Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/20 of 19 December 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council by laying down requirements for the safe provision of ground handling services and for organisations providing them

Article 1

Subject matter

This Regulation establishes common requirements for the provision of ground handling services and organisations providing them at aerodromes within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139.

Article 2

Scope

• (a) passenger handling, including passengers with reduced mobility, including safety aspects of passenger and baggage acceptance at the aerodrome, safety of passengers during boarding and disembarkation using ground support equipment and during transit or transfer, and ground transportation of passengers between the aerodrome terminal and the aircraft;

• (b) baggage handling, including baggage identification, sorting, building, transfer, arrival and reclaim;

• (c) the following aircraft servicing activities:
• (i) operation of ground support equipment (GSE) used for ground handling services, including loading and unloading of catering, and the movement of those GSE on the apron and around the aircraft;
• (ii) aircraft refuelling and defuelling, namely into-plane fuelling services at the aerodrome;
• (iii) aircraft toilet servicing;
• (iv) potable water servicing;
• (v) aircraft exterior cleaning;
• (vi) aircraft de-icing and anti-icing;

• (d) the following aircraft turnaround activities:
• (i) activities upon aircraft arrival, including aircraft securing on the ground;
• (ii) loading and unloading of baggage, cargo, mail, catering, and loading supervision;
• (iii) activities upon aircraft departure;
• (iv) aircraft towing and pushback;

• (e) the following cargo and mail handling at an aerodrome:
• (i) cargo acceptance on behalf of the aircraft operator;
• (ii) final build-up and storage;
• (iii) final weighing and tagging of unit load devices;
• (iv) final checks before air transportation;
• (v) ground transportation of cargo and mail between the point of final checks and the aircraft.

• (a) marshalling of aircraft;

• (b) flight dispatch tasks performed by flight dispatchers as defined by Regulation (EU) No 965/2012;

• (c) load control tasks related to load planning, mass and balance calculations, load control messages and communications, and issuance of load control documents;

• (d) ground supervision;

• (e) oil handling for the aircraft (including replenishment, servicing) performed by maintenance organisations approved under Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, other organisations compliant with Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, and other maintenance organisations holding an approval issued in compliance with ICAO Annex 8 Chapter 6;

• (f) aircraft exterior cleaning when performed by maintenance organisations approved under Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, other organisations compliant with Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, and other maintenance organisations holding an approval issued in compliance with ICAO Annex 8 Chapter 6 and the activity is included in the organisation’s maintenance manual;

• (g) any other ground handling activity when performed by a maintenance organisation approved under Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, other organisations compliant with Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, and other maintenance organisations holding an approval issued in compliance with ICAO Annex 8 Chapter 6 for the purpose of aircraft maintenance;

• (h) ground transportation of passengers and crew members when this is the only service provided by an entity;

• (i) self-handling, when performed by aircraft operators performing any of the following types of operations:
• (i) commercial air transport operations with other-than-complex motor-powered aircraft;
• (ii) any flight operations with complex or other-than-complex motor-powered aircraft that are not commercial air transport operations;

• (j) handling of passengers with reduced mobility, or ground transportation of passengers and crew members, or both, when these are the only ground handling services provided by an aerodrome operator with its own personnel, not cumulated with other ground handling services provided by that aerodrome operator.

Article 3

Definitions

For the purpose of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

• (1) ‘ground handling organisation’ means one of the following:
• (a) a stand-alone ground handling organisation or a ground handling organisation that is part of a single ground handling organisation business grouping;
• (b) an aerodrome operator providing ground handling services;
• (c) an aircraft operator providing ground handling services to itself or within a single air carrier business grouping (self-handling);

• (2) ‘single ground handling organisation business grouping’ means two or more ground handling organisations providing services in more than one Member State and are registered in territories to which the Treaties apply, which facilitate the harmonisation of their management systems and main organisation processes for the purpose of compliance with this Regulation, including applying the same policies, processes and procedures to the components of their management systems such as the safety management, documentation, compliance monitoring, management of changes, training of ground handling personnel, operational procedures, and maintenance programme for ground support equipment;

• (3) ‘passenger handling’ means activities related to any kind of assistance to arriving, departing, transfer or transit passengers, including, where applicable, passenger and baggage acceptance, travel documents and flight tickets check, boarding pass issuance, gate activities, passenger boarding and disembarkation;

• (4) ‘ground support equipment (GSE)’ means a motorised or non-motorised mobile vehicle, apparatus or piece of equipment that is designed, built and used for the provision of ground handling services on the movement area of an aerodrome;

• (5) ‘baggage handling’ means a process consisting of several steps covering baggage sorting, baggage build, baggage transportation from the sorting area to the aircraft and vice versa, gate delivery baggage, baggage arrival, mishandled baggage, baggage reconciliation;

• (6) ‘into-plane fuelling service’ means delivery of fuel to an aircraft;

• (7) ‘aircraft de-icing’ means a ground procedure by which frost, ice, snow or slush is removed from an aircraft in order to provide uncontaminated surfaces. The process can combine de-icing and anti-icing performed in two steps;

• (8) ‘aircraft anti-icing’, means a ground procedure that provides protection against the formation of frost or ice and accumulation of snow or slush on treated surfaces of the aircraft for a limited period of time (holdover time);

• (9) ‘aircraft turnaround’ means a coordinated process of activities associated with the handling of an aircraft, its passengers, baggage, mail and cargo, occurring in a predetermined time interval between the aircraft arrival and its departure;

• (10) ‘aircraft loading’ means stowing load or unit load devices (ULDs) on board the aircraft in accordance with the loading instructions;

• (11) ‘baggage’ means the personal property or other articles of a passenger or crew member carried on a flight;

• (12) ‘cargo’ or ‘freight’ means goods or property that are carried on an aircraft, other than baggage, mail, company material, company mail, and in-flight supplies, which are not consumed or used during flight;

• (13) ‘mail’ means dispatches of correspondence and other items, other than the aircraft operator’s mail, tendered by and intended for delivery to postal services in accordance with the rules of the Universal Postal Union (UPU);

• (14) ‘aircraft towing’ means the forward movement of an aircraft in service or out of service by using external power of ground support equipment that supports the aircraft’s nose landing gear or is attached to it;

• (15) ‘aircraft pushback’ means the movement of an aircraft from a nose-in parking position by using external power of ground support equipment. The operation may involve a towbar;

