caterers and, of course, ground handlers working together are a powerful combination. Training remains vital. Managing compliance with SMS principles, increasing regulatory requirements and airlines expectations (of course!) demand professional and high-quality competency-based training methodology.
Airbus Industries was also in attendance and presented the final approved design for aircraft fuselage marking to facilitate the use of autonomous or semi-autonomous GSE. For those interested, the standards is SAE - AS 6896.
Human factors and ergonomics also featured in an interesting presentation on "What we really mean by human factors – how recruitment, retention and, very importantly, promotion, are all key aspects of human factors. Maybe more to do in our sector?" the human/machine interface challenge and design vs. user experience were discussed with some amusing examples of how well intended design can be immediately ignored or improved upon by the human being.
Finally, as many of us think about or are already enjoying a Summer holiday, do spare a thought for our colleagues working around the world who make it possible during one of the busiest times of the year that your flight departs safely and on time!
Also, do let us know what topics you’re interested in hearing about. Our next newsletter will cover some hot topics including Brexit and IATA. Until then!
Yours Sincerely,
Jon Conway
In the News this Month
For those of you reading this and possibly thinking that your ‘small’ ground handling business, perhaps operating at a single airport, doesn’t need to be part of a global trade association, it’s perhaps worth looking at our industry from a wider perspective. Click here to read more
Updates from the ASA team
This month, the Director General for Airport Services Association joined twitter! Follow him here (https://twitter.com/ASA_Aero) for more updates on what the ASA is up to on a regular basis.
Mr Johannes Spindler has resigned from our Board after his departure from Swissport International. Johannes was extremely supportive of ASA and he will be missed. We wish him well in his future endeavours. https://www.theceomagazine.com/executive-interviews/automotive-aviation/woo-kam-weng/
Woo Kam Weng (https://www.theceomagazine.com/executive-interviews/automotive-aviation/woo-kam-weng/)
I am equally pleased to report that Woo Kam Weng, the CEO of POS Aviation, based in Kuala Lumpur, has accepted an invitation to join the ASA Board. We are looking forward to welcoming him to our next Board meeting in September.
Industry Insight: Brexit
Chaos on the horizon
With the UK leaving the European Union on 29 March 2019, the ground-handling industry faces big challenges. Will the UK remain part of European agencies? How big is the risk of severe disruption in operation due to a lack of legal basis? What happens to British airlines?
An op-ed from Dr Chris Smith was published in the June 2018 edition of Ground Handling International magazine (pg 8-9). He ponders why the EASA is more than just a European agency, where the legal challenges of regulations occur and how airline ownership raises new questions. View the full article online here (http://magazine.groundhandling.com/eureka-online-magazine/3499).