Action worthy of “Formula-1”.
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Much of ground handling takes place behind the scenes at an airport and is critical to the smooth running of airports and airlines. After the arrival of the aircraft, it must be properly greeted and prepared for the next flight in a very short time, and in winter it is necessary to carry out special procedures for de-icing the aircraft. According to Norwegian Jo Alex Tanem, head of Aviator, who has spent more than three decades in aviation, ground handling work must be done to the second.
“When an aircraft arrives, we have about 25 minutes until its next flight. During this time, 160 passengers get off the aircraft, the same number of others get on, 100-120 suitcases, cargo, and sometimes pets or wheelchairs are unloaded. Then the baggage compartment is loaded again, the aircraft’s food reserves are filled and 10-20 tons of fuel are poured. In order to keep up with everything, we have to act as precisely as car service team in “Formula-1″ means to have people and equipment ready, and when the aircraft stops, to perform a lot of actions at the same time in a flash”, explains the head of the company.
On a daily basis, the company serves scheduled commercial flights at airports in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland – SAS, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Turkish Airlines, Finnair, Norwegian, Air France and KLM, and many other airlines. However, she has also worked with truly special passengers and cargo.
“One of the parts of “Mission Impossible” was filmed in the north of Norway – our team serviced the plane that flew the equipment necessary for filming. Tom Cruise himself came with it. No less impressive was the day when we served Air Force One in Helsinki, where Donald Trump and his wife arrived. It was an extraordinary operation that required exceptional security measures,” says JA Tanem.
Ground Handling Team – Airline Ambassadors
According to the Aviator executive, the ground handling company must treat passengers as if they were its own customers, not the airline’s, and properly represent its partners.
“Even the big airlines – Lufthansa, Air France, KLM – cannot take care of ground handling around the world by themselves, so they hire us. We have to remember that when we check in a Lufthansa passenger at Arlanda, we are Lufthansa to them, and that’s a huge responsibility,” he says.
However, according to JA Tanem, the most important are not passenger service standards, but aviation safety standards. In order to win the competition for the provision of services, providers must demonstrate the highest possible performance quality indicators.
“At the airports where we work, we have several competitors – airlines usually go to everyone to get the best deal. We can only differentiate ourselves by proving that we are the best, especially in terms of security. For example, when servicing an aircraft, it is important not to leave a single scratch, because the smallest defect can prevent the plane from taking off. We have the highest level of training – both new and existing employees. This is the first thing an airline looks at when evaluating suppliers – what are their safety standards? If you don’t meet the airline’s standards, your offer won’t even be considered,” says the head of Aviator.
Investments in sustainability and gender equality
According to JA Tanem, success in the world of ground handling services depends on the ability to operate flexibly and adapt to changing customer needs and unpredictable airline schedules.
“We don’t sell one service package to everyone – we adapt it specifically to each customer. However, airlines now change their flight schedules almost every week – if they see that demand is decreasing, they change aircraft, directions or even cancel flights. We have to adapt, and this poses challenges – after all, we cannot change the number of employees often. Therefore, we must work efficiently, rationally, and implement the latest technologies,” he says.
Aviator has become one of the first companies to use electric rather than diesel-powered ground handling equipment, which reduces noise and pollution at aircraft terminals. Although this equipment is more expensive, it costs less to maintain, and sustainable innovation is appreciated by the company’s customers, the airlines.
“We were the first to use an electric conveyor and tested an electric hoist that lifts containers up to the aircraft door. We were also the first in the world to push off an Airbus A380, the largest passenger airliner, with an electric tow truck.” The transition to electric-powered machinery is a big step towards more sustainable operations and less impact on both people and the environment,” says JA Tanem. Another necessary element for efficient work and quality ground services is a competent team. According to the company manager, the openness of the company attracts new employees to Aviator.
“In the Nordic countries, all ground handling companies are paid similarly due to strong trade unions. The decisive factor is how we treat our colleagues, how we communicate. We try to give everyone equal opportunities and we strongly encourage women to enter the aviation field. At our Gothenburg station, they already make up almost a quarter of the aircraft handling team!”, says JA Tanem.
In the future vision of the head of “Aviator” are stations not only in Scandinavia, but also in Asia, Africa, America. New markets can be reached through cooperation with other aviation service companies managed by “Avia Solutions Group” – for example, “Baltic Ground Services” (BGS), which offers ground services in Central and Eastern Europe.
“Such partnerships are very important – they provide knowledge about other markets and help coordinate services. Although we are two separate companies, we are closely connected with BGS and together we look at markets around the world. We will present a new strategy in January 2026. We intend to expand – you will see Aviator and BGS in many other places, not only in the Nordic countries and in Europe,” says JA Tanem.
