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ACRP
AIRPORT
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
SYNTHESIS 29
Sponsored by
Ramp Safety Practices the Federal
Aviation Administration
A Synthesis of Airport Practice
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ACRP OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE* TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2011 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
CHAIR OFFICERS
JAMES WILDING Chair: Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore
Metropolitan Washington Airports Vice Chair: Sandra Rosenbloom, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
Authority (retired) Executive Director: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
MEMBERS
VICE CHAIR
J. BARRY BARKER, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
JEFF HAMIEL DEBORAH H. BUTLER, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern
MinneapolisSt. Paul Corporation, Norfolk, VA
Metropolitan Airports Commission WILLIAM A.V. CLARK, Professor, Department of Geography, University of California,
Los Angeles
MEMBERS EUGENE A. CONTI, JR., Secretary of Transportation, North Carolina DOT, Raleigh
JAMES CRITES JAMES M. CRITES, Executive Vice President of Operations, Dallas-Fort Worth International
DallasFt. Worth International Airport Airport, TX
RICHARD DE NEUFVILLE PAULA J. HAMMOND, Secretary, Washington State DOT, Olympia
MICHAEL W. HANCOCK, Secretary, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Frankfort
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ADIB K. KANAFANI, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
KEVIN C. DOLLIOLE MICHAEL P. LEWIS, Director, Rhode Island DOT, Providence
Unison Consulting SUSAN MARTINOVICH, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City
JOHN K. DUVAL MICHAEL R. MORRIS, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments,
Austin Commercial, LP Arlington
KITTY FREIDHEIM TRACY L. ROSSER, Vice President, Regional General Manager, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.,
Freidheim Consulting Mandeville, LA
STEVE GROSSMAN STEVEN T. SCALZO, Chief Operating Officer, Marine Resources Group, Seattle, WA
Jacksonville Aviation Authority HENRY G. (GERRY) SCHWARTZ, JR., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, MO
TOM JENSEN BEVERLY A. SCOTT, General Manager and CEO, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority,
National Safe Skies Alliance Atlanta, GA
CATHERINE M. LANG DAVID SELTZER, Principal, Mercator Advisors LLC, Philadelphia, PA
Federal Aviation Administration LAWRENCE A. SELZER, President and CEO, The Conservation Fund, Arlington, VA
GINA MARIE LINDSEY KUMARES C. SINHA, Olson Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering, Purdue University,
Los Angeles World Airports West Lafayette, IN
CAROLYN MOTZ THOMAS K. SOREL, Commissioner, Minnesota DOT, St. Paul
Airport Design Consultants, Inc. DANIEL SPERLING, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy;
Director, Institute of Transportation Studies; and Interim Director, Energy Efficiency Center,
RICHARD TUCKER
University of California, Davis
Huntsville International Airport KIRK T. STEUDLE, Director, Michigan DOT, Lansing
DOUGLAS W. STOTLAR, President and CEO, Con-Way, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS C. MICHAEL WALTON, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of
PAULA P. HOCHSTETLER Texas, Austin
Airport Consultants Council
SABRINA JOHNSON EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency PETER H. APPEL, Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S.DOT
RICHARD MARCHI J. RANDOLPH BABBITT, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
Airports Council International-- REBECCA M. BREWSTER, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute,
North America Smyrna, GA
LAURA MCKEE ANNE S. FERRO, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
Air Transport Association of America LEROY GISHI, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S.DOT
HENRY OGRODZINSKI JOHN T. GRAY, Senior Vice President, Policy and Economics, Association of American Railroads,
National Association of State Aviation Washington, DC
JOHN C. HORSLEY, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and
Officials
Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
MELISSA SABATINE DAVID T. MATSUDA, Deputy Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S.DOT
American Association of Airport VICTOR M. MENDEZ, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT
Executives WILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR. TARA O'TOOLE, Under Secretary for Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland
Transportation Research Board Security, Washington, DC
ROBERT J. PAPP (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of
SECRETARY Homeland Security, Washington, DC
CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS CYNTHIA L. QUARTERMAN, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Transportation Research Board Administration, U.S.DOT
PETER M. ROGOFF, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT
DAVID L. STRICKLAND, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
JOSEPH C. SZABO, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.DOT
POLLY TROTTENBERG, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S.DOT
ROBERT L. VAN ANTWERP (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding
General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
BARRY R. WALLERSTEIN, Executive Officer, South Coast Air Quality Management District,
Diamond Bar, CA
*Membership as of July 2011. *Membership as of June 2011.