• (16) ‘unit load device (ULD)’ means a device for grouping and restraining cargo, mail and baggage for air transport that is either an aircraft container or a combination of an aircraft pallet and an aircraft pallet net, which is designed to be directly restrained by the aircraft cargo loading system (CLS);

• (17) ‘load control’ means a process under the responsibility of the aircraft operator, to ensure that the aircraft is safely and efficiently loaded before each flight;

• (18) ‘organisation providing ground handling services in more than one Member State’ means a ground handling organisation or a self-handling aircraft operator that provides services at aerodromes in more than one Member State and is overseen by more than one competent authority. It includes organisations that may or may not be part of a single ground handling organisation business grouping or of a single air carrier business grouping;

• (19) ‘audit’ means a systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which requirements are complied with;

• (20) ‘inspection’ means, in the context of compliance monitoring and oversight, an independent and documented conformity evaluation by observation and judgement accompanied, as appropriate, by measurements, testing or gauging, in order to verify compliance with applicable requirements; whereas an inspection may be part of an audit, but may also be conducted outside the normal audit plan, in particular, to verify the closure of a certain finding;

• (21) ‘dangerous goods (DG)’ means articles or substances which are capable of posing a hazard to health, safety, property or the environment and which are shown in the list of dangerous goods in the Technical Instructions or which are classified according to those Instructions;

• (22) ‘ICAO Technical Instructions’ means ICAO Doc 9284 ‘Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air’;

• (23) ‘notification to captain (NOTOC)’ means accurate and legible written information provided to the commander or pilot-in-command concerning dangerous goods shipments or other special cargo that is to be carried on board the aircraft;

• (24) ‘just culture’ means just culture as defined in Article 2, point 12, of Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council ([^E0001]);

• (25) ‘aircraft handling’ means all the ground handling activities and communications occurring on the movement area, including aircraft refuelling and defuelling, aircraft de-icing and anti-icing, replenishing with potable water, toilet and wastewater services, catering handling, aircraft cleaning services, provision and operation of ground support equipment, aircraft access, securing of aircraft on the ground, aircraft loading and unloading, aircraft pushback or towing, equipment attachment and removal, operation of vehicles and equipment in the immediate vicinity of the aircraft;

• (26) ‘passenger boarding bridge’ means a telescopic corridor that extends from an airport terminal to an aircraft for the passenger boarding and disembarkation;

• (27) ‘turnaround coordination’ means a ground handling function with a safety role, which coordinates the ramp handling activities and ends with the release (dispatch) of a flight upon the completion of the ground handling services to the aircraft on the apron;

• (28) ‘cargo compartment’ means the area of an aircraft that may be used for the transport of cargo, and/or baggage;

• (29) ‘equipment restraint area (ERA)’ means a safety buffer area around the aircraft, which shall remain free from obstruction and foreign object debris before and after aircraft arrival and departure and during aircraft manoeuvring to and from the parking stand, except for the ground support equipment and personnel required for manoeuvring;

• (30) ‘loading instructions’ means a set of instructions supporting the person supervising the aircraft loading in ensuring the correct and safe loading of the aircraft;

• (31) ‘mass and balance documentation’ means documents containing data about the aircraft mass and balance, centre of gravity, aircraft load, notification to captain (NOTOC) for dangerous goods, loading instructions, load information.

Article 4

Conditions and procedures for organisations providing ground handling services

The conditions and procedures for organisations providing ground handling services to declare their capability and the availability to them of the means, to discharge the responsibilities for the safe provision of services as referred to in Article 37(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, shall be as set out in Annexes I and II to this Regulation.

Article 5

Transitional provisions

Organisations already providing ground handling services on 27 March 2025 shall submit a declaration in accordance with point ORGH.DEC.100 of Annex I to this Regulation from 27 March 2027, in accordance with a plan established and agreed with their competent authority as identified in point ORGH.GEN.105 of Annex I to this Regulation.

Article 6

Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

ANNEX I

RESPONSIBILITIES OF GROUND HANDLING ORGANISATIONS REGARDING THE SAFE PROVISION OF SERVICES AND CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR THE DECLARATION

(PART-ORGH)

SUBPART GEN

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

ORGH.GEN.100   Scope

This Annex establishes requirements on the following:

• (a) responsibilities of the organisations listed in Article 3 definition (1) of this Regulation, which provide ground handling services at one or more aerodromes within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139;

• (b) conditions and procedures for the declaration by those organisations.

ORGH.GEN.105   Competent authority

• (a) The competent authority responsible for receiving declarations from an organisation providing ground handling services at an aerodrome within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 shall be the authority designated by the Member State where the aerodrome is located.

• (b) A single ground handling organisation business grouping or a self-handling aircraft operator that has its principal place of business in a Member State and provides ground handling services in more than one Member State shall submit a declaration to the competent authority designated by the Member State where the organisation’s principal place of business is located.

• (c) The principal place of business of a single ground handling organisation business grouping referred to in point (b) shall be determined based on all of the following criteria:
• (1) it is the place where the corporate financial functions are exercised; these comprise all financial activities that are necessary to manage and maintain the organisation viable and financially fit;
• (2) it is the place where the accountable manager, who holds the ultimate accountability for safety within their organisation, exercises their role;
• (3) it is the effective and actual centre of control from where business development and continuity, strategy, and planning activities affecting the single ground handling organisation business grouping as a whole are managed on a regular basis.

ORGH.GEN.110   Responsibilities of the ground handling organisation

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall be responsible for the safe provision of services in accordance with all the following:
• (1) Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 and its delegated and implementing acts;
• (2) its declaration submitted pursuant to Article 37(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139;
• (3) the procedures for local operation contained in the aerodrome manual, as referred to in point 4.1(b) of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, which are applicable to it as aerodrome user;
• (4) the operational procedures and instructions of the aircraft operator related to ground handling services, when provided or, when not provided, in accordance with the ground handling organisation’s operational procedures.

• (b) The ground handling organisation shall establish a ground handling manual in accordance with point ORGH.DOC.110 and shall operate in accordance with it.

• (c) The ground handling organisation shall establish standards and objectives for the safe performance of ground handling activities and develop operational procedures to achieve them. It shall also define the functions necessary to perform those activities, including the associated decision-making, authority, tasks and responsibilities of those functions.

• (d) The ground handling organisation shall ensure that all personnel involved in ground handling activities:
• (1) are properly trained and have demonstrated their competence to perform the assigned tasks before being allowed to exercise their duties unsupervised, and that they maintain their competence;
• (2) are aware of their responsibilities and understand their role and how their duties are related to the safety of aerodrome and air transport operations.

