Introduction to Airline Ground Service

Air transportation plays a vital role in a country s economy by enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of both business and leisure travel. Introduction to Airline Ground Service is written for airline executives, university lecturers and undergraduate students who have the goal of fully preparing to take on the important role of a ground service agent (GSA) in the airline industry. Anyone working in passenger, aircraft, airport, cargo, or baggage operations as well as general communications at an airport can benefit from this book by understanding the typical landside and airside jobs held by the various GSAs. While the book primarily focuses on the passenger aspect of ground service, it does not ignore positions related to baggage, cargo, food, and other supporting positions. How GSAs interact with the passengers at the different points of their airport experience as well as how GSAs work with each other across airline boundaries are both extensively explored.

The book is more than a manual or handbook as it includes authentic dialogues and cases from the authors extensive professional management and traveling experience. By following the route a typical traveler takes through an airport, Introduction to Airline Ground Service covers both the intricate little-known details and essential tasks the various GSAs accomplish in the course of a normal workday in an industry that may witness 100,000 or more people traveling through a busy airport per day, and is laden with numerous non-normal occurrences. This book uses such first-hand occurrences and situations encountered by the authors to encourage and motivate students to pursue an exciting career in this profession.