ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the planning, preparation and provision of a diversity of equipment to execute the complex procedures during an aircraft turnaround. Receiving an aircraft upon arrival and preparing it for departure is a major task, which requires the completion of numerous overlapping processes planned and organized to fit seamlessly within the schedules of the airline. The planning stage begins prior to any flight scheduled at a particular airport. The complexity of the procedures shows the importance of well-structured airport traffic management and the cooperation between all involved stakeholders from strategic planning to completion by a ground handling service provider. Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) can apply to all time frames of decisions, from long-range planning of schedules to the tactical decisions of ground delay programs. Personnel and equipment resource planning are often dependent upon the long-term forecast and the daily flight schedules. The daily flight schedules take fluctuations and additional demand into account.
