Airport authority and the functions of entities.

An airport authority is an independent entity charged with the operation and oversight of an airport or group of airports. These authorities are often governed by a group of airport commissioners, who are appointed to lead the authority by a government official. When the authority of an entity encompasses more than just the airports in an area, harbor and rail facilities for example, the entity may be referred to as a port authority. Authorities (facilitations) Customs Health control Military Security immigration currency check police/special teams ministries/federal agencies

Facilitation (machine readable documents, entry pre-clearance) Customs Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country. Depending on local legislation and regulations, the import or export of some goods may be restricted or forbidden, and the customs agency enforces these rules. Immigration Immigration authority monitors persons who leave or enter the country, checking for appropriate documentation, apprehending people wanted by international arrest warrants, and impeding the entry of others deemed dangerous to the country.

Police / special teams The roles of these authorities are in case of a crime or in an emergency situation to control the situation and to protect personnel. E.g. Srilankan airlines GO team

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Aircraft handling Ground handling addresses the many service requirements of an airliner between the time it arrives at a terminal gate and the time it departs on its next flight. Speed, efficiency, and accuracy are important in ground handling services in order to minimize the turnaround time (the time during which the aircraft must remain parked at the gate). Airlines with less-frequent service or fewer resources at a particular location sometimes subcontract ground handling or on-call aircraft maintenance to another airline, as it is a shortterm cheaper alternative to setting up its own ground handling or maintenance capabilities. Most ground services are not directly related to the actual flying of the aircraft, and instead involve other tasks. The major categories of ground handling services are described below. Cabin service These services ensure passenger comfort. The cabin cleaning is the main job in the cabin service. They include such tasks as cleaning the passenger cabin and replenishment of on-board consumables or washable items such as soap, pillows, tissues, blankets, etc.

Ramp service This includes services on the ramp or apron, such as:

Guiding the aircraft into and out of the parking position (by way of aircraft marshalling), Towing with pushback tractors Lavatory drainage Water cartage (to refill fresh water tanks) Air conditioning (more common for smaller aircraft) Air start units (for starting engines) Luggage handling, usually by means of belt loaders and baggage carts Gate checked luggage, often handled on the tarmac as passengers disembark Air cargo handling, usually by means of cargo dollies, and cargo loaders Catering trucks Refueling, which may be done with a refueling tanker truck or refueling pumper Ground power (so that engines need not be running to provide aircraft power on the ground) Passenger stairs (used instead of an aerobridge or air stairs, some budget airlines use both to improve turnaround speed) Wheelchair lifts, if required Hydraulic mules (units that provide hydraulic power to an aircraft externally) Deicing

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 Passenger service This includes services inside the airport terminal such as:

Providing check-in counter services for the passengers departing on the customer airlines. Providing Gate arrival and departure services. The agents are required to meet a flight on arrival as well as provide departure services including boarding passengers, closing the flight, etc. Staffing the Transfer Counters, Customer Service Counters, Airline Lounges, etc. Field operation service

This service dispatches the aircraft, maintains communication with the rest of the airline operation at the airport and with Air Traffic Control.

Safety Safety considerations are of the highest priority in the field of aviation industry. Due to the high vigilance and safety concerns major aircraft accidents are extremely rare, however small accidents are common and staff should be fully trained to dealing with these situations. Aircraft accident and contingency planning Each airport will usually have its own aircraft accident contingency plan, drawn up on the basis of experience, planning and corporation between airlines and authorities. The management and airlines will probably be a member of a number of committees, including the airport crisis management team. There will be specific tasks assigned to each member (authorities, agencies, airlines, security personnel) of the team in the event of an emergency, to coordinate the actions of emergency plan. According to- The commercial aviation

Travel documents A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international treaty organization to facilitate the movement of individuals or small groups of persons across international boundaries. Passport In general, a passport is a travel document that also serves as proof of citizenship from the issuing country. Although generally accepted by the majority of countries in the world, some
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issuing countries expressly exclude the validity of passports from nations that are not recognized by their governments. Visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter or leave the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. Air ticket An airline ticket is a document, issued by an airline or a travel agency, to confirm that an individual has purchased a seat on a flight on an aircraft. This document is then used to obtain a boarding pass, at the airport. Then with the boarding pass and the attached ticket, the passenger is allowed to board the aircraft. According to Miss. Kanchana Soft Field Takeoff and Climb Takeoffs and climbs from soft fields require the use of operational techniques for getting the airplane airborne as quickly as possible to eliminate the drag caused by tall grass, soft sand, mud, snow, etc., and may or may not require climbing over an obstacle. These same techniques are also useful on a rough field where it is advisable to get the airplane off the ground as soon as possible to avoid damaging the landing gear. Soft surfaces or long wet grass usually retard the airplane's acceleration during the takeoff roll so much that adequate takeoff speed might not be attained if normal takeoff techniques were employed. The correct takeoff procedure at fields with such restraining conditions is quite different from that appropriate for short fields with firm, smooth surfaces. To minimize the hazards associated with takeoffs from soft or rough fields, support of the airplane's weight must be transferred as rapidly as possible from the wheels to the wings as the takeoff roll proceeds. This is done by establishing and maintaining a relatively high angle of attack or nose high pitch attitude as early as possible by use of the elevator control. Wing flaps may be lowered prior to starting the takeoff (if recommended by the manufacturer) to provide additional lift and transfer the airplane's weight from the wheels to the wings as early as possible. According to - avstop.com

