AAGSC: RIP No.

7
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AAGSC RECOMMENDED INDUSTRY PRACTICE

PASSENGER SAFETY ON THE APRON

AAGSC : RIP No.7

Issue 3
Issued: 2000
Last Reviewed: 1 July 2012

Background There are few standards that provide guidance to airport or

aircraft operators on passenger safety on the apron.

ICAO, IATA and local regulations have only passing

reference to the need for airports and aircraft operators to
take care of their passengers on the apron. Terms such as
due care are used but little guidance is given on how to
exercise this due care.

Airports and aircraft operators have a joint duty of care to all

passengers who use the apron area.

The safety of passengers is paramount at all times and it

must be remembered it is they who are in an unfamiliar
environment.

The AAGSC has developed this Recommended Industry

Practice to promote a common approach across all airports
and aircraft operators, both large and small.

It is recognised that where an aircraft operator has a contract

with a handling agent, some of the functions noted in this
document as being the responsibility of the aircraft operator
will reside with the handling agent, but their performance
must be constantly monitored by the aircraft operator.

References  ICAO Annex 9 – Facilitation Twelfth Edition July

2005
 ICAO Aerodrome Design Manual Part 4 Visual Aids
Fourth Edition 2004
th
 IATA Airport Handling Manual – 26 Edition 2006
AHM 630 12 Pg 471
 ACI Apron Safety Handbook New Edition Pending
 ACI/IATA Apron Markings and Signs Handbook
Second Edition 2009
th
 IATA Airport Development Reference Manual – 9
Edition Jan 2004
nd
 UK CAA CAP 642 Airside Safety Management– 2
Edition 2005 Ch2 Pg 3

 NZCAA Advisory Circular 139.06A Aerodrome Design

- Aeroplanes above 5700kg MCTOW July 2011
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 CASR Manual of Standards (MOS) Part 139 – Aerod

September 2004

Rationale The rationale behind publishing this Recommended Industry

Practice is to give airport and aircraft operators some
guidance in providing for safe passenger movement on
airport aprons.

It is important to recognise that there are two primary

methods of embarking and disembarking passengers:

 via an aerobridge
 via the apron

Passengers boarding or disembarking via an aerobridge will

be out of the danger area, whereas passengers using the
apron will be potentially exposed to all the hazards that exist
there.

Passengers are unfamiliar with the airport environment and

must be provided with clear and easy to follow directions. All
passengers whilst airside must be marshalled and
supervised. Many foreign visitors will simply not recognise
local signs or markings unless they are clear and
unambiguous.

Passengers will have an expectation that they will be looked

after by the aircraft operator and airport staff. They will be
largely unaware of hazards such as jet blast, engine
ingestion, prop wash and other apron movements.

It is important for all staff working in this environment to set a

positive example for passengers transiting this area. For
instance, behaviours such as staff running across the apron,
walking through propeller arcs or using cell phones in front of
passengers could lead to poor decision making by
embarking/disembarking passengers.

Airside Driver Licensing Rules and Aircrew training should

require drivers and aircrew to be aware of this
Recommended Industry Practice.

Recommended Industry This recommended standard is made up of four elements

Practice that need to be considered together.

These four elements are:

 control of access
 route of access
 apron markings and signage
 safe passenger handling procedures

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Control of Access

It is generally accepted that the terminal operator will be

responsible for supplying the physical barriers and access
control system between the landside terminal area and the
airside apron environment. The aircraft operator or their
handling agent will then ensure control of their passengers
through the barrier, security of the barrier during passenger
processing and be responsible for re-securing the barrier
after boarding or disembarking passengers.

It is imperative that such doorways are kept secure when not

in use by an aircraft operator boarding or disembarking
passengers. When airport staff use these doors outside
these times, they must ensure the door is again secure after
passing through it so that passengers do not inadvertently
enter the apron area unsupervised.

Route of Access

One of the most significant actions an airport can take in

enhancing passenger safety is to locate the aircraft parking
position in a way that minimises the distance passengers will
have to walk across an apron.

A direct path from the terminal to an aircraft is one of the

simplest ways to reduce the risk to passengers.

The most important consideration in determining a safe

passenger access route is the clearance to other hazards on
the apron. The passenger route must be clear of all physical
hazards on the apron such as drains, hydrants and other trip
hazards.

The passenger route should also be positioned to take

account of the other less tangible hazards on the apron such
as jet blast, engine ingestion and prop wash.

Passenger movement must be strictly segregated from

vehicular traffic where applicable – in some situations this is
difficult, especially where old aprons are converted for larger
aircraft etc. This is why airlines must monitor passengers and
where necessary provide traffic management. Aerodrome
Driver Licensing Rules need to include vehicles always
giving way to embarking/disembarking passengers.

Where vehicle traffic must cross a passenger thoroughfare,

dedicated/identified vehicle crossing areas should be
introduced. The use of “caution” markings and signage
should also be considered.

