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A COMPANY WITH THE PASSENGER IN MIND

Ground handling is undergoing a complete overhaul at European and international level, with a total redistribution of the market. Under these competitive circumstances, Aéroports de Paris Handling  has been faced with increased demands from airlines

Within the framework of the commercial challenge, quality aspects are becoming increasingly important in Europe.

In order to remain in the market and to be competitive with regard to quality, Aéroports de Paris Handling  launched, in early 1996, a programme to certify, step by step, all its stations to an international quality standard (ISO 9002), with certification by the BVQI (Bureau Veritas Quality International), in order to ensure the conformity of its services to the demands of the Companies.

CDG2/T9 ( since 1998 ) and Orly ( since 2000 ) stations have now gained ISO9002 certification, and CDG1 is about to be certified ISO9000 version 2000.

The objective of our Handling Division is to have all of its stations certified according to the new ISO 9000 standard version 2000 in the very near future.

This certification has allowed us to introduce a new quality management system based on the need to respond permanently to customer demands and to maintain their satisfaction. To reach its goal, the ISO certification process involves our operational staff, and is based on a continuous quality improvement.

The decision to follow ISO also means that there is an annual assessment by external auditors of BVQI, for conformance of the quality system to the ISO standards. However, at the end of the day, it is the customer's appreciation of the quality of results that is always taken into account.

The Handling Division, through its ISO quality system, has undertaken to achieve total conformity to JAR OPS requirements, assessed through internal control audits and checks made by airlines' quality auditors themselves.

Aéroports de Paris Handling has also decided to achieve the AHM804 certification, a new system for performance measurement of service delivery standards, which was recently introduced in the late IATA AHM 2002.

The AHM 804 system is a reference for IATA.

The purpose of this system is to:

• establish an IATA approved industry framework for performance measurement of service delivery standards related to aircraft ground handling services.
• enable the providers of ground handling services to measure their performance/quality against standards agreed with their customers;
• enable the purchaser of ground handling services to receive continuous feedback on agreed key performance indicators;
• evaluate the performance of a provider of ground handling services on an ongoing basis.

It is a very simple quality measurement and control system, that provides the handling company with tools to lower costs, improve efficiency and enhance the performance levels with no additional manpower.

The IATA System for Performance Measurement of Service Delivery Standards is entirely focused in uncovering weakness and building on strengths. It allows for building and maintaining consistency in the short term, whilst providing a platform for continuous improvement in the longer term. The handler agrees with the customer airlines which activities are to be measured and the standards that should be achieved. AHM 804 tracks failures in meeting the agreed standards during continuous monitoring.

It is critical that the staff involved in the use of the system, believe in it. It is of utmost importance that the employees buy into the system to make it work. This is a key part of the implementation process.

Meanwhile, Aéroports de Paris Handling had already taken the AHM 804 into account, with the introduction of its Standard Level Agreements, which can be added to the contracts with a contractual status, reflecting the standards that the company wishes to see applied at the airport. These Standard Level Agreements have been used by ADP more or less since 1997.

Performance is quantified and is subject to regular checks, which are followed up by debriefings with the company with a view to possible readjustments or improvements.

This strong quality involvement through an integrated certification progress ensures a high level of performance geared to the needs of our actual and potential customers.

For further information, you can now access this Service at:

Website: www.adp.fr
E-mail: handling@adp.fr