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Process of booking and reservations

With the explosion of the Internet, calling the airline reservation desk to book a flight is no longer necessary--in fact, it may cost you. Many airlines are now charging fees to book through a phone representative, encouraging customers to go online, either directly to the airline's website, or to the many airline ticket comparison and booking sites on the web. No matter how you decide to reserve your ticket, browsing the Internet for tickets before you book can save you money.

Steps to followo

1 Identify the specific flight you want. No matter which method you choose to reserve or book your tickets, the process will go faster (and be cheaper) if you know the exact flight information. By using the Internet to find your ticket, you can save a considerable amount of money. Start on a site such as SideStep.com, FareCompare.com or Priceline.com. With these sites you can compare all airlines that fly to your destination simply by entering your desired departure and arrival information. 2 Once you've found a ticket at the time and price you want, don't reserve it just yet. Visit Farecast.live.com, a site that not only compares ticket prices, but also makes predictions about whether ticket prices will fall or rise before your departure. Enter your departure and arrival information to get Forecasts advice on whether to purchase/reserve your ticket now or wait. 3 Visit the airline's website directly. Here you will find specific information about reserving the ticket you want. If you choose to reserve your ticket over the phone, you can visit the airline's website to find out if there is an extra charge to do so. 4 Check the terms and conditions of your ticket reservation. This is also something that can be done on the website of the airline from which you decide to purchase your ticket. This information will tell you if you can change or cancel your ticket, and if penalties or charges will apply in this situation. 5 When ready to book your flight, use the airline's website or reservation desk (by phone) to do so, rather than using a third-party site or agent. Booking on the airline's website will typically save you money over using price comparison sites or travel agents, as both typically charge additional booking fees. According to - eHow.com
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Weight and balance Important elements of aircrafts weight and balance system, Weighing of the aircraft Maintaining of the weight and balance records. And the proper loading of the aircraft.

Three main terms, this related to aircraft weight and balance Center of Gravity Point at which the airplanes entire weight is assumed to be concentrated Center of Lift (Pressure) Point at which the airplanes entire lift assumed to be concentrated Basic Empty Weight Generally, the weight of the airframe, unusable fuel, unusable/full oil, and full hydraulic fluid Other terms Unusable Fuel: The smallest amount of fuel in the tanks and fuel lines that cannot be used in flight or drained on the ground. Licensed Empty Weight: Similar to Basic Empty Weight, except that it does not include full engine oil. It counts only undrainable oil. Ramp Weight: The term used to describe the airplane loaded for flight prior to engine start. The total weight of the aircraft as it sits on the ramp. Takeoff Weight: The weight of the aircraft just before release the brakes to begin the takeoff roll.
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 Subtract the fuel burned during engine start, run-up, and taxing. Landing Weight: The weight of the aircraft just before touchdown. Takeoff weight minus the fuel burned in route Delayed, lost or damaged luggage Baggage is one of the biggest areas of complaint for air passengers. 'Mishandled' luggage means inconvenience and frustration for individuals - and it can be costly too. The term actually represents four categories: delayed, damaged, missing items and lost. According to the Montreal Convention, airlines are responsible for the bags they allow you to check in, although their liability is limited. If you are carrying something valuable, either get a 'special declaration of interest in the delivery of your luggage' from the airline (you may have to pay a supplement and not all airlines will allow this), or carry the item in your hand luggage. If the luggage doesn't turn up Go to the relevant luggage handling counter at the airport and complete a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). Before leaving the terminal, get a copy of this and take the handling agent's contact details. The agent will be able to track your luggage via its barcode and should tell you what has happened (the relevant barcode for your luggage will have been attached to your passport or the part of your boarding pass that you keep). The agent will also ask for details of your future whereabouts so that they can return the bag to you if it does turn up. Remember that genuinely 'lost' luggage is a bag with no ID, so make sure that your details are attached outside and inside. If you are concerned about security, and don't want to include your name and address on the bag, then simply put on your mobile number or email address so you can be contacted. According to - which.co.uk Catering services Catering includes the unloading of unused food and drinks from the aircraft, and the loading of fresh food and drink for passengers and crew. Airline meals are typically delivered in trolleys. Empty or trash-filled trolley from the previous flight is replaced with fresh ones. Meals are prepared mostly on the ground in order to minimize the amount of preparation (apart from chilling or reheating) required in the air. While some airlines provide their own catering, others have either owned catering companies in the past and divested themselves of the companies, or have outsourced their catering to thirdparty companies. Airline catering sources include the following companies:
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