The passenger route must not pass under the fuselage or

wings or close to propellers or rotors of the aircraft being
loaded or other aircraft parked on adjacent bays. Attention
must also be paid to the location of aircraft fuel vents.

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Witches hats and retractable webbing barriers are some of

the devices regularly used by aircraft operators to keep
passengers away from some of the hazards described
above.

Remember, of course, that some passengers will have

disabilities, including some that are confined to wheelchairs,
and their needs must be considered when choosing an
access route.

It is recommended that the aerodrome operator work with the

aircraft operator and all affected ground handling agencies to
develop an entry, parking and egress layout which ensures a
safe path for passengers, but also meets the requirements of
those involved in such functions as loading, refuelling and
catering.

The aircraft and airport operators should also consider

special planning provisions for potentially increased hazard
exposure during activities such as refuelling while
passengers are on board or are being boarded or deplaned.
The aircraft operator should consult with the aerodrome
operator and affected ground servicing agencies at the
planning stages if new aircraft schedules or aircraft types are
proposed. This will ensure a process is in place so that such
changes do not adversely affect the current passenger
handling practices, or that if they do, then new control
measures can be implemented.

Apron Markings and Signage

Ideally the markings should be clearly recognisable as a

passenger path. The AAGSC recommends the use of the
zebra crossing marking as it is internationally recognised as
a safe pedestrian walkway.

(Note the relevant New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority

advisory circular specifies blue paint for the walkway
markings, but a white zebra crossing marking where a
passenger walkway crosses a vehicle movement lane).

The route should be marked from the point where the

pedestrian leaves the terminal to a generic point from which
access to the various aircraft types and their optional parking
directions on that bay may be safely negotiated.

If the route is to be used at night then lighting must be

adequate. Reflective paint or other treatments may assist
with ensuring that the path is clearly visible. At larger airports
the high mast lighting should be adequate to ensure
conspicuity of the route but additional lighting may be
necessary.

As the route is likely to be used in wet weather, non-slip

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treatment will assist with ensuring that the path is safe in all
weather conditions.

For disembarking passengers, an entry sign should be

affixed above the doorway or the sign in the vicinity with an
arrow pointing towards the doorway. The entry sign needs to
be lit if there are any night operations.

Signage prohibiting the use of cell phones by passengers as

they cross the apron should be displayed at the terminal exit
points onto the apron.

Safe Passenger Handling Procedures

The aircraft operator or their handling agent must have

procedures in place to ensure that their passengers are
supervised when on the apron. The overriding purpose of
these procedures must be passenger safety.

Minimum supervision is one person at the terminal building

entry/exit point and a second person at the aircraft. Where
the access to the aircraft is not in a direct line to or from the
terminal then additional staff should be positioned on the
apron to supervise and provide guidance to passengers.
Simultaneous boarding via a set of front and rear stairs to an
aircraft is likely to require a minimum of three staff to assist
passengers.

Passengers should not be allowed onto the apron, whether

from the terminal or disembarking the aircraft, when other
aircraft are arriving or departing the immediate area. The
departure phase may need to include from the time an
adjacent aircraft starts its engines depending on such factors
as proximity of passenger walkway to the adjacent aircraft,
level of supervision and noise output of the adjacent aircraft.

Passengers should not be allowed to depart the terminal until

the aircraft they are due to board has come to a complete
stop, the aircraft engines have stopped, the anti-collision
lights have been switched off and it’s clearly established that
it is safe for them to do so.

The procedures established by the aircraft operator for

passenger safety must incorporate the need to give
passengers instructions on how to embark/disembark the
aircraft safely, including not using cell phones or personal
stereos on the apron and that all aprons are no smoking
areas.

To discourage vehicles driving between aircraft and the

terminal the airline or handling agent should place red
witches hats on the path between the aircraft and the
terminal.

The responsibilities of pilots, flight attendants, customer

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service staff and ramp workers should be clearly set out by

the aircraft operator in their Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs). These SOPs need to include what action staff
should take in the event of inclement weather, such as with
high wind or electrical storm situations. The procedures need
to clearly specify what action is required when embarking
and disembarking special needs passengers. The
procedures should also include what action staff should take
in the event of any relevant apron emergency or be cross
referenced to the operator’s emergency plan. Consideration
should also be given to the ongoing issue of late boarding
passengers.

The aircraft operator or handling agent must train their staff

in safe apron procedures and in handling of passengers.
Such training programmes should also include cyclical
refresher training.

Accidents, incidents and potential hazards involving

passengers crossing the apron should not only be reported
through the aircraft operators reporting system, but also to
the aerodrome operator.

Aerobridge Loading

For airports where aerobridges are the primary means of

boarding passengers onto and off aircraft – no specific
markings are required on the ground, however, some thought
should be given to how passengers will access the aircraft if
the aerobridge is unserviceable.

A specific contingency plan should be drawn up for each

aerobridge to allow for embarking and disembarking
passengers if the aerobridge is out of action.

“Striving for Excellence in Aviation Ground Safety”