• (e) When using any ground support equipment (GSE) to perform ground handling activities, the ground handling organisation shall establish and implement a maintenance programme for its GSE.

ORGH.GEN.115   Start of operation

A ground handling organisation may start operating at an aerodrome when it fulfils both the following conditions:

• (a) formal arrangements with that aerodrome operator have been established;

• (b) the ground handling organisation has declared its activity to the competent authority using the form set out in Appendix 1.

ORGH.GEN.120   Means of compliance

• (a) The ground handling organisation may use alternative means of compliance (AltMoC) to the acceptable means of compliance (AMC) adopted by the Agency to demonstrate compliance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 and its delegated and implementing acts.

• (b) If the ground handling organisation uses AltMoC, it shall provide the competent authority with the list of those AltMoC and shall make them available to the competent authority in due time for oversight purposes.

• (c) If an organisation providing ground handling services in more than one Member State and having its principal place of business in a Member State applies an AltMoC only to aerodromes in one Member State, the organisation shall inform only the competent authority of that Member State. If such an organisation applies AltMoC to all its stations in the Member States, it shall inform the competent authority designated by the Member State where its principal place of business is located.

ORGH.GEN.125   Use of industry standards

In order to discharge their responsibilities regarding the safe provision of ground handling services, the ground handling organisation may use its own operational procedures or industry standards or both.

ORGH.GEN.130   Management of changes

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall develop, implement and maintain a process as part of its management system to manage changes to its established processes, procedures and services. If the changes directly affect its capability to safely provide ground handling services, it shall ensure the following:
• (1) assess the safety risks of the expected changes, and implement mitigating measures to address those risks;
• (2) determine whether and how the changes affect its interfaces with other organisations and, if necessary, involve those organisations in the safety risk assessment and risk mitigation and align those mitigating measures to avoid contradictions or deterioration of safety;
• (3) communicate the changes and mitigating measures to the organisations affected by them;
• (4) document the process.

• (b) If the changes affect its declaration, the ground handling organisation shall update the declaration and submit it to the competent authority without undue delay.

• (c) Notwithstanding points (a) and (b), the assessment of risks arising from any planned changes and the related documentation shall be proportionate to the size and complexity of the ground handling organisation.

• (d) Notwithstanding points (a), (b) and (c), aircraft operators performing self-handling and aerodrome operators providing ground handling services may apply their already existing process for the management of changes to manage the changes related to the provision of ground handling services.

• (e) The ground handling organisation shall provide the competent authority with the relevant documentation covering point (a) in due time for an audit or inspection.

ORGH.GEN.140   Access

For the purpose of determining whether a ground handling organisation acts in accordance with its declaration, the ground handling organisation shall ensure, at any time, that the persons duly authorised by the competent authority responsible for the oversight of that organisation:

• (a) are granted access to any facility, document, records, data, procedures or any other material relevant to the activity of the organisation;

• (b) are allowed to perform or witness any action, inspection, test, assessment or exercise that the competent authority finds necessary.

ORGH.GEN.145   Provision of documentation for oversight purposes

The ground handling organisation shall submit the following documents in their latest version to the competent authority as identified in point ORGH.GEN.105, preferably in an electronic format, within a time frame commonly agreed with the competent authority and in due time before an oversight audit or inspection:

• (a) if applicable, a list of the AltMoC used for the ground handling activities;

• (b) the organisation’s ground handling manual;

• (c) any other documents requested by the competent authority in preparation of an audit or inspection.

ORGH.GEN.150   Findings and corrective actions

• (a) When the competent authority raises a finding of non-compliance, the ground handling organisation shall take the following steps within the time period determined by the competent authority:
• (1) identify the root cause(s) of the non-compliance(s) and the contributing factors of that or those non-compliances;
• (2) develop a corrective action plan that addresses the root cause(s) and the factors contributing to the non-compliance(s);
• (3) demonstrate the implementation of the corrective action(s) to the satisfaction of the competent authority, either at the management system level or at the station level, or both, as the case may be.

• (b) In addition to point (a), in the case of an organisation providing ground handling services in more than one Member State that may or may not be part of a single business grouping, the findings raised on the operation or a component of the organisation’s management system at one station and the related corrective action plans and corrective actions shall be communicated by the responsible person at that station to the organisation’s head office at its principal place of business.

• (c) When the non-compliance directly affects the safety risk within, or the responsibilities of, the aircraft operator or the aerodrome operator, the ground handling organisation shall inform, without undue delay, the aerodrome operator and the aircraft operators concerned of the actions listed in point (a) and, if appropriate, coordinate such actions with them within the time period referred to in point (a).

ORGH.GEN.155   Immediate reaction to a safety problem and safety directives

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall implement, without undue delay, any safety measures or safety directives mandated by the competent authority as an immediate reaction to a safety problem.

• (b) The ground handling organisation shall inform, without undue delay, the aircraft operator to which it provides services and the aerodrome operators concerned of the implementation of the measures or safety directives referred to in point (a).

ORGH.GEN.160   Reporting of safety-related occurrences

• (a) As part of its management system referred to in point ORGH.MGM.200 of this Annex, the ground handling organisation shall establish and maintain a reporting system for safety-related occurrences and events that meets the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 and Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, as well as their delegated and implementing acts. This system shall include mandatory and voluntary reporting.

• (b) The ground handling organisation shall report:
• (1) to the competent authority of the Member State of occurrence, as well as to any other organisation required to be informed by the Member State of occurrence, any safety-related event or condition that endangers or, if not corrected or addressed, could endanger an aircraft, its occupants or any other person, and in particular any accident or serious incident;
• (2) the dangerous goods events to the appropriate authority of the Member State of occurrence.

• (c) The ground handling organisation shall also transmit the occurrence report referred to in point (b) to the aerodrome operator where the event occurred and the affected aircraft operator. If relevant, the report shall also be transmitted to the air traffic services provider and any other ground handling organisation concerned that operates at the aerodrome of the occurrence.

• (d) The occurrence reports shall:
• (1) be transmitted to the respective authorities referred to in point (b) and to the organisations referred to in point (c) as soon as practicable, but no later than 72 hours after the ground handling organisation became aware of the occurrence, unless exceptional circumstances prevent this; and
• (2) contain all pertinent information about the condition known to the ground handling organisation at the time of reporting.