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AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
ACRP SYNTHESIS 29
Ramp Safety Practices
A Synthesis of Airport Practice
CONSULTANTS
JOANNE LANDRY
Landry Consultants LLC
Seattle, Washington
and
SHANE INGOLIA
University of Southern Illinois
Carbondale, Illinois
S UBSCRIBER C ATEGORIES
Aviation · Safety and Human Factors
Research Sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2011
www.TRB.org
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AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM ACRP SYNTHESIS 29
Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in Project 11-03, Topic S10-05
transportation of people and goods and in regional, national, and ISSN 1935-9187
international commerce. They are where the nation's aviation sys- ISBN 978-0-309-14353-0
tem connects with other modes of transportation and where federal Library of Congress Control Number 2011936875
responsibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations
intersects with the role of state and local governments that own and © 2011 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
operate most airports. Research is necessary to solve common oper-
ating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other
industries, and to introduce innovations into the airport industry. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) serves as one Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for
of the principal means by which the airport industry can develop obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the
innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it. copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
The need for ACRP was identified in TRB Special Report 272: Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce
Airport Research Needs: Cooperative Solutions in 2003, based on material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes.
a study sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will
The ACRP carries out applied research on problems that are shared be used to imply TRB or FAA endorsement of a particular product, method,
by airport operating agencies and are not being adequately or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this
addressed by existing federal research programs. It is modeled after document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate
the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For
and Transit Cooperative Research Program. The ACRP undertakes other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.
research and other technical activities in a variety of airport subject
areas, including design, construction, maintenance, operations,
safety, security, policy, planning, human resources, and administra- NOTICE
tion. The ACRP provides a forum where airport operators can coop-
eratively address common operational problems. The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Airport
The ACRP was authorized in December 2003 as part of the Cooperative Research Program, conducted by the Transportation Research
Vision 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. The primary Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research
participants in the ACRP are (1) an independent governing board, Council.
the ACRP Oversight Committee (AOC), appointed by the Secretary The members of the technical panel selected to monitor this project and
of the U.S. Department of Transportation with representation from to review this report were chosen for their special competencies and with
airport operating agencies, other stakeholders, and relevant indus- regard for appropriate balance. The report was reviewed by the technical
try organizations such as the Airports Council International-North panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and
America (ACI-NA), the American Association of Airport Execu- overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the
tives (AAAE), the National Association of State Aviation Officials Governing Board of the National Research Council.
The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those
(NASAO), and the Air Transport Association (ATA) as vital links
of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those
to the airport community; (2) the TRB as program manager and sec-
of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or the
retariat for the governing board; and (3) the FAA as program spon-
program sponsors.
sor. In October 2005, the FAA executed a contract with the National
Academies formally initiating the program.
The ACRP benefits from the cooperation and participation of air-
port professionals, air carriers, shippers, state and local government The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National
officials, equipment and service suppliers, other airport users, and Research Council, and the sponsors of the Airport Cooperative Research
research organizations. Each of these participants has different Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers'
interests and responsibilities, and each is an integral part of this names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the
cooperative research effort. object of the report.
Research problem statements for the ACRP are solicited period-
ically but may be submitted to the TRB by anyone at any time. It is
the responsibility of the AOC to formulate the research program by
identifying the highest priority projects and defining funding levels
and expected products.
Once selected, each ACRP project is assigned to an expert panel,
appointed by the TRB. Panels include experienced practitioners and
research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including airport
professionals, the intended users of the research products. The panels
prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors,
and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the Published reports of the
project. The process for developing research problem statements and
selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing coop- AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
erative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, are available from:
ACRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Primary emphasis is placed on disseminating ACRP results to the Transportation Research Board
intended end-users of the research: airport operating agencies, service Business Office
500 Fifth Street, NW
providers, and suppliers. The ACRP produces a series of research Washington, DC 20001
reports for use by airport operators, local agencies, the FAA, and other
interested parties, and industry associations may arrange for work- and can be ordered through the Internet at
http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
shops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that
results are implemented by airport-industry practitioners. Printed in the United States of America
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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol-
ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology
and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in
1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni-
cal matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad-
emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration
and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for
advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs
aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve-
ments of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the
services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining
to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of
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The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate
the broad community of science and technology with the Academys í p urposes of furthering knowledge and
advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad-
emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences
and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the
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of the National Research Council.
