Aircraft damage during ground handling

What this relates to

Collision with ground handling equipment (e.g. baggage conveyor belts or passenger stairs) or vehicles; improper handling, for example when opening the cargo hold doors, and so on. Damage during ground handling is inflicted on the stationary aircraft. The damage can impair the operating safety of the aircraft.

Example

An aircraft is proceeding on the apron. The ground crew approaches with the passenger boarding bridge to let the passengers disembark. An error occurs. The passenger boarding bridge collides with the aircraft and damages the fuselage. The aircraft must undergo maintenance before it can fly again.

Commentary on the 2023 figures

Reports increased by 27% in 2023 compared to the previous year; converted to incidents per 10,000 aircraft movements, the ratio rose from 0.5 (2022) to 0.7 (2023). Only 2% of the incidents were serious. The majority (66%) occurred at Swiss airports, while 34% of the incidents occurred abroad and were reported by Swiss operators.

Of reported incidents, 98% related to commercial air transport and only 2% related to general aviation. This large difference is due to the fact that most aircraft requiring ground handling services are commercially operated.

The incidents have a variety of causes, with narrow aircraft stands being the main one as the slightest lapse of concentration can quickly result in damage to parked aircraft. In most cases (80%), the damage occurred during container loading or during the docking phase of the passenger boarding bridge or passenger stairs. On the positive side, most damage is minor – a paint chip or a scratch – and nothing that would impinge on flight safety.

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