VA bringing baggage handling in BNE, SYD and MEL on both Domestic and Short Haul Int'l back in house.

[HS-TQE]

Interesting move from Bain Capital here. Note, article may be paywalled if 'free article quota' is used up.

Virgin to insource international baggage handling

The move will see Virgin now insourcing both its domestic and international short-haul baggage handling, with around 40 ramp staff to be given extra training and upskilling. Melbourne and Sydney will begin the transition from February, with Brisbane to follow suit in May.

australianaviation.com.au

Virgin Australia will bring its Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney international ramp operations in-house from next year.

The move will see Virgin now insourcing both its domestic and international short-haul baggage handling, with around 40 ramp staff to be given extra training and upskilling. Melbourne and Sydney will begin the transition from February, with Brisbane to follow suit in May.

 

[Saab34]

It’s no trade secret that airlines are having ongoing challenges with some of the baggage handlers around performance. Swissport are spread waaaaaay too thin, they have always historically taken on new contracts and so forth, even though they had no ability to sustainably crew them. It gets to the point, in that it’s cheaper to run it in house, vs getting one of the circus operators to perform them.

I think this excludes checkin staff however.

 

[Harrison_133]

I think this excludes checkin staff however.

VA check-in staff are already in-sourced for BNE/MEL/SYD international ops.

 

[Saab34]

VA check-in staff are already in-sourced for BNE/MEL/SYD international ops.

Thanks, I remember a few years back it was done by Aerocare, and then Swissport.

 

[Bagpuss]

Interesting move from Bain Capital here.

You mean Virgin Australia.

This has been part of the commitment for sometime to bring more services in house with unions.

 

[dk4]

It’s no trade secret that airlines are having ongoing challenges with some of the baggage handlers around performance...

From my perspective, from the plane or lounge window, Virgin has one of the slickest ground operations out there. Love looking out the window as my (quite often, late arriving) aircraft pulls up to a gate, and see the ground team all standing on their marks ready to pounce on the plane and turn it around as soon as the starter's gun goes off. (And then showing some flair during their downtime and cooking themselves a BBQ on the tarmac in-between flights - wonderful!)

Here is a Melbourne team unpacking an aeroplane.


In the above pic, 3 ground staff, and 3 baggage trolleys... One person standing by the conveyor belt, pulls off transfer bags, onto a transfer trolley, the one at the bottom of the convey pulls all remaining off, and slides the "priority" bags over the top of the base trolley to the 3rd person at the other trolley closest to the camera, who then stacks the priorities up so they can move off once full, while the non-priority trolley fills up at the bottom of the ramp. Simply, slick!

And, as soon as they finish at the back of the plane....


The food & beverage moves in, and the front hold is purged of remaining bags and cargo.

 

[AIRwin]

(And then showing some flair during their downtime and cooking themselves a BBQ on the tarmac in-between flights - wonderful!)

That was Rex?

 

[dk4]

That was Rex?

oops, my bad. (I just remember the ground pic looked like SYD T2 Virgin pier. But Rex does often park there too.)

 

[antycbr]

From my perspective, from the plane or lounge window, Virgin has one of the slickest ground operations out there. Love looking out the window as my (quite often, late arriving) aircraft pulls up to a gate, and see the ground team all standing on their marks ready to pounce on the plane and turn it around as soon as the starter's gun goes off. (And then showing some flair during their downtime and cooking themselves a BBQ on the tarmac in-between flights - wonderful!)

Here is a Melbourne team unpacking an aeroplane.

View attachment 360031
In the above pic, 3 ground staff, and 3 baggage trolleys... One person standing by the conveyor belt, pulls off transfer bags, onto a transfer trolley, the one at the bottom of the convey pulls all remaining off, and slides the "priority" bags over the top of the base trolley to the 3rd person at the other trolley closest to the camera, who then stacks the priorities up so they can move off once full, while the non-priority trolley fills up at the bottom of the ramp. Simply, slick!

And, as soon as they finish at the back of the plane....

View attachment 360032
The food & beverage moves in, and the front hold is purged of remaining bags and cargo.

And unfortunately they’ll turn the aircraft which will then sit there delayed due to late arrival of cabin or tech crew.