Professional Pilot, October 2016

88 PROFESSIONAL PILOT October 2016 Air Culinaire has general aviation catering kitchens in place at well known airports across the world Theyll also help coordinate local catering solutions at even the smallest and most far flung locations worldwide Editor at Large Grant McLaren has written for Pro Pilot for over 20 years and specializes in corporate flight department coverage UK certain locations in France or locations where all pricing has been predetermined at a corporate level Keep in mind that its often the associated add on services rather than the basic ground handling charges that can kick costs up most dramatically Its usually the auxiliary services not the basic ground handling that can be really expensive explains Humphrey Some handlers may restrict you to using fuel from a particular and more expensive provider Also you may pay thousands of dollars to access special VIP customs immigration areas and catering options at some airports may be limited to a local provider who has a monopoly on these services and may charge extortion level prices In some cases you may pay 2 handling fees There are cases of operators using remote parking at VKO Vnukovo Moscow Russia being charged a full handling fee to be parked and then charged another full fee to access Terminal 3 for CIQ clearance and support says Kang Youre paying 1 set of airport charges and potentially 2 sets of ground handling fees Russia can be particularly expensive in terms of handling and theyll charge you for everything But theyll have plenty of options and almost anything you may want is possible for a price If you opt to use local ground handlers there will be additional tacked on for using credit When local handlers extend credit expect to pay fees of 13 to 15 extra on top sometimes more adds Kurshildgen Supervisory agents When heading to locations with iffy handling potential language barriers or limited GSE its worth considering bringing in a supervisory agent from a larger regional center to oversee and help coordinate the handling process While this can be an expensive proposition its often advantageous in terms of smooth secure and more trouble free operations at potentially challenging locales Just be aware that supervisory agents will not necessarily be permitted airside access depending on the location At ADD Addis Ababa Ethiopia for example only the designated airline handler has airside access and theyll not allow access to other agents says Humphrey We hear cases of supervisory agents whove been repositioned only to have them stand by a window in the terminal and communicate with their cell phone When dealing with locations where there are only sparse GA movements expectation management can become an important consideration ISPs will inform crews up front to be prepared for limited support infrastructure and sub par services We had a case of a Gulfstream IV going to a small airport in Canada that was not accustomed to GA and the only local handler was a cargo guy recalls Kang The handler made it clear that hed drop passengers off at the terminal but was not willing to show them to the customs desk etc As he put it Were not going to baby sit your passengers ISP benefits Working closely with a well connected ISP makes it easier and more straightforward to vet handlers and determine local capabilities This is particularly true when operating to unfamiliar locations where GA traffic may not be routine Your ISP will confirm if the handler is properly licensed has adequate airside security clearance and is adequately insured and trained ISPs may also be able to help avoid some degree of price gouging and assist in coordination of fuel and catering uplift options We research qualify and vet local handlers all over the world and continually monitor operator feedback says Self Our databases track all of this and we run reports occasionally on any issues that have come up On rare occasions we may need to replace a recommended or preferred vendor and we have regional teams that go to search out and determine the best handling options for a particular region Expect professional handling support at DWC Al Maktoum Intl Dubai UAE However there are other locations around the world where handlers have been know to get into fist fights to win lucrative GA business