• (e) For reports referred to in point (b), the ground handling organisation shall produce, when relevant, a follow-up report providing details of actions it intends to take to prevent similar occurrences in the future, as soon as these actions have been identified. The follow-up report shall be:
• (1) sent to the entities referred to in points (b) and (c);
• (2) made in a form and manner established by the competent authority referred to in point (b)(1) or, in the case of dangerous goods, by the appropriate authority referred to in point (b)(2).

ORGH.GEN.165   Safety reporting system

• (a) The reporting system referred to in point ORGH.GEN.160 shall contain the necessary means and procedures to enable the ground handling organisation to improve and promote safe provision of ground handling services and a safety culture within the organisation. It shall:
• (1) include an internal safety reporting scheme;
• (2) be used for identifying the causes of, and contributing factors to, the errors, near misses and hazards reported, and address them as part of its safety risk management process in accordance with point ORGH.MGM.200(b)(2);
• (3) be used for evaluating all known, relevant information relating to errors, near misses, hazards, and the failure to follow operational procedures;
• (4) enable sharing of any other safety relevant information with the organisations with which it has interfaces;
• (5) provide possibilities for voluntary reporting and for reporting anonymously as part of the internal safety reporting scheme;
• (6) protect the identity of the reporter, ensure the reporter’s full confidentiality and that of any personal data or details.

• (b) The ground handling organisation shall have procedures to:
• (1) cover internal safety reporting – mandatory and voluntary, including when the ground handling organisation uses a separate scheme for voluntary reporting;
• (2) record all reports submitted;
• (3) determine which events qualify for reporting under point ORGH.GEN.160(b);
• (4) conduct investigations of internal reports, as appropriate;
• (5) in cooperation with the aircraft operator, or the aerodrome operator, or both, as appropriate, analyse and assess the reports or groups of occurrences having the same root cause, in order to address safety deficiencies and identify trends;
• (6) participate in the investigation of reported events conducted by the aerodrome operator or the aircraft operator, as appropriate, where the ground handling organisation is directly affected by the event or the proposed mitigating measures;
• (7) take the necessary actions to address the root cause of the event and prevent reoccurrences;
• (8) provide feedback to the reporter, if this is known, and decide on the appropriate means to disseminate the results and the mitigating measures;
• (9) refrain from attribution of blame in line with the ‘just culture’ principle.

• (c) The ground handling organisation shall make arrangements to collect safety issues related to contracted activities referred to in point ORGH.MGM.205.

• (d) The safety reporting system shall be proportionate to the size and complexity of the ground handling organisation.

ORGH.GEN.170   Psychoactive substances and medicines

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall implement a procedure to ensure that its personnel:
• (1) do not perform any duties under the influence of alcohol, any psychoactive substances or any medicine that may have an effect on their abilities to perform their tasks in a manner contrary to safety;
• (2) do not consume any of those substances while on duty.

• (b) The procedure shall be included in the ground handling organisation’s management system.

SUBPART MGM

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

ORGH.MGM.200   General requirements for the management system

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall develop and implement a management system proportionate to the type and complexity of activities, the size of the organisation, and the operational context, to manage the safety risks; it shall aim for continuous improvement of this system and ensure fostering of a safety culture within its organisation. The management system shall cover all the systems and processes necessary for the ground handling organisation to discharge its responsibilities.

• (b) The management system shall include the following:
• (1) clearly defined lines of accountability and responsibility with regard to the overall activities of the organisation throughout the organisation, including a direct safety accountability of the accountable manager;
• (2) a safety management system that includes the following elements:
• (i) a description of the overall philosophy and principles of the organisation with regard to safety, referred to as ‘the safety policy’, signed by the accountable manager;
• (ii) a process to identify safety hazards, and to assess and mitigate the safety risks in ground handling activities, including the human factors;
• (iii) a process to manage and improve the organisation’s safety performance by establishing safety objectives, standards, and indicators, and to validate the proportionality and effectiveness of the mitigating measures in addressing the safety risks;
• (iv) means to promote safety within the organisation, with the purpose of fostering a safety culture, in particular, means to communicate on safety topics, so that personnel are aware of their role in maintaining ground and flight safety and in contributing to the safety culture;
• (v) identification of interfaces with other stakeholders, and the ground handling organisation’s own safety accountability, authority and responsibility within those interfaces;
• (3) a process to manage changes in accordance with point ORGH.GEN.130;
• (4) methods to ensure a minimum level of control to prevent fatigue to its personnel by complying with the existing applicable requirements, also considering the different ground handling functions and the associated safety risks of the assigned tasks;
• (5) a training programme to ensure that personnel involved in the ground handling activities are competent to perform the safety-related duties and that they are familiarised with the rules and procedures relevant to their tasks;
• (6) a process to monitor compliance of the ground handling organisation with the applicable requirements and regulations under the terms of its declaration, which shall include feedback on findings to the accountable manager to ensure effective implementation of corrective actions as necessary, and continuous improvement and updates of the management system components;
• (7) a document management system.

• (c) The ground handling organisation shall document the processes of the management system referred to in points (b)(1) to (7).

• (d) Notwithstanding points (a), (b) and (c), if the ground handling organisation is part of a legal entity that holds one or more additional certificates, approvals, or authorisations or declares its activity in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 and its delegated and implementing acts, the ground handling organisation may integrate its management system with the management system that it has already established under the provisions applicable to that certificate, approval, authorisation or declaration, as the case may be.

ORGH.MGM.201   Information security management system

The ground handling organisation shall establish, implement and maintain an information security management system in accordance with the Annex (Part-IS.D.OR) to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/1645 ([^E0002]) to ensure the proper management of information security risks which may have an impact on aviation safety.

ORGH.MGM.205   Contracted services or products

• (a) Where the ground handling organisation, for the purpose of its operation or compliance with this Regulation, enters into contracts for services or products that are not certified, approved, authorised or covered by a declaration in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 and its delegated and implementing acts, those services or products shall be provided once the ground handling organisation has applied the safety management process to manage the risk of those services or products for its own operation.

• (b) When the ground handling organisation enters into contracts for services or products that are certified, authorised, approved or declared in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 and its delegated and implementing acts, the organisation providing those services or products shall be responsible for their safety, in compliance with the EU aviation regulations applicable to that organisation and the relevant requirements of Annex I or Annex II to this Regulation.

