Airport Services Association (ASA) director general Jon Conway talks to Airside about taking over his new role at the start of Spring this year and his plans for the association. It’s clear he is going to be a busy man…
Q: When did you formally take on your new role as ASA director general?
A: I took over on 1 March, but I had been actively working informally with the ASA board since the beginning of February.
Q: What attracted you to the position?
A: Having been in ground handling/airport operations for most of my working life, I have always felt our sector needed stronger representation. I was one of several ground handler senior managers who sat on the ASA board on a voluntary basis in recent years.
When I left dnata in late 2016 I resigned from the board, but was then approached in early 2017 to take on this new role. It is a paid position that allows a dedicated focus on issues affecting our industry and hopefully (will) move our association to the next level. With airlines outsourcing more and more to independent handlers (there is 60% non-airline self-handling globally now), it’s important the ground handling community is professionally and energetically represented. I found all of this to be an attractive proposition and here we are!
Q: Having been in the post for a few weeks now, what have been your initial thoughts on ASA and on your role? Where have your initial priorities lain, and where are you building on the work of your predecessors?
A: Initial thoughts are that there is a lot to do! We have an excellent membership base, including all of the major global players. We have regional affiliate associations covering North and South America, a very active European chapter and good representation in the Middle East. However, we still need to grow our membership in parts of the world where we are less well known and, most importantly, offer a strong value proposition to potential (and existing) members.
This membership growth is clearly an initial priority, along with establishing strong and meaningful relationships with the main stakeholders – ie, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
This last part is indeed building on the work of my predecessors and I have recently been nominated to participate in the new IATA Ground Operations Group, a potentially influential airline/GSP [ground services provider] body.
Q: How does the way handlers/ground service providers go about doing their job today differ from that of the past, do you think, and how will it change in the future?
A: A good question. Some of the basics are frankly pretty much the same now as 20 years ago. GSE (with great respect to my chums that build GSE) has, by and large, remained unchanged. We are of course seeing initiatives – such as proximity warning/emergency stop devices, hybrid and/or electric, remotely operated pushbacks, etc – but a lower deck loader today is pretty much the same beast (and there are valid reasons) as it was when I started out.
Above wing, again, customer-facing staff are still, in general, doing a similar job to a couple of decades ago. Of course departure control systems are more sophisticated, mobile/kiosk/home check-in applications abound, but – perhaps surprisingly – there is still an enormous amount of ‘old school’ airport check-in, with interaction between an airline’s customer and the handling agent staff.
I think the ground handler’s job has evolved with the increasing amount of outsourcing by airlines. Handling agency staff in airlines’ uniform is commonplace; for seasonal and infrequent operators the trend to outsource station representation is also on the increase. The centralising (and outsourcing) of load control is another change from, say, 20 years ago. Weight and balance was once seen as ‘core’ by carriers, but less so now.
In terms of the future, I see a point at which many (most?) airlines focus on simply operating aircraft. More and more activities will be passed on to third parties and ‘managed’ via an audit process. This will present opportunities to the smart ground handlers and cargo terminal operators, but the cyclical nature of the airline business means that our customers will all be seeking to drive hard bargains. Margins in the ground handing sector will remain skinny.
Q: Looking ahead to the next few years, what are the major challenges that are going to face handlers, and your members in particular, do you think?
A: Another good question. I have mentioned low margins. This is a constant challenge. We also need to work with IATA to ensure ISAGO [IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations] and IGOM (IATA Ground Operations Manual) are a success. Many handlers are still inundated with audit visits despite ISAGO registration and/or accreditation. This defeats one of the primary benefits of the programme and we are working with IATA to ensure audits are recognised appropriately by IATA members and their regulators, thus reducing or eliminating unnecessary audits.
There are plans afoot to introduce an SMS provision to the new ISAGO model, as well as changes to the audit model. Whilst we broadly welcome this, we need to ensure any costs associated with the proposed audit mechanism (using IATA-approved auditors) are not simply passed on the handlers.
Q: And how can ASA help its members meet and overcome those challenges?
A: First and foremost, we need to ensure that stakeholder engagement is managed better. We have absolutely great colleagues attending various task forces/workshops etc – typically, subject-matter experts that give their time freely to work with industry partners.
I believe ASA needs to provide the co-ordination and guidance for those representing the ground handling sector. Only then will we have the consistency required to work effectively on behalf of our industry.
IATA, ACI and ICAO are well funded, well managed and large! They are bodies doing important work. The GSPs need a single and authoritative voice. I hope and believe ASA is that voice.
Q: Do you think that your previous experience with dnata (and with carriers) offers you an all-round perspective of how things work for handlers in general, and what needs to improve?
A: Yes I do. I have bought ground handling, I have sold ground handing, and been privileged to run large departments for one of the world’s leading airlines. I have cargo experience and, in Dubai,I was responsible for the world’s largest single-site ground handling operation. A genuine all-rounder I like to think.
Q: What other objectives and strategies do you have for ASA going forward?
A: I have a preliminary list of deliverables that will keep me occupied, I’m sure. These include a review of training (a very big topic for many members) and how ASA can add value. We are also looking at widening the geographical spread of our membership base.
We are looking at our website and will be making some changes – again, to add real value to the membership. The work by our European Chapter continues unabated and I am now actively involved. And there’s a lot more…
