Scope of Ground Staff, Courses, Jobs & Salary

• The career in the Aviation industry for today’s young generation is quite promising. With the increasing number of private operated airlines, aviation sector has increased several job opportunities in this field. The position of Ground Staff is among one of them. They are recruited by the airlines who work in the airport rather than in the aircraft. They are the people working round the clock handling flights at the airports. 
• The job of the Ground Staff is quite immense and widespread. Some of the ground staff have to work directly with the aircraft that is, they need to clean inside and out between flights. They make sure that there is no garbage present at the ramp, runways or any surrounding areas which could make damage to the plane. 
• The technicians and maintenance workers also fall in the category of Ground Staff. They make sure that the plane is in good working condition; have enough fuel, etc. before its take off. 
• Ground staff mainly works at the airport. They are responsible for inspecting, storing and transporting the luggage. Some of the ground staff’s works include to make sure that the food and beverage items are well stocked in the in the aircraft which gets distributed in the flight. 
• The work of the ground staff also involves direct dealing with the customer queries, that is, to provide information on customers questions regarding flight timings, delays, etc. 

1. To make a career as a Ground Staff in the aviation industry, the candidate need to complete their class 12th examination or he/she must be a graduate in any stream from a recognized university. 
2. The candidate who has the knowledge of any other language or an International language apart from English and Hindi are preferable.
3. There are several institutes where training for Ground Staff is conducted. The duration of the course is mainly of 1 year. The syllabus mainly covers the topics like Common Aviation, Airport Ground Services, and Personality Development which includes behavior management techniques, dressing etiquette mastery, interactive sessions that can transform a personality.
4. The curriculum makes the students more expertise and skillful.

There are several courses available for an interested candidate who wants to pursue a career as Ground Staff. They are as follows:

• Airport Ground Staff Training Certificate Course
• Ground Staff Training Course
• IATA Training Courses and Certifications
• Diploma in Airport Ground Staff Training Course
• Airport Handling Ground Duty Course

Some of the Institutions for studying the course in Ground Staff are as follows:

• Indira Gandhi Institute of Aeronautics, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Ghaziabad
• PTC Aviation Academy, Chennai, Bengaluru
• Remo International College, Chennai
• Kaplon Overseas, Vadodara
• Master Aviation Academy, Vijayawada
• Patrick Academy, Bengaluru
• Fledge Institute of Hospitality and Banashankari, Bengaluru
• S.C. Moitra Air Technical Training Institute, Kolkata
• Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training Institute
   

• The job of the Ground Staff is quite immense and wide spread. Some of the ground staff has to work directly with the aircraft. They make sure that the ramps, runways are clear with any garbage so that it could not cause any damage to the plane. 
• They are also employed to check that the planes are in proper working order before takeoff.
• Ground staffs are also employed at the airport terminal. They are responsible for inspecting, storing and transporting the luggage of the passengers.  They also take care that the food and beverages are well in stock during flight. 
• Some of the ground staff members are engaged to deal with customers queries and give information regarding flight timings, general queries, etc. 
• Some of the jobs are available in the commercial and security department at the airport. Besides this, one can get employed with the ground handling agents working for international airlines operating out of India. 
   

There are few skills that are required for Ground Staff. They are as follows:

• The candidate must have a good communication skill that is; they must be good in listening, writing, and speaking. 
• They must have the ability to plan and organize the work effectively that is, to finish the work the before its deadline. 
• The candidate must be flexible in his/her work. That is, they must have the ability to handle multiple works and adjust the task on the basis of its importance and assignments. 
• The person must have good interpersonal skills, that is, the person must have good relation with other staff members, customers and others. 
• The candidate must have the ability to solve the problems. That is, they must have the ability to control and deal with the problem efficiently. 
• The person must be able to work in a team. That is, to work in a group with an objective to make sure that the tasks can be completed.
• The person must be responsible in his work, that is, he/she must be able to take responsibilities in given time.  
   

There are few institutes where Ground Staff training can be done through Distance learning. They are as follows:

• IATA distance learning programme    
• Vinayaka Missions University
   

• There are scope and opportunities available at the airports of metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, etc. Many airlines like Jet Airways, Indigo Airlines, and International Airlines look for Ground Staff for their airlines. 

To pursue a career as a Ground Staff, the candidate must have the following eligibility criteria:

• The candidate must complete their class 12th examination or a Graduate on any stream from a recognized University.
• The age of the candidate should be in between 18 to 27 years.
• He/she must have a pleasing personality.
• Candidates who knowany other language or an International language apart from English and Hindi are preferred by Ground handling agencies.
• Candidates with some experience in this field, either in technical or customer related have an added advantage.
   

The job responsibilities of a Ground Staff are as follows:

• The Ground Staff makes sure that there is no garbage present at the ramp, runways or any surrounding areas which could make damage to the plane. 
• The work also includes refills of water tanks, luggage and air-cargo handling. 
• Ground staffs are responsible for putting the passenger’s stairs in place. They help the passengers who are on wheelchairs. 
• They do the aircraft refueling and if required they remove the ice or snow from the aircraft’s surface. 
• Ground staff also works in passenger’s check-in counters and on arrival and departure gates. 
• Ground crew also ensures that unused food and beverages are removed from the aircraft and replaced the same with fresh supplies.
   

• At the initial period, the salary structure of a Ground Staff is not attractive what one expects. Over the period of time, with experience and ones willingness to do better in his work will definitely pay well in his later years. 
• The salary structure of ground staff in India is approx. Rs. 12,000/- to Rs. 18,000/- per month for a fresh candidate. Candidate with experience, it increases approx. Rs. 25,000/- per month.