• (c) The ground handling organisation shall ensure all the following:
• (1) the contracted services or products comply with the applicable requirements, depending on the type of service or product;
• (2) any aviation safety hazards associated with the contracted services or products are risk-assessed within its own management system;
• (3) the competent authority is enabled access to the third-party provider, to determine continued compliance with the applicable requirements;
• (4) any such contract is documented.

ORGH.MGM.210   Personnel

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall appoint an accountable manager. This person shall:
• (1) be accountable for the safe provision of ground handling services;
• (2) have the authority to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated so that all activities can be carried out in accordance with this Regulation;
• (3) be responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective management system.

• (b) The ground handling organisation shall appoint one or more competent persons for the following functions:
• (1) safety management;
• (2) ground handling training;
• (3) ground handling operations;
• (4) if applicable, cargo operations.

• (c) The competent person for the safety management function shall be responsible for the management and implementation of the safety management system within the whole ground handling organisation. The competent person for this function shall act independently of other functions within the organisation, shall have direct access to the accountable manager and to other management personnel, as relevant for safety matters, and shall report to the accountable manager. The following arrangements may apply:
• (1) depending on the scale of operations, one or more persons may be appointed to manage the safety of the provision of ground handling services at each aerodrome. One person may be responsible for more than one aerodrome. That or those persons shall report to the competent person(s) for the safety management [of the organisation], as determined by the ground handling organisation and clarified in its ground handling manual;
• (2) aircraft operators performing self-handling and aerodrome operators providing ground handling services may integrate the safety manager function within another function with similar responsibilities already existing in their organisation under the applicable requirements.

• (d) The competent person for the ground handling training function shall be responsible for the development and implementation of the training and assessment programme and continued competence of the personnel involved in ground handling activities. The competent person for this function shall have direct access to the accountable manager and to the appropriate management for training matters.

• (e) The competent person for the ground handling operations function shall be responsible for the coordination and safety performance of all ground handling activities at all aerodromes or regionally, as established by the ground handling organisation and described in its standards and objectives in accordance with point ORGH.GEN.110(c). The competent person for this function shall have direct access to the accountable manager and to the appropriate management for operational matters. Aircraft operators, holders of an air operator certificate, who perform self-handling may integrate this function within the already existing function of the organisation’s nominated person for ground operations.

• (f) The competent person for the cargo operations function shall be responsible for the coordination and safety performance of all cargo operations either at all aerodromes or regionally, as established by the organisation and described in its standards and objectives in accordance with point ORGH.GEN.110(c).

• (g) In addition, the ground handling organisation shall establish the following functions:
• (1) a function for the implementation of the compliance monitoring process required under point ORGH.MGM.200(b)(6); the competent person or persons for that function shall have direct access to the accountable manager;
• (2) a function for the operation and maintenance of the GSE, if the organisation uses GSE in the frame of its operation; the ground handling organisation shall determine the reporting lines for this function, which may be carried out by one or more persons.

• (h) The ground handling organisation shall establish a proportionate number of supervisory functions considering the structure of the organisation and the number of personnel employed. The persons exercising supervisory functions shall coordinate, advise and ensure that the individuals in a team perform the ground handling activities in accordance with the established standards and operational procedures included the organisation’s ground handling manual. The duties and responsibilities of the person or the persons exercising those functions shall be well defined, and any other arrangements shall be made to ensure that they can discharge their responsibilities. The supervisory functions shall be exercised by competent individuals with the skills to ensure the performance of ground handling activities as per the organisation’s standards specified in the ground handling manual.

• (i) The same person may fulfil more than one function referred to in points (b), (g) and (h) if both the following conditions are met:
• (1) they are trained and qualified to perform the assigned tasks;
• (2) any conflict of interest in performing the assigned tasks has been addressed before the person takes up those functions.

• (j) The ground handling organisation shall have sufficient and qualified personnel for the safe provision of ground handling services in accordance with this Regulation.

ORGH.MGM.215   Facilities

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall ensure availability of facilities allowing the performance and management of all planned tasks and activities provided for in Annex I and Annex II to this Regulation.

• (b) Where the ground handling organisation uses a warehouse at the premises of an aerodrome within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 to store and prepare cargo items containing dangerous goods, all the following requirements shall be complied with:
• (1) the facility has clear in-bound and outbound flows and dedicated areas for dangerous goods acceptance and for loading and unloading of packages and ULDs;
• (2) an X-ray verification area is provided;
• (3) segregation of dangerous goods according to their compatibility and their separation from general cargo are ensured in accordance with the international standards and recommended practices;
• (4) adequate conditions are provided to prevent any damage to the dangerous goods items;
• (5) the storage area for dangerous goods items is visibly marked and is temperature-controlled, where applicable;
• (6) an emergency toolkit is readily available.

ORGH.MGM.220   Software used for the provision of ground handling services

The ground handling organisation shall ensure that the software it uses for the provision of ground handling services is functional and does not negatively affect the safety of the flight. It shall ensure that:

• (a) a backup system is available to ensure operational continuity in case of breakdown;

• (b) the data is easily accessible and retrievable upon request by authorised persons;

• (c) if the software includes document issuance, it complies with point ORGH.DOC.100;

• (d) personnel are trained and competent to use the software to perform their assigned tasks.

SUBPART DEC

DECLARATION

ORGH.DEC.100   Declaration – general requirements

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall submit a duly filled declaration, including the annex for each aerodrome where it provides services, to the competent authority as identified in point ORGH.GEN.105.

• (b) If the ground handling organisation applies any of the following changes affecting the content of the declaration, it shall notify the competent authority of those changes and submit an amended declaration:
• (1) the name of the organisation;
• (2) the name and/or contact details of the accountable manager;
• (3) adding or removing aerodromes where it provides ground handling services;
• (4) adding or removing ground handling services provided at an aerodrome listed in the declaration;
• (5) new AltMoC;
• (6) implementation of an industry standard.

• (c) The ground handling organisation shall ensure compliance with this Regulation and with the information provided in the declaration and shall maintain continued compliance throughout its activities.

ORGH.DEC.105   Termination of the provision of ground handling services

If a ground handling organisation intends to permanently cease the provision of the ground handling service at an aerodrome, it shall:

• (a) notify the aerodrome operator and the competent authority as soon as possible, as well as the impacted aircraft operators as per the agreement;

• (b) submit to the competent authority a request for de-registration of the declaration, upon the date of termination of the provision of the services.