The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council. The
mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and
progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisci-
plinary, and multimodal. The Board's varied activities annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and
other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of
whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation
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ACRP COMMITTEE FOR PROJECT 11-03 COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF
CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
CHAIR CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research
JULIE KENFIELD Programs
Jacobs Engineering, Inc. MICHAEL R. SALAMONE, Senior Program Officer
EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications
MEMBERS
RANDALL P. BURDETTE SYNTHESIS STUDIES STAFF
Virginia Department of Aviation STEPHEN R. GODWIN, Director for Studies and Special Programs
KEVIN C. DOLLIOLE JON M. WILLIAMS, Program Director, IDEA and Synthesis Studies
Unison Consulting, Inc. JO ALLEN GAUSE, Senior Program Officer
LINDA HOWARD GAIL R. STABA, Senior Program Officer
Bastrop, Texas DONNA L. VLASAK, Senior Program Officer
ARLYN PURCELL DON TIPPMAN, Senior Editor
Port Authority of New York & New Jersey CHERYL KEITH, Senior Program Assistant
BURR STEWART DEMISHA WILLIAMS, Senior Program Assistant
Seattle, Washington DEBBIE IRVIN, Program Associate
TOPIC PANEL
FAA LIAISON RANDALL D. BERG, Salt Lake City Department of Airports
PAUL DEVOTI THOMAS B. DUFFY, Safegate Airport Systems, Inc.,
Brooklyn Park, MN
ACINORTH AMERICA LIAISON LYNDA FOLEY, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
A.J. MULDOON GREGORY B. HAUG, Bismarck Municipal Airport
PAUL KHERA, Alaska DOT and Public Facilities, Juneau, AK
AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION LIAISON ROBERT ROYAL, Delta Airlines Global Services, Atlanta, GA
JOHN L. COLLINS SHAWN M. SCHROEDER, SpringfieldBranson National Airport,
Springfield, MO
TRB LIAISON CHUNYAN YU, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University,
CHRISTINE GERENCHER Daytona Beach, FL
BRUCE LANDRY, Federal Aviation Administration (Liaison)
PATRICK ROGERS, Federal Aviation Administration, Atlanta, GA
(Liaison)
Cover figure: SeattleTacoma International Airport (Credit: Landry
Consultants LLC Photographic Catalog).
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FOREWORD Airport administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which infor-
mation already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and
practice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a conse-
quence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought to
bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be
overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving
or alleviating the problem.
There is information on nearly every subject of concern to the airport industry. Much
of it derives from research or from the work of practitioners faced with problems in their
day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling and evaluating such
useful information and to make it available to the entire airport community, the Airport
Cooperative Research Program authorized the Transportation Research Board to undertake
a continuing project. This project, ACRP Project 11-03, "Synthesis of Information Related
to Airport Practices," searches out and synthesizes useful knowledge from all available
sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics. Reports from this
endeavor constitute an ACRP report series, Synthesis of Airport Practice.
This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact format,
without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Each report
in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those measures
found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems.
PREFACE This synthesis study is intended to inform airport operators, ground handlers, and airlines
By Gail R. Staba about the current state of ground handling practices, focusing on safety measures and
Senior Program Officer training.
Transportation Information used in this study was acquired through a review of the literature and
Research Board surveys of airport operators, airlines, and ground service providers.
Joanne Landry, Landry Consultants LLC, Seattle, Washington, and Shane Ingolia, Uni-
versity of Southern Illinois, Carbondale, Illinois, collected and synthesized the information
and wrote the report. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on the preceding
page. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records the practices that were
acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation.
As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now
at hand.
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CONTENTS
1 SUMMARY
3 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Background, 3
Project Objectives, 4
Study Elements, 4
Literature and Data Search, 4
Survey, 4
Interviews, 5
6 CHAPTER TWO RAMP OPERATIONS AND SAFETY
Ramp Operations, 6
Outsourcing Trend, 6
Ramp Oversight, 8
Guides and Manuals, 11
Data Sources, 11
Accident and Incident Factors, 14
Safety Culture, 15
Costs of Accidents and Incidents, 15
17 CHAPTER THREE CURRENT PRACTICES IN RAMP SAFETY
General, 17
Training Requirements, 17
Standardized Safety Training Program, 21
Examples of Standardized Safety Training, 22
23 CHAPTER FOUR DUTIES, ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND OVERSIGHT
26 CHAPTER FIVE TRENDS AND INDUSTRY REPORTS
Industry Suggestions, 26
Study Findings and Industry Suggestions, 27
30 CHAPTER SIX FUTURE TRENDS
Technologies, 30
Ramp Towers, 30
Safety Management Systems, 31
Airport Management of Ground Services, 33
34 CHAPTER SEVEN CONCLUSIONS
Survey Findings, 34
Ramp Operations, 34
Ramp Safety Training, 35
Data Collection and Reporting, 35
Roles and Responsibilities, 35
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Current Gaps, 35
Future Trends, 35
36 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
39 ACRONYMS
40 REFERENCES
41 BIBLIOGRAPHY
42 APPENDIX A WEB SURVEYS
57 APPENDIX B RESPONDENTS
58 APPENDIX C INTERVIEW SUMMARIES
Note: Many of the photographs, figures, and tables in this report have been converted from color
to grayscale for printing. The electronic version of the report (posted on the Web at www.trb.org)
retains the color versions.