The prior notice to the aerodrome operator referred to in point (a) shall be made sufficiently in advance, as established in the formal arrangements with the aerodrome operator, so that the latter can take appropriate measures, as necessary, for the continuation of the service at the aerodrome.

Appendix 1

DECLARATION FORM

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Annex to the Declaration (*) (*)To be filled individually for each aerodrome where the organisation provides ground handling services under this declaration.

Annex No XXX to the Declaration for … (¹) … (²) Notes: (¹)  Aerodrome name in full. (²)  ICAO code. (1) Name, email and telephone number of the representative of the ground handling organisation at the aerodrome referred to in this Annex: … (2) Name, email and telephone number of the person responsible for the safety management at the aerodrome referred to in this Annex (): … Note:  The same person may cumulate the responsibilities referred to in points (1) and (2) and may be responsible for more than one aerodrome. Starting date of operation at this aerodrome (): … ()  If the organisation already provides services at this aerodrome at the date when this Regulation becomes applicable, this date shall indicate the date when the declaration is submitted. List of ground handling services provided at the aerodrome covered by this Annex to the Declaration, pursuant to Article 2(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/20 Passenger handling (Article 2(2), point (a)) – please specify: … □ Handling of passengers with reduced mobility (Article 2(2), point (a)) □ Baggage handling (Article 2(2), point (b)) – please specify: … □ Aircraft servicing Operation of GSE used for ground handling services (Article 2(2), point (c)(i)) □ Aircraft refuelling and defuelling – into-plane fuelling services (Article 2(2), point (c)(ii)) □ Aircraft toilet servicing (Article 2(2), point (c)(iii)) □ Aircraft potable water servicing (Article 2(2), point (c)(iv)) □ Aircraft exterior cleaning (Article 2(2), point (c)(v)) □ Aircraft de-icing/anti-icing (Article 2(2), point (c)(vi)); also specify if supervision of de-icing/anti-icing is provided: … □ Turnaround activities Aircraft arrival activities (Article 2(2), point (d)(i)) □ Aircraft loading/unloading (Article 2(2), point (d)(ii)) □ Loading supervision (Article 2(2), point (d)(ii)) □ Aircraft departure activities (Article 2(2), point (d)(iii)) □ Aircraft towing/pushback (Article 2(2), point (d)(iv)): Towing□ Pushback□ Vehicle operation □ Headset communication □ Wing-person guidance □ □ Cargo and mail handling Cargo acceptance on behalf of the aircraft operator (Article 2(2), point (e)(i)) □ Final build-up and storage (Article 2(2), point (e)(ii)) □ Final weighing and tagging of ULD (Article 2(2), point (e)(iii)) □ Final checks before air transportation (Article 2(2), point (e)(iv)) □ Ground transportation of cargo/mail between the point of final checks and the aircraft (Article 2(2), point (e)(v)) □ Dangerous goods* Passenger handling □ Baggage handling □ Dangerous goods acceptance as cargo □ Dangerous goods handling as cargo □

SUBPART DOC

DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS

ORGH.DOC.100   Documents and records systems

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall establish a document system and a record system as part of its management system.

• (b) The ground handling organisation shall ensure that all documents and records and any associated amendments are accessible to the ground handling organisation’s personnel for duty purposes, and to authorities, or to other entities for audit or inspection purposes, upon request. The records shall be easily traced and retrievable throughout the required retention period.

• (c) The documents and records shall be stored and secured to ensure protection from damage, alteration and theft.

• (d) The documents and records shall be easily legible in any format they may be. The ground handling organisation shall specify in its documentation the method of disposal or deletion of the documents and records.

ORGH.DOC.105   Record-keeping

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall keep the records in accordance with the national requirements of the Member State(s) where the ground handling organisation provides its services.

• (b) Notwithstanding point (a), the ground handling organisation shall keep the following records as follows or in accordance with other applicable requirements, whichever is longer:
• (1) the ground handling organisation’s declaration and the AltMoC in use, for the period of validity of the declaration;
• (2) written arrangements with other organisations, such as aircraft operators and aerodrome operators, for the purpose of safe provision of ground handling services, for as long as such arrangements are in effect;
• (3) the ground handling manual and any other operational procedures, aerodrome operator procedures and instructions, and aircraft operator procedures and instructions, for as long as they are used by the ground handling organisation at that aerodrome, or for that aircraft operator;
• (4) safety assessment reports including accident and serious incident investigation reports, for the lifetime of the ground handling organisation;
• (5) personnel training certificates, qualifications, and, as applicable, medical records, driving on the apron authorisation or its revocation or cancellation, for at least 24 months after the end of a person’s employment;
• (6) vehicle and GSE authorisations, preventive maintenance plan, and maintenance records, for at least 24 months after a vehicle is removed from operation;
• (7) documents for the preparation and servicing of a flight, for 3 months.

ORGH.DOC.110   Ground handling manual

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall include the following elements in its ground handling manual:
• (1) all necessary instructions, information and procedures for the safe provision of ground handling services, adapted to the operational and local context and the safety risk at each aerodrome;
• (2) the operational procedures provided by the aircraft operators to which the ground handling organisation provides services;
• (3) the aerodrome procedures provided by the aerodrome operator, to ensure compliance with the aerodrome requirements applicable to the ground handling organisation;
• (4) the duties and responsibilities of the ground handling personnel;
• (5) the ground handling organisation’s management system;
• (6) the ground handling organisation’s process for the management of changes;
• (7) the training programme of the organisation’s personnel involved in ground handling activities;
• (8) the GSE maintenance programme;
• (9) any other tasks within the scope of ground handling services mentioned in its declaration.

• (b) The ground handling manual may consist of a set of separate documents interlinked by cross references.

• (c) Aerodrome operators and aircraft operators performing ground handling services may integrate the ground handling elements in their existing manuals.

• (d) The ground handling organisation shall ensure that any information taken from other controlled documents such as those referred to in points (a)(2) and (a)(3) or other documents that are relevant for the safe provision of ground handling services, and any amendment thereof, is correctly and timely reflected in the ground handling manual.

• (e) The ground handling organisation shall ensure that the ground handling manual:
• (1) is approved by the responsible person(s) assigned by the ground handling organisation, either in full or per parts, and there is evidence of this approval;
• (2) is easy to read and is organised in a manner that facilitates its preparation, use and revision;
• (3) is easily accessible to the personnel of the ground handling organisation and to third-party organisations, either in full or parts thereof, as relevant to their tasks and responsibilities, and the personnel are instructed on how to access and where to find the parts relevant to them;
• (4) is available, including its latest amendments, to the competent authority in due time before an inspection or audit.

• (f) The ground handling organisation shall:
• (1) review the content of the ground handling manual periodically, ensure that it is up to date and amended whenever necessary;
• (2) ensure that the procedures for amendment to and distribution of the ground handling manual are communicated to, and understood by, the personnel using the manual;
• (3) develop and implement a process to manage and control the successive ground handling manual versions and make it visible in the manual;
• (4) remove or clearly mark the obsolete parts;
• (5) incorporate all amendments and revisions required by the competent authority, the aircraft operators to which the ground handling organisation provides services, the aerodrome operator, or by changes to its operation;
• (6) disseminate operational instructions and changes thereof, as well as any other relevant information without delay to the personnel concerned.

• (g) The ground handling organisation shall ensure that the work instructions and operational procedures match the relevant parts of the ground handling manual and are written or communicated in a language and manner that can be understood by the relevant personnel.

SUBPART TRG

TRAINING OF GROUND HANDLING PERSONNEL

ORGH.TRG.100   Training and assessment programme

• (a) As part of its management system, the ground handling organisation shall develop and implement a training and assessment programme for its personnel, to ensure they achieve the necessary competence to perform their tasks to the standards and objectives established in accordance with point ORGH.GEN.110(c) and to ensure continued competence of personnel.

• (b) The training and assessment programme shall:
• (1) define training standards and objectives based on the specific tasks and duties for each ground handling function, operational procedures, operational context, and the hazards and associated safety risks inherent in each ground handling function;
• (2) establish the required level of competence and develop the training programme to achieve it;
• (3) include a training needs analysis that is performed before enrolling an individual for initial training; this step shall be used to enable recognition of any previous training completed by an individual, when relevant to the assigned function and tasks;
• (4) cover knowledge, skills, and attitudes commensurate with the generic and specific tasks for each ground handling function as follows:
• (i) the knowledge component shall be based on standard operational procedures related to the ground handling function, aircraft operator procedures, relevant aspects of the aerodrome procedures, and, as applicable, operations in adverse weather conditions, winter operations and night operations;
• (ii) the skill component shall address the technical and human skills to ensure that the individual achieves the practical abilities to correctly perform the tasks specific to their role and the development of skills shall also address the operator-specific procedures;
• (iii) the attitude component shall aim at preparing the individual to perform their tasks safely and efficiently, with the understanding and willingness to contribute to maintaining safety of operation at a high standard;
• (5) establish a process to assess the level of achieved competence as regards the components referred to in points (2), (3) and (4), at the end of training;
• (6) cover initial training, including on-the-job training, and continued competence training.

• (c) Taking into account the tasks and responsibilities specific to the individual functions, the training and assessment programme shall cover the following elements:
• (1) aviation basic knowledge;
• (2) specific training per type of ground handling activity;
• (3) the organisation’s safety management system and safety management elements;
• (4) airside safety and working around the aircraft including hazards posed by other operators on the apron;
• (5) operation of GSE and any installation, facility or equipment provided by the aerodrome operator for the provision of ground handling services;
• (6) human factors;
• (7) turnaround process;
• (8) reporting of safety events;
• (9) dangerous goods;
• (10) operational procedures of the aircraft operators relevant for the assigned specific ground handling function;
• (11) local operational procedures and programmes of the aerodrome operators relevant for the specific ground handling function;
• (12) any other training required by other applicable provisions of Regulation (EU) No 139/2014, Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 or Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 ([^E0003]).

• (d) The ground handling organisation shall ensure, as part of its training and assessment programme, the personnel’s continued competence by maintaining their knowledge, skills and attitudes to a level that enables them to perform their tasks in accordance with the standards and objectives established by the ground handling organisation in accordance with point ORGH.GEN.110(c). This shall be done by conducting the types of training referred to in points (e) to (h), each concluding with an assessment phase.

• (e) Recurrent training shall be performed no later than every 36 months. Recurrent training may be completed at any date within the last 3 calendar months of the recurrence interval, and then the new interval period may start at the date of completing the last recurrent training.

• (f) Refresher training shall be performed when an individual cannot demonstrate the required competence in the assigned function or has not performed tasks in the assigned function for 3 to 12 consecutive months. The content and the delivery form of refresher training shall be adapted to the length of the pause. Refresher training may be performed also as a form of seasonal variations of activities. Update training shall be performed, as a subcategory of refresher training, in any of the following cases:
• (1) an individual is assigned new tasks or a new ground handling function;
• (2) there are amendments to the regulations that directly affect the execution of their tasks;
• (3) there are new processes, procedures, or changes to the operational environment.

• (g) Training to requalify an individual shall be performed when there are gaps in the individual’s performance identified during daily operation or when an individual has not performed tasks in the assigned function for 12 to 24 consecutive months. It shall include training on the identified gaps in performance and an assessment of competence.

• (h) Retraining as per the initial training programme shall be performed when an individual has not performed tasks in the assigned function for more than 24 consecutive months.

• (i) The ground handling organisation shall ensure that the persons providing training and conducting the assessment are competent on the subject to be instructed and have skills to deliver the training and conduct the assessment effectively.

• (j) The training and assessment programme shall be included in the organisation’s ground handling manual and shall be reviewed regularly for improvement.

ORGH.TRG.105   Additional requirements related to training

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall ensure that suitable facilities, means, equipment and tools are used for the delivery of training and the conduct of assessments.

• (b) The ground handling organisation shall ensure that the training material is provided in a language that can be understood by the ground handling personnel concerned.

• (c) The ground handling organisation shall maintain records of the training and assessments and associated qualifications. It shall provide a copy of such records to the individual, upon request. Such records shall include the following details:
• (1) name of the employing organisation or, when training is provided by a third party, the organisation providing the training;
• (2) name of training;
• (3) targeted competencies of the training;
• (4) summary of topics covered;
• (5) achieved competencies and, if applicable, grade or pass-rate of the assessment;
• (6) date of training and assessment completion.

ORGH.TRG.110   Dangerous goods training

• (a) Ground handling organisations, including those that do not handle dangerous goods, shall implement and maintain a dangerous goods training programme for ground handling personnel, commensurate with their functions and responsibilities and including detection of undeclared or mis-declared dangerous goods and reporting of dangerous goods events, in accordance with point GH.OPS.020 and Annex 18 to the Chicago Convention and the ICAO Technical Instructions.

• (b) The personnel shall also receive training on the specific dangerous goods procedures of the aircraft operators for which the ground handling organisation provides dangerous goods handling services.

• (c) Recurrent training on dangerous goods shall be performed no later than every 24 months.

• (d) The personnel of a ground handling organisation who perform any of the following functions shall be exempted from compliance with point (a):
• (1) aircraft refueling and defuelling;
• (2) aircraft toilet servicing;
• (3) potable water servicing;
• (4) aircraft exterior cleaning;
• (5) aircraft de-icing and anti-icing;
• (6) aircraft towing or pushback.

SUBPART GSE

GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT

ORGH.GSE.100   Ground support equipment – General requirements

• (a) As part of its management system, the ground handling organisation shall have a process to ensure that the GSE used for the provision of ground handling services is:
• (1) subject to an inspection prior to first use in operation or before start of seasonal operation;
• (2) serviceable and in good condition so as not to cause any injuries to persons or damage to the aircraft or other equipment or property;
• (3) operated in accordance with the operating instructions and within the design parameters of the equipment;
• (4) used only for the purpose(s) for which it is designed;
• (5) suitable to the type of aircraft for which it is used;
• (6) maintained in accordance with the ground handling organisation’s maintenance programme and instructions, with due consideration to a minimum impact on the environment.

• (b) For the purpose of point (a), the ground handling organisation shall:
• (1) have and implement adequate procedures and instructions for the safe operation of the GSE;
• (2) have established means of ensuring receipt of, and appropriate action on, service bulletins, service updates, recalls and other notifications regarding the safety and use of the equipment issued by the manufacturer and/or authorities;
• (3) ensure that the personnel operating the GSE have a valid driver’s licence and any other licence required for the operation of specialised vehicles, and have been authorised by the aerodrome operator to drive on the apron, and are properly trained and their competencies are maintained;
• (4) comply with the maintenance programme requirements laid down in point ORGH.GSE.105;
• (5) ensure, when GSE maintenance services are outsourced, that:
• (i) the maintenance is performed in accordance with the equipment manufacturer instructions and specifications, which cover maintenance and repair instructions, servicing information, troubleshooting, and inspection procedures;
• (ii) the ground handling organisation has GSE maintenance evidence from the outsourced GSE maintenance company;
• (6) comply with the applicable design and manufacturing standards of the GSE used.

• (c) When the aerodrome operator provides equipment, facilities or installations for the provision of ground handling services, such as de-icing facilities, centralised baggage handling system, passenger boarding bridges and airbridges, the following aspects shall be clarified and documented as early as possible between the aerodrome operator and the users of such equipment, facilities or installations:
• (1) the responsibility for their maintenance;
• (2) the responsibility for their operation;
• (3) the responsibility for the training of personnel regarding the operation of such equipment, facilities or installations.

ORGH.GSE.105   Ground support equipment maintenance programme

• (a) As part of its management system, the ground handling organisation shall establish and implement a maintenance programme, to maintain the systems and equipment necessary for the provision of ground handling services in a state of operation that does not impair the safety of persons, aircraft and other vehicles or equipment, and the regularity of efficiency of operations. It shall ensure the following:
• (1) implementing a maintenance programme for its vehicles and equipment that operate on the movement area and other operational areas at the aerodrome;
• (2) establishing procedures to implement the maintenance programme;
• (3) performing maintenance in adequate workshops, by qualified personnel, and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions or, in their absence, with the instructions provided by the GSE owner or lessor;
• (4) effectively implementing the maintenance programme by using appropriate and adequate means and facilities, including when maintenance services are outsourced;
• (5) clearly tagging unserviceable vehicles and GSE as ‘out of service’, not using them for operations, and promptly moving them to dedicated maintenance or storage areas for repairs;
• (6) establishing a plan for preventive maintenance inspections, where appropriate;
• (7) keeping maintenance records for each vehicle and GSE.

• (b) The maintenance programme shall be adequate to the frequency and the specific conditions of use of a particular piece of GSE. It shall include, as a minimum:
• (1) an inspection and fault reporting process;
• (2) proof that the GSE has been verified before being released back into service.

• (c) The maintenance programme shall observe the human factors principles.

• (d) The maintenance programme shall ensure compliance with the specified service interval throughout the lifetime of the GSE.

• (e) When maintenance of the GSE is performed by other organisations participating in a pooled equipment agreement or rental agreement, the ground handling organisation shall ensure that the responsibility for the maintenance is documented.

ORGH.GSE.110   Ground support equipment pooling

• (a) Where GSE is provided by the aerodrome operator or by another organisation at an aerodrome, the ground handling organisation may, where appropriate, enter an agreement on GSE pooling with other organisations providing ground handling services at that aerodrome. The aerodrome operator shall be kept informed of such agreement at all times.

• (b) In the case of pooled GSE, the ground handling organisation shall ensure that the specific arrangement with the organisation providing the GSE meets the requirements of this Subpart and those applicable to contracted services within this Regulation, including ensuring training of personnel for the operation of the GSE, operational procedures for the use of the GSE, as well as the maintenance programme of the GSE.

• (c) The ground handling organisation shall effectively implement the safety requirements established through the GSE pooling agreement. It shall ensure that the level of safety is not below the standards established by its own safety management system. In such case, the ground handling organisation may request a review of the safety requirements of the GSE pooling agreement together with the other organisations involved in the agreement.

ANNEX II

RESPONSIBILITIES OF GROUND HANDLING ORGANISATIONS REGARDING OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR GROUND HANDLING SERVICES

(PART-GH.OPS)

GH.OPS.005   General responsibilities for the provision of ground handling services

• (a) The ground handling organisation shall ensure, for all the ground handling activities it performs, that:
• (1) the operational procedures and the instructions provided by the aircraft operator and, when applicable, by the aerodrome operator are correctly implemented;
• (2) sufficient personnel are available to perform the assigned tasks safely;
• (3) the personnel performing ground handling activities are trained and competent to perform the assigned tasks;
• (4) the operation and maintenance of any equipment used for GH activities are performed in accordance with Subpart ORGH.GSE.

• (b) In accordance with point 4.1(c) of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, the ground handling organisation shall provide services in accordance with the instructions and procedures of the aircraft operator. However, the ground handling organisation may apply its own operational procedures in either of the following cases:
• (1) if agreed and accepted by the aircraft operator;
• (2) if the aircraft operator does not provide any operational procedures.